The Long Island Native Plant Initiative and the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area are proud to announce their 2024 Biennial Symposium: “Resilient Long Island”. This multi-day event spans from March 7 to 9. 

Events will begin on Thursday, March 7 at 5:30pm, as guests gather for a poster session at the Scully Estate, co-hosted by Seatuck Environmental Association.

Local researchers and students will give rapid-fire presentations on their environmental projects, with plenty of time for mingling and enjoying refreshments provided by local breweries and wineries.

As a centerpoint of the evening, author, artist, and founder of the non-profit Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc., Jeremy Dennis will offer a message on New York’s Native American cultural landscape through his project “On This Site – Native Long Island.”

With the main event on Friday, March 8th at Hofstra University from 8:00am to 5:00pm, attendees can look forward to 14 presentations covering topics from native gardening, invasive forest pests, environmental policy, and more in-person and over zoom.

There will surely be numerous opportunities for learning the latest on invasive and native species on Long Island, with an eye for preparing for future challenges together.

LIISMA and LINPI are grateful to host Chenae Bullock, a mogul, pioneer, Indigenous perspective historian, and cultural practitioner, as the keynote speaker.

In her talk on “Indigenous Wisdom: Plant Medicines & Beyond”, Chenae will share her expertise and perspectives as an enrolled Shinnecock Nation citizen and descendant of the Montauk Tribe in Long Island New York.

According to Greg Lowenthal, LINPI President: 

“Long Island is known to be one of the most biodiverse regions in New York State. Fostering the growth of native plants and preventing the spread of invasive species is a growing movement, bringing neighbors and professionals together to protect these ecological resources. This year we are lucky to hear from Jeremy Dennis and Chenae Bullock as they center our ecological event on indigenous culture.

Finishing off the event will be interactive workshops on Native Plant Propagation and Invasive Species Management Techniques on Saturday, March 9th at the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood.

Continuing education credits are pending for this event, including Landscape Architecture, Society of American Foresters, Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional (CNLP), International Society of Arboriculture, and NYSDEC Pesticide Credits.

For more information about the Resilient Long Island Symposium, and to register, please visit: https://liisma.org/resilientli-2024/ 

Thanks to our sponsors: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Hofstra University, Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, GEI Consultants, and Seatuck Environmental Association. 

If you are interested in sponsoring this event, or submitting an abstract for the poster session, please contact resilientli@liisma.org