events

We are excited to again be partnering with Villanova’s Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship (CBEST) after the tremendous success of last year’s event, attended by over 200 students, faculty, and community members. This year, the theme "Partnerships for Success” will explore how community partnerships are advancing environmental care and stewardship across the Greater Philadelphia region. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to hear about impactful environmental efforts, connect with fellow nature enthusiasts and learn how to get involved. Enjoy light refreshments and a post-event reception to meet with professionals and local organizations in the field. 

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Panelists & topics for this year:

• ​Grant DeCosta, Director, Brandywine Conservancy

  • ​The Brandywine Conservancy utilizes a holistic approach to fulfill our mission of resource conservation which includes partnering with municipalities to achieve elevated results through collaboration. The Conservancy's Municipal Assistance Program provides planning support on comprehensive planning, open space plans, ordinance and regulations, and MS4 stormwater technical assistance and project implementation

• Dr. Amanda Hess, Research Assistant Professor, Villanova Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering

  • ​Through interdisciplinary engineering research—environmental, geotechnical, water resources—the Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems (VCRWS) engages with society to create resilient solutions to global water challenges. VCRWS is a group of faculty, staff, and students who perform research with a focus on the evolving field of sustainable stormwater management through field, laboratory, and modeling efforts.

• Kyle Rose, Director, Land Protection Program, Natural Lands

  • ​Since 2005, Natural Lands has administered PECO’s Green Region Open Space Program which has provided financial support to over 400 projects leading to over 340 acres of new open space, 51 miles of trails, and almost 9,000 trees planted across PECO’s service SE PA service region. Come learn about the history, partners, and successes of the program.

• Tom Smarr, Executive Director, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens

  • ​In 2021, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens completed a Stormwater Management Plan that identified several problem areas on and adjacent to the Arboretum property. Since, Jenkins has partnered with the Tredyffrin Township, private environmental engineering firms, and Pennsylvania state agencies for physical improvements on and surrounding the Jenkins property to improve water flow and erosion control to protect downstream.

• Amber Atwood Levy, Executive Director, Radnor Conservancy (moderator)​

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Advance registration required to attend as the event is on campus.

We hope to see you there!

The gardening season may be at an end, but it doesn’t mean the garden has to be absent of life and beauty! Winter structure for beauty and habitat for stem nesting insects will be discussed. We will reflect on the season, learn how to assess it throughout winter and plan for continued growth in spring. Additional topics will include winter pruning and how to identify rodent and winter damage.

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Course fee: $41

Beneath our feet and within every ecosystem lies a hidden network of extraordinary organisms working wonders – fungi. In partnership with the Radnor Twp. Environmental Advisory Council, join us for a visually stunning lecture by naturalist Mike Weilbacher on the emerging importance of fungi in solving critical ecological and environmental issues. We'll explore their remarkable abilities to detoxify pollution, enrich biodiversity, create sustainable alternatives in clothing and packaging, and even remediate climate change. You’ll be surprised and amazed by the intricate, often unseen, processes by which these unsung alchemists are quietly revolutionizing environmental stewardship.

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Mike Weilbacher, the author of Wild Philly: Explore the Amazing Nature of Philadelphia, travels the region presenting lectures and walks on many topics around nature and the environment. His Radnor lectures have included talks on microplastics and climate change in the Philadelphia area. He'll sign and sell copies of Wild Philly after the talk; his book includes 29 year-round nature walks you can take to see the amazing nature of Philadelphia.