As extreme weather events and warmer temperatures become even more frequent around New Jersey, it’s time to start thinking about ways to fortify your outdoor spaces. Join Hazel England, Ecologist, Director of Education with the Great Swamp Watershed Association, and weather-weary gardener, to learn about ways to “climate proof” your garden or outdoor space.  

We ‘ll look at the ways our climate conditions are changing and what to do to help your yard keep up.  We’ll discuss the highs and lows of the seasons and their impacts on your yard, including water conservation strategies such as xeriscaping- the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation. Xeriscapes need little or no supplemental water beyond what the natural climate provides. We will also discuss the best plant choices to help your garden weather the storms and droughts. Implementing these strategies can also allow more diversity into your yard where your plants will flourish…as well as improve area biodiversity.

Bio

Hazel is GSWA’s Director of Education and Outreach and Land Steward.

Before joining GSWA nearly 20 years ago, she worked for a decade as a Naturalist with Somerset Cty Parks, creating natural history programs for all ages, and as Executive Director of the Whitesbog Preservation Trust in the NJ Pines. Hazel develops and conducts ecological and educational focused programs for learners of all ages and the broader community. She manages stewardship at GSWA’s 75acre Conservation Management Area, coordinating restoration at the site. A native of Scotland, she has degrees in Zoology &Botany, and a master’s in Ecology and Environmental Management.  When not coordinating the Plant for Pollinators program at GSWA, you will find her out in her Suburban South Plainfield wildflower garden, wondering just where all those plants came from….