In late October, over 300 conservation practitioners and interested laypeople from across Ontario converged on the Toronto Botanical Garden for the “Restoring Resilience: Big Impacts across Small Spaces” conference. The event, co-organized with the Ontario Invasive Plant Council (OIPC), doubled as Carolinian Canada’s annual Ecosystem Recovery Forum and OIPC’s Annual General Meeting. The forum fittingly had dual, but integrally-connected, themes: how to address the rapidly-growing problem of invasive species, alongside the benefits of restoring habitat with native species, even in small spaces such as private gardens, on a working landscape. Highlight’s included keynote talks by renowned entomologist and award-winning author Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware. With solid science, incisive wit and jaw-dropping photos, Tallamy demonstrated how essential native plants are to the food webs that support wildlife populations, and how native plants can be creatively and attractively incorporated into our gardens. The conference also included an array of stimulating talks from experts in ecological restoration and invasive plant management. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, WWF - Canada, Toronto Botanical Garden and the many generous sponsors are thanked for helping make this event such a great success!
