Neela De Zoysa

Thursday, June 6, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern – New England Roses, Online

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Our native New England roses have charming fragrant blossoms that attract a wide range of pollinators, while their spiny thickets provide important wildlife habitat. These hardy shrubs grow in a wide range of habitats and are great additions to flower gardens. Learn to identify Virginia rose (Rosa virginiana) pictured below, Carolina rose (R. carolina), swamp rose (R. palustris), bristly rose (R. acicularis), and shining rose (R. nitida), several non-native species, and the invasive multiflora rose (R. multiflora). Dubbed “the queen of flowers,” roses are perhaps the most recognizable of blooms. Several rose species are native to New England. Many more are introduced and naturalized and have become a familiar part of our landscape. Their beautiful scented blossoms are popular with pollinators, spiny thickets provide important habitat for wildlife, and hardy shrubs and ramblers are prized by gardeners. Learn to distinguish native species, common naturalized species, and the invasive multiflora rose, and become familiar with their habitats.This Native Plant Trust class takes place June 6 at 5:30 pm with instructor Neela de Zoysa, online. NPT members $51, nonmembers $60. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/new-england-roses/

Saturday, May 11, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Inland Pine Barrens

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Glacial outwash creates an unusual inland sandplain habitat of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) amidst forest and wetland in a 600-acre area known as “The Desert” at the Memorial Forest of Sudbury Valley Trust. Come observe this special plant community and its associated wildlife while learning about efforts to restore fire-dependent sandplain habitats through prescribed burns. This Native Plant Trust easy hike will also feature red pine and black huckleberry. The walk will be led by Neela de Zoysa on May 11 from 10 – 1, and is $51 for NPT members, $60 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/inland-pine-barrens/

Monday, April 8, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Riparian Communities, Online

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River shores and stream banks have unique riparian vegetation that is adapted to changing water levels. In this Native Plants Trust virtual program on April 8 from 1 – 3, we will follow the Sudbury and Assabet rivers from the watershed’s headwaters in Westborough to its junction with the Merrimac River in Lowell with Neela de Zoysa. Along the way, we will encounter Atlantic cedar swamps, floodplain forests, shrub swamps, emergent marshes, and oxbow lakes as well as the species that characterize them. We will also learn about threats posed by dams, clearing, and pollution.

Please note: We do not make video or audio recordings of classes or programs available after the fact, because we believe education is interactive, with instructors and students building a community and culture of learning. Some programs may be recorded strictly for instructor-training purposes.

$30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org

US Fish & Wildlife Service – photo Jay Beeler

Thursday, January 25, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern – Green in the Winterscape, Online

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A surprising number of plants remain green through the winter; lichens, mosses and liverworts, ferns, ericaceous shrubs and evergreen trees, and many more. Which plants stay green, how, and why? In this Native Plants Trust online class on January 25, you will learn how to recognize and identify the groups of evergreen plants and explore evolutionary and strategies for year-round foliage. Neela de Zoysa is the instructor. $45 for NPT members, $54 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/green-winterscape/

Please note: NPT does not make video or audio recordings of classes or programs available after the fact, because they believe education is interactive, with instructors and students building a community and culture of learning. Some programs may be recorded strictly for instructor-training purposes. Please visit this page to review this and other FAQs about the policies.

Saturday, October 28, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Vines and Creepers

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Wetland and disturbed areas are often a tangle of woody and herbaceous vines, creepers, brambles, and briars. Ever wondered about the differences among these groups of plants and how they twine, creep, climb, and scramble? Learn to identify a dozen species on this easy walk through successional vegetation. This field trip is sponsored by Native Plant Trust and will be led by Neela de Zoysa on October 28 from 2 – 4 at Wolbach Farm in Sudbury. The Farm is a Sudbury Valley Trustees property. $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/vines-and-creepers/ Wear long pants.

Sunday, October 1, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Bog Plants

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One of Thoreau’s beloved landscapes, referenced often in his writings, Gowing’s Swamp is a rare and beautiful bog in a kettle hole below a glacial ridge in Concord, Massachusetts. Neela de Zoysa of the Native Plant Trust will walk the loop around the bog and explore the thriving community of northern bog plants such as pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia), small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), and black spruce (Picea mariana). The field trip takes place Sunday October 1 from 1 – 3 at Gowing’s Swamp, a Sudbury Valley Trustees Property. $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/bog-plants/

Saturday, July 15, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Orchids of New England

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Curious about Lady’s-slipper orchids or the rose pogonia, made famous by Robert Frost’s poem? Orchidaceae is one of the largest plant families in the world, and there are 50 orchid species native to New England, from showy lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae) to rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides). While some species are common, many are of conservation concern. This session provides context for understanding native orchid habitats, diversity, and conservation issues. You will learn identification techniques, pollination strategies, and life-cycle stages for native orchids. Learn about the members of this highly evolved plant family and their specialized pollination strategies and interesting life cycles. Botanist Neela de Zoysa will conduct a class on Orchids of New England on Saturday, July 23 at 12:30 pm at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $60 for Native Plant Trust members, $72 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/orchids-new-england-2/

Image result for rose pogonia orchid

Saturday, July 8, 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Eastern – Milkweeds and Dogbanes, Online

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Milkweeds (Asclepias) are some of the most attractive and fragrant wildflowers, in addition to being magnets for butterflies and pollinators. Learn about their special relationship with monarch butterflies and their complex flower structure, ingenious pollination strategy, and protective chemical arsenal. This class will help you identify the common and rare species and recognize their surprising range of habitats. You will also learn tips for milkweed cultivation and discuss the dangers that threaten this native plant. The Native Plant Trust webinar on July 8 from 12:30 – 3:30 will be led by Neela de Zoysa. $45 for NPT members, $54 for nonmembers. Register HERE.

Please note: We do not make video or audio recordings of classes or programs available after the fact, because NPT believes education is interactive, with instructors and students building a community and culture of learning. Some programs may be recorded strictly for instructor-training purposes. Please visit this page to review this and other FAQs about our policies.

Saturday, June 3, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Floodplain Forests

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Floodplains have special plants that are adapted to inundation and fluctuating water levels. Join The Native Plant Trust and Neela de Zoysa an easy walk in the Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland, Massachusetts, on June 3 at 1 pm, to observe the vegetation of a typical small-river floodplain with nearly half a mile of shoreline accessible to the Sudbury River. This stretch of the river is federally designated as a wild and scenic river and has beautiful stands of silver maple (Acer saccharinum), basswood (Tilia americana), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), red maple (Acer rubrum), and shrub swamps of buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/floodplain-forests/

Mondays, May 1 – May 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Eastern – Wildflowers of New England, Live and Online

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This Native Plant Trust Live virtual course provides a comprehensive introduction to native plants, including their identification, ecology, and conservation. We explore New England’s native plants by studying key identification features of flowers, leaves, and stems; family characteristics; growth patterns; pollinators; seed dispersers; and habitats. You will learn basic botanical skills and tools for identifying wildflowers and study pollination and coevolution of flower structure and design, habitats and ecology, and conservation concerns. (This course is also offered in-person). Neela de Zoysa leads the four Monday sessions, May 1 – 22. $216 for NPT members, $264 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org Once registered, students will receive an automatic email containing details about the course and their receipt. These details may include pre-class readings, handouts, an access link, or directions to field sites. A reminder email will be sent out 1 week in advance.

Common Groundnut courtesy Go Botany