Our accomplished group of presenters will include forager and wild farmer Tama Matsuoka Wong; Director of the Living Collections and Curator at The Green-Wood Cemetery Sara Evans; environmental consultant Dave Kaplow; environmentalist, wildlife advocate, and gardener Sarah F. Jayne; and NDAL Founder and Landscape Designer Larry Weaner. Topics will include case studies of low-growing meadows, DIY strategies for biodiversity and wildlife, “weeds” and gardening like a forager, residential meadows, introduction to ecology-based home gardening, and more.
Scroll down for session details
Registration will be open and recordings will be viewable for 3 months after each live session date.
CEUs available for those marked “Professional” (APLD, LA CES, NOFA, SER, CBLP)
See here for CEU details & instructions
Group and Gift Orders
Student Scholarships, Wild Ones member, and CT NOFA/AOLCP member (Professional sessions only) discounts available
Scroll down below the session descriptions list for registration, scholarship, and discount details
“If you want to know about ecological design, NDAL classes are a must.”
-Barbera B., 2024 participant
Photo by Larry Weaner Landscape Associates
Upcoming:
Previously Held:
(Registration open and recordings viewable for 3 months)
Featured:
New virtual intensive course for home gardeners!
Meadow Making: A Brains Over Brawn Approach
A 4-part Intensive Course for Home Gardeners
Instructors: Larry Weaner, FAPLD & Sara Weaner Cooper
March 2025
Native meadows can be stunningly beautiful bird and butterfly magnets that require far less maintenance than mown turf or virtually any garden bed. Sounds great right? But it is only true if planned with an understanding of actual meadow ecology. This series will examine native meadow making through the eyes of one of its most highly respected and influential practitioners.
Landscape Designer Larry Weaner will share his experience through a deep dive into ecology-based meadow design, planting and management; as well as a series of case studies ranging in age from three to thirty years. Included will be a highly successful experimental organic lawn-to-meadow conversion that was featured in The New York Times in 2024.
Attendees will receive an extensive digital course manual expanding upon the content discussed in the presentations.
Landscaping with Nature: Turning Battles into Partnerships
A 4-part Intensive Course for Home Gardeners
Instructor: Larry Weaner, FAPLD
March 2025
This home gardener-oriented series will examine ecology-based landscape practice through the eyes of one of its most highly respected and influential practitioners. Our expansive format will allow Landscape Designer Larry Weaner to provide an in-depth guide for creating wildlife inclusive, ecologically productive, and highly manageable residential landscapes. Throughout the program Larry will interweave garden aesthetics with garden ecology, demonstrating how home environments can be both ecologically productive and experientially rich.
Attendees will receive an extensive digital course manual expanding upon the content discussed in the presentations.
Ecology-based Landscape Practice
A 7-part Intensive Course for Professionals
Instructors: Larry Weaner, FAPLD & Ian Caton
July - August 2025
Join Landscape Designer Larry Weaner and native plant expert Ian Caton on a deep dive into the integration of restoration ecology and garden design. From technical instruction to personal anecdotes, Larry and Ian will share over 70 years of combined experience on the fine points of designing, planting, and managing ecology-based landscapes. Participants will have the opportunity to compare notes and interact with instructors during two post-program conversational sessions.
Attendees will receive a 100+ page login-protected course manual including an ecology-based plant characteristics chart, equipment recommendations, wildlife habitat enhancement strategies, diagrams for planting and maintenance procedures, and more.
Photo by Larry Weaner Landscape Associates
“I have attended multiple NDAL presentations and they are the greatest! I always leave them inspired with new ideas for my landscape.”
“This was the most valuable class I have taken in a while because it tied ecological and botanical knowledge to practical management decisions in the field.”
“I am excited to unlearn some of the practices instilled in the landscape industry that are harmful and not productive, and learning more about the nuances and overarching principles of an ecology-based landscape practice.”
Registration Details
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When registering on the NDAL Participants Portal you will be asked to either sign into your existing account or create one. This account will give you exclusive access to the session recordings and course materials. These materials will be available until three (3) months after the live event dates.
Group Orders (PLEASE NOTE THE TWO-STEP PROCESS): To register multiple people/staff members at once, go to your chosen course, click Register, then enter the number of registrations needed under Quantity on the left side. You will receive an email with an invite link that you must send to all the registrants in your group. Please note if you are registering yourself as well, you will not be automatically registered under a Group Order; you will also need to click the invite link to redeem your registration.
Gift Orders: To purchase a course as a gift for someone else, go to your chosen course, click Register, then check off “This is a gift.”
Students please email verification of student status (ie. course schedule, student ID) to info@ndal.org for student discount code.
Registration will be refunded only if notification is received before ten (10) working days prior to the live event date less a $10 processing fee.
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Students and recent graduates are invited to apply for scholarships granting free registration to any individual sessions or Intensives. Applications taken on a rolling basis.
Eligibility: Current undergraduate/graduate student or matriculation in 2024/2025.
To apply: Please submit no more than 1 page description of why you’re interested in the program of your choice, and your resume.
Due date: Applications taken on a rolling basis until filled. You are also welcome to apply after a live session date to view the recording.
To apply: Please email your letter and resume to Sara Weaner Cooper, NDAL Executive Director, at sweaner@ndal.org.
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If you’ve already emailed for Wild Ones Member discount codes in the past, please keep an eye out for an email with the new code, as we are sending it to anyone who has previously used a Wild Ones-NDAL discount code.
If you haven’t used a code previously, please email info@ndal.org with your Wild Ones member ID # or other verification of membership for the program discount code.
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Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals of The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut receive a 10% discount on sessions listed as Professional. Please look out for the discount code from NOFA, or contact Jennifer Shaffer, NOFA Organic Land Care’s Program Director at jennifer@ctnofa.org for the code.
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All sessions will be recorded and available (not downloadable) to all registrants after the live sessions end for three (3) months. If you are registered, you do not need to attend the live session in order to access the recording.
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You can register for 3 months past the live session dates, and access the materials - including the recording - until that point.
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Zoom Webinar. Please make sure to download the Zoom application (https://zoom.us/download) and download the latest Zoom update if needed prior to the live course. We recommend that you join ~5 minutes prior to the start time. The instructor(s) will use PowerPoint presentations. If you have any technical difficulties during the session and need to contact us, please email info@ndal.org instead of calling.
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CEUs are offered for sessions listed. as Professional. See CEU details at the top of this page.
FAQs
Questions? Please contact:
New Directions in the American Landscape
info@ndal.org
510-518-0430
NDAL receives the 2024 AHS award in Horticultural Innovation!
We are thrilled and honored to announce that NDAL has received the 2024 Horticultural Innovation Award by American Horticultural Society (AHS). This award is part of AHS’s annual Great American Gardeners Awards, in which six individuals/organizations are recognized. The Horticultural Innovation Award is presented to an individual/organization “whose innovations have made the field of horticulture more sustainable and accessible to all.”