From the Ground Up
Join us Saturday, September 26th, 2026!
About the 2026 Program
Join us for this year’s event "From the Ground Up" (formerly Fall Fling) in which we focus on Vegetable Gardening. Topics will include:
Soil Health
Natural Pest Control
Container Gardening with New Technology
Flowers for Vegetable Gardening
and more!
We will have more details about the presentations and speakers as the event nears.
2025:
Last year’s event was a rousing and informative success! The 2025 line-up featured three speakers with expertise in the following topics:
Gardening for Pollinators
Tabby Flinn, Extension, Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) Educator, Vigo County Purdue Extension
Gardening for Birds
Edward Oehlman, Southern Indiana Birdscape Coordinator, American Bird Conservancy
Landscape Design with Native Plants
Paul Bouseman, Deputy Director at Evansville Parks and Recreation Department
Logistics
DATE
Saturday, September 26th, 2026
TIME
Doors Open: 8:30 a.m.
Program: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
LOCATION
Ivy Tech Community College, Shreve Hall
200 Daniels Way
Bloomington, Indiana
FEE
$20.00 - Early Bird Registration before August 29th
$25.00 - Standard Registration
CONTACT
monroeces@purdue.edu
2025 Speakers
Photo: Lisa, Pexels
Tabby Flinn, Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR)
Tabby Flinn is the Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) Extension Educator at the Vigo County Purdue Extension office. She has been in this role since January 2021 and has experience in entomology, beekeeping, field crops, gardening, and forestry. Her educational background is focused on insect identification, urban insects, and integrated pest management (IPM).
Photo: Wikipedia
Edward Oehlman, Southern Indiana Birdscape Coordinator, American Bird Conservancy
With a lifelong passion for birds/birding and a degree in Forest Management, Edward has blended his interests into a career in BirdScapes. BirdScapes are places where smart land-use leads to successful bird conservation, creating win-win results for both people and birds. Edward focuses on Forest Management for Wood Warblers and other migratory birds. More specifically he targets Cerulean Warbler conservation in Southern Indiana White Oak forests through public and private land partnerships.
Photo: K Chmelewski
Paul Bouseman, Deputy Director, Evansville Parks and Recreation Department
Paul Bouseman is currently Deputy Director of Evansville Parks and Recreation where he works to increase the use of native plants in public landscapes. Paul dedicated 30 years of his career to Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden where he helped bring the state-of-the-art naturalistic habitats Amazonia: Forest of Riches and Penguins of Patagonia to his community.
Paul currently serves on the Tree Advisory Board for Evansville as well as the Pigeon Creek Greenway Advisory Board. Paul is an ardent conservationist, passionate public servant, and a visionary creator of greenspaces. He is past president of the Southwest Chapter of the Indiana Native Plant Society and current president of the Great Rivers Holly Society. Paul also enjoys cooking, making art, gardening, and spending time in nature.
Directions to Shreve Hall, Ivy Tech Community College