Ecological Restoration Certificate

This hands-on, 3-day workshop is for anyone interested in cultivating an active role of compassionate stewardship in their local ecosystems. Participants will gain experience and confidence applying regenerative skills to accelerate ecological health and resilience. This program focuses specifically on techniques for ecological restoration that prioritize human power instead of chemical intervention. 

Whether you're an experienced steward or beginning to navigate this growing practice, you'll gain new perspectives and expertise that are in high demand in today’s world. The skills you'll explore can be applied at home or in a landscaping business, rewilding projects, habitat conservation and management, restoration projects, homesteading, agriculture and more. 

Participants should be comfortable standing for long periods of time and performing manual labor such as removing invasive species and planting trees. We will be working in teams so we can accommodate different mobility levels. You may bring a chair and observe the working portions if needed.

Why Join? 

The skills and perspectives explored in this program are useful across the spectrum of ecological restoration work--from professional development to personal enrichment. Our three weeks together will unite transferrable skill-sharing for impactful land stewardship with place-based learning to deepen your sense of connection and commitment to the local landscape. If you identify with one or more of the attributes below, you'll find heightened benefit in joining this program:

• You are a practicing or budding professional in the fields of ecological restoration, conservation, landscaping, and environmental education / advocacy.
• You are a volunteer land steward and/or educator with a conservancy, environmental nonprofit, or communtiy program like the Master Watershed Stewards.
• You are a landowner with access to degraded woodland and meadow habitats that can serve as refuges for biodiversity. 

What You Will Learn:

Assessing Site Conditons

• Assessing site history and ecological memory/health. 
• Evaluating microclimates, ecosystems, elemental forces, and soil health.
• Perceiving site use and interactions of humans and wildlife.

Learning From Nature

• Observing plant communities, local ecotypes, and microclimates.
• Referencing landscapes to inform and provide insight for restoration.
• Identifying plants and practicing foraging ethics. 
• Combining indigenous and modern knowledge bases for restoration approaches (e.g. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Science, and Emergent Practices).

Restoration Planning

• Designing native plant communities and seed mixes for ecological restoration
• Optimizing ecological services, biodiversity, and food production for nature and humans  
• Phasing restoration activites

Implementing Restoration Projects

• Managing water and erosion control methods.
• Controlling aggressive, non-native species (e.g. mechanical, cultural, and fire).
• Accelerating succession and site prep for quick reforestation and prairie/meadow establishment.
• Navigating plant material selection, sourcing, propagation, and local plant genetics (ecotypes).
• Installing and restoring native plant communities.

Building A Sustainable Practice

• Maintaining tools and safe use.
• Preventing injuries with body-safe movement practices.
• Creating a seasonal stewarding and monitoring schedule and checklist to avoid burnout.

Schedule:

This program runs for 6-8 hours on three Saturdays in winter:

• December 14, 2024, 9am-3pm
• January 11, 2025, 9am-5pm 
• January 25, 2025, 9am-3pm

Please note, due to the winter season, we set aside rain/snow dates as follows: December 21st, January 18th, & February 1st.

What to Bring to Class:

• Warm clothes, sturdy boots, and gloves for working outside in winter weather. You are welcome to bring an extra change of clothes. Expect to do a fair amount of walking on potentially muddy or uneven ground. 

• A journal/notebook and writing utensil

• Water bottle, lunch, and snacks. 

• A backjack, sitting pillow, or folding chair if you'd like to sit off the ground

Program Cost: $495/person

• Covers 20 hours of hands-on instruction and course materials.
• Customized payment plans can be discussed if breaking down payment supports financial accessibility. Please note that using a payment plan will require a non-refundable downpayment in order to secure a spot in the program. Please email education@hornfarmcenter.org to inquire about payment plans. This option is only provided in cases of financial need.

Before registering, please make sure to review the Horn Farm Center’s Cancellation and Refund Policy.

About the Instructors:

Elyse Jurgen, M.Ed, CBLP, CERPit, owner of Waxwing EcoWorks Co., is a community collaborator working to rebuild ecological literacy and biodiversity through hands-on ecological gardening experiences for all ages.

She is certified as an Ecological Restoration Practitioner with the internationally acclaimed Society of Ecological Restoration, Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional, Permaculture Designer, and earned an Ecological Gardening Certification from Mt. Cuba Center. She holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education, 7-12 Biology Teaching Certification, and also participated in Cornell University’s Civic Ecology program. 

Elyse coordinates Lancaster Schoolyard Habitat, engaging urban youth from observation to installation of a native habitat on their school grounds. She leads three adult certification programs- Ecological Restoration Training, Ecological Gardener Training, and Habitat Advocates, and facilitates conservation landscaping training to guide existing landscaping crews to embrace more resilient practices. 

As owner of Waxwing, she builds community with her growing team of professionals to work alongside landowners (residents, churches, commercial property managers, and public spaces) in a participatory approach to build-back-biodiversity in human spaces, infusing educational opportunities during the design/installation/stewarding process. Waxwing invites the community to deeply engage with their land to maximize its potential in enhancing human well-being and supporting dwindling wildlife populations.

Tyler K is an herbalist and land steward at Reviving Wisdom. His life’s mission is to enable harmonious, respectful relationships on Earth. He works with community groups, private landowners, nonprofits, and most importantly nature to create habitat and improve biodiversity. 

Tyler is a seed keeper and cultivates rare and endangered plants native to Southeastern PA. He regularly leads plant walks, classes, and apprenticeships to empower people to connect with the land they live on. Tyler has a degree from Drexel University where he studied anthropology, philosophy, and ecological sciences. He started his career as an ecological researcher and has spent more than 15 years making research accessible to the public to empower positive change. He is a fellow of the Sierra Club and has worked with many direct-action conservation groups such as Fin Free, Sea Shepherd, and the United Nations to achieve ecological goals. Tyler completed the Land Stewardship Training Program at the Horn Farm Center and has apprenticed with ethnobotanists, herbalists, and indigenous wisdom keepers around the world.