Expand your horizons with the monthly Conservation Café series. We will discuss science, nature, policy, journalism, art, spirituality, justice, and so much more as we explore all the ways that people work towards conservation and environmental protection. Meet and learn from inspiring speakers and ask them questions live.
Click the link for each event below to see more information and register. Cafés are held Jan – June and Sep – Nov. Programs either run in person at Woodend Sanctuary or via Zoom, 7-8:30 pm. Check events for details.
Registration fees ($10-15) go to support our Nature Forward Conservation Program! Registrants will receive a link to the recording within a few days of the talk; it will later be made available on this page to the public.
(IN-PERSON AT WOODEND) In Victor’s Conservation Cafe on Understanding Flood Risk and Meaningful Engagement, he will discuss flooding
Event Details
(IN-PERSON AT WOODEND) In Victor’s Conservation Cafe on Understanding Flood Risk and Meaningful Engagement, he will discuss flooding in Washington, DC and the measures that have been taken to reduce the risk. With his experience in the District and teaching residents about the impact of flooding he will also share the meaningful outreach and engagement lessons learned and what we can do better to reach and protect the most vulnerable communities.
Victor Ukpolo Jr. is a Certified Floodplain Manager for the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment. He began in floodplain management 5 years ago at Baltimore City’s Department of Planning, where he also ran the City’s Community Rating System program.
Victor attended Morgan State University, an historically black college, as an undergrade in the Biological Sciences Department. It was during these years his social consciousness evolved on campus, but also off campus for the environment, as he canvassed for local environmental organizations. In later years, he earned a Master’s in Environmental Science at California State University, Los Angeles.
He has experienced working in several corners of the environmental profession, including advocacy and organizing. Over the years, Victor has also worked as a Risk Assessor and Recycling Specialist. He’s a former Chesapeake Bay Program Citizens Advisory Committee Member for the State of Maryland, where in 2014 he led the advocacy to adopt current diversity and environmental justice language into the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement.
Victor’s current and most rewarding role is being a father, husband, and steward in his own community.
Join us virtually via zoom as Montgomery County District 6 Councilmember Natali Fani-González shares a deep view into her
Event Details
Join us virtually via zoom as Montgomery County District 6 Councilmember Natali Fani-González shares a deep view into her role and work.
Councilmember Fani-González was Nature Forward’s 2020 Naturally Latinos Keynote speaker while she was serving as Vice-Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board. Now in her new role as District 6 Councilmember, she will share some of her recent and current work which includes passing the forest conservation law, working towards a more climate resilient county, and safer road for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Natali Fani-González brings deep local government experience and a strong background on economic opportunity for all to the Montgomery County Council. Until August of 2021, Natali was the Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board, the local agency that regulates real estate development, plans transportation infrastructure, and manages the park system. During her seven years on the Planning Board, Natali was a key player in supporting the growth of the County’s life sciences sector through master plans in the Great Seneca Science Corridor, White Flint, and Bethesda. With a particular focus on addressing the needs of small, local, and immigrant-owned businesses, she also helped steer the County Growth and Infrastructure Policy, Veirs Mills Corridor Master Plan, Montgomery Hills/Forest Glen Sector Plan, the MARC Rail Community Sector Plan, and the Bicycle Master Plan, among many others.
Prior to her service on the Planning Board and starting her own business, Natali worked for the regional immigrant group CASA, where she successfully fought for the Maryland DREAM act, banking services for the unbanked and other local and state policies to uplift low-income communities.
Natali arrived in the United States as a teenager with her mother without being able to speak English. Nevertheless, she committed herself to her education while working weekends cleaning houses with her mother. She won a full scholarship to Goucher College, where she was awarded degrees in political science and international relations. She served on the Goucher College Board of Trustees after she graduated. She knows from experience the struggles good, hard-working people face trying to make a better life for themselves and their families.
