Gardening on the Wild Side (In-Person)

Registration Required Below

In Wildness is the Preservation of the World ~ Henry David Thoreau, 1851

This program is presented in partnership with the Norwalk River Watershed Association and the Redding Land Trust

For generations, the ideal American yard has been tidy and green, with hardly a blade of grass out of place — but that model is not only harmful to wildlife, it also requires abundant resources and chemicals to maintain.

Master Gardner Cathy Smith talks about an ecologically-friendly view of the ideal American yard, where even small, residential landscapes can become part of a larger and healthier ecological network.

Our yards can play a powerful role in supporting pollinators, absorbing stormwater, cooling neighborhoods and bringing nature closer to home.

This is a hybrid series of programs that will take place both live at the Library, and virtually over Zoom. For a full experience we recommend attending this program live at the Library.

Scroll to the bottom of the screen to register for the in-person option.

Would you prefer instead to attend the virtual program, over Zoom? Click here to register for the virtual program.   

About Our Speaker

Cathy Smith is a gardener, amateur naturalist, writer and speaker with an interest in native plants and insects and creating nature-friendly landscapes. She has a gardening certificate from the New York Botanical Garden and has completed the Master Gardener, Master Composter, and Accredited Organic Land Care Professional programs. Cathy has also studied at Great Dixter in the UK with head gardener Fergus Garret. She has led walks on native spring ephemerals and other native plants at New Pond Farm and for Woodcock Nature Center and the Ridgefield Conservation Commission. Cathy is a board member of the Norwalk River Watershed Association and contributor to The Buzz, the newsletter of the Pollinator Pathway. Before retiring in 2015 she was Director of the Center for Behavioral Finance at Allianz Global Investors in New York. When she’s not enjoying nature or gardening, she can usually be found playing the mandolin. Cathy and her husband Michael live in Wilton, CT.