OKC Beautiful’s Sustainability Social Hour is for those who love the environment and our city. Each session is centered around networking with those who have a passion for and want to learn more about environmental stewardship topics.

Each session features a conversational Q&A with a guest speaker. February features Julia Laughlin, Oklahoma County Horticulture Educator for the OSU

Extension Service and specializes in organic gardening and farming. The event includes a mix and mingle portion from 5:00- 5:30, then kicks off the one-hour Q&A session.

Julia holds a BS and an MS in Horticulture from Oklahoma State University. Julia was on Faculty at OSU-OKC beginning in 1992 and taught classes in many areas of her field, becoming Department Head of Horticulture in 1999. She was one of the main founders of the OSU-OKC Farmers Market and was awarded the “Teaching Excellence” award in 2006 by the OSU A and M Regents. From 2015 until 2018, Julia managed a small fruit, vegetable and micro-green farm, “Prairie Earth Gardens,” in eastern OKC. During this time, she was also the host of “The Garden Party” radio talk show on KTOK 1000 am radio on Saturday mornings.

She currently holds the position of Oklahoma County Horticulture Educator for the OSU Extension Service and specializes in organic gardening and farming. She is the Advisor of the Oklahoma County Master Gardener Volunteer Organization which has over 200 active gardening volunteers and she appears regularly on Fox 25 with gardening tips on the “Growing Oklahoma” segment. She loves to travel and leads domestic and international ecological, sustainable small farming, and gardening horticultural study tours to Costa Rica, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, England, France, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and the Galapagos Islands.

All ages are welcome! You do not have to be 21+ to attend.

Sustainability Social Hour is every second Wednesday of the month. Location changes each month. Visit www.okcbeautiful.com/sustainability-social-hour to learn more.