Washingtonian Magazine honored Natali as one of the “40 Under 40” Changemakers in the Washington DC Region and then named her as a “Woman to Watch.” She is a 2021 Recipient of a State Citation by Governor Larry Hogan for community efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic helping vulnerable communities. The DC metro area’s largest Spanish language newspaper, El Tiempo Latino, recognized Natali as one of the 100 most influential individuals for the DC Hispanic community. Natali lives in Wheaton with her husband, a former United States Marine, and their children.
VIRTUAL. Join nature writer and Humane Gardener founder Nancy Lawson as she hosts a panel discussion among leading
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VIRTUAL. Join nature writer and Humane Gardener founder Nancy Lawson as she hosts a panel discussion among leading experts who have been on the front lines of advocating in MD and VA for allowing low-impact, native habitat landscaping in HOAs and common interest communities. It happens too often that environmentally conscious homeowners convert their lawns to native plants only to be reprimanded by their homeowners’ association for growing “weeds,” leaving stalks up for birds, or refusing to use pesticides. But even in an HOA, wildlife-friendly landscaping doesn’t have to be DOA. Hear about a recent landmark case in Maryland that led to a state law codifying wildlife-friendly gardens, sparking similar efforts in HOAs, towns and counties across the nation.
Join in the discussion with local experts from MD and VA, including Janet Crouch, Melinda Soltys, and Barbara Ryan (read more about them below!). This conversation will include a Q&A with the audience as we share ideas for continuing the unstoppable momentum toward new ethics and practices in home landscaping.
Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife and the recently released Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature. A nature writer, habitat consultant, popular speaker, and founder of The Humane Gardener, LLC, she pioneers creative, wildlife-friendly landscaping methods. Her presentations at diverse venues—from national wildlife refuges to local wildflower preserves—have inspired even seasoned horticulturists and wildlife experts to look at their landscapes in a new way. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, Nancy co-chairs Howard County Bee City in Maryland and helped launch a community science project, Monarch Rx, based on scientific discoveries made in her own garden. Nancy’s books, garden, advocacy, and scientific endeavors have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, O magazine, Entomology Today, Ecological Entomology, and numerous podcasts and radio shows.
Panelists’ Bios
Janet Crouch is conservation advocate living in Howard County, Maryland. Over 15 years ago, she and her husband converted their front lawn into beautiful pollinator gardens. However, their homeowners’ association ultimately sent them a letter from their lawyer demanding that the convert the gardens back to turfgrass. Janet and her husband ultimately filed a lawsuit against their HOA which was eventually settled and allowed them to retain virtually all of their garden. Janet also took her fight to save their garden all the way to the state legislature; her family’s story inspired introduction of a state law protecting homeowners with environmentally-friendly landscaping who live in HOA communities. In 2021, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 322, the low-landscaping legislation that specifically codifies residents’ rights to be wildlife-friendly, plant-friendly, and environmentally conscious.
Melinda Soltys, a Virginia resident, is a wildlife and native plant advocate and enthusiast, president of Wild Ones Nova Seedling chapter, and parent. In addition to creating wildlife habitat at her home in Northern Virginia, she is a site leader with the Fairfax County Invasive Management Area program and is restoring habitat at a local park through removing invasive species and repopulating with our native Virginia plants. Melinda works with her local school to plant native landscaping and runs the after-school garden club to educate and inspire children to learn about plants and nature. She has spoken out about her experiences with gardening for wildlife in her HOA and is working with Nature Forward and Wild Ones to create legislation in Virginia to help homeowners plant native.
Barbara Ryan is the founder and owner of Chain Bridge Native Landscapes LLC in McLean. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Landscape Design from The George Washington University and is a certified Virginia Horticulturist (VNLA), Level 2 Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP), and Fairfax Master Naturalist. She understands and has experience in the unique aspects of low-impact landscaping in HOAs and Condo Associations. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Native Plant Society and has been actively involved in advocating Virginia’s General Assembly to strengthen its support of native plants and restrictions on invasive plants.
