Rooted in Resilience
Wyoming State Master Gardener Conference Schedule 2026
- October 2 – 4, 2026 | Casper, Wyoming
- Agriculture Resource and Learning Center (ARLC)
Lunch on your own
Break out Room Casper
Registration Opens
Break out Room Casper
Association Meeting
Break out Room Casper
Joddee Jacobsen
Keynote- Generations in Volunteer Spaces
We have more generations working and living together than ever before, and sometimes it feels like we are speaking completely different languages. Sometimes one person prefers a phone call while another would rather send a text, or one person wants a meeting while another is wondering why it could not have been an email. This workshop takes a practical and lighthearted look at the generations around us and the experiences that have shaped them. We’ll explore how those experiences influence the way people communicate, approach work, use technology, respond to feedback, and connect with others.
We will also talk about generational stereotypes and why it is important not to make assumptions about people based simply on when they were born. The goal is not to decide which generation has the best ideas. It is about understanding different perspectives, recognizing what each generation brings to the table, and finding better ways to communicate and work together. Through conversation and activities, participants will leave with a better understanding of generational differences and practical ideas that build stronger relationships across generations.
About the speaker
An Idaho native, Joddee L. Jacobsen is the University of Wyoming Community Vitality & Health Educator and CVH Program Leader. She holds an M.A. in Education and a B.A. in History. She leads with colleagues’ programs professional associations. For fun? World travel, good friends, good books, good music, and watching hockey!in health, wellness, and family connection including Ready, Set, Explore and Wyoming Food, Fun & 4-H. An award-winning UW Extension educator, she’s also active in community organizations and professional associations. For fun? World travel, good friends, good books, good music, and watching hockey!
Break out Room Casper
Holly Harrison
Amanda Romero
Craft & Appetizers
Fool the Birds, Save the Strawberries!
In this session we will be turning rocks into realistic looking strawberries. These painted strawberry bird decoy rocks will fool birds from eating the strawberries in your garden. Curious birds will peck at the realistic-looking strawberries. Before long, the birds will learn that these attractive rocks are not food and will leave them alone. When the real strawberries appear in the same location, the birds don’t bother to check them out.
Break out Room Casper
Breakfast & Welcome
Break out Room Casper
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward
Session- Diagnosing abiotic stress and diseases of trees in Wyoming
Abiotic stress such as drought, winter desiccation, and injuries are often mistaken for plant diseases. Learn how to recognize tree problems that are due to a plant disease or are due to abiotic stress. Identification and management of plant diseases affecting evergreen and deciduous trees in Wyoming will be discussed.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward is an Associate Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Jean runs the Extension Plant Diagnostic Laboratory where she diagnoses plant problems and provides disease management recommendations for commercial producers and homeowners statewide. Jean also works with county extension educators and producers throughout Wyoming providing disease information for all crops. Prior to joining the Plant Sciences faculty at UW in 2025, Jean was an Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Georgia for 29 years where she was responsible for providing statewide plant disease diagnosis, management recommendations, and extension programming for ornamental plants in commercial greenhouses, nurseries and landscapes, urban forestry, and Christmas trees.
Break Out Room Casper
Jeff Edwards
Session- Understanding Pestcides
The program will provide an understanding of insect biology and how specific insecticides act to control insects.
About the Speaker
UW Extension Specialist and Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator. 15 years in the Ag Chemical Industry, UW Extension since 2008. Recently returned from Sabbatical teaching others how to build geodesic domes for the production of food.
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Dr. Richard Woodward
Session- Edible Landscaping
Home landscaping can be more than just a sea of green meatballs. Interest in a landscape that does more than look good is increasing. Edible landscapes (foodscapes) turn patios, yards, and community spaces into attractive, productive ecosystems. This session will examine how to incorporate fruits, herbs, vegetables, flowers, and pollinator-friendly plants into your existing landscape. Did you know that the petals of Nasturtium, a beautiful flower for your garden, add a nice peppery flavor to salads?
About the Speaker
Dr. Richard Woodward is an Extension Horticulture Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He joined the University of Wyoming in January 2025. He is part of the UW Plant Diagnostic Team. Dr. Woodward is a plant pathologist by training and has over 30 years of experience in teaching, diagnosing horticultural problems, and plant production. He currently runs an extension and teaching horticulture program at UW.
