Jon Cross is a highly regarded native plant advocate and award-winning nature photographer. He has restored 20 acres of The Oak Openings Region, a globally rare habitat where he and his wife, Susan, live. Jon’s alter ego is that of an information technology leader for over 20 years.

The Crosses have brought back 14 state-listed species (and counting) across four plant communities on their property. They are frequent hosts to environmentalists, academics, and native plant enthusiasts who want to see and apply learnings from their efforts. In addition, they speak regularly to private landowner groups and individuals to encourage them to plant native species.

Jon was named 2022 Landowner of the Year by The Green Ribbon Initiative, a collaboration of public agencies dedicated to The Oak Openings Region, for his conservation and habitat restoration work.

TSN Conference 2026

• January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 11:35 am – 12:35 pm // Room 105 // Homegrown Habitats: Inspiring Private Landowners to Take the Next Step // Private landowners are key participants in stewardship of the earth. Professionals simply can’t shoulder this burden alone. The good news is that interested parties don’t have to be environmental experts. The challenge is connecting them to resources that educate, inspire, and champion their efforts – big and small. Jon and Susan Cross have restored their own 20 acres of rare woodland, sand barren, and wet prairie, located in The Oak Openings Region of Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio. Their property now provides a home for 14 rare and state-listed species. Key learnings from their experiences, sharing their story with various audiences, and connecting with local resources and like-minded people, offer insight into overcoming barriers to engage private landowners in environmental stewardship. Join them to learn about their restoration experience and frontline efforts to increase native plant landscaping and gardening on private property.

• January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 12:50 pm – 1:45 pm // Red Cedar Room // Roundtable Discussion: How to Inspire Private Landowners to Embrace Native Plant Habitats on Their Properties // Inspiring private landowners to landscape with native plants and embrace stewardship of the earth is a challenging task. With two thirds of the land in the United States under private ownership, however, it is a critical one to restore biodiversity and improve overall ecological health. Join four private landowners with extensive experience in habitat restoration and conservation on their properties to discuss lessons learned and how to increase private landowner stewardship on properties of two-500 acres through education, direct engagement, and collaboration. Topics may include: What will motivate landowners? What tools do they need to incorporate native plant landscapes on their property? What resources exist for support? What is the role public entities play in this effort? What are the barriers to success? How can we make efforts easier? Planet, place and people all win when everyone does their part – whether large scale or small.