Carl & Audrey Lavin Speaker Series: Celebrating Native Plant Month

Native Plants for Birds, Insects and Biodiversity

Birds, insects and native plants are inextricably linked in nature. Whatever happens to one will have an effect on the others. This talk explains those relationships then shows you ways to enhance your personal landscape for birds, insects, or just for the beauty of native plants. Lots of pictures of birds, insects and native plants (flowering plants, trees and shrubs).

Speaker Bio:

Matt Valencic has been interested in birds and other wildlife all his life. He has a degree in Forest Biology but never used it professionally.  As a Boy Scout leader for 20 years, he used that knowledge to help his children and their friends appreciate the beauty, wonder and awe of nature. When he retired in 2015 he met some members of the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland and immediately felt a bond with them and their interests.  His extensive catalog of bird pictures became the content of several presentations about the birds of NE Ohio and their habitats.  Today he is Chairman of the Education Committee and helps direct the education outreach of this Audubon chapter, including presenting many birding talks himself each year.  His favorite pastime is pursuing and photographing birds in Geauga County, in the hope of better pictures for his talks.  He and his wife of 52 years live on an 8-acre ‘hobby farm’ in Geauga County with their two horses and a large vegetable garden.  They have 3 adult children and 9 grandchildren that he is always grooming into future bird watchers and gardeners.

Hosted by The Wilderness Center. Attendance for this program is offered in-person or virtually. 

Please note that recordings of the presentations will be subject to each presenter’s preferences. For those who register as ‘Virtual,’ you will receive a Zoom link for the presentation 1-2 days prior to the event date.