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Becky Harris
Jedidiah Hewlett
Session- Growing in Geodesic Domes
This will be the 4th year of growing in the single dome and the third year for the 3 connected domes that are located on the Wyoming State Fairgrounds. Each year we have learned just a little more about what we need to do and a whole lot more about what not to do. Because we both work for Extension, we realized some experimentation had to occur, so we will be sharing those results with you also.
About the Speakers
Becky Harris has worked in Converse County Extension for 11 years where she is the Master Gardener Coordinator and is the person people call with their gardening questions. She has been an active Master Gardener for 24 years. She became involved with planting first the hoop houses that were built in 2010 and then later the domes. The first dome on the Fairgrounds was built in 2022, and when the large hoop house aged out, they built the three connected ones in 2024. So even with 16 years experience growing in an enclosed environment, no two years have been the same and it is always interesting.
Jedidiah Hewlett grew up in the Laramie valley before attending college for farm and ranch management at the University of Wyoming. He started his role as Agriculture Extension Educator for Converse County in 2024. Since then, he has been helping out with the upkeep and plant care in the GeoDomes located on the WY state fairgrounds. He is especially interested in using wool as a soil amendment for gardening.
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Session- Jams & Jellies (limit 9)
Harvesting fruits is always a great part of summer and fall gardening but only so much of that fruit can be eaten right away. This workshop shows you ways to preserve the fruits into jam or jelly. The class is 2 hours designed to make 3 varieties of jams/jellies so that come next harvest, you have the ability to use that fruit easily. Note: attendees will have jam/jelly to take home.
About the Speaker
Joshua Bliss has served as an Extension Educator in 4-H youth development for 3 and a ½ years. In this role, he has served the needs of Natrona County’s youth development program and served as the Natrona County Extension Coordinator, who is tasked with the responsibility of assessing and guiding the local presence of UW Extension in Natrona County. Joshua owns and operates Jay’s Jams as a small side business and frequently partners with teaching events to offer instruction on food preservation methods and is happy to teach at the 2026 State Master Gardener Conference.
Break Out Room Foods Lab
Jennifer Thompson
Session- Native Plants for Wyoming
With a focus on many native wildflowers we’ll be discussing about some of the different environments these plants grow in our state and then cover some that you may want to try or share with your gardening community.
About the Speaker
Jenny has had a life-long interest in native wildflowers, studying and gardening with them in Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona and Wyoming. Her interest in the beautiful but tough plants of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions has led to nearly two decades of experimentation with their use in low-input, regionally appropriate Wyoming landscapes. These landscapes incorporate both native and introduced plants. Along with her own gardens at various locations, which contain over 400 native and introduced plant types, she has helped plan, plant and maintain a variety of community spaces. She enjoys traveling the state to share this information and to learn from others.
Break Out Room Casper
Dr. Hannah Rodgers
Session- Drought Tools & Climate Trends in Wyoming
This presentation will go over several tools and resources for understanding the future of drought and other climate trends in Wyoming, including growing season length, wildfire risk, and other trends.
About the Speaker
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Moore
Session- Hormones: They're Not Just for Teenagers!
Hormones aren’t just for teenagers, plants have them, too! From a seedling bending toward a sunny window to a tomato ripening on the counter, chemical signals are constantly directing plant growth and development. In this session, we’ll explore the five classic plant hormones: auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid, as well as some of the newer members of the plant hormone family. We’ll connect the underlying plant physiology to familiar horticultural practices including propagation, pruning, fruit ripening, dormancy, and plant responses to environmental stress. Along the way, we’ll put our Master Gardener knowledge to the test with a few “Which hormone did it?” mysteries.
About the Speaker
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Carol O'Meara
Session- Vegetable Insect Pests
Learn to spot insect pests before they become a problem for the vegetable garden with ID, damage caused, and tips for control.
About the Speakers
Carol O’Meara is an Entomologist retired from Colorado State University Extension in Boulder County, Colorado. She managed the Boulder County Master Gardeners for over 20 years, wrote gardening articles for the Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, Boulder Camera, and Longmont Times-Call. Currently, she’s living her best life keeping plants and sourdough starter alive along with volunteering at a local food pantry.
