Saturday, February 7, 2026
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

9:00 - 9:15    Welcome and Event Information
9:15 - 9:30    Lifetime Membership Awards
9:30 - 10:30  Rebecca McMackin
10:30 - 10:45 Morning Break
10:45 -11:45  Kay Cafassa
11:45 -12:30 lunch break
12:30 - 1:30  Michael Washburn
1:30 - 1:45  Afternoon Break 
1:45 - 2:45 George Coombs
2:45 - 3:00 Closing remarks

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Rebecca McMackin

Title: Adventures in Ecological Horticulture

https://www.rebeccamcmackin.com/

Gone are the days when a garden could be ornamental alone. We now recognize the impact that our land care practices have on the ecosystems around us, and can see the importance of encouraging biodiversity. Thankfully, we do not need to sacrifice beauty when we invite butterflies and songbirds into our gardens.

Rebecca McMackin has cultivated gorgeous landscapes in the toughest environments possible: urban parks, school playgrounds, and the sidewalks of New York City. She will take lessons from her work at Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Museum, and decades of research to share how those of us who are fortunate enough to care for land, can do it beautifully and ecologically.

Kay Cafassa - Director of Sowing Solutions Permaculture Design & Education
Permaculture Design Certification, Naropa University

Title: Abundance in the Home Landscape

https://sowingsolutions.org/

Permaculture expert Kay Cafasso will share her ecological design process to positively impact your home landscape and community. Learn about practices in the ecological design process for the creation of an abundant, ecological and productive landscape.

Kay is a certified permaculture designer practicing the thoughtful design of ecological landscapes. She is also a certified design course instructor who has led over 25 Permaculture Design Certification Courses (PDC’s) to date, and has certified hundreds of graduates, while consciously designing and creating supportive learning environments. 

Michael Washburn - Preservation Director, Seed Savers Exchange

https://seedsavers.org/

Michael Washburn serves as the Preservation Director at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, where they maintain a collection of 20,000 varieties of heritage garden seeds and apples. The Preservation Department works to educate about the importance of preserving biodiversity through seed stewardship. It provides programming and other opportunities that engage gardeners, farmers, seed savers, and breeders with their collections. Michael is a long-time seed saver focusing on southern US and Middle Eastern varieties. Over time, much of his work has focused on diverse organic farming systems and traditional farming practices.

CLOSING SPEAKER: George Coombs, Director of Horticulture at Mt. Cuba Center
https://mtcubacenter.org/

Title: Mt. Cuba - Resilient Tree Canopy

There are so many threats to our native trees, and not just in natural forest communities.
The Resilient Canopy Project at Mt. Cuba is a pioneering initiative aimed at adapting tree planting strategies to the challenges posed by climate change, pests and diseases. The goal is to create a resilient tree canopy that can withstand the changing climate and its associated challenges. Learn about how this project looked at what tree species will likely thrive in future climate, projected to the year 2100.

George guides the care and development of one of the preeminent native plant gardens in America. To date his efforts have focused on making Mt. Cuba’s gardens more accessible to a growing number of guests as well as developing strategies to prepare and adapt the garden for a changing climate. Prior to his current role, George managed Mt. Cuba’s trial program, publishing several research reports and helping to bring new cultivars of native plants to market.