Event
Friends with benefits: identifying and attracting natural enemies
A practical workshop to learn how to ID and observe natural enemies and share experiences with encouraging them into cropping systems
Interested in building natural pest resilience into your cropping system?
In this workshop entomologist Barbara Smith (Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience) will provide an overview of the main groups of natural enemies, the pests they control and habitats they prefer, to help build insect ID skills so you can observe what is in your own cropping systems and seek to bring them in.
Hosted by the lovely folks at Community Roots CSA and joined by Goonown Growers who are part of a group of growers innovating with increasing diversity in protected cropping, integrating flowers for attracting beneficial insects. There will be lots of opportunity for sharing experiences and ideas for designing agroecosystems to encourage our insect friends – providing an opportunity to connect with others in our local agroecology community.
In the afternoon we will do some practical observation and ID of insects we find in the Community Roots gardens. There will be observation kits for attendees to take away and a microscope on hand to study the little critters in more detail!
Delicious free lunch at Wilder Allotment Kitchen
9.30 Arrivals, tea and coffee
10 Welcome and introductions
10.20 Observation and ID of beneficial insects in a nutshell – Barbara Smith
11.45 Tour of Community Roots growing site – Matty and Antonia
12:30 Lunch @ Wilder Allotment Kitchen
13:15 Practical observation and ID in Community Roots garden and Eco Park
14.30 Share findings, discussion and wrap up