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Session- Jams & Jellies (limit 9)
Harvesting fruits is always a great part of summer and fall gardening but only so much of that fruit can be eaten right away. This workshop shows you ways to preserve the fruits into jam or jelly. The class is 2 hours designed to make 3 varieties of jams/jellies so that come next harvest, you have the ability to use that fruit easily. Note: attendees will have jam/jelly to take home.
About the Speaker
Joshua Bliss has served as an Extension Educator in 4-H youth development for 3 and a ½ years. In this role, he has served the needs of Natrona County’s youth development program and served as the Natrona County Extension Coordinator, who is tasked with the responsibility of assessing and guiding the local presence of UW Extension in Natrona County. Joshua owns and operates Jay’s Jams as a small side business and frequently partners with teaching events to offer instruction on food preservation methods and is happy to teach at the 2026 State Master Gardener Conference.
Break Out Room Foods Lab
Break
Break out Room Casper
Dr. Tamla Blunt
Session- Vegetable Abiotic Problems
This presentation will discuss abiotic (non-pathogenic) issues when growing vegetables. This includes early flowering/bolting, fruit deformation, growth habit, and other issues that can be common in vegetable gardens.
About the Speaker
Dr. Tamla Blunt is a retired plant pathologist. She previously was in charge of the Plant Diagnostic Clinic located on the Colorado State University campus for 16 years. She was also involved in Extension outreach for CSU as well as teaching LIFE102, the first-year biology course for science majors and preparation of the laboratory sections for the on-campus Plant Pathology course. She also taught at Front Range Community College for 23 years, teaching Plant Health Care, Plant Propagation, and Pesticide Safety and Use. She currently teaches online offerings at both CSU and Front Range.
Break Out Room Casper
Dr. Tanumoy Bera
Session- Building Healthy Soil for a Productive Garden
The presentation will include discussion on managing soil organic matter, nutrient recommendations, soil test result interpretation, and addressing other common soil-related challenges in Wyoming.
About the Speaker
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Holly Harrison
Session- What is Horticultural Therapy?
Horticulture Therapy provides gardening activities to help individuals with mobility, improving physical, emotional and mental well being through acativities that involve working with plants from those in small containers in an appartment, office or home to working outdoor garden spaces. Join in and learn about how these activities can be included in your gardening or those you share with others.
About the Speaker
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Becky Harris
Jedidiah Hewlett
Session- Growing in Geodesic Domes
This will be the 4th year of growing in the single dome and the third year for the 3 connected domes that are located on the Wyoming State Fairgrounds. Each year we have learned just a little more about what we need to do and a whole lot more about what not to do. Because we both work for Extension, we realized some experimentation had to occur, so we will be sharing those results with you also.
About the Speakers
Becky Harris has worked in Converse County Extension for 11 years where she is the Master Gardener Coordinator and is the person people call with their gardening questions. She has been an active Master Gardener for 24 years. She became involved with planting first the hoop houses that were built in 2010 and then later the domes. The first dome on the Fairgrounds was built in 2022, and when the large hoop house aged out, they built the three connected ones in 2024. So even with 16 years experience growing in an enclosed environment, no two years have been the same and it is always interesting.
Jedidiah Hewlett grew up in the Laramie valley before attending college for farm and ranch management at the University of Wyoming. He started his role as Agriculture Extension Educator for Converse County in 2024. Since then, he has been helping out with the upkeep and plant care in the GeoDomes located on the WY state fairgrounds. He is especially interested in using wool as a soil amendment for gardening.
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Lunch
Break out Room Casper
Jennifer Thompson
Session- Native Plants for Wyoming
With a focus on many native wildflowers we’ll be discussing about some of the different environments these plants grow in our state and then cover some that you may want to try or share with your gardening community.
About the Speaker
Jenny has had a life-long interest in native wildflowers, studying and gardening with them in Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona and Wyoming. Her interest in the beautiful but tough plants of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions has led to nearly two decades of experimentation with their use in low-input, regionally appropriate Wyoming landscapes. These landscapes incorporate both native and introduced plants. Along with her own gardens at various locations, which contain over 400 native and introduced plant types, she has helped plan, plant and maintain a variety of community spaces. She enjoys traveling the state to share this information and to learn from others.
Break Out Room Casper
Jeff Edwards
Session- Understanding Pestcides
The program will provide an understanding of insect biology and how specific insecticides act to control insects.
