Nature & the Environment
To register please call 914-606-6830 and press option 1
GO NATIVE U FALL 2020 CLASSES
Classes and Certificate Program in Gardening with Native PlantsGo Native U at Westchester Community College offered in collaboration with The Native Plant Center how to plant and grow a beautiful and beneficial landscape using plants native to the Northeast.
Gardening enthusiasts, landscape architects, and designers will learn from experienced instructors about the importance of native plants, regional ecology, and the sustainable practices that can be used to enhance home and community environments.Students can enroll in single classes or pursue a certificate in Sustainable Gardening with Native Plants, which consists of 50 contact hours (18 hours/core courses, 17 hours/electives, and 15 hours/community service) plus a final exam.
Most classes offer LA-CES approved credit hours; some offer ISA-approved credit.
Go Native U Core Courses
Native Perennials: Summer/Fall
Discover the many lovely herbaceous plants that will enhance your garden while providing food and shelter for native bees, butterflies, and more.
CE-GRDN 2008, 1 Wed., Oct. 21, 10:00 am–12:00 noon, $55. J Lapsker. #90603
Native Trees and Shrubs
Explore the best native trees and shrubs for this region and how to establish them in a landscape.
CE-GRDN 2009, Date/time TBA, $90. D Curtis. #90604
Go Native U Elective Courses
Native Plant Gardening for Migrating & Overwintering Birds
Learn how to support migrating birds as they fuel up for their long journey south. Find out what resources to provide for the birds that spend winter in our landscapes.
CE-GRDN 2112, 1 Wed., Sept. 30, 10:00 am–1:00 pm, $80. K Eierman. #90605
Meadowscaping at Home
Consider turning part of your lawn into a beautiful, low maintenance, and ecologically beneficial haven. Learn how to create a native meadow or a meadow-like garden using the best native plants for pollinators.
CE-GRDN 2041, 1 Fri., Oct. 2, 10:00 am-1:00 pm, $80. K Eierman. #90606
Identifying and Supporting Local Wild Bees
Explore the different groups of wild bees that make their homes in the New York metropolitan area. Learn about their identifying features, nesting habits, and more. The class may move outdoors depending on weather.
CE-GRDN 2120, 1 Mon., Oct. 5, 10:30 am–12:30 pm, $55. S Kornbluth. #90607
Designing Native Plant Gardens
Learn how to assess and analyze an existing site and how to develop a beautiful, beneficial design plan that encourages birds and pollinators and incorporates sustainable principles.
CE-GRDN 2015, 2 Tues., Oct. 20 & 27, 7:00–9:00 pm, $90. L Becker. #90003
Maintaining an Indoor Moss Garden
Learn to identify common woodland mosses and proper watering techniques. Then create an indoor garden with fresh, commercially grown moss to take home.
CE-GRDN 2121, 1 Sat., Oct. 24, 11:00 am–1:00 pm, $55 (+ $35 materials fee, payable to instructor). M Colletti. #90608
Landscaping for Higher Ecosystem Function
A landscape may be beautiful but have little ecological value. Find out how to leverage the ecosystem function in your landscape to support wildlife and people.
CE-GRDN 2064, 3 Fri., Oct. 30-Nov. 13, 10:00 am–12:00 noon, $130. K Eierman. #90609
SPECIAL EVENT
Back to School with Go Native U
Native Plants for Year-Round Interest, Friday, Sept. 25. Earn 6.5 LA-CES credits. Register for one, two, or all three courses. Jump-start your certificate! Explore the use of color, texture, and structure of a wide palette of native plants to create a garden that is stunning—and sustains wildlife—in all seasons.
Schedule:
- The Four-Season Native Garden 9:30 am–12:45 pm (includes a 15-minute break)
- Lunch (on your own) 12:45–1:15 pm
- Deer-Resistant Native Groundcovers 1:15–2:45 pm
- Break 2:45–3:00 pm
- Gardening with Native Grasses 3:00–5:00 pm
The Four-Season Native Garden
Learn which native plants extend the showiness and textural interest of your garden through fall and winter with beautiful foliage, colorful branches, striking structure, berries, and seedpods.
CE-GRDN 2118, 9:30 am-12:45 pm, $80. K Eierman. #90610
Effortless and Evergreen: Deer-Resistant Native Groundcovers
Move over pachysandra, myrtle, and mulch. Discover the many native groundcovers that are easy to grow, shunned by deer, and offer year-round interest. Create a living mulch that provides seasonal beauty, is beneficial to wildlife, and moderates soil temperature and moisture.
CE-GRDN 2119, 1:15-2:45 pm, $40. M Fabel. #90611
Gardening with Native Grasses
Native grasses and sedges add beauty, depth, and texture to the landscape while providing food and shelter for wildlife. Learn how to use the best of these low-maintenance plants in a variety of settings, from large meadows to native grass gardens and mixed borders.
CE-GRDN 2085, 3:00-5:00 pm, $55. M Hagen. #90612
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION
A Partnership Between Westchester Community College and Westmoreland Sanctuary Westmoreland Sanctuary is a nature center and wildlife preserve located in Mt. Kisco, serving the Westchester community and beyond. Founded almost 60 years ago, its ever-expanding tracts of land now consist of 640 acres of year-round beauty and 7.5 miles of the finest hiking trails in Westchester. It is a place where wild bird and animal life flourish; a place where native flowers, shrubs, plants and trees are cherished, protected and preserved. Come, enjoy and reconnect with nature, and maybe even yourself. Central to Westmoreland Sanctuary’s mission, is providing environmental and conservation education about the health of our environment and natural world and how it depends on a committed generation of today to pass the torch of appreciation, understanding, and respect of the natural world to future generations.
To learn more, visit: www.WestmorelandSanctuary.org.
Snake Study
Join us for a hands-on, interactive experience that utilizes both live snakes and snake dissection specimens. Study snake behaviors and traits as well as their interior and exterior appearance.
CE-ANIML 2007, 1 Sat., Oct. 3, 1:00-3:00 pm, $30. #90701
Bird Banding
A unique learning activity! Participate as staff use mist nets and other techniques to safely capture wild birds, then assist as they identify each bird, record its age and sex, and carefully place a numbered band on the bird before it is released. Allows participants to see what scientists do to study birds. Please dress for the weather.
CE-SCI 2035, 1 Sat., Oct. 10, 9:00-11:00 am, $30. #90702
Winter Tree Identification
Learn how to identify trees without leaves using habitat, bark, branching, and more. We will join the instructor for a hike on trails to practice identifying techniques. The benefits of each species will be explored, and the pros and cons of different field guides will be discussed. Please dress for the outdoors; binoculars are helpful, but not required.
CE-SCI 2043, 1 Sat., Nov. 21, 2:00-4:00 pm, $30. #90703