Classes are for students 18+ unless otherwise noted.
Fees are for one adult and one child unless otherwise noted. Please register under adult’s name.
Classes for high school students
Get an introduction to ecological design principles for a native plant garden. We will look at the beauty and versatility of native plants and discuss why planting native species is so important for supporting ecological health and reversing the current decline in insect and bird species. We will guide you in selecting the right plants for your site conditions and designing a plan for a selected portion of your garden (up to 10 x15 feet) on graph paper—whether or not you can draw. Go home with a garden plan, a plant list, information on where to source the plants, and resources for maintenance.
Ruth Loetterle is a landscape architect who first developed a keen interest in designing landscapes as functional ecosystems after reading Sara Stein’s book Noah’s Garden in 2004, and jumped at the opportunity to get involved in Grow Native Massachusetts at its founding in 2010, where she currently serves as a Board member. In the last twenty years, following her introduction to the idea that our designed landscapes have a role to play in improving ecological health, she has sought to craft landscapes for more than just humans. She finds joy in landscapes that help to support the countless other species around us and that promote human connection to them.
Amy Meltzer is an active member of Grow Native Massachusetts and the Mass Pollinator Network. She is on both the Research Team and the Natural Solutions Working Group of Elders Climate Action. With a doctorate in psychology, Amy has retired from her psychotherapy practice and has been researching and gardening with native plants for over ten years. Amy gardens at her homes in Cambridge and in the foothills of the Berkshires.
Amy Meltzer , Ruth Loetterle
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