About the Speaker
UW Extension Specialist and Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator. 15 years in the Ag Chemical Industry, UW Extension since 2008. Recently returned from Sabbatical teaching others how to build geodesic domes for the production of food.
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Dr. Richard Woodward
Session- Edible Landscaping
Home landscaping can be more than just a sea of green meatballs. Interest in a landscape that does more than look good is increasing. Edible landscapes (foodscapes) turn patios, yards, and community spaces into attractive, productive ecosystems. This session will examine how to incorporate fruits, herbs, vegetables, flowers, and pollinator-friendly plants into your existing landscape. Did you know that the petals of Nasturtium, a beautiful flower for your garden, add a nice peppery flavor to salads?
About the Speaker
Dr. Richard Woodward is an Extension Horticulture Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He joined the University of Wyoming in January 2025. He is part of the UW Plant Diagnostic Team. Dr. Woodward is a plant pathologist by training and has over 30 years of experience in teaching, diagnosing horticultural problems, and plant production. He currently runs an extension and teaching horticulture program at UW.
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Hannah Rodgers
Session- Interactive Soil Health Workshop
The interactive soil health workshop would ask participants to bring in soil samples from their own gardens, which we would then test for soil organic matter, pH, nitrate, and texture using easily-available materials.
About the Speakers
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Session- Harvest Relish (limit 9)
The most common harvest from a garden is cucumbers or zucchini. Harvest relish is a great recipe to add flavor and a new purpose to squash that is hard to turn into one more loaf of bread. Why not make it into relish that you can put on a burger, brat, or hot dog this winter? Join this workshop to learn how to make harvest relish for next fall. Note: attendees will have a jar of harvest relish to take home.
About the Speaker
Joshua Bliss has served as an Extension Educator in 4-H youth development for 3 and a ½ years. In this role, he has served the needs of Natrona County’s youth development program and served as the Natrona County Extension Coordinator, who is tasked with the responsibility of assessing and guiding the local presence of UW Extension in Natrona County. Joshua owns and operates Jay’s Jams as a small side business and frequently partners with teaching events to offer instruction on food preservation methods and is happy to teach at the 2026 State Master Gardener Conference.
Break Out Room Foods Lab
Bryan Anderson
Session- Firewise Landscaping to Protect Wyoming Homes
Learn landscaping techniques & plant species that are firewise and lest susceptible to wildfires.
About the Speaker
Bryan Anderson was a 5 year UW Extension Forester in Douglas and has been with Wyoming State Forestry Diviesion in Casper for he past 30 years. He is now the District Forester for District 2 of Wyoming State Forests.
Break Out Room Casper
Dr. Tanumoy Bera
Session- Building Healthy Soil for a Productive Garden
The presentation will include discussion on managing soil organic matter, nutrient recommendations, soil test result interpretation, and addressing other common soil-related challenges in Wyoming.
About the Speaker
Dr. Tanumoy Bera is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility and Soil Health at the University of Wyoming. His research and Extension program focuses on soil health, nutrient management, and sustainable crop and forage production, with an emphasis on developing practical, science-based solutions for Wyoming producers and landowners. Through research, teaching, and outreach, he works to improve soil productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, and the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems.
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Dr. Tamla Blunt
Session- Vegetable Abiotic Problems
This presentation will discuss abiotic (non-pathogenic) issues when growing vegetables. This includes early flowering/bolting, fruit deformation, growth habit, and other issues that can be common in vegetable gardens.
About the Speaker
Dr. Tamla Blunt is a retired plant pathologist. She previously was in charge of the Plant Diagnostic Clinic located on the Colorado State University campus for 16 years. She was also involved in Extension outreach for CSU as well as teaching LIFE102, the first-year biology course for science majors and preparation of the laboratory sections for the on-campus Plant Pathology course. She also taught at Front Range Community College for 23 years, teaching Plant Health Care, Plant Propagation, and Pesticide Safety and Use. She currently teaches online offerings at both CSU and Front Range.
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Carol O'Meara
Session- Vegetable Insect Pests
Learn to spot insect pests before they become a problem for the vegetable garden with ID, damage caused, and tips for control.
