I’ll be lecturing about adventures in Ecological Horticulture at this FREE lecture in Atlanta. Register here.

Thrilled to speak alongside Doug Tallamy at this virtual lecture on ecological gardening. Hosted by TV favorite gardener, Joe Lamp’l, this summit also features Emily May from Xerces Society and Mary Phillips, Head of NWF's Garden for Wildlife. Register here.

This conference is in York, Pennsylvania and looks fantastic. The conference presents research-based skill sharing on ecological gardening. I’m looking forward to lectures on weeds and even an ENTIRE lecture on Redbuds! I’ll be lecturing on strategies for managing gardens ecologically. Register here.

I’m excited to speak alongside Charles Birnbaum and Raymond Jungles at this idyllic fundraiser for the Parish Art Museum. The title of my talk will be Beauty and Butterflies: Adventures in Designed Ecology at Brooklyn Bridge Park. More information here.

Thrilled to speak at my first proper garden conference in months. This is a 2 day symposium in Beverly, MA. The line up is fantastic: Abra Lee, James McGrath, Tom de Witte, and a lecture on edible flowers!! I’ll be speaking on ecological landscape stewardship. Register here.

The vast majority of plants rely on pollinators to reproduce. From bees, to butterflies, to birds and bats, these pollinator partners shaped the evolution of flowers, giving us so much of the beauty we appreciate today. However, these exciting dynamics, in which a flower’s pollen is carried to a stigma, are fraught with trickery, bribery, thievery, and wild sexual acrobatics. Join Rebecca McMackin to learn the essentials of pollination ecology. Why do plants have flowers? How did they evolve? Why are they so pretty and smell so good to us, non-pollinating primates? By the end of the lecture, you will be able to “read” flowers and come to know the true desires of the organisms you cultivate.

This lecture is free and in person! In the Cambridge Public Library. Please register here only if you know you can attend, as it will sell out. The lecture will be available online in the future.

Join Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust and author of The Northeast Native Plant Primer- 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden (Timber Press) and Rebecca McMackin, Loeb Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and former Director of Horticulture, Brooklyn Bridge Park, for an evening of no-holds-barred discussion about native plants in horticulture from two of the leading experts in the field today. The event will be moderated by Barbara Moran, a correspondent on WBUR’s environmental team. For 25 years, she has worked as a science journalist covering public health, environmental justice, and the intersection of science and society. She has written for many publications, including The New York Times and the Boston Globe Magazine, and produced television documentaries for PBS and others. She was twice awarded the National Association of Science Writers’ highest honor, the Science in Society Award. Click here to register virtually or in person.

I’ll be speaking at the glamorous Hollister House Garden Study Weekend this year! It’s doubly wonderful, as it’s near my hometown of Woodbury, CT. I’ll be speaking on new strategies for ecological garden management at Brooklyn Bridge Parks alongside marvelous ladies: Bunny Williams, Helen O’Donnell, and Deborah Nevins, all of it moderated by the lovely Page Dickey.

Did you know that much of Brooklyn Bridge Park was designed to echo the ecology of Martha’s Vineyard? It’s true and one reason it’s so fun to lecture at the Polly Hill Arboretum. I’ll be speaking on the park and ecology, followed the next day by a tree walk with BBG Arborist extraordinaire, Christopher Roddick.

This in-person conference will focus on creating ethical and equitable environments through the built landscape. Hosted at the beautiful Grace Farms, this forum features speakers Edwina von Gal of Perfect Earth Project and Karenna Gore of the Center for Earth Ethics. Rebecca will be speaking on a panel discuss the role of public lands. More info and register here.

The Waterfront Alliance is holding a conference on building a livable future on urban waterfronts. I’ll be on a panel about wildlife’s return to the waterfront with Done Riepe and an urban whale researcher!

I’m excited for this in-person lecture on pollination ecology for the first time in years! The venue is large and safe. And it’s part of a marvelous festival in Hillsdale, NY where local garden, cook, and crafts people, teach their community about what they do. Looking forward to this tree walk with local, cute arborist, Chris Roddick.

