We help people
care for their land.
care for their land.
This program helps me and other students learn about the environment and teaches us to be future leaders to help us and others.
–Michael, 13
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About the Program
The Naturescaping program was developed to provide home and business owners with free education and technical information about the advantages and how-to's of naturescaping. The program is made possible through collaboration with other local sponsoring groups. It's easy to learn about naturescaping; attend or host a free workshop, check out the annual Naturescaped Yard Tour, or ask us to speak at your meeting, event or training.
Free Workshops: Naturescaping Series
We offer free workshops to help you learn to Naturescape their yard on your own. The Naturescaping program offers a series of three workshops that participants take in sequential order:
- Naturescaping Basics (4 hours)
- Site Planning (4 hours)
- Site Planning Feedback Session (2 hours)
Workshops take place on weekends and are led by experienced landscape designers & contractors and are hosted locally by interested individuals, neighborhood associations, community groups and other local organizations. Even if you decide to enlist the help of a landscaper or designer with your project, you'll have the framework to communicate your desires to your contractor.
Learn about hosting a workshop or view detailed workshop descriptions
Annual Naturescaped Yard Tour (Early Summer)
Have you ever looked at someone's front yard and wish you could see what they've done in the back? On this self-guided tour you can! Visit a number of selected gardens where you can talk to the gardener, learn about the phases of their project, their challenges and successes, and see their back yard!
ATTEND: Want to receive a Yard Tour reminder notice? Click here to send us a request and we'll send you a Yard Tour email announcement in April when we open online registration.
HOST: Want to be on the tour? Show off your hard work and share your naturescaping experience with others who share your passion for Naturescaping and Backyard Habitats by becoming a Yard Tour Host. If you would like to be considered for the next tour, email katie AT emswcd.org.
Invite us to Speak at your Meeting, Event or Training
We love to share Naturescaping information and will be happy to give a presentation to your group. Contact us to discuss your needs, possible topics and timeframe. Here's a short list of presentations we currently offer. Presentation lengths vary between 45 minutes and 1 ½ hours. We can modify the length according to your timeframe.
- Introduction to Naturescaping
- Introduction to Rain Gardens
- Native Plants
- Invasive Weeds