Conservation at Home

Your home or property is a wonderful place for conservation efforts! Planting a diversity of plants and trees provides vital food for wildlife and makes our neighborhoods more resilient in the face of climate change. Here are some ways the CGC can support you.

Native Plant Classes

We hold regular classes on a wide range of native plant topics. They cover everything from what a native plant is to finding the right plant to fit your landscape. We believe hands on is the best way to learn, so our classes often include a walk around our grounds, field trips or interactive, workshop-style activities. Check out our calendar for upcoming opportunities.

Habitat Restoration Classes

We offer seasonal classes on how to identify, remove and manage invasive plants commonly found in our region led by local experts. While the classes are most useful to those dealing with urban and suburban properties of 10 acres or fewer, the removal methods may apply to larger projects on a case-by-case basis. Check out our calendar for upcoming opportunities.

Locally Grown Native Plants

We host two annual plant festivals: GrowFest (the first Saturday in May) and the Fall Native Plant Festival (the first Saturday after Labor Day). GrowFest features a variety of native plants with a focus on shade tolerant species, spring ephemerals and native cultivars. Our Fall Native Plant Festival brings together local plant vendors (including the CGC!) in a celebration of all things native plants. Here you’ll find a huge selection of native plants, shrubs and trees as well as free educational talks and more. Learn more about our annual events.

Hands-On Volunteer Workdays

We build education into every workday we run. If you’re interested in learning more about conservation and native plants to apply at home, opportunities at Hauck Botanic Garden and through our Treeforestation program are a free way to build your knowledge and skills. Our Conservation Team is a great place to start!

Hauck Botanic Garden

Our grounds at Hauck Botanic Garden are a wonderful place to learn conservation-related skills and information that you can take home and apply where you live. Come visit!