As gardeners, winter is often viewed as an opportunity to hunker down in the indoors and browse seed catalogs and design your next habitat garden. Although these are all valuable practices, there is plenty to keep your heart pumping and spirits lifted in the outdoors this winter! In this on-site workshop, skills were honed for 4 ecological gardening practices that are ideal in the winter, including seeding native mini-meadows and invasive species management.

Elyse Jurgen, owner of Waxwing EcoWorks Co, is a community collaborator working to rebuild ecological literacy and biodiversity through hands-on ecological gardening experiences in South Central PA.

She is certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and Ecological/Permaculture Designer, along with earning an Ecological Gardening Certification from Mt. Cuba Center. She has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education, 7-12 Biology Teaching Certification, and participated in Cornell University’s Civic Ecology program. Elyse works alongside homeowners in a participatory approach to their gardening for wildlife needs, infusing educational opportunities during the design, installation, and management process. She invites homeowners to deeply engage with their land to maximize its potential in enhancing human well-being and supporting dwindling wildlife populations.