Adventures in Ecological Horticulture

Who doesn’t love butterflies? Our gardens can be stunningly beautiful while also providing a habitat for the wildlife that enriches our lives. For ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin, cultivating habitat is central to landscape management. In her 10 years as Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Rebecca oversaw 85 acres of diverse, organic landscapes, all managed to support birds, butterflies, and soil microorganisms. Join us to learn how to use ecological insight and experimentation to develop new management strategies – and why careful observation and documentation of wildlife in your gardens is crucial to their success.

Rebecca McMackin is an ecologically obsessed horticulturist and garden designer. She is currently the Arboretum Curator of Woodlawn Cemetery, caring for one of the best tree collections in New York City. Prior to this, she spent a decade as Director of Horticulture of Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she managed 85 acres of diverse parkland organically. Their research into cultivating urban biodiversity and ethical management strategies has influenced thousands of people and entire urban parks systems to adopt similar approaches. In her imaginary free time, Rebecca writes, lectures and designs the occasional public garden. Learn more about Rebecca and her work here.

This lecture is free and open to the public, and no registration is required. The Garden will livestream this event on Facebook Live.

The Philip and Elkin Alston Lecture Series is made possible by generous support from the estate of Elkin Goddard Alston.