68th Annual Conservation Forum

A heartfelt thanks to our program partners and sponsors:

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Pinnacle Associates

Bartlett Tree Experts

Bee City USA

Please join us on September 23, 2026, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia for GCV’s 68th Annual Conservation Forum.

This year’s forum speakers will discuss the principles of ecological landscape design for gardeners who are seeking ways to incorporate native plants to enhance natural beauty while attracting and supporting keystone pollinators and wildlife.

Drawing inspiration from the recent opening of Anne Lee’s Meadow at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, our speakers will explore how to create landscapes that balance bold aesthetic impact with ecological function — creating gardens that are both emotionally resonant and environmentally restorative, as well as how to how to garden smarter, not harder.

Our distinguished speakers include:

Claudia West, an internationally known landscape architect and author with an extensive background in horticulture, ecology, and environmental restoration and a leading voice in ecological planting design. Ms. West was a part of the team that designed the new 7.5 acres of expansion at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

Harlan Patch, a member of the Center for Pollinator Research, is an assistant research professor in the Department of Entomology at Penn State University. He is also director of pollinator programming and scientific advisor for the Bird and Pollinator Garden at the Arboretum at Penn State.

Raven Larcom of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation will spotlight the Xerxes Society’s mission, the International Bee City Initiative, the 20 Bee City USA initiatives across Virginia and discuss how your local community can become a Bee City.

Event registration will open in August!