Naturalist Symposium

At the Columbus Botanical Garden our goal is to celebrate the beauty, inspiration, and wonder of the natural world while educating current and future stewards of its care. Our annual CBG Naturalist Symposium intends to accomplish this by instilling a sense of curiosity and igniting a love of the natural world in our surrounding community. This year's event will focus on the effects that a changing climate is having on our natural communities. The CBG Naturalist Symposium aims to address the need to not only better understand the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, but to also identify, test and implement measures aimed at managing the many risks climate change poses to fauna and flora, while also addressing how to better restore and protect ecosystems from the impact of climate change.

We invite the community to join us in a weekend of learning, starting with a line-up of speakers educating audiences on the effect that climate change is having on our natural communities. Our symposium day will be capped by keynote speaker, Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate and the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. This nature-filled weekend culminates in an event for all ages, with our Weather Wonders Kids Day extravaganza, filled with fun weather experiments and hands-on learning opportunities.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd

Topic: Cloudy with A Chance of Science: Using the lens of weather to explain how perceptions are shaped.

Dr. Shepherd uses his experience as an atmospheric scientist, professor, and public intellectual to discuss how perceptions about science are shaped. He uses contemporary events, scientific literature, and personal experiences to deliver a compelling yet accessible discussion for public audiences. Dr. Shepherd is routinely called by major media outlets, the White House, and Congress to share his expertise on weather or climate issues.

Conservation Connection will be our MC for this event! 

Schedule: 

Gates: 8:00AM

Registration/coffee/donuts: 8:00AM - 8:30AM

Welcome: 8:30AM - 8:45AM

Speaker 1: 8:45AM - 9:45AM Ashley Desensi, Native Plant Coalition

Speaker 2: 9:50AM - 10:50AM Dr. Jill Anderson, University of Georgia

Break: 10:50AM - 11:30AM - visit exhibitors, concessions

Speaker 3: 11:35AM - 12:35PM McKenzie Beverage, Georgia Climate Project

Keynote: 12:40PM - 2:00PM Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, University of Georgia

Thank you to Columbus Water Works for being our presenting sponsor for this event! 

ALL TICKETS ARE $25

This Saturday for Naturalist Symposium, we're expecting rain. A lot of the event will be under tents and inside the farmhouse, but be prepared for a rainy day either way!