Organizing a Native Plant Rescue

Location

Howard County Extension Office Conference Room (2nd floor) & Roscoe Property

Prerequisites

Intern or Certified Status as a Master Gardener OR Intern or Certified Status as a Master Naturalist

Native Plant Essentials In-Person Course OR Native Plant Essentials Online Course

Refund Policy

No refunds will be awarded after April 10th

Class Description

Where can you go to obtain locally grown native plants to have in your own home landscape? Our neighborhood garden centers typically do not carry them. Wild native plants do exist in our neighborhoods and may be available for the taking. The key is to find native plants that are in need of rescue, and to organize a team to remove the plants before they are lost.

In this class you will learn how native plant rescues provide us access to:

• Locally-adapted materials
• Species that are not commercially available
• Mature, landscape-sized plants

We will spend the morning in the classroom first discussing:

• How to find worthy rescue sites
• What conservation value is derived from rescuing native plants
• The ethical considerations of rescuing native plants
• Some uses for the rescued plants
• Suggestions for working with property owners
• Tips for organizing volunteer labor

In the early afternoon we will head into the field for a practicum in plant rescue deployment. The property is a Piedmont site which is slated for subdivision development. Plants on this site are in need of rescue, and attendees of the class may choose to stay with the instructor and engage in native plant rescue that afternoon.

By the end of this class you will have the tools you need to organize your own native plant rescue event in your area!

Class Schedule

10:00-10:30 -- Sign in, introductions
10:30-12:00 – Lecture
12:00-1:00 -- Lunch and travel to site

1:00-3:00 -- Field trip at Roscoe property

3:00-4:00 -- Optional time to stay in field and continue rescue

This class will count as 6 hours of MG State continuing education credits.

Snow Date

Friday, April 24, 10:00-4:00

Remember to Bring

Bag lunch and drink

MG or MN name badge

Clothing/hat appropriate for whatever weather the afternoon will bring

Clothes, boots, and gloves that will protect you while walking through and digging in meadows -- including in areas that may have high vegetation, mud, poison ivy, and insects

Digging tools (garden knives are likely to be the most useful)

Highly recommended: A garden kneeler bench or 5 gallon buckets to assist you in standing from a kneeled position

Instructor

Dr. Sara Tangren (Agent Associate, Home & Garden Information Center) is a specialist in sustainable landscaping and native plants. She began rescuing native plants for use in botanical gardens and as propagation stock in 1996.