We are happy to announce that the ever-popular Ohio Botanical Symposium will return as an in-person event at its traditional Villa Milano location on Friday, March 24, 2023!
The Ohio Botanical Symposium is one of the largest natural history conferences in Ohio and the nation. Its mission is to bring together a diverse conservation community invested in protecting and celebrating Ohio’s flora and natural history. The 17th biennial event is being hosted by The Nature Conservancy, The Ohio State University Herbarium, the Ohio Division of Natural Areas & Preserves and Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
The 2023 Ohio Botanical Symposium will feature two keynote speakers, Dr. Alan Weakley and Talon Silverhorn.
Dr. Weakley is a renowned botanist. He’s an expert on the flora of the Southeastern United States, and author of Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States—a decades-long commitment of research that serves as the most inclusive, open-source, “living and breathing” floristic resource for this region. He currently serves as the director of the UNC Herbarium at the North Carolina Botanical Garden and an adjunct associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His presentation will focus on his Flora, including the addition of southern Ohio, recent changes in taxonomy, and a future mobile application which promises to aid in identifying plants in the field.
Talon Silverhorn is a Citizen of The Eastern Shawnee Tribe, having grown up on the Shawnee Reservation in Oklahoma. At a young age, intersections of race, culture, and nationality shaped his personal mission to broaden the public’s understanding of their American Indian neighbors and strengthen the relationship between Americans and Tribal Citizens. Currently Mr. Silverhorn serves as the Cultural Programs Manager for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, overseeing American Indian historical content and interpretation in Ohio’s 75 State Parks. His presentation will consider Indigenous peoples uses of Ohio’s native plants for food, medicine, and other applications.
Villa Milano
1630 Schrock Road
Columbus, OH 43229
Doors open at 8:00 AM with a complimentary continental breakfast. The program begins at 9:15 AM and concludes at 4:00 PM. An Italian lunch buffet with vegetarian options is included with your ticket and will be served at 12:00 PM. We encourage you to bring your own reusable water bottle and/or thermos. We also recommend you dress in layers to accommodate your comfort level in the venue.
Agenda
Register here: