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Atlantic Master Gardeners Association
2025 AMGA Conference
29 & 30 May
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture
Truro, Nova Scotia
Theme
Gardening with Nature
Program at a Glance
Thursday, 29 May, MacRae Library
9:00 Welcome
9:05 Kara McCurdy – Fire Smart Program
10:20 Break
10:50 Carol Goodwin – Ecological Gardening
12:00 Lunch (included)
12:50 Andrew Stewart – Tour of Butterfly Meadow Garden & Berlin Wall
1:30 Oren Hercz – Using Medicinal "Weeds" and Ornamental Plants for Better Health
2:45 Break
3:00 Tim Mason – Life on the Edge: Protecting the Planet, Pollinators, and Property
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2025 AMGA Awards Banquet, Inn on Prince
6:00 Cocktail Reception
7:00 Dinner
8:00 Awards Ceremony
Friday, 30 May, MacRae Library
9:00 Welcome
9:05 Paul Manning - Community Science and the Ecology of Insects
10:20 Break
10:50 Lindsay Fennema - Two Eyed Seeing Approach to Gardening
12:00 Lunch (included)
1:00 Lindsay Fennema - Two Eyed Seeing Approach to Gardening Continued
3:00 Closing
COST AMGA Member Non-Member
Thursday Only $125 $135
Friday Only $100 $115
Both Days $225 $250
Banquet $55 $55
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Payment via E-Transfer - atlanticmastergardeners3@gmail.com
2025 AMGA Conference Program
Thursday, 29 May, MacRae Library
8:30 Pre-Conference Meet & Greet, Tea & Coffee
9:00 Welcome
9:05 Kara McCurdy - Fire Smart Program
Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency
Kara McCurdy has dedicated over 30 years to structural and wildland firefighting. She embarked on her firefighting journey after completing her Level 1 Certification and earning a Forest Technologist diploma from Sir Sanford Fleming College in Ontario. Starting her career as a
wildland firefighter, she progressed to roles including Forest Technician and Wildfire Prevention Officer for the Province of Nova Scotia. Her extensive career has led her across Canada and to the northeastern USA, engaging in wildfire investigation, prevention education, fire behavior analysis, and public information officer. Notably, Kara served as a Deputy Chief for 14 years, where she honed her leadership and operational skills. As of April 2024, she has taken on the role of Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager for Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency. In this position, created in response to the devastating wildfires of 2023, she is spearheading efforts to enhance the wildfire program, focusing on firefighter training, equipment upgrades, public education, risk assessments, and collaborative initiatives to boost wildfire resiliency across various divisions of HRM. She also has been a member of two garden clubs for the past 20 years and is an avid gardener.
Landscape Practises and Wildfire Resiliency
Did you know that many homes lost in the 2023 wildfires had certain landscape features within 1.5 meters of the home that increased wildfire risk and helped the fire spread? Common issues include bark mulch close to the house, non-fire-resistant plants like conifers, and trees within 10 meters of the home that are dense and highly flammable. Even shrubs and understory growth can fuel vertical fire spread.
Other factors that impact fire behavior on your property include where you store firewood, where you place deck furniture, grass care practices, roof and gutter cleanliness, and even the width of your driveway. All these things can influence how a fire department responds and how wildfire interacts with your property.
The good news is you don’t have to completely clear your landscape. With the right planning, you can create a fire-smart environment that helps protect your home while still enjoying the natural beauty of your outdoor space.
Kara will introduce FireSmart Canada Landscape Guide so that we can share this information in our communities. The program aims to be more inclusive of local plant species that include fire resistive varieties and the best places to plant to reduce wildfire impact. This program helps to protect and promote resilience in Nova Scotia neighbourhoods and beyond.
10:20 Morning Break
10:50 Carol Goodwin - Ecological Gardening
Carol is a retired Dalhousie professor; she is a vocal and active citizen volunteer helping to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of urban forest and community green space. Her knowledge, enthusiasm and experience provide great benefit in helping to plan and manage valuable green infrastructure. Carol is also owner and operator of Beneath the Boughs Woodland Plant Nursery and Pottery Studio in Kentville, NS.
Ecological Gardening
Gardeners have embraced the inclusion of native plants and butterfly gardens, but we can do more. We will explore the needs of animals, insects, birds and microorganisms so we can make garden choices that really support nature. You don't need to have acreage to make a difference.
12:00 Brown Bag Lunch - Artisanal sandwich, piece of fruit, gourmet cookie, cold drink
12:50 Andrew Stewart - Tour of the Berlin Wall & Butterfly Meadow Garden
Landscape Technician, Friends of the Garden Coordinator, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University
Andrew has been interested in plants and gardening as far back as he can remember. Growing up in Truro, he often helped his grandmother in her flower garden and his grandfather helped him plant his first tree, and he helped plant his first vegetable garden. By age 12, Andrew was busy providing lawncare and garden maintenance. Arriving at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, Andrew’s outlooks changed. He quickly became fascinated with ornamental plants and horticulture. He would receive a bachelor of science in agriculture, with a certificate in genetics and molecular biology. Graduating in 2020, Stewart had worked part time with the Botanical Garden Unit since 2017, and in the spring of 2021, he was hired full time as a landscape technician.
