MARQUETTE — The owner of Marquette’s only all-native plant nursery will give a talk at the upcoming Keweenaw Native Plant Symposium, set for 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday via Zoom.

Michelle Wietek-Stephens, owner of Designs by Nature, will present “A Watched Seed Never Sprouts: Adventures in Starting a Native Plant Nursery in the U.P.” Wietek-Stephens, a Upper Peninsula native and avid hiker, biker, and observer of nature, founded Designs by Nature — Upper Peninsula Native Plants at the family homestead near Marquette.

She will speak on her experiences opening her nursery in the unique climate and culture of the U.P.

Biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author Heather Holms will be the symposium’s featured speaker. In her talk, “The Pollination of Native Plants,” Holm “leads us on a fascinating journey showcasing the development of different flower types and the presentation of floral resources to pollinators,” organizers said in a news release. “Exploring the types of insect pollinators, their foraging behavior, and the floral features that attract pollinators, she will provide many examples of how native plants are pollinated and what pollinator is most effective and why.”

Also on the program is Carolyn Miller, botanist and plant recorder at Michigan State University, who will speak on “Michigan Native Plants: From their Habitat to My Home.” Her presentation includes a photographic tour of Michigan plants, from prairies, to bogs, to cedar swamps. Miller is the president of the Wildflower Association of Michigan.

The symposium is sponsored by Keweenaw Wild Ones, the Sustainability Demonstration House at Michigan Technological University, the Keweenaw Garden Club, the Keweenaw Land Trust, and Michigan State Extension Master Gardeners.

Register for this free Zoom event at keweenaw.wildones.org

For more information, contact Marcia Goodrich, marciagoodrich@gmail.com.