Sustainable Landscape Maintenance 

How can we make gardening more “green”? How do native plants fit into a broader land ethic? Sustainable landscaping means many different things to different people. A fairly useful and comprehensive definition might be: “environmentally conscientious gardening and landscaping that endeavors to conserve or restore natural resources, habitat, human communities, and ecosystem health”

Students will learn about a number of programs and organizations working to make the field of landscaping more sustainable. We will discuss things that homeowners and professionals can do to have a mutually beneficial relationship with the lands we manage. This class will mostly concentrate on small-scale residential landscapes, but many concepts will be applicable to rural and wildlands management.

Topics we will discuss include: reducing pollutants in your environment, protecting natural resources like water, soil, and air, creating habitat with native plants and conscientious management practices, managing exotic invasives, connecting people and social needs with nature, action you can take in your community, and, of course, reducing, reusing, and recycling!

Instructor:  Lyn Rutherford, City of Chattanooga Landscape Specialist.

This course is an elective course and provides 4 credits toward the completion of the Certificate in Native Plants program. You do NOT need to be working toward a Certificate to attend this class.  

For more info about the Certificate in Native Plants program:
https://tnvalleywildones.org/certificate-in-native-plants/

Class price:

• $35 for members of Wild Ones, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center or Tennessee Native Plant Society.  To join the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones: https://wildones.org/membership/

• $45 for non-members

Registration Policy:  As with all Certificate in Native Plants classes, class size is limited.  To give everyone the best opportunity to participate, there is a non-refundable cancellation fee of $10, with the balance refunded if you cancel at least 7 calendar days before the class will be held.  If the class is cancelled by the instructor or the CNP program, registrants will get a full refund.  

If you do not pay online, you will need to mail your check to Wild Ones-Tennessee Valley Chapter, 4918 Marlow Drive, Red Bank, TN 37415.  Please put the date of the program in the memo line as well as the last name of the person you are registering.  You will not be registered until your payment is received.

 

 

 

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