Learn from scientist/ecologist Peter Guillozet as he speaks about backyard ponds

||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB |||

Please join the Orcas Island Garden Club on Wednesday, February 18th when we welcome Peter Guillozet to speak about Below the Surface of Backyard Ponds: Beneficial or Harmful?

We are excited and grateful to Peter for accepting our invitation to speak on the pros and cons of small ponds. Peter will attempt to temper his biases and present a balanced view of created ponds and water features with an emphasis on stewardship. He’ll also provide a brief overview of natural ponds and wetlands and their ecological, water quality, and water quantity benefits. In doing so, he’ll highlight wetland losses and the impacts of invasive aquatic species, many of which have been introduced for ponds.

For those considering a pond, he’ll cover relevant regulations including San Juan County Critical Areas protections. Lastly, he’ll attempt to lift the mood by describing some of the benefits of well-designed, well-managed ponds including their habitat value for native plants, amphibians, insects, and birds. Ultimately, he hopes the topic will raise thorny questions and stimulate friendly debate. We hope you plan to come early for coffee for social time at 9:30.

Peter has served as the Conservation Land Bank’s Preserve Steward on Orcas Island since 2018. Prior to moving to Orcas, he served as Senior Natural Resource Scientist at Oregon Metro. A general ecologist long focused on habitat management and restoration, Peter studied biology and botany at Humboldt State University and earned a M.S. in population ecology in North Carolina.

The presentation will also be available via Zoom. For a link to the live Zoom presentation, please visit the Orcas Island Garden Club Events and click the link below the list of presentations. The presentation will be recorded. To watch the recorded presentation, hover your cursor over Events and select Recorded Presentations. Please note that the recording will only be available to view for four weeks after it is posted. Garden club presentations are free and open to the public.

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