Envisioning a Changing
DurangoScape
2026
Our Community Forest: Coping With Climate Change and Rapid Development
Photo Credit: Jeff Wagner
Schedule
Two Days, One Venue, each day packed with powerful presentations and inspiration!
March 6, 2026
DoubleTree Hilton
6:00-8:00 pm Presentations
Registration: 5:30-6:00pm
March 7, 2026
DoubleTree Hilton
1:00-5:00 pm Presentations
Registration: 12:00-1:00pm
Coping with Climate Change and Rapid Development
Durango is home to over 12,000 trees, a community resource supporting our economy, property values, and quality of life. How do we protect this essential asset?
What you will learn:
How the community forest contributes to the economy and a thriving community
What to plant in and around your trees to add to your landscape
Get answers to some of your most vexing tree issues
How narrow “hellstrips” challenge root growth, upend your sidewalks
Whether xeric landscaping produces too little water for trees?
How new construction procedures challenge your new tree plantings
“Understanding the effects of a changing climate on our landscapes, regardless of how one goes about gardening, is a no-brainer. But it is conferences like these that make that process less daunting, and allow us to look at not just the yard in front of us, but how it will look for generations to come.”
Darrin Parmenter, Western Region Director, CSU Extension
Speakers, Topics & Videos Not to Miss
We have assembled some of the foremost local and national experts on
adapting our community forest to changing climate conditions.
Featured Speakers
Jeff Wagner
Founder, La Plata County Tree Study Group & Vice President, Central North America of the International Dendrology Society.
Ben Rieck
Arborist Supervisor,
Parks & Recreation, City of Durango
Mike Smedley
Local Bulb Guru, Passionate Gardener, Rock Garden Fanatic
Rob Davis
City Forester/Open Space Supervisor, City of Grand Junction
Heather Houk
Horticulture & Agriculture Production Specialist
Colorado State University Extension–La Plata County
Freddie Haberecht
Sr. Specialist, Forestry
ISA Certified Urban Forestry Professional, RM-8593AM, TRAQ
City of Fort Collins
"Many conferences experienced unexpected audience outreach this year (2020) due to the fact that all programs went virtual at the same time and many smaller organizations missed out on that opportunity because the technological challenges were too great. The Durango Botanic Gardens deserves a Program Excellence Award for the program they offered and the technological challenges they had to overcome to keep in step with the larger, more prominent botanic gardens around the country."
- Ross Shrigley, executive director, Plant Select®️ and past presenter for our 2020 climate conference, Adapting Landscape in the Four Corners to a Changing Climate
Special Video Presentations
Claire Carver, co-owner, operator,
Carver Brewing Company
This inspirational video on the evolving Peter Carver Memorial Forest is available only to paid registrants who receive a link and password in their confirmation letter.
Moses Cooper, Owner,
Momentum Tree Experts
This fascinating video on the art and practice of Forest Bathing is available only to paid registrants who receive a link and password in their confirmation letter.
Conference Fees & Registration Information
Fee includes both the Friday evening and Saturday presentations.
DBG Members: $30
Non-members: $50
12 Lucky Registrants Will Win These Landmark Books About Trees
Six copies each of Gingko: The Tree Time Forgot and A Natural Resource History of North American Trees, two iconic, superbly written books about trees, will be awarded to 12 registrants of the DurnagoScape 2026 Conference. Click on covers to learn more about each book.
A Natural History of North American Trees
By Donald Culross Peattie
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A Natural History of North American Trees by Donald Culross Peattie is a comprehensive exploration of various tree species across the United States and Canada, blending scientific information with cultural history and personal anecdotes.
The book is celebrated for its poetic prose and detailed illustrations, making it both an informative guide and a literary work.
Based on that description, one might be inclined to consider this a dry volume, but what sets Peattie’s writing apart is its poetic, engaging style, which makes complex information accessible and enjoyable. The essays cover not only biological aspects of trees but also their roles in history, commerce, and the environment. It is structured to be read in segments, making it suitable for casual reading as well as a valuable reference.
Peattie is recognized as one of the most influential American nature writers, and this work is considered a classic in nature literature.
512 Pages, richly illustrated
Gingko, The Tree That Time Forgot
By Sir Peter Crane
The author has provided a signed bookplate to accompany each of the six books, adding even more value to the copy.
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Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, the ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it helpful about a thousand years ago. Today, ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity.
This engaging book tells the rich and engaging story of a tree that people saved from extinction-a tale that offers hope for other botanical biographies that are still being written. Inspired by the historic ginkgo that has thrived in London's Kew Gardens since the 1760s, renowned botanist Peter Crane explores the history of the ginkgo from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence.
Crane also highlights the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the worlds most popular street trees. Readers of this book will be drawn to the nearest ginkgo, where they can experience firsthand the timeless beauty of the oldest tree on Earth.
408 Pages 61 black and white illustrations
The author has provided a signed bookplate to accompany each of the six books, adding even more value to the copy.
DurangoScape 2026 is made possible by registrants and the funding and other support of our 2026 Conference Sponsor, Momentum Tree Experts, and the ongoing partnership of the La Plata County Tree Study Group. We appreciate their interest and support in protecting Durango’s Community Forest. Learn more about these organizations by clicking on their logos.
OUR CONFERENCE PARTNER
Our Conference Partner The La Plata County Tree Study Group, founded and guided by Jeff Wagner, comprises Master Gardeners, Durango Botanic Garden members, and others dedicated to the ongoing study of our urban and native forests in the Four Corners. LPCTSG meets monthly to improve tree-identification skills, share stories about trees, and raise awareness and knowledge of trees among the general public. Learn more and join.
OUR CONFERENCE SPONSOR
This video will be available to paid registrants beginning January 15th.
Moses Copper Demonstrates Forest Bathing
As you step into a forest rich with vegetation and fresh, earthy scents, your senses naturally begin to awaken. The forest invites calm, presence, and restoration, an experience known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. This research-based practice supports mental and physical well-being through intentional time in the forest, including mindful breathing, gentle movement, and slow walks among the trees. Guided by Moses Cooper, Board Certified Master Arborist (MI-4220B), the experience is rooted in a deep understanding of forest systems, tree biology, and ecological health. Learn more about Momentrum Tree Experts.