Meet Doug Ladd!
Plan It Native 2024 Keynote Speaker
Doug Ladd has spent his career passionate about native plants and our prairies. He inspires the work of professionals and avid nature enthusiasts, and this year he joins Plan It Native 2025 as our closing keynote. In his presentation, he asks, “Can citizen-based restoration initiatives obviate ecological collapse? Promise and limits in an increasingly threatened world.”
Doug Ladd has a long history with Deep Roots and played a pivotal role in getting it started. In February 2014, the Westport Garden Club invited him to join their monthly meeting to talk about native plants. As the author of Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Common Wildflowers and Plants of the Prairie Midwest, Doug spoke of the state of the tallgrass prairie as the most threatened, yet least conserved, of the world’s ecosystems. He impressed upon the group the importance of saving this precious resource, and the species that rely on it. The members were so inspired by Doug’s program that a club task force was organized to ‘be pollinators’ for native plants in Kansas City. This task force grew into Deep Roots KC.
Doug worked with The Nature Conservancy of Missouri for 33 years and is now a research associate with the Missouri Botanical Garden. With a career rooted in ecology and environmental science, Ladd has spent much of his life studying, promoting, and advocating for the importance of preserving native plants in natural ecosystems.
Ladd’s expertise extends to the areas of plant identification, ecology, restoration, and sustainable landscaping. In addition to his role launching Deep Roots, he has worked with various organizations, government agencies, and conservation groups to help protect native plant species, which are crucial to maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health. He has contributed to public awareness campaigns, educating people on the value of native plants in creating sustainable, healthy landscapes. Through his outreach efforts, Ladd has helped numerous communities, gardeners, and landscapers incorporate native plant species into their home gardens and public spaces, thereby fostering a deeper connection between people and the natural world.
Throughout his career, Ladd has been involved in projects aimed at mitigating the damage caused by invasive species and human development. He is known for his ability to combine scientific knowledge with practical solutions to environmental problems.
Join us and get inspired by Doug Ladd at Plan It Native 2025!
