Plant Migration in a Changing Climate
October 2025 Conference
Photo Credit Ibec Creative
This fall, NEBS, along with Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, will be hosting a conference, Plant Migration in a Changing Climate. The conference will be held October 3-4, 2025 at The Gardens in Boothbay, ME. Our featured plenary speakers will be Jesse Bellemare, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College; Bethany Bradley, Professor of Environmental Conservation at University of Massachusetts Amherst; and Jay Wason, Associate Professor of Forest Ecosystem Physiology at The University of Maine. General conference details are below and will be updated as we get closer to the conference. Please save the date and check back for registration details. If you are not a NEBS member and are interested in receiving conference updates, please complete this brief form.
Register here!
The application period for an oral presentation is closed, but we will continue to accept applications for our digital poster session until August 1, 2025. Posters should relate to the conference focus of Plant Migration in a Changing Climate. If you or someone you know is interested in submitting a poster, please see the form below.
Apply to share a digital poster here
General Conference Schedule:
Friday, October 3rd
- Morning: Plenary Speaker Presentations
- Lunch: On site (included in registration)
- Afternoon: 15-min presentations, breakout groups
- Optional Group Dinner
Saturday, October 4th
- Field trips and tours (included in registration)
Cost:
- Standard: $100
- NEBS Member: $75
- Student: $30
- NEBS Student Member: $15
Plenary Speakers
Jesse Bellemare
Title: Climate change, plant conservation, and the future flora of New England
Abstract: Climate change is emerging as a top threat to biodiversity in the 21st century with alarming projections of increasing extinction rates and the disruption of ecological communities. Against this backdrop, botanists focusing on New England are likely to see many unsettling changes in the region’s flora in the future, some of which are already emerging, such as changes in phenology and retreating distributions of northern species. While many botanists are already well-accustomed to monitoring and protecting rare and declining plant species in the region’s native flora, one novel challenge going forward will be to develop a conceptual framework for guiding our approach to range-shifting plant species that may enter New England from regions to the south as a result of climate change. This talk will explore these complex ecological and ethical issues, and highlight several examples of range-shifting plant species establishing in New England via human introduction that may have conservation value in the future.
Bethany Bradley
Title: Native versus introduced plants: Climate-driven range shifts and comparative risks to ecosystems
Abstract: There is broad concern that the range shifts of global flora and fauna will not keep up with climate change, increasing the likelihood of population declines and extinctions. Many populations of introduced species already have advantages over native species, including widespread human-aided dispersal and release from natural enemies. But do introduced species also have an advantage with climate change? In this presentation, I will review observed and potential range shifts for native and introduced species globally, with a focus on plants. I will show that introduced species are expanding their ranges orders of magnitude faster than native species, reflecting both traits that enable rapid spread and ongoing human-mediated introduction. I will discuss the implications of these different rates of spread for both invasive species policies and restoration strategies that support the persistence of New England plants.
Jay Wason
Title: Acclimation, adaptation, and migration: Maine’s forests and climate change
Abstract: Dr. Jay Wason leads a research group at the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources, investigating how forests respond to climate-induced stressors like heatwaves, flooding, and drought. In this talk, he will explore the current state of Maine’s forests and present new research on their responses to ongoing climate change. Drawing from his recent studies, Dr. Wason will discuss the capacity of native tree species to acclimate and adapt to shifting environmental conditions, as well as the potential for tree migration to track suitable habitats. This talk will highlight the challenges and opportunities for conserving Maine’s iconic forests in an era of rapid environmental change.
Lodging:
A set number of rooms will be reserved at The Tugboat Inn with a 10% discount for conference participants. Additionally, a block of rooms has been reserved at Brown’s Wharf. There are numerous accommodations in the area if visitors would like to choose their own lodging. Please visit Boothbay Region Chamber of Commerce to understand all lodging options, from camping through resort stays and everything in between.