Upcoming Events
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 habitats for wildlife, based upon the foundational worldwide Ecological and Social Benefits standards from the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). The skills you’ll explore can be applied in a landscaping business, rewilding projects, habitat conservation and management, restoration projects, urban community projects, agriculture, and more.
Program dates:
January 10, 2026 (9am - 3pm)
January 17, 2026 (9am - 3pm)
February 7, 2026 (9am - 3pm)
Community Partner:
Horn Farm
Learn more and register.
ECOLOGICAL GARDENER TRAINING | 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.
The 2026 EGTP will take place over 16 weeks from starting Sunday, February 8th and ending Tuesday, May 19th. The first four weeks (the Ecological Core Curriculum) take place over four consecutive Sundays from 9AM to 3PM. For the twelve weeks that follow (Hands-On Training), classes are held on consecutive Tuesdays from 8AM to 12PM.
Community Partner:
Horn Farm
Learn more and register.
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
Learn more and register.
Designing Layered Landscapes
Are you seeking a design process to build a resilient native garden that wildlife loves and weeds struggle to take root? Inspiration from nature is our best teacher when we create ecosystems in human spaces. We will practice drawing to scale the anatomy of a designed ecosystem, from essential native groundcovers or “green mulch” to structural canopy trees.
This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center.
Learn more and register.
Creating Native Plant Communities
Discover how to craft a resilient native plant palette, in alignment with the ecological clues of your land. Explore a practical template to guide the process of crafting a community of native plants that will bring ease to the wonkiness of wildlife habitat design. Leave feeling empowered to take on your next lawn to lush habitat project.
This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center.
Learn more and register.
Navigating Non-Chemical Restoration
Explore native plant allies that can help outcompete invasive species and bolster biodiversity. This interactive class will equip you with the confidence to confidently tackle tenacious introduced species without chemical sprays. One lucky participant will be gifted a “Native Plant Ally” kit, equipped with native landscape plants to help launch your next restoration project!
This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center.