Connecting the Benefits and Applications of Native Landscapes in Urban Spaces

Name: Connecting the Benefits and Applications of Native Landscapes in Urban Spaces
Start: 2026-02-26T09:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-26T12:00:00-06:00

February 26 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Event Series (See All)

February 25-26, 2026 | Virtual Workshop

Sponsored by the Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund

Event Overview

This two-day virtual workshop explores the ecological, practical, and innovative applications of native plant landscapes in urban and roadside environments. Participants will learn from leading experts about the critical role native plants play in supporting biodiversity, successful implementation strategies from Iowa communities, and emerging approaches to integrating native landscapes into infrastructure projects. The workshop connects ecological science with real-world applications, providing attendees with both the foundational understanding and practical tools needed to advance native landscape projects in their own communities.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Understand how native plant landscapes function as essential components of healthy urban ecosystems and why conventional landscaping practices fail to support local biodiversity
Apply strategies from Iowa communities for implementing Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management plans that balance ecological function with maintenance considerations
Utilize soil restoration techniques that improve both vegetation establishment and stormwater management outcomes
Identify innovative applications of native landscapes beyond traditional settings, including solar installations and community-wide pollinator initiatives
Access resources and technical guidance for planning, implementing, and maintaining native plantings in diverse urban contexts

Professional Development Hours

Attendees will earn 6 PDHs for completing the full two-day workshop (3 PDHs per day). Single-day registration is also available.

Day 1: February 25, 2026

9:00-9:15 | Welcome and Workshop Overview
Pat Sauer, ISWEP

9:15-10:45 | Featured Presentation: Homegrown National Park
Dr. Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware

Dr. Tallamy is a renowned entomologist, ecologist, and conservationist whose work has transformed how we understand the relationship between native plants and ecosystem health. A best-selling author of Nature’s Best Hope and The Nature of Oaks, and co-founder of the nonprofit Homegrown National Park, Doug has become one of the nation’s leading voices for native plant landscaping and biodiversity conservation.

This presentation addresses a fundamental challenge facing conservation efforts today: our parks, preserves, and wildlands, regardless of their size, are too isolated from one another to sustain the native trees, plants, insects, and animals that depend on interconnected habitat. The solution lies in practicing conservation where we live, work, shop, and farm. The Homegrown National Park initiative challenges communities across the nation to create diverse ecosystems in yards, farms, and surrounding lands by reducing lawn area, planting natives, and removing invasive species. The movement aims to restore 20 million acres with native plants, recognizing that the loss of native plant and animal species threatens our fundamental life support systems. When many people make small changes in their own spaces, we can collectively restore healthy ecological networks capable of weathering the environmental changes ahead.

10:45-10:55 | Break

Roadside Applications and Implementation of Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Plans

10:55-11:30 | Davenport’s IRVM Plan: Connectivity to Roadways, Stormwater Management, and Public Spaces
Amy Kay, Clean Water Manager, City of Davenport

Davenport’s approach to creating functional connections between roadway corridors, stormwater infrastructure, and public green spaces.

11:30-12:15 | Polk County Roadway Bioretention Cells, Swales, and Native Areas: Evolution and Maintenance Strategies
Ryan McFerren, Roadside Biologist, Polk County

Practical guidance on plant selection and sustainable maintenance approaches drawn from managing hundreds of acres of roadside native plantings.

Day 2: February 26, 2026

Healthy Soils, Prairie Vegetation, and Native Tree Resources

9:00-9:30 | Healthy Soils, Healthy Vegetation: Emerging Soil Health Practices for Roadway Project Soil Restoration and Stormwater Management
Warren Tuel, Minnesota Department of Transportation

How restoring soil health before planting improves both vegetation establishment and stormwater management performance.

9:30-10:00 | 2025 Roadside Vegetation Management Technical Manual and UNI’s Tallgrass Prairie Center Support and Resources
Kristine Nemec, UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center

The updated technical manual and resources available for seed selection, sourcing, and technical assistance for native vegetation projects.

10:00-10:45 | The Other Natives: Trees and Shrubs and Technology Updates
Emma Hanigan, State Urban Forester, Iowa DNR

How native woody species contribute to urban ecosystems and technological tools available for urban forest planning and management.

10:45-10:55 | Break

Application of Natives Outside of the Box

10:55-11:30 | Ames’ Solar Farm, Solar Parks, and Sheep
Layne Forber, Energy Services Coordinator, City of Ames

Innovative approaches to combining renewable energy infrastructure with native vegetation and managed sheep grazing.

11:30-11:55 | Implementing the Ames Pollinator Friendly Community Plan: Progress and Lessons Learned
Katelyn Rinicker, Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Prairie Rivers of Iowa

Real-world successes and challenges from implementing a comprehensive pollinator-friendly community plan.

11:55-12:00 | Wrap Up and Closing Comments
Pat Sauer, ISWEP