February General Meeting: Guest Speaker Kevin Kavanagh, "The Growing Importance of Gardening for Nature"

Natural habitats in southern Ontario have suffered a dramatic reduction in both area and quality. With the added stresses from a rapidly changing climate, the importance of maintaining native plants across the landscape is of growing importance to the diversity of wildlife that rely on them. Gardeners can play an important role in helping to provide sources of food for birds and native pollinators, shelter and other natural features in their yards that can better ensure species survival in more urbanized areas. Creating a more natural garden can also provide safe passage for those species that migrate through our cities and towns in spring and fall. This presentation will highlight some of the simple actions gardeners can take to make their properties both beautiful and more beneficial to the many species that share our southern Ontario landscape.

Kevin Kavanagh is the owner of South Coast Gardens and Consulting, a small nursery and landscape design business in heart of Ontario’s ‘Carolinian zone’.  Although an avid gardener for much of his life, Kevin spent most of his early career in the field of nature conservation working for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy of Canada and World Wildlife Fund Canada.

Kevin holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) from McGill University, a M.Sc. from York University and several years of post-graduate research in Botany at the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Grand Erie Master Gardeners and Niagara Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. Kevin has authored several book chapters and articles celebrating Canada’s wild places and the rich plant life of Ontario’s Carolinian zone.



All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 

Photo Opportunities 7-7:30 pm

Professional photographer Chris Robart will be snapping headshot photos in a designated "photo booth" area of the auditorium prior to the business portion of our meeting.  If your Membership Profile is missing a photo, if your Profile photo needs to be updated, or if you received an award at last month's AGM, please see Chris. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged