The Greenwich Audubon Center is excited to launch HELP: Habitat and Ecosystems Landscape Pro, a comprehensive educational program for landscape professionals. Learn how to create ecological landscapes, engage in sustainable landscape practices, and work towards natural climate solutions!

Ecological landscaping makes it possible to create rich habitats in a variety of spaces that support birds and other wildlife. It also improves functionality in our ecosystem services and is highly sustainable. This course will teach landscaping professionals the skills, strategies, and tools necessary to create habitat, as well as how to advertise, leverage, and monetize these highly-desired services.

Fall 2024 Programs

This program will be a blend of online synchronous modules and an in-person workshop. Session dates for Fall 2024 are:

• Thursday, November 7 (Virtual via Zoom)
• Thursday, November 14 (Virtual via Zoom)
• Thursday, November 21 (In-person at the Greenwich Audubon Center)

For more information or to register for a program, contact Josey Gardner at josey.gardner@audubon.org.

This program will cover:

• Native plants and ecosystems services, with site-specific cultural needs for our local native plants
• How to create functional ecosystems in the managed landscape, known as reclamation ecology
• Targeted pest management with organic principles 
• Ecological and habitat services design principles
• Natural climate solutions 
• How to incentivize and monetize the ecological landscaping and land management model

Who the program is for: 

• Horticultural or Nursery Professional interested in learning in depth about native plants, ecological landscape practices, and sustainable horticulture.
• Landscape Professional or Landscape Architect with clients requesting native plantings, habitat gardens, chemical-free organic pest management, and more sustainable practices on their properties. 
• Parks / Municipality / D.O.T. Supervisor or employee who would like to gain extensive knowledge about which native trees and plants work best in specific situations. 
• Landscape Design/Install company interested in expanding your client base through native plant installations and ecological land practices.

Benefits of HELP: 

• A broader knowledge of ecological landscaping principles to address increasing requests for aesthetically pleasing native plantings and pet/child safe maintenance practices. 
• Leads to clients from:
  • Being added to the National Audubon Society's Plants for Birds Database under endorsed ecoscaper listings
  • Ecoscaper requests resulting from Greenwich Audubon Center community conservation-related public programming
  • On-site visitor requests for landscape professionals capable of creating native gardens similar to the ones found at the Greenwich Audubon Center. 

To receive endorsed status, individuals will need to complete the course, pass the module quizzes, and conceptualize a way in which they will apply the material covered in the class, applying a minimum of five key principles into the project. There is a 30-day review process for final project submissions.