Native Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration Challenges in Urbanized Areas with Rod Simmons [via Zoom]
Date/Time
Thursday, February 4, 2021
6:45 pm - 8:00 pm
Categories
Natural resources are irreplaceable features of the indigenous landscape that include topography (land shape), geology, soils, surface and ground water, natural communities, plants, and animals. Native flora and plant communities are the dominant natural resources on parkland in the eastern United States, and those that remain are diverse and require protection and careful stewardship. Native flora and plant communities are the foundation of biodiversity, as well as the measure of an ecosystem’s overall health and functionality. Simply put, the preservation of biodiversity and natural heritage cannot be achieved without the large-scale conservation of native plants and their natural habitats.
We will discuss conservation and restoration challenges in heavily urbanized areas of the mid-Atlantic, such as City of Alexandria and Richmond, as well as successes in preserving native biodiversity.
Rod Simmons
Rod Simmons is a plant ecologist who has worked extensively in the fields of natural resource management and ecological restoration for nearly 30 years. He is a member of the Virginia Botanical Associates and works closely with the Virginia and Maryland natural heritage programs. He is a member and a past president of the Botanical Society of Washington, a past president of the Maryland Native Plant Society, and serves on the board of the Virginia Native Plant Society, and is a regular field trip leader for all of these organizations. Rod is the Natural Resource Manager and Plant Ecologist for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
