Morris Arboretum & Gardens Certificate in Ecological Horticulture

**Enrollment in the Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture is at capacity at this time.  Please email education@morrisarboretum.org to add your name to the waitlist for the next cohort.**

By completing this registration, you are confirming your enrollment in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. To earn the certificate, students must complete all required coursework (10 core courses + 2 elective courses).   

Certificate Program classes may be taken without pursuing the Certificate. However, those who are working toward the certificate must register here. This registration also gives you early access to enroll in certificate classes before courses are released to the public each semester (priority registration is ONLY for certificate classes).  This is a one-time administrative fee.

Fee: $45.00

*All courses in the program are open to the public where space is available.  If you are unable to join a cohort at this time,  your participation  in any Certificate Program course will count retroactively towards program completion.*   

Please direct questions to education@morrisarboretum.org.

Register upon completion of all required courses.

This culminating component of the program is required for all students before a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture can be awarded. Each Certificate Seeker is required to propose and then complete a capstone project that demonstrates their ability to apply the principles and practices learned throughout the program's coursework in a real-world setting.

This project fosters independent problem-solving, critical thinking, and practical experience, while also serving as a professional portfolio piece that highlights each student’s unique interests and capabilities. This programmatic element is to be completed and presented virtually to Certificate Program staff, instructors, and peers for feedback after coursework is finished. This final step not only celebrates each participant’s growth but also strengthens the learning community through shared ideas and inspiration.

Please submit a Project Proposal Form for approval, outlining the topic and scope of your project.  For more information on project guidelines, expectations, and grading, download the Personal Project Guide here.  

Fee:  $30

CORE COURSE

Michelle Detwiler, Ecological Landscape Designer, Owner Wild About Native Plants, Sustainable Landscape Certified

Get to know your local plant communities! Join us for an introduction to the diversity of native trees, shrubs, and perennials at home in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Explore ecoregions to better understand locally evolved plant species in their natural habitats, and learn about the influences of geography, climate, weather, geology, hydrology, disturbance, wildlife, and land-use history on ecosystems.

Learn to recognize individual species and the site conditions they prefer. This knowledge will help you appreciate, protect, and restore native plant communities, and begin to build your knowledge of local flora as a foundation for thoughtfully reintroducing native plantings into the built environment. This course includes two 2-hour lectures, and two 2-hour guided field sessions to practice identification of representative native plant species and to understand the site conditions where they grow.

This course is open to the public with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts toward the requirements of the certificate program. This course has been submitted to carry 8 CEUs with LA CES, ISA, PLNA, and the NJ Board of Tree Experts. 

LECTURES  
TWO TUESDAYS  
September 15 (ONLINE)
September 22 (IN PERSON)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm 

FIELD SESSIONS  
TWO FRIDAYS 
October 9, 23 
1:00 – 3:00 pm 

Members: $200 | Non-members: $215

CORE COURSE

Dr. Cindy Skema, Botanical Scientist, Morris Arboretum & Gardens

Join us for an introduction to plant form that will cover the basics of the repeating modular units of growth, both sterile and reproductive, that form the plant body. Students will learn how to recognize different structures of the plant to aid in their understanding of what plants are and how to identify them. We will cover the key topics in plant form: leaf arrangement, leaf complexity, underground parts, as well as floral and fruit structure and diversity. The course format is an in-person lecture followed by a hands-on lab session to dissect fresh material and test our newly acquired knowledge with observations of plants in real time. The first class will cover the sterile plant body and the second the fertile plant body.

This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts towards the CORE requirements of the Certificate Program. This course has been submitted for 4 CEUs with LA CES, ISA, PLNA, and the NJ Board of Tree Experts.

TWO TUESDAYS 
September 1, 8 
5:30 – 7:30 pm 

Members: $95 | Non-members: $100

ELECTIVE

John Janick, Owner, Good Host Plants Native Plant Nursery 

In the native plant nursery he runs out of his home in West Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, John Janick works to promote biodiversity by growing straight species native plants, indigenous to Philadelphia and the MidAtlantic region, using local-ecotype plants whenever possible, to promote genetic variability and healthy ecosystems. 

Join us onsite at John’s home and the site of his nursery. You’ll get a tour and learn from John about how he turned a weedy property covered with lawn and invasives into the healthy woodland, aquatic habitat, and thriving native meadow we’ll see together. John will show us his favorite plants for attracting pollinators and providing blooms throughout the growing season covering various site conditions.

