This year’s Fall Horticulture Expo, hosted by the Gainesville Garden Club, Alachua County, UF/IFAS Extension and Florida Master Gardeners, is set for Saturday, Oct. 19. 

The event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature keynote speaker Doug Tallamy, an entomologist, ecologist, conservationist and author, who will speak on why growing native plants is crucial to saving caterpillars, bees, butterflies and people. 

The horticulture expo, which will be held at Alachua County Agriculture and Equine Center located at 23100 W. Newberry Rd. in Newberry, will also include a native tree giveaway and conservation and sustainability organizations. 

Partners such as Audubon, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will also offer tips on how to help protect the natural world. 

There will also be hands-on educational and fun family activities in the Kids Zone. Master Gardeners will offer workshops, and the She Shed will have opportunities for creative use of plants and garden design. 

For more information, call the Extension office at (352) 955-2402.