The Friends of the Wissahickon in Montgomery County are hosting two Valley Talks this spring that explore various aspects of conservation and benefits of public parks.  The programs will be held at the Valley Green Inn located on Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon Valley Park.

On April 5 the program will feature a conversation with  Dr. William Schuster, executive director of the Black Rock Forest Consortium in Cornwall, N.Y.   Click Here to register.

Dr. Shuster will talk about the successful research, education and conservation efforts at the 4,000-acre Black Rock Forest, located an hour north of New York City, including a discussion of successes and challenges of managing the park, from over-abundant deer populations to public use.

Dr. is executive director of the Black Rock Forest Consortium in Cornwall, N.Y. and has authored or co-authored nearly 100 publications. He has a B.A. in biology from Columbia University, an M.S. in forest ecology from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Colorado. Dr. Schuster completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Utah. His primary interests are in ecology, ecosystem management and environmental change.

On May 19, landscape architect Claudia West will talk about the benefits of ecosystems, particularly in urban parks and gardens and how they contribute to biodiversity and habitat. She will discuss the ecosystems of the Wissahickon Valley Park.  Click Here to register.

Claudia West is the ecological sales manager at North Creek Nurseries in Landenberg, Pa. She holds an M.A. in landscape architecture and regional planning from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. West works closely with ecological design and restoration professionals.

Her work is centered on the development of stable, layered planting designs and the reintroduction of American native plants back into the landscape. She is the co-author with Thomas Rainer of Planting in a Post-Wild World (Timber Press, 2015).

The talks are sponsored by Valley Green Bank and are free and open to the public. A complimentary wine and cheese reception is offered at the talks.

Spaces are limited.  Register for the lecture at the Friends of the Wissahickon  April 5 and/or May 19 webpages or contact Sarah Marley by sending email to: marley@fow.org or call 215-247-0417 x109 for more information.

Visit the Friends of the Wissahickon website for information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events.  Click Here to sign up to receive regular updates from FOW (bottom of the page).

3/21/2016