Conservation@Home is offering a FREE In-person Workshop Series, March 2025.

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. The Conservation Foundation is hosting a FREE in-person workshop series to showcase tools and resources that small-scale landscape designers and installers can use to add native gardens to their portfolio.

This training is targeted to emerging and current professionals with training and/or experience in landscape design, installation and/or maintenance but amateur enthusiasts are welcome. Participants may attend one workshop or all three. Those who complete all three workshops and associated coursework will receive recognition as a Conservation@Home Professional and be listed as a resource on TCF’s website (with $50/year membership)

Location: Offered in-person at the Naperville Municipal Building, Lunchroom – 400 S Eagle, Naperville.
Dates: Wednesdays, March 5 , 12 , and 19 . 9-11am.

Continuing Education: Participants will receive a certificate for 2 PDUs per workshop or 8 PDUs for full training with short assignments after each workshop.

Register here:

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will understand the benefits and beauty that native gardens have for 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, 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 1: Native Landscapes with Conservation@Home | March 5, 2025

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 next native landscape project.

Speaker:
Beth Peluse, Conservation@Home Manager | The Conservation Foundation (TCF) Facilitator:
Amy Phillips, DuPage County Programs Director | TCF


Workshop 2: Picking your Native Plant Pallete | March 12, 2025

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.

Speaker:
Mandy Komes-Leifheit, Sales Manager | Pizzo Nursery Facilitator:
Amy Phillips, DuPage County Programs Director | TCF


Workshop 3: Native Landscape Design: Tips, Tricks & Case Studies | March 19, 2025

Explore best practice design strategies for designing a variety of native gardens and learn from case studies of local practitioners.

Speakers:
Joanna Erenberg, Red Stem Landscapes
Brandon Losey, Alluvium Landscapes
Facilitator:
Amy Phillips, DuPage County Programs Director | TCF