June General Meeting: Guest Speaker Cathy Kavassalis, "Transforming Landscapes in a Changing Climate"

From where in the world do your plants originate? What are the impacts of your plant choices? By introducing non-native plants to the land in our care, we are changing biological diversity near and far. Escaped garden plants can cause great harm, disrupting food webs and ecosystems. As our climate warms, the problems associated with invasive plants, pests and diseases will increase. Tonight's speaker invites us to come and learn how we can make better choices in our gardens to safeguard nature.  Get inspired as we explore how we can create beautiful, environmentally sustainable spaces that meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.

Cathy Kavassalis is a passionate gardener and conservationist. A scientist, educator and inspirational speaker, Cathy endeavors to stimulate interest and awe in the living world. She is the co-founder of the Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation, a member of the Halton Master Gardeners group, a past president of the Oakville Horticultural Society, and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Royal Botanical Garden. Cathy is working to remove invasive plants and improve the health of the land in her care in Seguin, Ontario. This is Cathy's second presentation to our society.

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Tonight's speaker is planning to attend our meeting virtually via Zoom. A live video broadcast of her remote participation will be projected onto a large screen in the auditorium.

All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker.  Note that tonight's meeting starts 15 minutes earlier than usual to provide time for additional society business - review and approval of changes to our Constitution.

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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 7:15 pm (15-min early)
• 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