Wildlife Habitat Landscaping Workshops:

Two courses are currently being offered: Gardening for Backyard Wildlife and Basics of Butterfly Gardening. See course outlines below.

Educational Objectives: Gardening and bird watching are two of the nation’s most popular hobbies. Whether you live on a farm, in the suburbs, or in the midst of a city, there are many ways to provide food, water, shelter, and nesting habitat for wildlife. Through multi-media classroom presentations and hands-on field experience, this workshop will demonstrate: backyard landscape planning; selecting healthy plant specimens; planting techniques; gardening for butterflies; planting to attract hummingbirds; enhancing your landscape with trees, shrubs, and shelter to attract bluebirds and other songbirds; adding water features; and maintaining your backyard habitat. In the process, your knowledge of ecology and your wildlife observation skills will also grow.

Basics of Butterfly Gardening:
Length: Half-day class for groups of 8 or fewer students. Private instruction available by appointment. Classes scheduled during the summer months. Contact us via email for more details and dates of upcoming classes.

Educational Objectives: Butterflies bring fragile beauty and flashes of color to our yards, but few of us plant gardens attuned to their needs. Actually, the native plants that attract butterflies often require less care than traditional cultivated landscapes, so growing a butterfly garden may be easier than you think! Using a photo-illustrated presentation as well as first-hand observations in the butterfly gardens planted at Lost Cove, Connie Toops will introduce participants to the fascinating life cycle that generates butterflies. Since caterpillars feed on specific host plants and adult butterflies frequently nectar on different species, Connie will identify what to plant and how to plant it to make your garden irresistible.

See Also: Gardening for Butterflies

Due to the secluded location of Lost Cove, site visits are by appointment only. Contact us via email for details.