South Georgia Native Plant & Wildflower Symposium 2005 Speakers

2005 Symposium Speakers

A Secret Forest: Coveting Native Trees
Dr. Kim Coder, University of Georgia
Dr. Kim D. Coder is professor of Community Forestry & Arboriculture at the University of Georgia. His technical specialities include tree health care, tree biomechanics and risk management. He is past president of the International Society of Arboriculture and was granted the “Award for Excellence in Arboricultural Education” by this same organization. Coder is the author of over 400 publications and articles on tree growth and development, tree care, maintenance, and protection; community and urban forestry; and endangered species/environmental issues. He is an international lecturer and consultant, as well as an award-winning WEB site developer.
Due to a family emergency Dr. Coder was unable to be here.
Dr. John Ruter spoke in Dr. Coder's place.

Just Cloning Around: Propagating Native Plants
Dr. John Ruter, University of Georgia
John Ruter is a professor with The University of Georgia and has been with the Department of Horticulture at the Tifton Campus since 1990. Dr. Ruter’s research and extension activities are focused on nursery crop production in the southeastern United States and he has been in charge of the development of the Coastal Plain Research Arboretum since 1991. He is also an advisor for the native plant community-based landscape at the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory.

Dr. Ruter has published over 300 scientific and popular articles. Among Dr. Ruter's awards and honors are the “Award of Merit” given by the Garden Clubs of Georgia for his work in preserving and promoting native plants. In 2000, Dr. Ruter received the D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Research given by the University of Georgia. Dr. Ruter received the 2002 Distinguished Achievement Award for Nursery Crops given by the American Society for Horticultural Science as well as the William F. Kosar Award from the Holly Society of America.

Threats from Invasive Plants in Natural Environments
Dr. Dave Moorhead & Chris Evans, University of Georgia
Dr. Dave Moorhead is professor of Silviculture in the Warnell School of Forest Resources at the University of Georgia. Housed at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Dr. Moorhead specializes in forest regeneration and management including forest health and prescribed fire issues. He is Co-coordinator of the Bugwood Network which develops and delivers forestry and natural resource information though 15 web sites. The Invasive.org site focuses on non-native invasive organisms in forest, agricultural and native habitats. Chris Evans serves as The Bugwood Network’s Invasive Species and Biological Coordinator. Chris has a BS in Wildlife Biology and an MS in Forest Ecology. He recently served as coordinator for the woodland invasive species survey of Iowa, a project which emphasized training private landowners to identify and report woodland invasive plants. His current duties include developing natural resource-related educational material, image classification, and further development of the ecological and biological aspects of the Bugwood Network.

Using Native Plants in the Landscapes
Donna Legare, Native Nurseries
Donna Legare has co-owned and managed Native Nurseries, a retail nursery, nature store and landscaping service in Tallahassee since its inception in 1980. She has a BS degree in Wildlife Ecology and Forestry from the University of Florida and was a founding board member of Birdsong Nature Center in Grady County, Georgia, where she currently volunteers as a butterfly gardener.

Native Wildflowers on Florida Roadsides
Dr. Jeff Norcini, University of Florida
Jeff Norcini is an Associate Professor of Environmental Horticulture with the University of Florida/IFAS. He is located at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. Since 1996, his focus has been on implementing research and extension programming related to production of native herbaceous plant materials that are appropriate for Florida. His work is designed to support those involved with native wildflower seed production, container production, and establishment of sustainable populations. For more information, please go to http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/norcini.

Frank Parrish is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BS degree in Forestry (major Wildlife Mgt.) and MF (Wildlife Mgt.). He was employed with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for 30 years as a wildlife biologist and Regional Supervisor of the South/Central Region. He retired from DNR August 31, 1990 and lives in Fitzgerald, GA.

His “extra-curricular” interests over the years have included birding, wildflower identification and photography, hunting, camping, and canoeing. He has a particular interest in the use of native plants and wildflowers in the landscape.

If you would like more information regarding the South Georgia Native Plant & Wildflower Symposium
please phone (229) 386-7274 or email abcarter@uga.edu