Ecological Education
Grow your knowledge of native plants, enhance your ecological gardening know-how, and increase your capacity to advocate for pollinators and wildlife.
No matter your age, interest, or available time commitment, we strive to offer Ecological Education services for the whole community.
In partnership with several regional organizations, we offer a variety of hands-on environmental education experiences including:
Ecological Gardening Certificate
Ecological Restoration Certificate
Habitat Advocates (full certification or one-off classes)
Crews Conservation Landscaping Certificate
Teacher Professional Development
Schoolyard Habitat Artist in Residence Program (PA STEELS aligned)
Mt. Cuba Center Ecological Design classes
Other classes/trainings/conference sessions related to growing resilient habitats with native plants
We invite you to learn more about our recurring classes, certificates, and other programs below.
To see upcoming trainings and learn how to register, please visit our Events page!
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION TRAINING | Certificate Program
This hands-on, 3-day certificate program is geared toward ecological practitioners and serious home stewards. Participants learn how to partner with nature and assist in the recovery of degraded ecosystems to create healthy, resilient habitat for wildlife. The skills you’ll explore can be applied in a landscaping business, rewilding projects, habitat conservation and management, restoration projects, agriculture, and more.
Community Partner: Horn Farm
ECOLOGICAL GARDENER TRAINING PROGRAM | Certificate Program
The Ecological Gardener Training Program (EGTP) guides landowners, landscape practitioners, conservation volunteers, and aspiring land stewards in the craft of designing, building, and stewarding biodiverse native habitats that support the well-being of wildlife and humans. Participants explore native plants and landscapes, lawn conversion methods, scaled designing, keystone species, food webs, shifting baseline theory, ecological memory, plant identification, rights of nature, and seasonal management techniques that can be applied to community, residential, and wild spaces. Hands-on design and planting projects develop applicable skills while increasing biodiversity.
Community Partner: Horn Farm
HABITAT ADVOCATE | Certificate Program & Individual Classes
The Habitat Advocate Certificate class series brings together inquisitive native gardeners at SACA’s Tec Centro. Whether you’re a homeowner, a seasoned landscaper or groundskeeper, or a passionate community member, you’ll learn skills and insights that empower you to transform your neighborhood, school, or place of worship into a thriving space for wildlife. Classes explore topics ranging from nature journaling to green mulch, stormwater management, and powerhouse native plants for wildlife. Complete all 10 classes in the series to earn a Habitat Advocate Certificate, or simply attend an individual class that suits your interests.
Community Partners: Lancaster Conservancy, SACA, and Community Wildlife Habitat
CONSERVATION LANDSCAPING CREWS TRAINING| Certificate Program
This program is an abbreviated version of the Habitat Advocates certificate and is designed for working landscapers to nurture conservation-based practices. Participants learn about the value of native plants, native plant swaps for introduced or “invasive” species, and simple methods to convert conventional landscaping practices to more eco-friendly alternatives. Participants apply their newly acquired knowledge by completing a group project that includes a proposed native plant palette, suggested site preparation, and recommended seasonal stewarding techniques.
Community Partner: Lancaster Conservancy and Lancaster Clean Water Partners
SCHOOLYARD HABITAT & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING FOR EDUCATORS
Educators are invited to participate in a thought-provoking training that explores ways to engage youth in meaningful, rigorous, interdisciplinary learning in outdoor living laboratories. This training will guide you in how to build empathy for the small critters that sustain our world, enhance student collaboration skills, and create project-based solutions to challenging questions about pollinator decline, stormwater runoff, and more.
School District of Lancaster staff, please sign-up via the district-wide PD schedule.
All other schools/school districts, please contact us to book your next PD!
Community Partners: National Wildlife Federation and School District of Lancaster (other regional school districts can inquire with secured funding)
VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY
“Learning with Elyse of Waxwing EcoWorks is truly a gift. She is a skilled educator with a deep well of ecological knowledge. She seamlessly blends teaching with creative practices and hands-on experience, engaging the whole person. I especially loved our watercolor sessions and plant walks. Her ecological gardening course gave me meaningful insight into how we can care for the land as thoughtful stewards.”
