Talk and Walk with Heather Holm

In urban environments, natural landscapes that were once biodiverse and contiguous have been transformed into small and often highly degraded fragments. 

What potential do these sites hold for ecological restoration, pollinator habitat, and public demonstration sites? How does one go about restoring a site such as this? Heather will highlight some of the challenges, opportunities, and amazing outcomes that have unfolded in her neighborhood corner lot restoration. She will also discuss pollinator habitat enhancement and management considerations, and celebrate the diverse pollinator populations that now thrive in the corner lot.

After the talk, Heather will lead the group on a walk to St. Lukes to view the restoration and sustainable landscaping at this place of worship. We will catch and release pollinators in the plantings. Participants get an up-close look at each insect captured and learn about their biology, their contribution to the pollination of flowers, or their role as beneficial insects.

Heather Holm is a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. She passionately informs and educates audiences nationwide, through her writing and many presentations, about the fascinating world of native pollinators and beneficial insects, and the native plant communities that support them.   Heather is the author of four books: Pollinators of Native Plants (2014), Bees (2017), Wasps (2021), and Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States (2022). Both Bees and Wasps have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award (2018 and 2022 respectively). Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is also an accomplished photographer and her pollinator photos are frequently featured in print and electronic publications.

Link to the church grounds restoration information: http://www.stluke.mn/woods