Bethesda Senior Center, 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville, GA. Guest speaker, Michael Cowan, will discuss why our native plants are so important and the vital role that Master Gardeners can play in helping the Georgia Native Plant Society fulfill its mission to champion the stewardship and conservation of Georgia’s native plants and their habitats. He will also cover what he considers the worst non-native invasives in the metro area and suggest some great natives to promote as alternatives.  Michael Cowan is the current Chairman of the Georgia Native Plant Society. He is a Georgia native who earned degrees from Georgia Tech and Emory but his passion has always been nature and environmental sustainability. He chaired the City of Dunwoody’s Sustainability Committee for 5 years and was named the City’s "Sustainability Hero" in 2023. He earned the Georgia Native Plant certificate from UGA in 2023 and Sustainable Landscape Design certificate in 2024. GCMGA meetings are free and open to the public. If you would like to join us for dinner, please come at 6:30 and bring a dish to share