This course has been submitted to carry 1.5 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 1.5 LTE/ LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens' Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. 

Friday, September 25 
1:00 – 2:30 pm 

Members: $35 | Non-members: $40

Please visit our School of Arboriculture to register for this course.

ELECTIVE

Samantha Nestory, Engagement Manager and Naturalist, Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden 

Most people are familiar with the innumerable benefits of living trees. But even after their death, trees provide vital habitat, shelter, and food for wildlife. Join us as we learn how dead and dying trees still teem with life, from tiny termites to fantastic flying squirrels and everything in between! 

This program will begin with a lecture and discussion and then move outside to look at snags in the landscape, and the way Stoneleigh has worked to incorporate dead wood into their landscape projects and native plantings. 

This program will take place at Stoneleigh, a former private estate located in Villanova that is now one of the newest public gardens in the Philadelphia region. Its extraordinary trees, sweeping vistas, and intimate garden spaces reflect more than a century of loving care by three different families. In its new role, Stoneleigh is an intriguing blend of historical landscapes overlayed with beautiful new gardens designed to support and nurture our local ecology. Stoneleigh’s Engagement Manager Samantha Nestory holds ecology and entomology degrees from the University of Delaware and is passionate about ecological gardening, native plants, and insect conservation. 

This program has been submitted to carry 2 CEUs from ISA, LA CES, and the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts and is an approved elective in the Certificate in Ecological Horticulture program. 

Wednesday, October 7 
10:30 am – 12:30 pm 

Members: $30 | Non-members: $35

Please go to our Horticulture & Design section to register for this course

CORE COURSE

Allison Houghton, Ecological Consultant, Educator

Understanding our soils gives us incredible agency in a garden or landscape. In this course we will cover the basics of how to recognize, grow, and support living and resilient soils. We will explore what soil is, the major components and properties of an “ideal” soil and how to actively manage for excellent soil health. You will learn the chemical properties of soil, major and minor nutrients, how to read a soil test, and ways to recognize common deficiencies in plants and in the landscape as a whole.

We will address common soil challenges like compacted, degraded, and polluted soil as well as strategies for what to do when problems arise. Just as important as the chemical and physical properties of soil, we will explore the incredible role of soil biology in plant health, how you can work with it, add to it, and recognize increased plant health over time. Throughout the course participants will gain simple handson strategies for working with living soils and how to track progress along the way. We will discuss soil testing with a local soil-testing laboratory as well as simple at-home measures to quickly evaluate soil health such as texture, water infiltration, topsoil depth, hardness, aggregate stability and how to read your weeds to track changes over time. Soil is like the living skin of our 12 planet, and soil builders are needed as never before.

This course will equip you with the tools and knowledge to become a soil steward and work alongside this amazing underground world at our feet. Our first class will meet online for a 3-hour lecture, followed by an in-person field session at the Morris a few days later. This course is open to the public with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts toward the requirements of the certificate program. This course has been submitted to carry 7 CEUs with LA CES, ISA, PLNA, and the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. 

LECTURE 
Wednesday, October 14 
6:00 – 9:00 pm (Online) 

FIELD SESSION 
Saturday, October 24 
9:00 am – 2:00 pm 

Members: $200 |  Non-members: $215 

ELECTIVE

Todd Montgomery, Director of Public Projects, Indigenous Ingenuities 

In the modern urban landscape, stormwater is often treated as a liability — a problem to be piped away and hidden, out of sight and out of mind. But what if we treated it as a fundamental design driver for our public spaces? In this workshop, we will explore the opportunities and realities of green infrastructure, moving beyond traditional engineering to create landscapes that slow down and clean up water while simultaneously fostering vibrant community connection. We will begin in the classroom, diving into the design evolution of two West Philadelphia projects: the University of Pennsylvania’s Shoemaker Green and Drexel University’s Perelman Plaza + Korman Quad. 

Following our classroom analysis, we will move outside to walk the sites themselves to see how they perform in the real world — for water and for people. By reviewing the performance of these projects years after construction, we will address the essential role of ongoing care in keeping these systems resilient and functional, and discuss how you can translate these highstakes lessons into smaller-scale residential or institutional projects. 

