Sep 27, 2021
Sep 27, 2021
Join the Canadian Wildlife Federation and our guest presenter, Colleen Cirillo, to discover the beauty and functionality of Canada's native shrubs. Delicate flowers, showy fruit and colourful fall leaves make these smaller woody plants ideal additions to any garden. But you will get so much more than beauty. These plants will also attract and support a diversity of native insects and birds, thereby helping you counter biodiversity loss right outside your door.
Speaker
Colleen Cirillo
Colleen has spent many years in the world of nature interpretation, protection and restoration, including 12 years at Toronto and Region Conservation and 2.5 years at Ontario Nature.
From October 2015 to July 2020, she was Director of Education at the Toronto Botanical Garden. In this capacity, Colleen brought a conservation and sustainability perspective to programs, policies and practices.
Colleen has served on many environmental committees and boards, including those of Ontario Invasive Plant Council, LEAF and Project Swallowtail. She is also a long-time volunteer with a local community meal program called Dinner with Dignity.
Long ago, Colleen completed undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in environment and resource studies. It was an urban tree-planting gig following her first year of university that turned her on to native plants. This obsession continues today.
Since 2009, Colleen has chaired the Horticulture Outreach Collaborative (HOC), which brings together ecologists and horticulturalists to protect native plant diversity in Ontario. The Grow Me Instead guide, now in its third edition, is HOC’s most popular initiative.
Colleen’s children accuse her of loving her garden more than them. Sometimes the truth hurts.