

# Event Details

- **Event Name**: Gardening Beneath the Surface with Native Plants
- **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 25 Mar, 2026 at 06:30 pm – Wed, 25 Mar, 2026 at 07:30 pm (-04:00)
- **Event Description**: ~This is the updated date for the 'Gardening Beneath the Surface' event originally scheduled for March 18~


🌻🧤 ABOUT THE EVENT:
The tallgrass prairie biome was once one of the largest continuous ecosystems on the planet, which was responsible for forming the most fertile and productive soil type (Mollisols) in North America. Today, 99% of that original ecosystem has been disrupted. With that disruption, many soil health benefits such as water infiltration, soil carbon storage, and specialized microbial communities, have also been altered. But, through the efforts of many non-profit groups, farmers, and individual property owners, native prairie plants - and the ecosystem benefits they provide - are making a come-back. In this talk I will discuss several of ongoing projects in my research group at WMU that highlight the work of many dedicated land stewards and community partners. First, we’ll examine how prairie strips, or prairies installed the length of an agricultural field adjacent to crops, can help improve soils while providing pollinator habitat. Next, we’ll think more about the choices that farmers and conservationists face when installing a prairie, and how those choices might affect soils, plants, and microbes in the long term. Finally, we’ll explore an exciting new project in my group that is examining how native plants installed by home owners in the City of Kalamazoo affect soil health compared to traditional lawns.

👩🏻‍🏫 ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Dr. Kathryn Docherty is a soil microbial ecologist and a faculty member at Western Michigan University since 2011. Her research interests are in understanding how restoring disturbed land to native grassland installations influences soil microbial communities, plant-soil-microbe interactions, and soil health. Before joining the faculty at WMU she conducted her PhD research at the University of Notre Dame (2001-2007) and then postdoctoral work at the University of Oregon (2007-2010) and the National Ecological Observatory Network (2010-2011).
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/rockford/gardening-beneath-the-surface-with-native-plants/200029858207408
- **Event Categories**: health-wellness
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 0

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: http://facebook.com/200029858207408?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=rockford-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Rockford
- **state**: MI
- **country**: United States
- **location**: 7 S. Monroe St., Rockford, MI, United States, Michigan 49341
- **lat**: 43.1193
- **long**: -85.55872
- **full address**: 7 S. Monroe St., Rockford, MI, United States, Michigan 49341

## Event Organizer details

- **affiliate_id**: 2
- **organizer**: Rockford Sustainability-Michigan (https://allevents.in/org/rockford-sustainability-michigan/16321717)

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: banner
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/57c6b8ec2f0cf2e8ff4d8ba6413c1cc128ab9309a811c4151f67823a926f5775-rimg-w1200-h500-dc452c1c-gmir?v=1774433887
- **Alt text**: thumbnail
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/84e803b64f50c5f5db8c0bc62ee3474a09cfcbf67880c8a0db2b6ebae84c8b28-rimg-w300-h300-dc472c1b-gmir?v=1774433888

## FAQs

- **Q**: When is the event happening?
  - **A:** Wed, 25 Mar, 2026 at 06:30 pm (-04:00)
- **Q**: Where is the event happening?
  - **A:** 7 S. Monroe St., Rockford, MI, United States, Michigan 49341
- **Q**: Who is organizing the event?
  - **A:** Rockford Sustainability-Michigan
- **Q**: What type of event is this?
  - **A:** health-wellness
- **Q**: Where can I find ticket details about Gardening Beneath the Surface with Native Plants ?
  - **A:** You can find ticket details about this event on AllEvents.

## Structured Data (JSON-LD)

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