Todd Montgomery brings sixteen years of experience from Andropogon Associates, where he led award-winning, largescale institutional projects grounded in the belief that landscapes must be creatively designed, deeply functional, and thoughtfully stewarded. Today, as the Director of Public Projects at Indigenous Ingenuities, Todd is applying that complex, systems-based expertise to a new model of practice.  In addition to his design work, he teaches courses at UPenn and Swarthmore in construction, professional practice, and design. 

Participants will meet at UPenn, the location will be emailed to all registrants in advance of the program. 

This course has been submitted to carry 2 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 2 LTE/ LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. 

Tuesday, October 20 
10:00 am – 12:00 pm 

Members: $35 | Non-members: $40

Please visit our School of Arboriculture to register for this course.

ELECTIVE

Christopher Uhland,  Owner, Harmony Hill Nursery, LLC 

This afternoon of learning offers an immersive tour through a live plant production nursery, providing students with firsthand insight into the tree production industry. Hosted by Christopher B. Uhland of Harmony Hill Nursery LLC, a Chester County wholesale nursery specializing in high-quality trees and shrubs, the experience highlights every stage of the growing process—from planting field liners and structural pruning to harvesting and preparing plant material for installation. 

Throughout the seminar, industry professionals with ISA Certified Arborist, RCA, and PA Certified Horticulturalist credentials will discuss the science and techniques behind successful plant production, including the biology of planting and digging nursery stock, the development and selection of cultivars and hybrids, and best practices for choosing plant material suited to various landscapes and environments. Participants will gain valuable knowledge of both the practical and scientific aspects of nursery operations while exploring the processes that shape healthy, market-ready trees and shrubs. A discussion on the low-bid process, contract growing, in-season purchasing and yard purchasing will evolve and be discussed with the sales team. This is a great opportunity for behind-the-scenes learning about many aspects of the plant nursery trade! 38 Participants will meet at Harmony Hill Nursery in Downingtown, PA. 

This course has been submitted to carry 2 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 2 LTE/ LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. 

Tuesday, October 20 
2:00 – 4:00 pm 

Members: $35 | Non-members: $40

Please visit our School of Arboriculture to register for this course.

ELECTIVE

Ken LeRoy, Certified Arborist Representative, John B. Ward Tree Experts 

Join us for a class on the identification of woody landscape plants for urban and suburban landscapes. The class will cover both deciduous trees and conifers. 

Arborist and horticulturist Ken LeRoy will show us how to use a dichotomous key to identify plants and he will explain the terminology used in keys to describe plant characteristics. He will also discuss the physical characteristics used to group plants into families. We will go on a tour of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens to see specimens of the plants we discuss. You may want to purchase the Sibley Guide to Trees, a good reference for tree identification that is available in the Morris’s Gift Shop. Please dress for the weather. This course has been submitted to carry 6 CEUs with ISA and LA CES, and 4 LTE/ LTCO CEUs for the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. 

This course is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. 

Monday, October 26 
9:00 am – 4:00 pm 

Fee: $160

Please visit our School of Arboriculture to register for this course.

CORE COURSE

LEE ARMILLEI, Principal, Landscape Designer, APLD

Welcome to the world of ecological design, where environment and art intersect! Get your creative juices flowing as you combine design process and design principles with the ecology you’ve learned in prior certificate courses. Students will design a predetermined site to create a beautiful and immersive space, supportive of people and the planet.

This intensive two-day workshop starts with the basics of understanding the client, analyzing the site and drafting plans, and builds as students shape the landscape using design principles and ecological themes. Students will then develop a site-specific plant palette and apply it to foundation plantings, natural areas, and the spaces in between. Through a combination of lecture, studio time, and homework, students will gain real time practice and feedback, learning to make informed decisions in ecological design. Although the class will be working on a predetermined site, each design is sure to be unique!

This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts toward the requirements of the certificate program. This course has been submitted to carry 10 CEUs with LA CES, ISA, PLNA, and the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. This popular course will be offered twice this fall/winter; choose from the dates below. The material covered will be the same in each session. Pricing is per session.

SESSION 1 
TWO THURSDAYS 
November 12, 19 
10:00am – 3:30pm 

SESSION 2 
TWO FRIDAYS 
January 8, 15 
10:00 am – 3:30 pm 

Members: $250 |  Non-members: $260 

ELECTIVE

Thomas Mrazik, Horticulturist and Owner of Goodly Gardens, Worcester PA 

Enjoy an interactive autumn visit to an award-winning home garden, highlighting a naturalistic, meadow style design with mostly ornamental grasses and wildflowers. 