Andrew will be doing a guided walk from the MacRae Library to the Berlin Wall and Butterfly Meadow.
1:30 Oren Hercz - Using Medicinal "Weeds" and Ornamental Plants for Better Health
Oren Hercz RHP (he/him) has been in practice as a Clinical Herbalist since 2010, working in holistic health clinics, a family medicine office, and in private practice online. He teaches a year long beginner’s herbal medicine program and is co-founder of the Maritime School of Holistic Herbalism. Oren cares deeply about bringing this traditional wisdom to today’s world, where we need it more than ever. Oren is a Registered Herbal Practitioner (RHP) with the Herbalist Association of Nova Scotia, where he currently sits on the board of directors. He lives in Chester Basin with his 3 kids and gardens. For more information visit: www.orenhercz.ca.
Did you know many of the weeds you think you don't want in your garden can be harvested and used as medicine to support your health? Many of the beautiful ornamental plants you are already growing are medicinal, too! In this talk, I'll share practical tips on growing, harvesting, and using plants as medicine so you can take advantage of the healing abundance in your garden.
2:45 Afternoon Break
3:00 Tim Mason - Life on the Edge: protecting the planet, pollinators, and your property
Gardener, Dalhousie University. Member of the NS Horticulture for Health Network
Tim Mason is a nature-based gardener living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Originally from Australia, Tim grew up with a deep love for nature which influences his craft, garden design and creation, notably ‘Wildlife Windows’. Tim's writing can be found in 'Digging In', a publication for Nova Scotia Horticulture for Health.
Tim will share his experiences with establishing garden areas that are beneficial for the health of plants, wildlife, and humans. This will include reference to plants that attract pollinators, birds, and others, in addition to features of a property that can be protected from soil erosion and climate challenge.
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​Tim will speak about using native plants to create living edges and boundaries in landscape design, outlining the benefit to each aspect - plant, pollinator, and property.
2025 Annual AMGA Banquet
The Inn on Prince Hotel
Thursday, 29 May
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6:00 Cocktail Reception
7:00 Dinner (Whole Roast Turkey)
8:00 Awards Ceremony
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All dietary restrictions will have substitute entrée
$55 per person
Guests are permitted
Friday, 30 May, MacRae Library
9:00 Welcome
9:05 Paul Manning - Community Science and the Ecology of Insects
Assistant Professor, Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Science
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture
Paul is Dalhousie’s 87th Rhodes Scholar and the first ever to come from the Faculty of Agriculture. His area of interest is researching insects in agroecosystems and trying to understand the role of biodiversity in underpinning ecosystem functioning. He is interested broadly in eco-toxicology, sustainable farming practices, pollination, integrated pest management, and natural history.
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Dr. Manning’s research looks to better understand the importance of biodiversity (specifically insects) to the health and functioning of agricultural ecosystems.
10:20 Morning Break
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12:00 Brown Bag Lunch - Artisanal sandwich, piece of fruit, gourmet cookie, cold drink
10:50 & 1:00 Lindsay Fennema - Two Eyed Seeing Approach to Gardening
The Deanery, Lower Ship Harbour, NS
The material Lindsay will share and facilitate will be informed by Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, with Indigenous leaders in education. It is about finding relationality with self, the Land, people, and our ancestors’ relations with the Land/multispecies.
Lindsay wants to clarify that she is not an educator in First Nations studies, and as a European Settler is not in the position to be teaching people about First Nations. However, she does bring a decolonizing lens to learning and facilitating as well as reciprocity and relationality in her interactions which she will openly share and integrate in discussions with participants.
She feels it is important as a facilitator of Land-based relations to meet and relate with the Land where the program will be situated. Also knowing the historic and present Indigenous connections to the site prior to attending would be important.
The presentation will include a short presentation on relationality, Indigenous led research around ethnobotany and the Land, and relationships of plants and people alongside environmental changes.
Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own relationality with place, identity, and people. There will be an outdoor activity for participants to connect with the Land, further time for reflection through arts-based expression and a final space for feedback and discussion.
The program will be interactive and reflective; integrating written, spoken and visual elements, and connecting with the responsibilities and reciprocity of relationships with the Land.
Accommodations
Inn on Prince Hotel & Conference Centre
437 Prince Street, Truro, NS, B2N1E6
902-895-1651
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A block of rooms is being held for attendees Wed. 28 May & Thurs. 29 May nights at a rate of
$129.00 per night plus applicable taxes.
- Price includes complimentary hot breakfast buffet, free wi-fi and access to the pool & fitness center.
All rooms must be booked by April 28
After which they are subject to availability and rate change.
Call to reserve, please specify you will be attending the AMGA Conference to insure preferred rate
902 895-1651 or 1 888 895-1651
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture Residences
20 Horseshoe Crescent, Truro, NS
902 893-3103
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Rooms in Chapman House Residence on campus are $42.50 per night plus applicable taxes.
Rooms can be booked online at (stay.dal.ca) or by phone at (902 893-3103).
Group's promotional code is AMGA2025.
Reservations must be confirmed no later than March 30.