Wildflower Society & Museum Have Teamed Up For Courses & Programs

NEW HAVEN — The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is offering a series of New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) courses and programs for beginning and advanced plant and natural history enthusiasts.

Educators affiliated with both institutions will conduct the sessions.

The public can now enjoy one of these highly recognized programs without going out of state. Program locations include Horse Island, Sleeping Giant State Park, the Peabody Museum Natural Area, and the museum itself.

Programs will run from May through September. The free programs do not require reservations but are on a first-come basis; fee-based courses require advance registration (details are offered below on free vs fee programs).

Registration for any program can be done by calling Jim Sirch, Peabody educator, at 203-432-6919.

A lecture, “New England’s Invasive Plants: A Gallery Talk,” will be offered on Thursday, May 12, from 4 to 5:30 pm, at the museum.

Invasive plant expert Chris Mattrick will present an illustrated talk on the identification, natural history, and ecology of common invasive plant species. The lecture is held in conjunction with “Landscape Under Siege: Invasive Plants of Connecticut,” an exhibition at the Peabody of botanically accurate watercolors by members of the Greater New York Chapter of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.

A Butterfly & Bird Plant Sale will be held at the museum on Saturday, May 14, from 10 am to 4 pm. Perennials, annuals and shrubs that are attractive to butterflies and birds will be sold outdoors under a tent.

 Additional programs will include a moderate hike at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden led by botanist Ted Elliman on Sunday, May 15 ($28 per person); a field trip to The Peabody Museum Natural Area, located in Branford, on Saturday, July 11, led by Weeds in Winter and Grasses author and botanist Lauren Brown, will let participants discover some of the more than 200 plant species on 36 acres ($23).

Also in June, Ms Brown will lead a short excursion on Sunday, June 12, to Horse Island, part of the Thimble Islands off the coast of Connecticut, to explore a mix of coastal and early successional vegetation ($29, including ferry ticket); and Broken Arrow Nursery propagator Adam Wheeler and manager Andy Brand will lead a hands-on workshop, “The Art and Science of Woody Plant Propagation,” at the Hamden nursery on Saturday, June 25, from 9 am until noon ($30).

Finally, on Saturday, September 29, another hands-on workshop, “Controlling Invasive Plants for the Homeowner,” will be offered. The workshop location is yet to be decided, but the program will run from 9 am to noon and will be led by invasive plant expert and NEWFS senior conservation program planner Chris Mattrick. Cost is $33.