Doors open at 10:30 a.m. | Presentation at 11 a.m.
For this exclusive member program, we welcome author Paula Whyman for a discussion of her memoir, Bad Naturalist, which chronicles her attempts to restore native meadows on a 200-acre mountaintop—and the obstacles, failures, discoveries, and all-important successes she made along the way. Following the program, Whyman will answer audience questions and sign copies of Bad Naturalist, available at a discounted member price at the Garden Gate Shop.
About Paula Whyman:
Bad Naturalist is Paula Whyman’s first book of nonfiction. Her earlier book, You May See a Stranger, is an award-winning linked short story collection. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post and The American Scholar, and in journals including McSweeney’s Quarterly, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, and The Hudson Review. She was awarded residencies by MacDowell, Yaddo, VCCA, The Studios of Key West, and Oak Spring Garden Foundation. Her work on this book was supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council. She spends her time on a mountain in Virginia with her husband and a mercurial standard poodle. You can find her at paulawhyman.com, and keep up with news from the mountain via her Bad Naturalist newsletter
More about Bad Naturalist:
A journey of humor, humility, and awe as one woman attempts to restore 200 acres of farmland long gone-to-seed in the Blue Ridge Mountains, facing her own limitations while getting to know a breathtaking corner of the natural world.
When writer Paula Whyman climbs to a peak in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of an empty-nester home in the country, her plans for a tidy backyard ecology project quickly morph into a massive endeavor. Just as quickly, she discovers how little she knows about hands-on conservation work. In Bad Naturalist, Whyman struggles with conflicting advice from experts, an influx of invasive species, delayed plans, and the occasional rattlesnake—but none of it dampens her irrepressible passion for protecting this place.
Free for members | Registration required
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The Member Speaker Series is presented by Siteman Cancer Center based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.
View recordings of past Member Speaker Series programs here.
The Missouri Botanical Garden is committed to providing an inclusive environment by ensuring that the Garden and our events are accessible to everyone. For accessibility accommodations such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, assisted listening devices, braille or large print handouts, and audio description when applicable, please contact (314) 577-5100 or contact@mobot.org at least two weeks prior to the event (if possible). Manual wheelchairs, motorized scooters, and strollers are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center during normal Garden hours. Wheelchair rental is free. Learn more about accessibility at the Garden.