Our Speakers

Nothing's better than getting information straight from the experts! We are proud to be bringing you the following speakers:

Neil Sperry

Neil Sperry's name has been synonymous with Texas gardening since 1970. Neil has broadcast his radio show on weekends for over 30 years. Neil is featured garden columnist weekend with the Fort Worth Star Telegram, San Antonio Express News and 15 other newspapers across the state. Neil owns and, since 1987, has published Neil Sperry's GARDENS Magazine. Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening is the 4th best-selling gardening hardback in American history.

Dr. Steve George

Dr. Steve George is Professor and Extension Horticulturist for Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Since 1988, Dr. George has served as a Landscape Horticulture Specialist for the Texas Agri-Life Extension, and is headquartered at the Texas Agri-Life Research and Extension Center in Dallas. Dr. George has created and serves as National Coordinator of the Earth-Kind® Environmental Landscape Management Program.

Dr. Greg Church

Dr. Greg Church grew up in Collin County and now serves as the Texas AgriLife Extension Agent for Horticulture here in Collin County. Dr. Church received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University and received a Doctorate in Plant Pathology from Texas A&M University where he conducted research on nematode resistance. Dr. Church served as a Research Plant Pathologist with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida. While there his research focused on the development of biological, chemical, and cultural pest control methods in commercial floriculture and ornamental plant production. Later, as a Texas AgriLife researcher at the Chillicothe-Vernon Research Station Dr. Church served as a Research Scientist and Farm Manager. He investigated alternative crop production, subsurface drip irrigation, soil tillage, and soil health. Since transferring back to Collin County Dr. Church has been a leader in promoting Earth-Kind principals and instrumental in starting what is fast becoming the leading Earth-Kind Research and Demonstration Garden in the country.

Dr. Dotty Woodson

Dr. Dotty Woodson is an Extension Program Specialist for Water Resources located at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Urban Solutions Center in Dallas, Texas. Woodson is part of the Texas AgriLife Water Resources Team which addresses water conservation and stormwater issues through educational programs and demonstrations. Programs and demonstrations about landscape water conservation, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens and irrigation efficiency are regularly scheduled in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, Collin and other counties. Woodson addresses homeowners and professionals to provide the most sustainable information about landscape water use from design and plant selection to water conserving landscape management practices. Woodson started with Extension in May 1995 as a county Extension agent in Tarrant County. Woodson has B. S. and M.S. degrees in Horticulture from Tarleton State University and a doctoral degree from Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

Dr. Woodson is a contributing author for Gardening in Fort Worth and The Lone Star Gardener's Book of Lists and the CD and computer web site, Texas SmartScape. Her DVD "Growing Orchids Made Easy" is available form the Texas AgriLife Bookstore. She writes a weekly garden column for Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She appears weekly on NBC5 Sunday morning news. She produces a television series on Times Warner, "Gardening with Dotty," and Fort Worth Community Cable, "Extension in the City." She appears regularly on HGTV "Gardening by the Yard" with Paul James and "Backyard Boomers" on the Health and Wellness channel. She has won numerous national and state awards for her horticulture programs, media work and Master Gardener and Junior Master Gardener programs. Dotty has lectured to local, state, national and international audiences about landscape water conservation and growing orchids.

Mariana Greene

Mariana Greene was born and reared in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas and learned to garden as a little girl at her mother's side. After three decades as a city desk reporter and editor of regional and international magazines, Mariana achieved a lifelong dream with her weekly column, "Gardening Fool", and assignment as editor of weekly garden content in the Guide Daily section of The Dallas Morning News. Mariana tells the story of her own triumphs, failures and foibles in her home garden, often accompanied by her living garden ornaments, nine city chickens who have proper Southern names. "Gardening Fool" is fodder for readers who share Mariana's passion for dirt and beauty.

Kim Schofield

Kim Schofield began her career at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center on Coit Road as an Extension Program Specialist for Urban Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in February 2004. She moved to Dallas from Texas A& M University in College Station, where she earned a B.A. in biology and an M.S. in entomology with an emphasis on urban and structural entomology.

Kim's major focus is to increase awareness within the Metroplex of the Texas Two Step Method for controlling the red imported fire ant as well as increase public awareness of the principles of IPM. IPM plans use multiple techniques, such as cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical tactics, in order to control pest. Her main research focus is on the red imported fire ant, where both chemicals and natural enemies are used for control. In addition to researching fire ants, she also studies other landscape and ornamental insect pests such as thrips, grub worms and Florida Wax scales control in order to help increase awareness and use of IPM tactics. She also conducts presentations and trainings for Master Gardeners, pest management professionals, homeowner associations and youth groups.

Roger "Snake Man" Sanderson

Having done his undergraduate work at U.T. Austin (Zoology, minor Botany) and his graduate work at Texas A&M (Horticulture), it has given him a unique perspective – not to mention a heck of a sense of humor!

Roger has been the Wildlife Biologist at the Heard Natural Science Museum for 8 years and was recently promoted to Director of Botanical Gardens. Usually known as "the Snake Man" by local youths, he has been doing snake programs for Boy Scouts for almost 20 years and teaches the Reptile Study Merit Badge at the Boy Scout National Jamboree in Virginia. His huge live, native Texas snake collection is one of the best in the state and was used to create the Heard’s widely acclaimed Rat Snakes to Rattlers and Venomous Snakes of Texas exhibits. Both Roger and his wife are active birders, traveling widely to view new or unusual species. In 2007 and 2008 they were selected to be part of the Cornell University search team for the Ivory Bill Woodpecker in Arkansas, which is now an ongoing obsession. For several years he has been in charge of the McKinney Christmas Bird Count. Roger is on the board of our local Prairie & Timbers Audubon Society and the Texas Herpetological Society. He and his wife are also active members of the Dallas Paleontology Society. Insects, too, are a favorite subject! He has been collecting butterflies and moths since the third grade and did research on gall insects while at A&M. He has given talks on Insects and Butterfly Gardening to many groups including the 2010 Symposium of the Texas Native Plant Society. Despite his vast background in animals, Roger’s greatest expertise is in plants. He was Assistant Director of the Dallas Civic Garden Center (now Texas Discovery Gardens) for 5 1/2 years until forming his own landscape company which he still operates part time. Roger had a weekly column for several years in the Dallas Morning News on plants and continues to write articles about nature in several publications.

Michael O'Keefe

Michael O'Keefe is President of Creative by Nature, Inc. in McKinney, Texas. His passion for water gardening, aquariums and landscapes began as a seven year old child playing with Tonka trucks in his California backyard. Over the years, Michael has become a 20-time award winning landscape and water garden designer. Michael's talents arrive in many forms including consulting, national speaker and author as well as a television/radio personality. Michael has been featured on the Discovery Channel sharing his creative design concepts and knowledge. He has appeared in a number of local news programs regarding the endless possibilities of outdoor living. His creations have been featured in magazines and newspapers for years.