About the Speakers
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Session- Harvest Relish (limit 9)
The most common harvest from a garden is cucumbers or zucchini. Harvest relish is a great recipe to add flavor and a new purpose to squash that is hard to turn into one more loaf of bread. Why not make it into relish that you can put on a burger, brat, or hot dog this winter? Join this workshop to learn how to make harvest relish for next fall. Note: attendees will have a jar of harvest relish to take home.
About the Speaker
Joshua Bliss has served as an Extension Educator in 4-H youth development for 3 and a ½ years. In this role, he has served the needs of Natrona County’s youth development program and served as the Natrona County Extension Coordinator, who is tasked with the responsibility of assessing and guiding the local presence of UW Extension in Natrona County. Joshua owns and operates Jay’s Jams as a small side business and frequently partners with teaching events to offer instruction on food preservation methods and is happy to teach at the 2026 State Master Gardener Conference.
Break Out Room Foods Lab
Break
Break out Room Casper
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward
Session- Diagnosing Turf problems
Multiple factors cause turf grass to brown and die out in Wyoming. This session will cover common turf diseases and abiotic (non-disease) factors that are cause turf problems.
About the Speaker
Dr. Tamla Blunt is a retired plant pathologist. She previously was in charge of the Plant Diagnostic Clinic located on the Colorado State University campus for 16 years. She was also involved in Extension outreach for CSU as well as teaching LIFE102, the first-year biology course for science majors and preparation of the laboratory sections for the on-campus Plant Pathology course. She also taught at Front Range Community College for 23 years, teaching Plant Health Care, Plant Propagation, and Pesticide Safety and Use. She currently teaches online offerings at both CSU and Front Range.
Break Out Room Casper
Dr. Kelsey Brock
Session- Beyond the Garden Gate: When Ornamental Plants Become Invasive
The presentation will include discussion on managing soil organic matter, nutrient recommendations, soil test result interpretation, and addressing other common soil-related challenges in Wyoming.
About the Speaker
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Moore
Session- Hormones: They're Not Just for Teenagers!
Hormones aren’t just for teenagers, plants have them, too! From a seedling bending toward a sunny window to a tomato ripening on the counter, chemical signals are constantly directing plant growth and development. In this session, we’ll explore the five classic plant hormones: auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid, as well as some of the newer members of the plant hormone family. We’ll connect the underlying plant physiology to familiar horticultural practices including propagation, pruning, fruit ripening, dormancy, and plant responses to environmental stress. Along the way, we’ll put our Master Gardener knowledge to the test with a few “Which hormone did it?” mysteries.
About the Speaker
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Bryan Anderson
Session- Firewise Landsaping to Protect Wyoming Homes
Learn landscaping techniques & plant species that are firewise and lest susceptible to wildfires.
About the Speakers
Bryan Anderson was a 5 year UW Extension Forester in Douglas and has been with Wyoming State Forestry Diviesion in Casper for he past 30 years. He is now the District Forester for District 2 of Wyoming State Forests.
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Terry Stretesky
Dinner: How to Harvest the Best from Your Meetings
We will be covering the gardening side of Robert’s Rules. Hands on!
About the Speaker
Break out Room Casper
Light Breakfast
Break out Room Casper
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward
Session- Diagnosing abiotic stress and diseases of trees in Wyoming
Abiotic stress such as drought, winter desiccation, and injuries are often mistaken for plant diseases. Learn how to recognize tree problems that are due to a plant disease or are due to abiotic stress. Identification and management of plant diseases affecting evergreen and deciduous trees in Wyoming will be discussed.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward is an Associate Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Jean runs the Extension Plant Diagnostic Laboratory where she diagnoses plant problems and provides disease management recommendations for commercial producers and homeowners statewide. Jean also works with county extension educators and producers throughout Wyoming providing disease information for all crops. Prior to joining the Plant Sciences faculty at UW in 2025, Jean was an Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Georgia for 29 years where she was responsible for providing statewide plant disease diagnosis, management recommendations, and extension programming for ornamental plants in commercial greenhouses, nurseries and landscapes, urban forestry, and Christmas trees.
Break Out Room Casper
Scott Schell
Session- Identification of Immature Insects
Scott will present information on the diagnostic characteristics of the immature stages of Wyoming garden and landscape pests. The ability to identify insects of all stages is important as this required for effective management of pests. Additionally, frequently the immature insects are the damaging stage gardeners have to deal with.
