This workshop aims to increase restoration practitioners’ understanding of the scientific foundations that guide native habitat restoration and management. This includes plant-pollinator interdependency and long-term ecosystem sustainability; why holistic approaches to habitat management are important to biodiversity; the significance of native and invasive plant species for pollinators/wildlife and to restoration outcomes; and how to translate knowledge gained from research into practical management actions.

TOPIC 1: Establishing diverse prairie restorations.
Becky Barak, Ph.D., Conservation Scientist, Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University

TOPIC 2: Understanding the cascading impacts of invasive plants and why natives are part of the solution.
Dawn Slack, Director of Stewardship, The Nature Conservancy and Chair for the Invasive Plant Advisory Committee to the Invasive Species Council

TOPIC 3: The implications from current research on managing monarch and other native pollinator habitat.
Nathan Haan, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Landis Lab, Michigan State University