Mt Cuba Center
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Mt. Cuba Center evaluates native plants and related cultivars for horticultural and ecological value.

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Mt. Cuba conserves and stewards more than 1,000 acres including meadows, forests, streams and riparian corridors.

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Mt Cuba Center
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March 4 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Event

Mt. Cuba Conservation: Behind the Scenes (Online)

Trail through Mt. Cuba Center grasslands with trees in the background
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While Mt. Cuba Center’s gardens showcase how native plants can enhance formal and naturalistic gardens, behind the scenes, Mt. Cuba conducts conservation programs at many scales, ranging from individual species to whole ecosystems. We monitor and propagate rare plants, cultivate breeding habitat for bird species of conservation concern, and conduct a 100-year reforestation experiment. We collaborate with independent, university, and community scientists to learn more about the flora and fauna at Mt. Cuba, share the results with broader audiences, and contribute data to national community science projects. Dr. Ellen Lake, Mt. Cuba’s director of conservation and research, discusses the range of conservation efforts at Mt. Cuba, ongoing ecological research, and the purpose of Mt. Cuba’s newly constructed greenhouse and plant nursery.

This program takes place online Saturday, March 4, 2023

About the Instructor:
Ellen Lake, PhD, is the Director of Conservation and Research at Mt. Cuba Center. She taught environmental education and was the Education Director at the Brandywine and Red Clay Valley Associations. Ellen has a master’s degree in Entomology and Ph.D. in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Delaware, where she researched biological control of mile-a-minute weed and how to integrate weed management techniques to restore plant communities. Ellen has extensive experience researching insect-plant interactions, including work for the USDA in the Greater Everglades ecosystem.

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