2026 NPM 3-Day Course RidgeGate - June 9,16, & 23 @ 8am-12pm

Join us to discover plants of the foothills along the Willow Creek Trail in the RidgeGate community near Prairie Sky Park in Lone Tree. We’ll see a mix of xeric and riparian plants in this acreage east of Bluffs Regional Park. We’ll learn a mix of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.

You can use the address of 9381 Crossington Way to find the parking lot just south of the ball fields at Prairie Sky Park. We will follow the trail south of Crossington Way as it climbs up through native grasses, wildflowers and stands of Gambel oak and mountain mahogany. It’s unlikely that we will climb to the summit at Ridgeline High Point.

Following the exam on week 3, we will move to discover some additional plants found at Bluffs Regional Park 5 minutes west of where we originally park at Prairie Sky Park.

This 3-week course counts towards Native Plant Master Certification with a passing grade on week 3’s exam.

TRAINER:

Bart Deferme is an experienced naturalist who works as a park interpreter for South Platte Park. He also provides guided tours of the Rockies with his company Alderman Guides. When he is not guiding other people and teaching about the fauna and flora of Colorado, he spends his spare time enjoying and learning more about the fauna and flora of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest.

Beth Hanson is a life-long gardener with a BS in Horticulture from CSU, over 30 years of professional experience in the field and over 25 years as a Master Gardener and Native Plant Master Instructor. Beth is a professional educator/interpreter passionate about including native plants in our everyday lives.

PREREQUISITE:

Participants who register for a Native Plant Master certification courses will get access to 2 new introductory CSU Online NPM classes (a $138 value!) for free. You will be sent an email with access to these online classes once you have registerd.

Pre-requisite online courses will be:
1. Basic Field Botany
2. Plant Families and How to use a Dichotomous Key

NATIVE PLANT MASTER PROGRAM:

Participants who pass three NPM courses will receive a Native Plant Master Certificate. This 12 hour class fulfills 1/3 of the 36-hour coursework requirement towards certification as a Native Plant Master. Courses should be taken in different months and/or vegetation zones. Learn more here.

REQUIRED TEXT & MATERIALS:

Text: Flora of Colorado by Jennifer Ackerfield. It is preferred to get the newest (2022) 2nd edition, as this is the version that the class will be taught from.

Materials: A hand lens or loupe (approximately 10x.) Both lens and textbook are available through the Colorado Native Plant Society bookstore (https://conps.org/conps-store), local and online retail outlets, and the publisher (800-621-2736).

WHEN & WHERE TO MEET:

We will meet at the parking lot just south of the ball fields at Prairie Sky Park. You can use the address of 9381 Crossington Way in Lone Tree, CO to find this parking lot. Please arrive early to find the group, class will start at 8:00am sharp.

WHAT TO BRING:

Text book, pencil, hand lens, daypack, water, snack/sack lunch, rain gear, sun, and wind protection, bug repellent, and personal items you will need on the trail where there are no restrooms, etc. Please come prepared for moderately strenuous walking on hot, cold, windy, rainy or snowy days. (Field hikecan be on uneven terrain with hills. Bringing hiking poles is encouraged if they would make you more comfortable on the trail.)

INCLEMENT WEATHER/ILLNESS:

In the rare circumstance that a session must be canceled, you will be notified by phone and/or email message as soon as possible by the trainer and/or NPM Coordinator. Please confirm the email address and phone number that you use to register is current and will easily reach you.

PLEASE NOTE:

Although many courses fill up quickly, NPM courses with low enrollment may be cancelled.

If you are interested in this course but the fee is a barrier, please reach out to [email protected] to ask about our scholarship opportunities.

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Host or Publisher Foothills to Plains Native Plant Master Program