News
Over the past two years I’ve been both a presenter and a participant in countless webinars and virtual presentations. I’m grateful that we have the technology available to do those virtual events. I’ve been able to learn from people and participate in events that I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do if we were restricted to traditional in-person activities. I’ve also been honored to present to groups in the same way when logistics made it impossible for me to travel to them. Personally, I think virtual events and webinars are here to stay. Not in-place-of, but in-addition-to, regular in-person events. And I’m happy about that because they open up so many additional opportunities.
However, at the same time, I was starting to get a little bored with virtual presentations and webinars. As a participant, I like to be able to see the speaker as they are talking. It just feels more “real” and interactive if I can look them in the eye and see their facial expressions or hand gestures. It also helps me stay engaged instead of letting my attention drift off as I stare at a slide show.
And if I’m feeling that way as a participant, then it only makes sense that other people probably feel the same way when I’m the presenter. I don’t want that. So, I’ve spent the past several months researching, testing, and learning new software and techniques to improve my virtual presentations.
This past weekend I put some of those new skills and technology into action for the first time as I hosted a free webinar on the benefits of planting native wildflowers, trees, and shrubs in the fall. I was very pleased with how it came out. Getting to this point took a lot of hard work behind the scenes, but I think it was worth it. And I’m not done yet. This was only step 1. There are still additional techniques and tricks I want to learn and apply, but I felt like this was a great first step towards taking my virtual presentations to the next level.
The webinar is available on our Backyard Ecology YouTube channel if you would like to watch it. Also, feel free to share it with whomever you want. I think this is an important topic that is often overlooked when it comes to planting native plants.
Upcoming Events
Below are the upcoming events I have scheduled as of the middle of September for late September and October. You can always find any late additions or other upcoming events by checking my full events calendar.
Interested in Having Me Speak to Your Group?
I’m actively booking in-person and virtual speaking engagements, keynotes, community events, and field days / workshops for 2022 and 2023. If you are interested in having me speak at an upcoming meeting or event, please contact me to discuss fees and availability.