In fall, a meadow-style garden becomes austere, absent of vibrant petal colors and growth. Such a garden is stripped down to its essential components of maturing, dying and dead plants. Leaves lose their primary color and have fallen. Petals disappear. Plant stems shift and tilt. Colors become blended with tan, brown or black. 

Yet, there is good news at this time. A late season naturalistic-style garden reveals uniquely beautiful ornaments, exposing stark, strong forms, interesting seed heads, soft colors, and various airy forms. They all create swaths of impressions, hazy silhouettes, and sentinel skeletons, unavoidably inviting a curious gardener’s eye and discovery! Thom has curated this garden to have four-season interest over the course of many years. Come enjoy the skeletons and silhouettes and leave full of inspiration for your own winter landscapes! 

This course has been submitted for 1.5 LA CES, ISA, and New Jersey Board of Tree Experts CEUs, and is an approved elective in the Certificate in Ecological Horticulture program. 

Saturday, November 14 
2:00 – 3:30 pm 

Members: $30 | Non-members: $35
  

Please visit our Trips  page to register for this course.

CORE COURSE

Dr. Cindy Skema, Botanical Scientist, Morris Arboretum & Gardens

Do you hope to install “living systems” or self-sustaining habitats in your garden or landscape designs? To do so, you’ll need to understand the fundamentals of why and how plants evolve and reproduce, as well as how we capitalize on these natural processes to propagate plant materials that we want to use in our landscapes and gardens. Expand your concept of designing landscapes for wildlife and other users of plants to include a need to design for plants themselves, as genetically and evolutionarily unique entities. We will learn what ecotypes are, how they could impact the success of a landscape project, and why plant provenance really matters. Be introduced to the plant phenotype and learn what underlies it biologically, what plant plasticity is, and how it may show up in your garden. The course format is two in-person lectures.

This two-part course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts toward the requirements of the Certificate Program. This course has been submitted for 3 CEUs with LA CES, ISA, PLNA, and the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts.
 
TWO TUESDAYS
December 1,8 
5:30 – 7:15pm 

Members: $80 |  Non-members: $85

CORE COURSE

Christopher Roddick, ISA Certified Arborist, NOFA AOLCP 

Modern arboriculture recognizes trees as the center of tree-based ecosystem and yet, in practice, we all too often manage trees as isolated organisms. This workshop will introduce you to Ecological Arboriculture, a holistic approach to caring for trees, woody plants, and landscapes, that considers trees as habitat, food sources, and ecosystem engineers. Planting strategies, species selection, and other arboriculture practices can be adapted to increase biodiversity and functionality in the landscape, while still making beautiful spaces.  

Christopher Roddick spent 30 years as the Head Arborist and Foreman of Grounds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Now he moved to southern New England to start Sweet Birch Land & Tree, an arboricultural consultancy and practice. By looking at trees as tree-based ecosystems, Chris follows a holistic approach to caring for trees and land called Conservation Arboriculture. Chris is an ISA Certified Arborist and a NOFA AOLCP. He is the author of the Tree Care Primer, a guide to care for young, mature, and veteran trees.
This class will meet in the Welcome Center at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. After a morning of learning indoors, we will move into the gardens for an afternoon of learning outdoors. Dress for the weather. 

This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts towards the CORE requirements of the Certificate Program. This class has been approved to carry 5 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists and NJ BTE, and 5.5 CEUs for LA-CES certifications.

**THIS CLASS OFFERED IN SPRING 2027**

CORE COURSE

Allison Houghton, Ecological Consultant; Educator

In this course we explore ecological approaches to common pest and disease problems in landscapes. When (and if) problems do arise, they are often indicators of stress or imbalances in the system. Thinking of pests, weeds, and diseases as indicators (even “allies”!) can give us valuable insights into how to return to an overall state of health and resilience. This course encourages students to build their capacity to read landscapes deeply and develop a stewardship approach to land management. We will cover key concepts like life cycles of pests and diseases, what weeds tell us, and how to recognize early signs of trouble as well as strategic intervention points.

