I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are gearing up for a fantastical holiday. We’ve emerged from the November scramble and have rescheduled our Best Of show to be the opening show for the 2025 season!
Speaker + talk details are listed out below…again.
Bee Lawns: Developing a Sustainable Lawn
We need to rethink the traditional American lawn. Modern lawns consist of a weed-free monoculture that requires high inputs of water and fertilizer. In addition, they are inhospitable landscapes for pollinators and beneficial insects. By integrating compact flowering plants into the lawn, we can provide a source of pollen and nectar for pollinators. Learn how to install and maintain a bee lawn that is attractive and meets community aesthetic standards.
Esther McGinnis is an Associate Professor in the North Dakota State University Department of Plant Sciences. She is also an Extension Horticulturist and Director of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Her graduate students conduct research in the areas of native plant evaluation, pollinator conservation, and plants for rain garden environments. As the administrator of the Extension Master Gardener Program, impactful initiatives include planting pollinator habitat, fighting food insecurity, community beautification, and plant diagnosis.
we just decided to
This talk is a discussion of how gatekeepers make decisions about what is and is not considered acceptable English.
Kellam Barta has an MA in Sociolinguistics from NC State University and teaches writing and linguistics at NDSU. He also enjoys talking to groups of folks in 20-minute chunks with 3-5 minutes for questions. Seriously.
The Perpetual Crisis of Conservation Biology – A Story of Two Chickens
The grassland prairie is the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Most prairies have been cut in half, forcing many native species into small, isolated pockets. A charismatic resident, the prairie-chicken, still exists in this fragmented landscape, but populations are starting to vanish. Zack’s talk describes the trials and tribulations of saving prairie-chickens, and a past project hoping to rescue an endangered population in Wisconsin.
Zack Bateson spent his childhood lost in the woods of Minnesota. During that time, he fell in love with nature. His love interest turned into a career as a geneticist. Zack has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Genetics and has studied lizards, birds, bees, crops, and weeds. When not in the lab or begging for research money, Zack hikes the prairie to identify wildlife with his wife and kids. He also breeds snakes and has a small zoo in his house.
…plus our usuals: beer, door prizes, laughs, and terrible 90s music during the breaks. See you Thursday January 16th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at The Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Bring $10 to the door or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite. Same price to you either way- we eat the fees bc they go nice with Christmas cookies.
See your gorgeous faces there.
🙂 T
