Debra Knapke will be talking about “Biophilia: Understanding Why We Garden ” as the morning keynote speaker at this weekend’s Ohio Master Gardener State Conference at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

Why do we garden? Ask doctors, and they’ll point to the health benefits. Ask some authors, and they’ll pull out their books on gardening’s spiritual, meditative and stress-relieving benefits. Flip through gardening magazines, and these beautiful outdoor spaces are undeniably a powerful source of creativity and entertainment. Debra was intrigued by the question and has been investigating this biophilia or “affinity with nature and love of living things” as first defined by E.O. Wilson in 1984. She’ll share her findings and how they relate to our work as gardening educators.

Teresa will be working behind the scenes at the event as a member of the conference planning committee.