Ohio Native Plants: Restoring Your Backyard Habitat with Local Nurseries

Join us for a conversation with three northeast Ohio native plant nurseries. Native Roots, Inc., Natives in Harmony, and Meadow City Native Plant Nursery will discuss their nurseries and take questions from the audience about restoring native habitats in our backyards (e.g. invasive plant control, site preparation, native plant selection, etc.).

Guests will also have the opportunity to shop a small selection of native plants to take home from each of the vendors. Bring information about your yard conditions (sun/moisture) and walk away with some plants or ideas!

Speakers

• Gale Martin: Natives in Harmony
• Dave Tomashefski: Meadow City Native Plant Nursery
• Sonia Bingham: Native Roots, Inc

WHAT TO EXPECT

5:00pm - Doors open, Networking, Plant Sale opens

5:30pm – Presentation

6:00pm - Q&A with speakers

6:30pm – Plant Sale resumes

7:30pm - Event Ends

TICKETS

Conservancy Members and Students: Free | General Admission: $10

About Low Power Happy Hour
Low Power Happy Hour features local professionals working toward a more sustainable future for Northeast Ohio. The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various presenters and event participants do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Conservancy or official policies of the Conservancy.

Sonia Bingham
Co-owner
Native Roots, Inc

Sonia worked in nurseries and landscaping businesses since she was old enough to work. After many years in practice as a restoration focused biologist, she decided it was time to start her own nursery with her sister in 2011 - with the goal of bringing locally native plants back into focus. Native plants are fundamental for ecosystem resilience in our highly modified environments. Sonia's current full time career with the National Park Service is dedicated to studying plants and their importance in various ecological systems. She finds great joy in discussing what she learns with others and attempting to revive these important habitats in our backyards.

Dave Tomashefski
Co-owner
Meadow City Native Plant Nursery
Dave Tomashefski is a lifelong nature lover, having grown up birdwatching in Lakewood. Prior to Meadow City, Dave worked at the Soil, Water, and Environmental Lab at Ohio State, where he also earned his M.S. in Environment and Natural Resources. Dave moved to Cleveland in 2022 to co-found Meadow City with two grad school friends, Julie Slater and Alyssa Zearley. At the nursery, Dave provides education in many forms, from leading monthly workshops in the garden, to creating deeply researched presentations for the public, to helping customers plan their gardens. His gift is finding the perfect plant for everyone!

Gale E. Martin
Owner
Natives in Harmony Nursery

Gale believes that the preservation of local genotypes is of the utmost importance and wants to convert others to natives by offering high quality, genetically appropriate native forbs and grasses as well as providing the expertise to use and care for them. Education is a big part of Gale’s mission, and she works hard to educate and support her customers and the public at large in their land-use decisions. She is passionate about making Ohio genotypes available for anyone interested in using native plants to create habitat for native pollinators, birds, and other wildlife species.

Gale has served on the boards of conservation and education non-profits such as the Ohio Prairie Association, Appalachia Ohio Alliance, the Headwaters Outdoor Education Center, and the Olentangy Watershed Alliance. Gale retired in 2017 from the Executive Director’s position at the Marion County Historical Society, a position she held for 13 years. Before accepting the position with MCHS, Gale was the education specialist for the Morrow County Soil and Water Conservation District and spent time as a naturalist at the Mount Gilead State Park.

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