This workshop will take place outdoors and seating will be socially distanced. A hand-washing station is on-site but please wear a mask and bring gloves and your favorite trowel.

Have you heard the news about dwindling bee and bird populations and feel inspired to take action, but don’t know where to start? A solution to rebound these critical wildlife populations rests right in your backyard! In this workshop, gain the basic native garden skills and hands-on experience of converting a section of lawn into viable habitat to support critical wildlife species.

This workshop will give you confidence to put the skills to work in your own backyard! The first part of the workshop will explore the fundamentals of ecological site prep and plant placement, based on the plant species’ sociabilities (growing pattern and organization) to create a native garden design on the Homefields farm property. The remaining time will be a hands-on installation of the group’s crafted native garden design.

Participants will be given free native landscape plugs to add to your own home landscape, courtesy of Homefields’ volunteer native plant grower, Matt Dilley. For the outside installation, please wear sturdy shoes, sun protection, and bring a reusable water container.

View a full listing of Homefields’ Talks in the Fields here.

Elyse Jurgen, owner of Waxwing EcoWorks Co., is a community collaborator working to rebuild ecological literacy and biodiversity through hands-on ecological gardening experiences in Lancaster/York County, PA.

She is certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and Ecological/Permaculture Designer, along with earning an Ecological Gardening Certification from Mt. Cuba Center. In addition to her ecological design skills, she has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education, 7–12 Biology Teaching Certification, and participated in Cornell University’s Civic Ecology program.

Elyse works alongside homeowners in a participatory approach to their gardening for wildlife needs, infusing educational opportunities during the design, installation, and management process. She invites homeowners to deeply engage with their land to maximize its potential in supporting dwindling bee, butterfly, and bird populations.

Native Garden Design & Build Workshop