Welcoming Wildlife to Your Jersey-Friendly Yard

Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ocean County College (Gateway Building) in Toms River, NJ
Cost: $20.00

We’re excited to be back with an in-person conference after a two-year hiatus due to COVID concerns. This year’s conference had two featured speakers, exhibits, and a native plant sale — all with a focus on welcoming wildlife to your yard!

Filmmaker Sarah Galloway screened and discussed WILD in the Garden State, her documentary about how she and her husband, Dave Comins, transformed their suburban New Jersey yard into a haven for wildlife.

David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation naturalist, author, and television host, shared his extensive knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm about gardening for wildlife.

Please email Karen Walzer at kwalzer@ocean.edu if you have any questions.

Conference Location

The conference was held in the Gateway building on the campus of Ocean County College. Visit the college website for directions and a campus map (Gateway is building #101 on the map).

Conference Schedule

8:30 – 9:00 am
Sign in and enjoy exhibits and morning refreshments
9:00 – 9:15 am
Conference begins in the Gateway lecture hall
9:15 – 10:30 am
WILD in the Garden State documentary and Q&A by Sarah Galloway and Dave Comins
10:30 – 10:45 am
Break
10:45 – 11:45 am
Garden for Wildlife by David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation
11:45 am – Noon
Closing remarks
Noon – 1:00 pm
Native Plant Sale — leave with some wildlife-friendly native plants!

WILD in the Garden State

WILD in the Garden State is the story of connecting to the natural world in suburban New Jersey. The film documents how Sarah Galloway and Dave Comins, transplants from New York City with no prior gardening experience, transformed their Monmouth County yard into a haven for birds, butterflies, pollinators, and people. Following the 30-minute screening, there will be a Q&A with filmmaker Sarah, and her husband Dave, a retired architect.

About Sarah Galloway

Sarah began her career as an assistant editor on the seminal film Hoop Dreams. After twenty years of making exhibit media for the American Museum of Natural History, she began a freelance career. Sarah’s first independent documentary, BIKE RIDDIM, featured legendary local musician, Ken “Stringbean” Sorenson, and won the Asbury Park Press Award at the 2018 Asbury Park Music + Film Festival. WILD in the Garden State combines Sarah’s passion for ecology and filmmaking. Sarah lives in Ocean Township, New Jersey with her husband, Dave Comins.  Connect with her at SARAHGALLOWAY.com or on her Instagram page: wild_in_the_garden_state.

Garden for Wildlife – Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife

Naturalist David Mizejewski shares how to create a beautiful garden or landscape that fits into the local ecosystem and supports birds, butterflies, bees and a whole host of other wonderful wildlife neighbors. David will discuss native plants, the four components of habitat, sustainable gardening, and climate change impacts. He’ll also share how you can achieve the National Wildlife Federation’s “Certified Wildlife Habitat” recognition for your garden space.

About David Mizejewski

David has been fascinated by our natural world for as long as he can remember. A lifelong naturalist, he spent his youth exploring the woods, fields, and wetlands, observing and learning about the surprising diversity of wildlife that inhabits them. A television host, author, blogger, and naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation, David holds a degree in Human and Natural Ecology from Emory University and is an expert on wildlife and our environment. David has hosted series on Animal Planet and NatGeo WILD and is a regular guest on Conan, The Wendy Williams Show, and NBC’s Today Show. He specializes in urban ecology, the role that native plants have on wildlife populations, and helping people restore wildlife habitat in their cities, towns, neighborhoods, backyards, and gardens—which is the subject of his bestselling garden how-to book, Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife.

Native Plant Sale

Fall is the perfect time to add native plants to your landscape. At the conference’s native plant sale, Earth First Native Plant Nursery and Steven Kristoph Nursery offered a great selection of wildlife-friendly plants ready for fall planting.

Conference Sponsors