8th Annual Prince William Native Plant Symposium 2026

Scroll to bottom of page for further details on breakout sessions

About

Whether you are new to native plants and what they can do for your property or you are looking for alternative landscaping ideas, this event is for you! Native plants can:

• Create a beautiful yard
• Save time so you can enjoy other activities
• Create habitat for birds & pollinators
• Save money on fertilizer & pesticides
• Improve water quality
• Curb Erosion
  

Cost/Tickets

This is a hybrid event. Participants can either choose to join in-person or virtually:

General Admission Tickets:

• Early Bird In-Person : $40 - available until Jan. 9 at 11:59pm
• In-Person: $45 - available Jan. 9 at 11:59 pm - Feb. 10 at 11:59pm
• At the Door: $55 - lunch not guaranteed
• Student (in person): $10 - available until Feb. 10 at 11:59pm
• Virtual Tickets: $25 - available until Feb. 13 at 11:59pm
  
  Note that these prices do not include the EventBrite fee
  

To register for the event, click "Get Tickets" above.

*Students, you will need to present your student ID at check-in. Otherwise, you will have to pay the 'At the Door' price.

Other things to note:

• In-person tickets include light breakfast fare, lunch, and access to exhibitors.
• Doors will not open to the public until 9 a.m. for in-person ticket holders.
• Virtual tickets give you access to the Zoom meeting link. Please note that virtual registrants may only attend online.
• Virtual ticket sales will end at 11:59 pm, February 13th.
• Topics may change at the last moment if a speaker is unable to attend the symposium

Location

The venue is located at the Verizon Auditorium at George Mason University, George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA, 20109. Please see the maps below and find the circled area.

Parking is free (on weekends) and available in the Occoquan lot, Discovery lot, or King lot

See map below for more information

Refunds

We can offer refunds and ticket swaps until the end of Sunday, February 8th.

• If you are doing a ticket swap from In-Person to Virtual, please let us know so we can swap your ticket and refund you the difference.
• We cannot do ticket swaps from Virtual to In-Person; you will be refunded and then have to purchase an in-person ticket.
• If you need a refund because you can no longer attend the event, we will not be able to refund the EventBrite fee.

Zoom

Zoom information will be e-mailed to all virtual-only ticket holders 2 days before the event. It will be e-mailed again on the day of the event to ALL ticket holders. The Zoom meeting will open at 9:00am.

Recordings

All of the presentations will be recorded (including our keynote speaker)and available to all participants Participants will be e-mailed a link to view these presentations following the event.

Please note that it can take a couple of months for the presentations to be uploaded on YouTube. Also note that while we try our best to record all of our speakers, sometimes there are glitches that we cannot control and a video can't be uploaded. We always do our best to avoid this from happening!

Pertaining only to In-person Ticket Holders

• Inclement Weather
  If there is inclement weather, we will still have the symposium, but it will only be offered virtually. If this is the case, you will be notified the Friday before the symposium. As we have to order the food ahead of time, we won’t be able to do ticket reimbursements for the in-person ticket holders.
• Lunch
  We will be having box lunches this year. All components of the box lunches are compostable to help reduce waste. You will make your lunch selection when you sign up.
• BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE
  There will be sodas available, but to help reduce waste we ask everyone to bring their own water bottle.
• Check-In
  In-person registration will be 9:00am-9:45am (EST). Please remember to keep your tickets handy either in the Eventbrite app or your email. You will need them at check-in. Students, don't forget to bring your ID!

Keynote Speaker:

Bill Cullina, The F. Otto Haas Executive Director & Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania

Sugar, Sex, and Poison: Shocking Plant Secrets Caught on Camera

Are we humans masters of our world, or are plants really the ones in charge? What they lack in locomotion, they compensate for in structure and chemistry. Celebrated author and botanist Bill Cullina, Executive Director, Morris Arboretum and Gardens, will explain why plant life is at the center of a carefully balanced natural economy that is critical to the functioning of our ecosystems. Through photosynthesis, plants produce the energy that powers the food chain. And although eaten by others, they are far from helpless prey, having evolved a dizzying arsenal of relationships to create ecologically sound landscapes.

Schedule (EST):

9:00am-9:45am – Registration (Doors will open at 9AM!)

9:45am-10:00am – Welcome

10:00am-11:00am – Keynote: Bill Cullina

11:00-11:30: Networking

11:30am-12:30pm – Breakout Session 1

12:30pm-1:45pm – Lunch

1:45pm-2:45pm – Breakout Session 2

3:00pm-4:00pm – Breakout Session 3

Huge thanks to our sponsors for hosting this year's Native Plant Symposium!