Grow The Good Life 2025, March 15 -- VIRTUAL

If you are tired of having your well-tended and maintained plants demolished by unwanted critters or pests of all types and sizes, plan on spending the day at the Bedford Area Master Gardeners Association's 2025 Grow The Good Life seminar -- Critter Control: How To Protect Your Plants From Unwanted "Guests"!

Grow The Good Life 2025 will be held on March 15, 2025 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 1358 Old Moneta Road, Moneta Virginia from 9:30AM to 3:45PM. Attendance will be available for both in-person and via Zoom.

$30 Virtual attendance via Zoom.

Zoom attendees will be admitted from the waiting room into the 'event' room around 9:15AM.

$40 In-person attendance which includes lunch. If you want to register for the in-person event, please click on the link below to go to the in-person registration portal:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grow-the-good-life-2025-march-15-in-person-tickets-1114060487909?aff=oddtdtcreator

Four experts will give presentations discussing various ways to discourage these unwanted, pesky critters from munching on and destroying your plants. Information will also be given on how to encourage beneficials in your battle.

Holly Scoggins, Ph.D. - "Those Pesky Varmints! Gardening with/Despite Deer and Rabbits"

James A. Parkhurst, Ph.D. - "The Battle for Supremacy of the Home Landscape: Humans vs. Wildlife -- Who's Winning and Is There Hope?"

Robyn Puffenbarger, Ph.D. - "Gardening for Birds"

Mike Raupp, Ph.D. - "You Can Aid and Abet Mother Nature's Hit-Squad to Keep Insect pests at Bay"

9:15AM: Virtual attendees admitted into 'event room'

9:30AM: Welcoming Remarks and Announcements

9:45AM – 10:45AM: Holly Scoggins, Ph.D. – “Those Pesky Varmints! Gardening with/Despite Deer and Rabbits"

10:45AM - 11:05AM: Break

11:10AM – 12:10PM: James A. Parkhurst, Ph.D. - “The Battle for Supremacy of the Home Landscape: Humans vs. Wildlife – Who’s Winning and Is There Hope?”

12:10PM – 1:10PM: Lunch

1:15PM – 2:15PM: Robyn Puffenbarger, Ph.D. – “Gardening for Birds”

2:15PM - 2:30PM: Break

2:35PM – 3:35PM: Mike Raupp, Ph.D. - “You Can Aid and Abet Mother Nature’s Hit-Squad to Keep Insect Pests at Bay”

3:35PM – 3:45PM: Wrap up & Evaluations

Holly Scoggins, Ph.D.

Holly Scoggins, Ph.D., is an associate professor emeritus from Virginia Tech. She retired after 20 years in the Department of Horticulture with extensive teaching, advising, research, extension, and garden administration responsibilities. Holly received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia and her Ph.D. in Horticultural Science from North Carolina State University. She now serves as program manager for the national brand NewGen Boxwood, a subsidiary of Saunders Brothers Inc. and recently served as President of the national Perennial Plant Association.

James A. Parkhurst, Ph.D.

Jim Parkhurst Ph.D., currently holds the title of Associate Professor of Wildlife Science in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution and Wetland Ecology and Management. In addition, he serves as the Extension Wildlife Specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension, where he conducts public outreach and educational programming on wildlife-related topics. He has been a member of the VT faculty since 1993.

Robyn Puffenbarger, Ph.D.

Robyn Puffenbarger, Ph.D., received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in molecular immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. After a post-doctoral research fellowship at SUNY-Stony Brook, she joined the faculty of Bridgewater College. She is a professor in the Department of Biology and Environmental Science. Robyn teaches ornithology, genetics, and intro biology courses. Since 2021, she’s been part of the Virginia Home Grown team, filming about all aspects of gardening in the Shenandoah Valley for the VPM PBS program. Robyn is also a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener since 2011.

Mike Raupp, Ph.D.

Mike Raupp, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus and Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland, and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America. He has received national and international awards for writing, scholarship, and science communication. He has appeared on all major television networks and has been featured on National Geographic, Science Channel, BBC and PBS. His “Bug of the Week” website www.bugoftheweek.com and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/BugOfTheWeek, reach thousands of viewers weekly in more than 200 countries.

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Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State university, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardlss of age, color, disability, sex (includig pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law. If you are a person with disability and require any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate i this event, contact Scott Baker, VCE Bedfordd, at 540.586.7675 (TDD # 800.828.1120) during business hours (8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.) at least 5 days prior to this event.

Host or Publisher Virginia Cooperative Extension -- Bedford