Naturalistic Landscaping with Native Wildflower and Fern Identification
Saturday, August 3rd from 9 am to 12 pm

“Naturalistic Landscaping appeals to the kind of person who likes wild nature, modified just a bit… He is willing to tip the scales of nature with one finger, not spend his life trying to grow plants in anti-ecological unnaturalness.”

-Warren G. Kenfield, 1966. The Wild Gardener in the Wild Landscape.

Studying natural and lightly managed vegetation can help us to understand how we can maintain an attractive landscape while working within ecologically sound principles. This workshop, led by John Anderson, will guide you through the process of naturalistic landscaping following the Egler/Kenfiled method. There will also be a significant amount of plant identification, for knowing what you have is the first step in the process.

The workshop is limited to the first 16 people who register. Please email or call in advance: contact@atonforest.org; 860-248-1053. This is a free-will donation event. Donations support Aton Forest's ongoing education programs. 

Meet at Aton Forest Headquarters, 270 North Colebrook Road, Norfolk. This program is part of Weekend In Norfolk, August 2-4.
Plan on bringing sunscreen, insect repellant, and appropriate dress for the outdoors.


John Anderson is Executive Director of Aton Forest Inc., and the Aton Forest Fellow, continuing the research established by founder Frank Egler. John is an ecologist who studies vegetation science, leads land management and conservation projects, and gives educational programs on the art and science of naturalistic landscaping and related topics.

New Directions in the American Landscape

Two-Day Natural Design Field Workshop
September 4th and 5th

Aton Forest is partnering with NDAL to bring you a premier landscape program that includes a visit and talk to Aton forest. Check back here for more information.

NDAL was founded by Larry Weaner: visit their website at https://ndal.org/

Asters Demystified

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Led by Bill Moorhead, consulting botanist

9 am – 4 pm

We will cover the identification and ecology of most of the 32 southern New England species of asters (genera Aster, Doellingeria, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oclemena, and Symphyotrichum) and some of the hybrids.  The workshop will begin with a lab session at Aton Forest, in which we will cover the basics of aster identification and the species we will not see in the field.  We will then car-pool to several field sites in the vicinity of Aton Forest, where we will cover field identification of the species that occur in northwest Connecticut.  The discussions of species ecology will include wetland indicator value of each species.  This workshop will run, rain or shine.  If the weather is too bad for field work, we will extend the lab session, using fresh and pressed collected material.  Participants are encouraged to bring specimens.  This workshop is suitable for both aster beginners and more experienced botanists to whom asters are a challenge. This workshop is co-sponsored with the Connecticut Botanical Society.

Location: Aton Forest Headquarters, 270 North Colebrook Rd., Norfolk, CT 06058.

Tuition: $85 - we accept check by mail (PO Box 509, Norfolk, CT 06058) or card via PayPal (http://atonforest.org); coffee, tea and other beverages provided.

Workshops limited to 16 participants. Registration and payment required in advance.
Continuing Education Units will be available if requested at least a week in advance. Please contact Aton forest for more information.
 
BILL MOORHEAD is an independent consulting field botanist based in western Connecticut. He has specialized for over 30 years in the search for populations of rare plants and their habitats, and the study of plant communities and the factors determining their species composition and distribution.

For more information contact the instructor at whmoorhead@optonline.net (860-543-1786) or Aton Forest at contact@atonforest.org (860) 542-5125

Note: If a session is canceled by us for any reason, tuition payments will be refunded in full, by mail or through PayPal.  Tuition will not be refunded if a registered participant cancels less than 2 weeks before the workshop.

Floodplain Forest Plant Communities

Cancelled to this year

We intend to offer this workshop in 2020

Led by Bill Moorhead, consulting botanist

9 am – 5 pm

In this workshop you will learn the identification and habitat niches of plants found in Connecticut’s floodplain vegetation. The workshop will emphasize field identification of the important Federal wetland indicator plants encountered. There will also be portions of the workshop devoted to wetlands soils descriptions and identification. This workshop is co-sponsored with the Connecticut Botanical Society

Location: location to be announced.

To register check back here later.