About our Courses and Certificate Program

The Society offers the largest public native plant education program in America. We invite you to explore more than 250 classes, workshops, trips, symposia, and events available each year at Garden in the Woods and “Native Plant Learning Centers” located throughout New England.

Whether you are a beginning gardener, a family looking for children’s programs, an amateur botanist/naturalist, an educator, or a plant professional, find your perfect fit below.

Serious students of field botany and native pant horticulture/design can obtain a Certificate in our Native Plant Studies Program. Click here for more information.

How to Register for Courses

Registration is by phone (508-877-7630 ext.3303), fax (508-877-3658), or by mail (Registrar, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA 01701). Click here to download a registration form (PDF). Members receive a special discount on course fees. The public is welcome.

Questions: contact the Registrar at registrar@newfs.org.

Browse the Course Catalog

To find out about our education programs, use the sortable table below. Click on topic heading to sort by date, region, subject, or title.

BACKROADS CHINA April 18–May 7, 2008

Nestled in southwestern China is the most scenic and culturally rich area of the country—Yunnan Province. Yunnan’s flora and landscapes are both diverse and spectacular, and scientists believe the world’s azaleas evolved here. Ted Elliman, New England Wild Flower Society’s   Vegetation Management Coordinator, is our guide through this magical land, coinciding with peak spring bloom. Ted has two decades of experience in southwestern China, and led our first China trip in 2002.  

Despite rapid modernization, Yunnan still possesses delightful backroads and fascinating cultures to discover, including the part of the Tibetan Plateau now known as “Shangri-La.” The trip will take us from remote Himalayan border regions to tropical sites like Elephant Valley and the Tropical Botanical Garden at Xishuanbanna.

Trip fee is $3,845 plus air fare. A trip extension to Angkor Wat in Cambodia is also available. Please contact the Registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303, for a brochure with full details and itinerary, or call Betchart Expeditions, Inc. at 800-252-4910.

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