What we do

The Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference promotes the inclusion of native plants in our landscaping to benefit pollinators and songbirds, save water, and restore the beauty and health of nature in the places we live, work and play.

While we recommend the use of straight species and local ecotypes wherever possible, we support the use of varieties and cultivars of native species as long as their breeding doesn’t interfere with their ability to function in nature and maintain key relationships with pollinators and other lives.

Conference Planning Committee

The Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference is collaboratively planned by representatives from Colorado State University, High Plains Environmental Center, Denver Botanic Gardens, Wild Ones, Butterfly Pavilion, and Colorado Native Plant Society

Deryn Davidson

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE STATE SPECIALIST
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Main hub logistics, communication, founding member
Jennifer Bousselot (she/her)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Main hub logistics, speaker selection, founding member
Amy Yarger (she/her)

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE
BUTTERFLY PAVILION
Speaker coordination, committee secretary, grants subcommittee, founding member
Breyer Kinzer (she/her)

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION MANAGER
HIGH PLAINS ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
Sponsors, social media
Allisa Zurbuchen (they/them)

HORTICULTURE SPECIALIST
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Website, communications, satellite locations, volunteer coordination, speaker selection
Laura Swain (she/they)

ASSISTANT CURATOR
DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS
Grants, Website, Communications, poster sessions, speaker selection
Kathleen Besser

WILD ONES
BOARD MEMBER AND RETIRED FINANCIAL EXECUTIVE
Grants, Finances, speaker selection
Anne Beard

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
Finances