Our Services
Services Provided
Be inspired!
We offer Garden Tours featuring our native plant demonstration gardens and Guided Walks in our natural areas. There’s something for every nature lover. Tours are designed to foster a deeper understanding of our local ecology and to promote sustainable practices in home gardens and landscapes.
Enjoy
Garden Tours
Come for a walk in the garden. Native plant demonstration gardens provide models that can easily be reproduced in home landscapes. Your own photographs are not only permitted, but are encouraged! Tours are arranged by appointment only. Contact us today to schedule your visit.
Explore
Nature Preserve and Bog Walks
Learn more about what makes a kettle hole bog so unique. Tours limited to six people at one time. Remember no sneakers or boots are permitted to be worn in the bog. Lightweight sandals, flip flops or crocs may be worn. Bare feet are encouraged!
Photo taken by Pat Wellington.
Learn
Garden Talks & Education Series
Carolyn teaches classes at Go Native U (see more below) and gives talks on native plants, design and related topics. Check out the Events page for a current list of upcoming classes, webinars and in-person talks.
Popular environmental subjects include:
- Tree, shrub and wildflower identification skills
- Wetland and forest ecology
- Native plant horticulture
- Plants and pollinators
Photo taken by Sarah Westrich
Design
Design Consultations
Gardens designed with native plants create beautiful habitats for families and wildlife. Enjoy the wonders of nature in your own back yard. Daughter Kate Brittenham carries on the family tradition designing gardens with native plants throughout upstate New York. Contact her at Front Stoop Gardens.
CLASSES AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN SUSTAINABLE GARDENING WITH NATIVE PLANTS AT SUNY WESTCHESTER
GO NATIVE U
Go Native U is an educational program designed to teach people about the sustainable use and conservation of native plants. Students learn how to garden with the flowers, shrubs, and trees indigenous to the Northeast and how to do so using nature-friendly practices. They also discover the value of natives—their beauty as well as their benefits to the environment.
Modeled after the successful Go Native U course of study run by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, Go Native U at Westchester Community College is a collaboration with The Native Plant Center and offers non-credit classes designed for home gardeners as well as professionals such as landscapers, landscape architects, landscape designers, and nursery owners.
Students can enroll in single one-day and multiple-session courses or pursue a certificate, which consists of required courses (18 hours), elective courses (17 hours), a final exam, and community service at The Native Plant Center (15 hours) for a total of 50 hours. Some classes offer LA-CES-approved credit hours.
All classes are taught by qualified, experienced professionals. Upon completion of the Go Native U certificate, students will have gained an understanding of regional ecology and sustainable practices that will guide them in gardening, landscape design, grounds management, and more.
A percentage of the tuition to Go Native U supports the work of WCC’s The Native Plant Center.
To register for Go Native U courses, call (914) 606-6830 and press 1 or register online.