Grass Isn’t Greener: Nurturing Nature at Home

What if your backyard could help save the planet? Most traditional landscaping does more harm than good, fueling climate change, draining resources, and driving away wildlife. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few thoughtful changes, your yard can become a vibrant refuge for pollinators, birds, and bugs—and a surprisingly powerful force for conservation. In this inspiring and practical talk, conservation educator and photographer Danae Wolfe shares how reimagining your outdoor space can support biodiversity and build climate resilience. You’ll leave with a fresh perspective, a spark of wonder, and the tools to transform your little patch of earth into something wilder, wiser, and more alive.

Storytelling Through Macro Garden Photography

From steadfast survival and pollination to charming tales of maternal care, insects and spiders keep our gardens buzzing with adventure. In this session, we’ll take a photographic journey through the garden to discover the stories of backyard bugs. Learn how these small creatures support our gardens, ecosystems, and our most beloved wildlife and explore ways to protect and preserve bugs in your own backyard.

High Magnification, Low Cost: Macro Photography on a Budget

From insects and spiders to snowflakes and flowers, macro photography can reveal surprising details about the natural world. With just a few simple tools and some practice, high magnification macro photography can be a fun and accessible way to highlight the tiniest details of your garden. In this session, we’ll explore low-cost macro photography setups and techniques including reverse lens, extension tubes, and mobile macro tips. Get ready to see the world through an entirely new lens!

The ABCs of Wildlife Conservation: Why We Protect What We Love

What makes us care about certain species while overlooking others? In this talk, we’ll dive into the psychology behind conservation priorities, revealing how creatures that are Anthropomorphic, Beneficial, and Cute capture our attention and inspire action. Explore how insects—often misunderstood and undervalued—fit into this framework, and discover how small changes in perspective can make a big impact on biodiversity. Perfect for anyone ready to see the world’s smallest creatures in a whole new light!

From Fear to Fascination: Rewilding the Mindscape

In a world where environmental crises often evoke fear and urgency, it’s easy to feel powerless. But what if the key to meaningful change lies not in the fear of what we stand to lose, but in the awe of what we have yet to discover? In this talk, conservation educator and photographer Danae Wolfe invites you to rewild your mindscape—to slow down, observe, and rediscover the extraordinary beauty and function of the natural world around us. Drawing on her personal journey from fear to fascination, Danae reveals how photography became a tool for seeing nature with new eyes and finding wonder in the smallest details. Through intimate stories of discovery, explore how shifting our perceptions of what’s beautiful and valuable in nature can inspire us to take action. This isn’t a talk about guilt-driven conservation; it’s about reconnecting with the natural world in a way that’s joyful, empowering, and hopeful. By reimagining what we see as beautiful, we can begin to reimagine our role in protecting the diverse ecosystems that sustain us all.

Let It Glow: Protecting Fireflies in the Home Garden

Few sights capture the wonder of summer quite like the flicker of fireflies. But their glow is growing dim. Across North America, firefly populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, light pollution, and other human-caused threats. In this illuminating webinar, conservation educator and macro photographer Danae Wolfe will guide you through the curious lives of fireflies, from glowing larvae to synchronous spectacles. You’ll learn how to identify common backyard fireflies, understand their unique flash patterns and lifecycles, and discover what makes them so vulnerable. Most importantly, you’ll walk away with practical, research-backed ways to support fireflies in your own yard and community—proving that small actions, taken at home, can keep the magic alive for generations to come.