Growing Native: Creating wildlife habitat in your own yard (Ages 14+)

Do you dream of a garden full of beautiful flowers and plants from spring through fall, filled with birds, butterflies and other interesting creatures? This course will focus on sharing practical knowledge on why, how and where to begin installing native plants whether you live in an apartment with a small balcony or on rural farmland. We will have five meetings at various locations in the Bloomington area where we can view native plantings and focus on the main elements of native gardening. This course would benefit anyone who is interested in improving wildlife habitat and isn’t quite sure how to get started.

Instructors Bill, Eve and Gillian will step you through the process of collecting and planting seeds in order to grow thriving native plants.  It will include seed stratification, and choosing the right site for your seeds, seedlings, or nursery transplants. 

You’ll visit demonstration-sites where action-steps to increase native habitat have taken place. We’ll look at two documents: City of Bloomington Climate Action Plan and Habitat Connectivity Plan and Map as resources to guide you on your journey to grow native. You’ll leave with skills to create and install your own garden.

Course Schedule: Our first meeting will be at Ivy Tech Bloomington's Indiana Center for the Life Sciences building, which will also include outdoor activities on-campus. Subsequent meetings will take place at off-campus sites in the area, as well as additional meetings at Ivy Tech Bloomington. These meetings will be addressed during the first class with location reminders sent in advance of those site visits.

Youth Eligibility: This workshop is open to adults, as well as youth participants ages 14+ who plan to attend with an authorized adult who is also registered.