Claudia Thompson founded Grow Native Massachusetts in 2010 and has been recognized nationally as a leader in the native plant movement. She will give us an overview of their essential role in ecosystem health— starting with the concept of co-evolution between plants and animals and ending with a tour of her 7,000 square foot garden in Cambridge, MA. She will explain the differences among native, naturalized, and invasive plants; and explore the food web that links plants to insects to birds, wildlife, and humans.

Claudia has had an extensive career in the environmental sector, including past roles as Director of Education for the Appalachian Mountain Club, Director of Drumlin Farm for Mass Audubon, and serving for nine years on the board of the New England Wildflower Society. She is a strong advocate for the importance of land stewardship on all lands— large and small— and believes that conservation begins at home. We must change the paradigm that views humans as separate from nature and adopt a 21st century attitude toward conservation that views human activity as integral to the natural world.