-Erin (Lancaster, PA) | 2025 EGTP
“The perspective of this course [Ecological Restoration training] integrated theory and practice into my body in a way I will forever carry into my appreciation and care for our natural web of life.”
-Ryan (Mercersburg, PA) | 2025 ERC
“Graduating from the Habitat Advocate program gave me practical, confidence-building skills to transform my own yard and inspire friends, neighbors, and my church to make more sustainable choices. It’s empowering to be part of something that creates real, visible change.”
-Marianne (Lancaster, PA) | 2025 Habitat Advocates
“The Ecological Restoration Certificate course is a good balance of participatory classroom learning and hands-on fieldwork. Students examine the underlying philosophy of conventional and alternative approaches to ecological restoration. Students are encouraged to consider holistic approaches to ecological restoration and question conventional approaches. As an example, local community involvement in project design, implementation, and long-term sustainability is considered a foundational concept, and one that is often overlooked or deemphasized conventional restoration. Students are presented with a set of tools, including conceptual models, informational resources, and “in the field” tools and practices to design and implement restoration projects. The instructors also emphasize the importance of networking with other practitioners, and the class itself is an opportunity to connect with and work with others who are passionate about ecological stewardship.”
-Matt (Quarryville, PA) | 2025 ERC
“I love how deeply community is rooted into the learning process. Elyse is a knowledgeable teacher who guides her students to think deeply about their relationship to the plants, animals, and people in their lives. Through the EGTP, I learned to look at my surroundings in a holistic light. Realizing how much of a difference I could make in benefitting ecosystem health was a very powerful transformation for me.”
-Catie (Camp Hill, PA) | 2025 EGTP
“The EGTP was the asset I was seeking to gain employment in the ecological landscaping industry. In less than a year’s time I went from having a goal, to being educated, to interviewing with confidence, and now I’m employed!”
-Deanna (Reading, PA) | 2025 EGTP
“I've always been a home gardener happy to plant and explore natives, but all the information out there felt overwhelming. I applied for EGTP looking for hands-on experience and practical guidance. It gave me that practical piece, but more importantly, it gave me a life altering education in natural history, a sense of place in the ecosystem we share, and a community of people full of hope, love, and the willingness to work hard and get nerdy about nature.”
-Lauren (York, PA) | 2025 EGTP
“The EGTP was fantastic, so organized and interesting, wonderful field trips, all hands-on designing, building, planting ... It truly was an incredible experience that I will always hold close to my heart.”
-Amanda (New Providence, PA) | 2022 EGTP
“The Ecological Restoration Certificate program was an exceptional opportunity to connect with others who are deeply passionate about land stewardship. Whether you are just beginning your journey or bring years of experience, the program offers valuable insights for everyone. As a landowner, I especially appreciated the practical guidance on site assessment and matching the right plants to the right place. I learned how to create an effective seed mix for winter sowing and had the opportunity to practice these skills on land I am actively restoring. The sense of ongoing support and connection within this like-minded community continues to inspire me. I am motivated to advocate for human-powered land restoration and to demonstrate that effective restoration does not require chemicals.”
-Erin (Dover, PA) | 2025 ERC
“I grew so close to my other classmates and learned so much during this course. The teachings felt as though they both honored and held our individual experiences, ancestry, and interests in a unique way. I felt like the learning was dynamic and adaptable, while also ensuring core competencies are ingrained in our learning. It was a really beautiful and unique experience that I wouldn't trade. My connection and understanding of the landscape and world around me was deepened in a way that felt natural and healing. I also appreciated the connection to indigenous communities' knowledge of and care of the landscape. I personally was able to utilize the training to not only win a grant to build an indigenous teaching garden, but also start a small native plant landscaping business.”
-Rain | 2025 EGTP