About the Speaker
Scott Schell is the University of Wyoming’s extension entomology specialist based in Laramie. Scott’s background includes three years spent working on a farming and ranching operation in Kansas just after high school. He decided there had to be an easier way to make a living and still be a part of agriculture. Returning to his native Wyoming, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in entomology. He then worked as a research associate in the College of Agriculture for nine years, helping to develop economical and less environmentally harmful methods for rangeland grasshopper management. Starting in 2003, his responsibilities changed to the identification of arthropods submitted through the Extension system to UW and providing management recommendations for arthropod pests of all sorts.
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Lynn Dampman
Session- Vermicomposting Made Easy
About the Speakers
Lynn Dampman developed a love for gardening from her father at an early age. Her interest in maintaining a compost pile steered her to vermicomposting; a way to compost all year long in the middle of Wyoming where winters often bring temperatures well below zero for weeks. She became a Master Gardener in 2000 and quickly became “the worm lady” giving demonstrations and handing out red wigglers to just about anyone who was interested. She has a deep appreciation for the role that worms and all other earth dwellers play in keeping the environment well balanced.
Break Out Room Oregon Trail
Break
Break out Room Casper
Dr. Richard Woodward
Session- Reporting Dr. JJ Chen's Research - Strategies for Producing Three Wyoming Native Berries
Wild berries are an important component of indigenous food sovereignty. These berries provide key nutrients and antioxidants for evading nutrient deficiencies. These berries are becoming depleted in the Intermountain West. This presentation will focus on research conducted at the University of Wyoming on strategies to optimize greenhouse production of three native berries: Silverberry, Three-leaf Sumac, and Silver Buffaloberry.
About the Speaker
Dr. Richard Woodward is an Extension Horticulture Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He joined the University of Wyoming in January 2025. He is part of the UW Plant Diagnostic Team. Dr. Woodward is a plant pathologist by training and has over 30 years of experience in teaching, diagnosing horticultural problems, and plant production. He currently runs an extension and teaching horticulture program at UW.
Break Out Room Casper
Dr. Kelsey Brock
Session- Beyond the Garden Gate: When Ornamental Plants Become Invasive
Many of the plants we grow in our gardens stay right where we put them, but some don’t. This talk explores how ornamental plants can spread beyond gardens, and in some cases become invasive species that cause ecological or economic problems.
About the Speaker
Kelsey Brock is an Assistant Professor and Invasive Plant Extension Specialist at the University of Wyoming. She works to solve problems caused by invasive plants and prevent more invasions from happening in the future.
Break Out Room Mills/Evansville
Holly Harrison
Session- What is Horticultural Therapy?
About the Speakers
Break Out Room Midwest/Edgerton
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward
Session- Diagnosing Turf problems
Multiple factors cause turf grass to brown and die out in Wyoming. This session will cover common turf diseases and abiotic (non-disease) factors that are cause turf problems.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jean Williams-Woodward is an Associate Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Jean runs the Extension Plant Diagnostic Laboratory where she diagnoses plant problems and provides disease management recommendations for commercial producers and homeowners statewide. Jean also works with county extension educators and producers throughout Wyoming providing disease information for all crops. Prior to joining the Plant Sciences faculty at UW in 2025, Jean was an Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Georgia for 29 years where she was responsible for providing statewide plant disease diagnosis, management recommendations, and extension programming for ornamental plants in commercial greenhouses, nurseries and landscapes, urban forestry, and Christmas trees.
Break Out Room Casper
Scott Schell
Session- Identification of Immature Insects
Scott will present information on the diagnostic characteristics of the immature stages of Wyoming garden and landscape pests. The ability to identify insects of all stages is important as this required for effective management of pests. Additionally, frequently the immature insects are the damaging stage gardeners have to deal with.
About the Speaker
Scott Schell is the University of Wyoming’s extension entomology specialist based in Laramie. Scott’s background includes three years spent working on a farming and ranching operation in Kansas just after high school. He decided there had to be an easier way to make a living and still be a part of agriculture. Returning to his native Wyoming, he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in entomology. He then worked as a research associate in the College of Agriculture for nine years, helping to develop economical and less environmentally harmful methods for rangeland grasshopper management. Starting in 2003, his responsibilities changed to the identification of arthropods submitted through the Extension system to UW and providing management recommendations for arthropod pests of all sorts.