2025 Speakers
Taylor Lyons
Photo Credit: Leslie Westbrook
TOPIC: Composting the City's Waste with Worms
Taylor Lyons Vaughanis the passionate founder of WormLadyRecycles, a composting business located in Lafayette, Louisiana dedicated to sustainable waste management and environmental education. With a deep commitment to reducing food waste and promoting regenerative practices, Taylor specializes in vermicomposting—using worms to transform organic scraps into nutrient-rich soil amendments. Through WormLadyRecycles, Taylor provides composting solutions, workshops, and community outreach to help individuals and businesses minimize their environmental footprint. For more information visit wormladyrecycles.com Linda Auld
Photo Credit: Robert Shepard
TOPIC: Butterflies - Plant It and They Will Come!
Linda Auld, known as the NOLA BugLady, began work in 1976 at Barber Laboratories identifying pests and advising control methods for 47 years. Linda has raised 147 species of butterflies and moths, photographing and studying the life cycles of these insects. She has participated in many butterfly tagging and counting events and for five years researched Monarch Oe parasite. Her articles on both butterfly gardening and pest-control topics have been published in numerous organizational newsletters and in 2019 Linda published her first book, BugLady's Butterfly Summer. She has been honored by the Louisiana Garden Club Federation, receiving the "Award of Commendation," and was recently named "Outstanding Naturalist" by LA Master Naturalists. See more at Linda’s website: nolabuglady.com |
Gary Salathe
Photo from NOLA.com
TOPIC: Louisiana Irises: Everything from Home Gardens to Extreme Gardening in the Swamps (Native Iris Restoration)
Gary Salathe is the founder and president of the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI), a Louisiana non-profit organization created to preserve or restore the native Louisiana iris species in natural habitats where they once thrived. LICI’s mission is to also educate the public about this threatened plant species and the threats to its habitat. He is also a member of the Society for Louisiana Irises and the Greater New Orleans Iris Society - an affiliate of the American Iris Society. Since 2018 Gary has organized iris rescues and plantings that have relocated over 70,000 native Louisiana irises and, in the process, saved them from destruction. For more information about Gary’s efforts, visit licisaveirises.com Dr. Kiki Fontenot
TOPIC: Tips and Tricks to Extend the Vegetable Garden through the Summer Months
Kathryn “Kiki” Fontenot, PhD, an LSU AgCenter horticulturist who has educated students and Louisiana vegetable growers for more than a decade. She is the director of the LSU AgCenter Southwest Region, serving in that capacity since January 2024. In Fontenot’s 16-year career with the AgCenter, she has authored dozens of vegetable guides, hosted field days for growers and taught a popular LSU class, “Plants and People.” She also has served as the state vegetable specialist, becoming a trusted resource for home gardeners and produce farmers. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Fontenot first came to LSU as an undergraduate majoring in psychology. She gravitated toward horticulture classes and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in horticulture, joining the AgCenter in 2009. |
2025 Schedule:
8:00 – 8:30 Check in
8:30 – 9:00 Announcements
9:00 – 10:00 Taylor Lyons
Composting the City's Waste with Worms
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:15 Gary Salathe:
Louisiana Irises: Everything from Home Gardens to Extreme Gardening in the Swamps
11:15 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 Linda Auld
Butterflies: Plant It and They Will Come!
1:30 – 1:45 Break
1:45 – 2:45 Dr. Kiki Fontenot
Tips & Tricks to Extend the Vegetable Garden Through the Summer Months
2:45 - 3:00 Wrap-up and silent auction results
8:00 – 8:30 Check in
8:30 – 9:00 Announcements
9:00 – 10:00 Taylor Lyons
Composting the City's Waste with Worms
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:15 Gary Salathe:
Louisiana Irises: Everything from Home Gardens to Extreme Gardening in the Swamps
11:15 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 Linda Auld
Butterflies: Plant It and They Will Come!
1:30 – 1:45 Break
1:45 – 2:45 Dr. Kiki Fontenot
Tips & Tricks to Extend the Vegetable Garden Through the Summer Months
2:45 - 3:00 Wrap-up and silent auction results