Ecological Restoration Certificate
Three-Day Immersion
January – February 2026
Launched in 2024, the Ecological Restoration Certificate at the Horn Farm explores compassionate land stewardship through hands-on learning. Hosted in partnership with Waxwing EcoWorks, this program is designed for professionals, aspiring stewards, volunteers, and landowners alike.
Learn how to partner with nature
And assist in recovering degraded ecosystems to create healthy, resilient habitat for wildlife and people.
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 increasingly in demand in today’s world. The skills you’ll explore can be applied at home or in a landscaping business, public conservation or restoration projects, regenerative agriculture projects, and more. To help build a resilient practice, you will be invited to participate in a diversity of mindful movement and reflective writing exercises throughout the course.
Physical Accommodations: participants should be comfortable standing for long periods of time and performing manual labor such as removing invasive species and planting trees. However, 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.
Program Glimpses:
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 sessions together unite hard skills–environmental literacy, resource awareness, and ground experience–with embodied, place-based learning to deepen your sense of empathy and connection with the land. 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 community 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.
- You’re an environmental advocate looking to connect with peers and co-conspirators who share your passion for defending and supporting nature.
Anyone seeking an alternative to conventional, chemically-driven approaches to ecological restoration will also find this program uniquely empowering. Together, we’re developing a community of like-minded land stewards pursuing restoration in non-toxic ways.
What You Will Learn
Assessing Site Conditions
- Evaluating site history and ecological memory/health.
- Observing microclimates, ecosystems, elemental forces, and soil succession.
- Perceiving site use and interactions of humans and wildlife.
Learning From Nature
- Observing and identifying plant communities, local ecotypes, and microclimates.
- Referencing landscapes to inform and provide insight for restoration.
- 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 regenerative food production for wildlife and humans.
- Phasing restoration activities based on seasonal patterns.
Implementing Restoration Projects
- Controlling dispersive introduced species via non-toxic methods (e.g., mechanical, cultural, and fire).
- Navigating plant sourcing, propagation, and local plant genetics (ecotypes).
- Installing and restoring native plant communities.
Building A Sustainable Practice
- Reducing the risk of injuries and burnout with mindful movement.
- Cultivating emotional resilience in the face of social challenges and ecological grief.
- Building a language and literacy around non-toxic ecological restoration to advocate for these practices with diverse audiences.
Course Logistics:
Schedule
This program runs for 6-8 hours on three Saturdays in winter:
- January 10 (9am-3pm)
- January 24 (9am-5pm)
- February 7 (9am-3pm)
Please note that, in anticipation of winter weather, we have set aside rain/snow dates as follows: January 17th, January 31st, & February 14th
What to Bring
- 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
Elyse Jurgen, M.Ed, CBLP, CERP, owner of Waxwing EcoWorks Co., is a community collaborator inspired by rebuilding ecological literacy and biodiversity with her team of ecological practitioners. Ample hikes and plant community observations in nature spark her imagination, bringing a rare blend of art and science into her practice. Her work deepens your connection to place, and empowers you to take meaningful action to maximize your land’s potential to support wildlife and enhance human well-being.
Elyse leads three adult certification programs- the Ecological Restoration Certificate and Ecological Gardener Training Program with the Horn Farm Center and Habitat Advocates with the Lancaster Conservancy, and also coordinates Lancaster Schoolyard Habitat to engage urban youth in building biodiversity in schoolyards. She also facilitates conservation landscaping training to guide existing landscaping crews to embrace more resilient practices.
She is certified as an Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP), Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP), 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. She has also earned a MovNat certification and is currently enrolled in a Qigong teaching certification program as a means to tend to our best restoration tools- our human bodies!
Laura Newcomer
Laura Newcomer is the Community Coordinator and an Ecological Gardening & Restoration Steward at Waxwing EcoWorks, where (along with the rest of the Waxwing team) she strives to build back biodiversity for the benefit of wildlife, wildflowers, and human well-being.
She earned a Bachelor’s in Geography with an emphasis on Human Geography, or the study of the intersections between ecological and human systems. She has completed a variety of specialized trainings and certifications in the field of ecological gardening and restoration, including the Ecological Gardener Training Program and the Ecological Restoration Certificate at Horn Farm, Colorado Master Gardener, and the Ecology-based Landscape Practice intensive course at New Directions in the American Landscape. Previously, she served as an Environmental Educator at various institutions across Pennsylvania and Maine.
Laura also holds an MFA in Creative Writing and teaches Nature Writing, creative expression, and other related topics. A former yoga teacher, she has completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training as well as specialized certifications in Yin Yoga and additional practices.
Thank You to our Scholarship Sponsor:
This program is underwritten by the Pat and Carol Innerst Fund of York County Community Foundation.