Horticulture is a practice that is as ancient as civilization. But modern ecological and political drivers demand we adapt to these changing times. Gardeners now want to help the environment with their practice, rather than dominate it; with that, many of our gardening techniques are falling into question. Why do we mulch? Why do we cut back in spring? And where do we learn new strategies for stewardship in a rapidly evolving world?

Rebecca McMackin has been trying to answer these questions as well as asking many more. Through her work at Brooklyn Bridge Park and in private practice, she works to develop and share techniques for ecological horticulture: a field which centers the dynamics among plants, animals, and fungi, while still creating and maintaining aesthetically stunning gardens. This presentation will talk about the evolution of this work, as well as the new ways gardeners share knowledge in this rapidly developing field. Register Here.

Urban residents interested in the green spaces around you and professionals working in parks, landscape, or building management are invited to hear more about how:

- Ecologically managed, beautiful urban spaces provide quiet for nesting birds, host plants for butterflies, pollen for bees, and life-restoring moments for humans.

- Creating and curating city spaces as ever-changing natural ecosystems aligns well with art, sports, and daily community life.

This lecture is free, virtual, and open to the public. Register here.

The vast majority of plants rely on pollinators to reproduce. From bees, to butterflies, to birds and bats, these pollinator partners shaped the evolution of flowers, giving us so much of the beauty we appreciate today. However, these exciting dynamics, in which a flower’s pollen is carried to a stigma, are fraught with trickery, bribery, thievery, and of course, plant sex. This lecture will cover the basics of pollination ecology. Why do plants have flowers? How did they evolve? And specifically, what are flowers doing? Why are they so pretty and smell so good to us, non-pollinating primates? By the end of the presentation, you will be able to “read” flowers and come to know the true desires of the organisms you cultivate. Register here.

This virtual symposium is for members and non-members alike. Rebecca will speak on Brooklyn Bridge Park’s work on urban biodiversity alongside virtual rockstar, Kelly Norris. Register here.

Rebecca will speak about Brooklyn Bridge Park and urban biodiversity alongside lectures by Doug Tallamy, Jay Kelly, and Don Torino at this conference for the NPSNJ. This lecture is free, virtual, and open to the public. More information here.

Rebecca will present at this free event on Brooklyn Bridge Park, alongside everyone’s favorite garden wizard, Roy Diblik. The whole lecture series is generously hosted by the Cleveland Pollinator & Native Plant Symposium among others. This event is free, virtual, and open to the public. Registration is here and all future and past lectures can be found online here.

Rebecca is excited to speak about Brooklyn Bridge Park’s ecological work to Wild Ones, an organization that provides resources and lectures to garden for biodiversity. This lecture is free, virtual, and open to the public. Register here.

This 3 day Symposium is presented by Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Central Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, and Virginia Cooperative Extension. Rebecca will speak on Brooklyn Bridge Park and ecology. Full details are not yet available but can be found here when posted.

This free, virtual lecture will be on pollination ecology! Lexington’s Living Landscapes is a collaboration of groups who organized “to promote, encourage, and support sustainable landscaping on private and public lands in Lexington.” Rebecca will speak on The Language of Flowers. An Introduction to Pollination Ecology. Register here.

Rebecca will be speaking virtually for the Toronto Master Gardeners on Brooklyn Bridge Park and built ecology, alongside some fabulous speakers on hummingbirds and grassroots advocacy in pollinator conservation. I’m especially excited for “A five-minute consideration of phototropism.” Register here.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Hort Lead Team will make up a panel at this year’s Ecological Plant Conference. We’re going to discuss ethical management in horticulture, what we’ve learned, what we’ve seen work well, and why it’s important. Speakers include Dr. Carolyn E Roberts, Kelly Norris, Duncan Himmelman, and Veronica Tyson Strait.