Visit the Certificate Programs page.

It is recommended that all students begin with the Basic Certificate before moving on to the Advanced Horticulture & Design Certificate and/or Advanced Botany & Conservation Certificate. If you have experience with native New England plants, either through coursework, employment, volunteer work, or some combination of these, it is possible to begin with an advanced certificate. 

If you are interested in beginning with one of the Advanced Certificates but have not completed the Basic Certificate, please reach out to the Public Programs team at edu@nativeplanttrust.org. 

To pursue a Certificate, start by registering as a Basic, Advanced Botany & Conservation, or Advanced Horticulture & Design certificate student. There is a one-time $30 registration fee per certificate.

Yes, you may apply credits for courses previously taken that have not already been applied to a certificate to new registration for a certificate program. Please contact the Education department at edu@NativePlantTrust.org to begin that process.

The Basic Certificate is made up of seven core courses, two electives (one botany and one horticulture), a field study, a landscape study, and 15 hours of native plant community service.

We highly recommend beginning with our foundational botany sequence, which introduces students to native plant vocabulary, morphology, physiology, ecological context, evolution, and relationships. This knowledge is applied to the remaining courses. Other courses listed below do not need to be taken in a specific order.

The portfolio is a compilation of your best class work (field notes, garden planting plots, etc.)—whatever you think shows your skills and could support you in your future plant-related goals. Most of these products will be things that students create during class time. This is not something that is reviewed: it is just for you.

Visit the Classes page.

Coursework up to ten years old can be applied towards a certificate; however, it is possible to earn your Basic Certificate in one year or less, and your Advanced Certificate in two years or less, if you are able to attend all the required courses at the time they are offered.

Most of our certificate courses are offered online at least one per year. Field and Landscape Studies require in-person learning in the Northeast region.

You may volunteer with Native Plant Trust or another native plant or plant conservation organization to fulfill the community service requirement. Keep a journal of the dates and times and what you worked on. Submit a brief writeup of your volunteer hours with your completed transcript template when you’re finished to edu@NativePlantTrust.org. 

Native Plant Trust Plant Conservation Volunteer (PCV) hours may be used as your native plant volunteer hours. We estimate each survey takes about 6–8 hours to complete (this includes researching the plant, coordinating and preparing for the site visit, conducting the site visit, and then returning and entering data). Based on this estimate, we ask students to complete at least three surveys. Keep a journal of the dates and times and what you did each day. Submit a brief writeup of your volunteer hours with your completed transcript template when you’re finished to edu@NativePlantTrust.org.

Track your progress by filling in a transcript template as you take courses. When you have finished your coursework send your completed transcript template to edu@NativePlantTrust.org with a brief write up of how you completed your native plant volunteer hours. 

If you have questions about which courses you have completed and which you have left to take, please write to us at edu@NativePlantTrust.org.