Audubon Training Series
Attracting Birds | Relationships in Nature
Gardening with Native Plants | Native Trees and Shrubs
The Audubon Advisor Training Series is presented by Audubon Pennsylvania
in partnership with the Friends of the Wissahickon and the Morris Arboretum
Using the principles of Audubon At Home and other “best landscaping” practices, Audubon
Pennsylvania has created a new training program to fulfill the growing need for backyard and
property consultations. Many homeowners are eager to learn about their properties: Which
plants are invasive? Which ones are native? What can be done to create a healthy yard that
supports birds, butterflies and other wildlife?
In this series of classes, participants will move towards qualification as “Audubon Advisors.”
Students will become knowledgeable enough to conduct on-site assessments of private and public
properties and to make recommendations for habitat improvements based upon landowner goals
and existing property conditions. These backyard “audits” will be conducted under the
supervision of the Audubon At Home Coordinator.
 Property owners who implement the recommendations will be encouraged to register their
properties in Audubon’s Bird Habitat Recognition Program and to learn more about Friends of the
Wissahickon’s Protecting Our Watershed program.
All four classes are mandatory in order to join the Audubon Advisor training program. Several
field trips will follow the classwork in which Advisors can test their knowledge and demonstrate
newfound skills prior to conducting official backyard audits. Prior experience or general
knowledge of ornithology, botany, horticulture, and/or landscaping is helpful. People not
interested in qualifying as “Audubon Advisors” are also welcome to take courses in this series.
Classes are all held at the Morris Arboretum.
Strongly recommended reading:
Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards
by Sara Stein
Houghton Mifflin 1993 ISBN 0-395-70940-7
| March 15 |
Attracting Birds to the Backyard
Section A: Saturday, March 15
9 – 11 a.m FULL!
Section B: Saturday, March 22
9-11 a.m.
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Ruth Pfeffer - Expert Birder
Learn how to identify backyard birds and get tips on how to attract them. Ruth will start the day with an illustrated lecture highlighting birds in our area and the time of year you can expect to see them. She will consider yearround as well as migrating birds and those of conservation concern. Using close-up pictures Ruth will help you sharpen your identification
skills. She will discuss the basic elements birds require to live including food, water, shelter, places to raise young, and a variety of foliage to create desirable habitat. After the lecture, weather permitting, we will go outside in the Arboretum to observe birds and discuss their diverse habitat requirements. Bring binoculars.
Members: $25
Non-members: $30
Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125 |
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| March 25 |
Relationships in Nature: Restoring Ecology in
Backyards, Schoolyards, and Beyond
Tuesday, March 25
7 – 9 p.m.
Steven Saffier - Audubon At Home Coordinator, Audubon Pennsylvania
The history of land use in Pennsylvania and our embedded landscape practices have created a disconnect with nature. Many of these practices rely on chemicals and other means to maintain “pest free” environments, but that has only resulted in ecological imbalance. This course will explore the “deep rooted” relationships of soil, plants and wildlife, and how to re-establish these natural, selfsustaining systems on private property. Other topics to be discussed include the origins of exotic invasive species, the needs of particular bird and insect species, forest ecology, and hydrology.
Members: $25
Non-members: $30
Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125 |
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| March 29 |
Gardening with Native Plants to Attract Birds and Butterflies
Saturday, March 29
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Catherine Renzi - Owner, Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery
The instructor, a native plant expert, will discuss native plants that are not only attractive and require less maintenance and water but also support both resident and migratory species. Learn about the berries birds prefer and the host plants required by butterfly larvae for food and egg laying. This class will explore creating a beautiful home landscape and connecting to nature at the same time. Catherine will help with plant
identification and discuss the natural history of some of the more common native plants available for the home landscape.
Members: $25
Non-members: $30
Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125 |
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| May 17 |
Tree Identification and Appreciation: Native Trees and Shrubs
Section A: Saturday, May 17
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. FULL!
Section B: Saturday, May 17
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Ken LeRoy - Horticulturist and Owner, LeRoy Tree and Landscape Care
Native trees and shrubs, found on many properties, help create beautiful low maintenance landscapes while providing abundant wildlife habitat. Starting with trees and working from “the top down” helps us to understand which plant communities are characterized by the dominance of particular trees and shrubs. Understanding these relationships allows us to reproduce native plant communities and create effective habitat gardens. In this overview of native Pennsylvania trees you will learn how to identify them by examining flowers, bark,
leaves and habit. Tree lover Ken LeRoy will take you on a tour of the Morris Arboretum focusing on native trees and shrubs and
providing identification tips. He will discuss fruiting and flowering times and how these native plants are best used in the landscape. He will also talk about potentially invasive trees commonly used in the home landscape.
Members: $25
Non-members: $30
Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125 |
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