SM-100 Seminar Series welcomes horticulturist
Mississippi University for Women’s Department of Sciences of and Mathematics will host another entry of its SM-100 Seminar Series, Monday, Feb. 24, from noon- 1 p.m.
John T. Manion, education and outreach coordinator for Overhill Gardens in Vonore, Tennessee, will give a presentation titled, “Our Native Flora.”
Manion has been employed at several botanical gardens and arboreta, including the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. After working as historic gardens curator at the Atlanta History Center, he became the Kaul Wildflower Garden Curator at Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Alabama, where he spent 11 years developing and refining a seven-acre collection of native plants – the most comprehensive in the state.
While at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, he designed and managed an immensely successful Certificate in Native Plant Studies program, as well as a biennial, four-day Native Plant Conference. Since early in 2022, Manion has been the education and outreach coordinator at Overhill Gardens, where he develops and offers articles, talks, walks and multiday fieldtrips.
“Mr. Manion was highly recommended for this seminar by one of our faculty members, Michael Dodson (professor of botany,) who happened to have attended one of his seminars in the past,” said Dr. Ghanshyam Heda, SM-100 seminar instructor.
Held in Parkinson Hall Room 117, the presentation is free to attend and open to the public as well as the W community. For more information, please visit muw.edu/event/sm-100-seminar-our-native-flora/.
About the Department of Sciences and Mathematics
The W’s Department of Sciences and Mathematics offers laboratory-based instruction in natural sciences and courses that develop quantifying skills, supporting majors within every program across campus. It is housed in Parkinson Hall and offers a variety of majors within the field of science and math. To learn more about the department, please visit www.muw.edu/scimath/.