Winter Lecture Series #4: The Secret Lives of Ferns w/ Shawn Jalbert

We can’t make spring come any faster, but we CAN provide some quality programming to hold you over until then! Join us in-person or by Zoom for a month of horticultural and ecological presentations that are sure to take the chill out of your week. Lectures are held at the homestead each Wednesday in the month of March; tea and snacks are served at 3:30PM before the presentation at 4PM. Register for the Zoom presentation HERE.

We all have seen ferns in our yards and in the woods; but what exactly do they do? We will peer through the veil of secrecy to reveal the influential roles of ferns by exploring their unique life histories and ecology. We will gain a deeper understanding, and appreciation, of how ferns anchor forest soils, influence microclimates, and support biodiversity of the understory. You will never look at a fern the same way again!

Shawn Jalbert, owner of Native Haunts Plant Nursery and Consulting in Alfred, ME, is passionate about growing native plants and sharing his knowledge of their critical importance. For the last 25 years Shawn has been sustainably growing native plants and educating the public about the value of native plant ecology through lectures, classes and private consultations. Shawn is the steward of the Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary in Springvale, Maine and a Board Member for the Three Rivers Land Trust. To learn more about his native plant nursery and services visit: www.nativehaunts.com.