Conservation@Home Professional Training
Designing Small-Scale Native Landscapes
Homeowners and small businesses are increasingly asking for sustainable, resilient landscapes that showcase the benefits and beauty of native plants. However, landscape design and installation professionals often do not have the expertise and tools needed to help homeowners and businesses achieve these goals.
Hosted by The Conservation Foundation and sponsored by DuPage County Stormwater Management, this free in-person workshop series showcases tools and resources that small-scale landscape designers and installers can use to add native gardens to their portfolio.
Registration for the first two events is full, but you can join the waitlist for a chance to join us!
More Details
Participants may attend one workshop or all three, and anyone who completes all three workshops with associated coursework will receive recognition as a Conservation@Home Professional and be listed as a local professional resource on The Conservation Foundation’s website ($50/year membership). 2 PDUs per workshop or 8 PDUs for full training with short assignments after each workshop.
Location: In-person at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S Eagle St, Naperville, IL 60540
Dates: Wednesday mornings in March – March 5th, 12th, and 19th
Time: 9:00 — 11:00am
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will understand the benefits and beauty that native gardens can have for both people and nature through small-scale gardens, landscapes, and the ecosystem they inhabit
- Participants learn to implement conservation tools and standards when designing and constructing small-scale sustainable landscapes within the Chicago region, including resources for promotion, design, purchasing, and maintenance
- Participants of the full training will build a portfolio of work and be recognized as a Conservation@Home Professional, which can open doors to new clients interested in pursuing native plantings
Workshop Outline:
Speaker: Beth Peluse, The Conservation Foundation
Facilitator: Amy Phillips, The Conservation Foundation
Location: Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S Eagle St, Naperville, IL 60540, Rooms A & B
Native Landscapes with Conservation@Home: Understand resources and strategies for designing small-scale sustainable landscaping, including the benefits and beauty of native plants, using Conservation@Home with clients, best practices for holding stormwater on site, and tools to help you scope your native landscape project.
Topics covered:
- Introduce C@H program with strategies for introducing it to clients
- Best practices for holding water on site (i.e. rain gardens) and DuPage County GIS tools for scoping project sites
- What is a C@H Professional and how will that help your work
Homework: scope and design the infrastructure for a rain garden
Speaker: Mandy Komes-Leifheit, Pizzo Nursery
Facilitator: Amy Phillips, The Conservation Foundation
Location: Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S Eagle St, Naperville, IL 60540, Rooms A & B
Picking Your Native Plant Pallet: Whether adding showcase plants to an existing landscape or starting from scratch, understand native plant communities that work for different site conditions, how site conditions affect plant selection, which plants are proven winners, and what to expect as gardens mature. Resources for procurement, installation, and maintenance will be discussed.
Topics covered:
- Benefits and beauty of native plants
- Plant communities found in nature and how that should influence your choices
- Understanding site conditions as they affect plant selection (soil/moisture/sun or shade) and site preparation best practices
- What to expect as gardens mature (reseeding, etc) and seasonal maintenance strategies
- Nursery locations and what to consider when placing an order
- Resources to explore such as the Lands in Harmony Landscaping Project Case Studies by Openlands
Homework: analyze a current or prospective site for what native landscape it most resembles and pick 3-5 plants that would work will on the site and with one another
Speakers: Joanna Erenberg, Red Stem Landscapes & Brandon Losey, Alluvium Land
Location: Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S Eagle St, Naperville, IL 60540, Council Chambers
Native Landscape Design: Tips, Tricks, and Case Studies: Explore best practice design strategies for designing a variety of native gardens and learn from case studies of local practitioners.
Working topics:
- Best practices for designing with native plants – aesthetics and function
- Resources to explore such as the Lands in Harmony Landscaping Project Case Studies by Openlands
- Scoping a maintenance contract with clients
- Case studies of successful projects with lessons learned
Homework: apply to current or prospective project; submit design image
Please email Amy Phillips at The Conservation Foundation with any questions or inquiries.
