Focus Areas
Learn more about our key initiatives in native plant conservation and horticulture.
Science & Research
Current, accurate information is needed to make sound decisions about where to direct time and resources for conservation. Our scientists and community science program partners provide foundational knowledge, make discoveries, track long-term change, and advance understanding of the best ways to achieve conservation goals. We collaborate with regional experts across sectors, from state natural heritage programs and universities to land managers and the private sector.
Protecting Rare, Threatened & Endangered Species
17% of New England’s native plant species are on the brink of being lost—and another 5% have already disappeared from the landscape. Native Plant Trust works with partners across the region to deploy a wide range of strategies—including seed banking, population augmentation, and assisted relocation—to protect rare plants from extinction and extirpation.
Ecological Restoration & Habitat Preservation
Ecological restoration is a composite field, relying on knowledge of botany, floristics, conservation, horticulture, and landscape management to repair damaged wildlands. Native Plant Trust supplies plants, seeds, and expertise to aid ecological restoration across the region. Our expert staff are often called upon to assist with pre-restoration surveys, identifying rare species, and sourcing and propagating wild, regionally adapted seed for restoration projects.
Ecological Horticulture & Native Plant Gardening
By conserving native plants in the wild and using them in designed spaces, we protect and enhance the integrity, resilience, diversity, and beauty of our planet. Ecological horticulture reflects a shift in gardening that values ecological function equally with aesthetics. Our region is grappling with habitat loss, fragmentation, and the rise of ecologically harmful species, resulting in biodiversity loss, all amid an unpredictable climate. This ecological approach to gardening offers hope, agency, and a solution to these challenges, grounded in the firm belief that the intentional use of native plants in gardens and avoidance of pesticides and herbicides repair and restore our regional ecosystems.
Education & Training
Native Plant Trust’s mission is participatory by design. Our public programs provide the training volunteers, community members, and professionals need to join the native plant movement. We offer a wide range of learning opportunities including low cost introductory level virtual courses on in-demand topics, intermediate courses on botany and gardening, and hands-on workshops on seed starting and seed farming for professionals and passionate horticulturists.