Throughout the course, you will learn how to assess environmental conditions, identify stress factors, and choose the most effective solutions for your needs, whether they involve simple interventions or more complex approaches like integrated pest management (IPM). A key component of the course is building the confidence to evaluate the right strategy for your landscape, understanding the range of options available that offer effective, safe and strategic support for a more resilient landscape. We will also discuss strategies for dealing with weeds and animal pests as well as ways to evaluate overall plant health and susceptibility to stress. Ultimately, this course seeks to empower you to engage more deeply in land stewardship, giving you the tools to make decisions that support the long-term ecological health of your landscape.

This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts towards the CORE requirements of the Certificate Program. This two-part program has been approved to carry 6 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists and LA-CES certifications. 

Book Recommendation: 
The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control: A Complete Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Garden and Yard the Earth Friendly Way. Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara W. Ellis, and Deborah L. Martin. 2009.

**THIS CLASS OFFERED IN SPRING 2027**

CORE COURSE

Rebecca Dragonetti, Landscape Designer, Nursery Manager at Refugia Design

In this class we’ll find inspiration in the layered structure of natural plant communities and learn from ecology-based models to select native plants based on competitiveness and response to stress in the landscape. We’ll explore related planting design theories put forth by Nigel Dunnett, Thomas Rainer, & Claudia West. These theories will help us learn how to structure plant lists to achieve our desired outcomes, provide more habitat, and require less inputs than traditional landscape models.

We’ll review specific plant lists related to sustainable garden elements including rain gardens, groundcovers, erosion control, and lawn alternatives, in conjunction with observation of plant communities in the fields. We'll also touch on resources for learning about high performing plants in the trade & how to assess plants at the time of purchase.

This three-part class includes two 1.5 hour in-person lectures, and one 3-hour lecture + field day. All sessions will be held in person at the Morris. This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts towards the CORE requirements of the Certificate Program.  This three-part program has been approved to carry 6 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists and 9 CEUs for LA-CES certifications.

**THIS CLASS OFFERED IN SPRING 2027**

CORE COURSE

Eloise Gayer, Horticulturist, Morris Arboretum & Gardens

Gardeners and land stewards are uniquely placed to combat our planet’s biodiversity crisis by gardening with a sensitivity to the needs of wildlife. This goal can feel overwhelming given the diverse needs of wildlife communities and the enormity of ecological challenges faced by our remaining natural habitat. This course will begin by offering an overview of these challenges, how they might be addressed in a home landscape, and discuss ecological concepts that underpin wildlife gardening, including forest succession, habitat types (edge, canopy, understory, etc.) and habitat heterogeneity. This foundation will inform the practical aspects of the class, which will focus on horticultural techniques that support and encourage wildlife and their application in a variety of garden spaces. We will also zoom in on specific wildlife groups – birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects – and discuss ways to manage landscapes with these wildlife groups in mind. 

The lecture component will be held online, and two field components will be held in person, one at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens, and the other at a different regional natural area. These field components will include design exercises to help the participant consider how they might adapt an outdoor space to maximize wildlife benefits and will explore examples of successful management for wildlife in existing gardens.

This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts towards the CORE requirements of the Certificate Program. This three-part program has been approved to carry 9 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists and LA-CES certifications.

**THIS CLASS OFFERED IN SPRING 2027**

CORE COURSE

Mallory Sustick, Landscape Stewardship Manager, Refugia Design

Traditional horticulture often employs a cycle of seasonal tasks to maintain designed spaces, such as mulching, fertilizing, pruning and cutbacks. These practices have long been adopted and applied as the norm for many home gardeners with the intention of keeping gardens looking the same year after year. Gardens are not innately static spaces and are composed of many living things, all of which are dynamic and interconnected. Approaching garden management through an ecological lens requires us to position ourselves in relation to the spaces we’re caring for, as opposed to separate from them.

This course will explore the principles and practices of responsibly stewarding different garden types, prioritizing natural resources and ecosystems to ensure their long-term health and resiliency. We’ll compare and discuss different methods and materials that aim to support functional and delicate ecosystems in the garden. Through a combination of in-class and field-based learning, you’ll gain hands-on experience on how to tread lightly and take cues from nature when managing a designed landscape.

This course is open to the public, with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture. Completion of this course counts towards the CORE  requirements of the Certificate Program.  This three-part program has been approved to carry 8 CEUs.

**THIS CLASS OFFERED IN SPRING 2027**