| 1P Emerald Ash Borer Detection Training Joe Zeleznik, NDSU Extension Forester
2 Pollinator Curricula in the Classroom Pollinator gardens are more than beautiful landscapes—they can become powerful outdoor classrooms. Discover a new K–8 pollinator science curriculum developed by NDSU Extension that helps educators, Master Gardeners, and Extension professionals use pollinator spaces to teach ecology, biodiversity, conservation, and scientific thinking through flexible, hands-on lessons adaptable to classrooms, 4-H, and public outreach programs. April Johnson, NDSU Extension Pollinator Coordinator
3 Pride of Dakota afternoon break
3:15 Lessons Learned from SD: Native Plant Soil Health and Seed Saving
Planting native plants in your home garden can provide a wide range of ecosystem services that benefit your entire landscape. Native plants support pollinators, build healthy soils, improve water infiltration and moisture retention, and provide food and shelter for wildlife. This talk will explore these benefits, offer practical guidance for integrating native plants into your landscape, and explain how to maximize their ecological value. Bret Lang, Ecologist and SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
4 Cover it Up! The impacts of soil tarping, wool mulch, and more on soil health and vegetable performance Kristine will share what her team has learned about tackling weeds, improving soil health, and growing tasty vegetables while using new weed management techniques. You'll learn about using clear, black, and white soil tarps to manage early season weeds in a northern climate; spoiler alert...it involves battling the wind and using way more sand bags than you would think! Do you have any sheep farmers near you!? If so, you might be keen to hear how raw wool behaves similarly to straw mulch...the jury is still out on if paying lots of money for wool pellets is worth the expense! Kristine Lang, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist |
