Somerset County Chapter - The Native Plant Society of New Jersey

Upcoming Event

Watch for more events coming soon!

Past Events

Thursday, February 20th

In case you missed this presentation or want to watch it again, you can view it here. Here is the handout to go along with it.

Sarah Jayne presents: Integrating Biodiversity and Beauty: Cultivating Keystone Plants with Community Acceptance.

Now more than ever our yards and community spaces need to support biodiversity. How can we ensure that our spaces are both ecologically rich and beautiful? In this fast-paced, practical workshop, we’ll look at which plants matter most when it comes to your local biodiversity; how to procure them for generous plantings; and how to place and care for them to increase their visual appeal. We’ll consider strategies to ensure that our landscapes gain community acceptance such that they become invitations for others to transform their landscapes. A cost-conscious, DIY approach makes taking action doable. Along with a detailed handout, you’ll come away inspired and empowered to invite more biodiversity into your spaces.

Sarah F. Jayne has worked intensively with plants and wildlife for over four decades from California to the East Coast. She earned a degree in agriculture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and later owned and operated an organic market farm and nursery.

Inspired by Doug Tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home, Sarah transformed her approach to landscaping. Recognizing the pivotal role that each person can play in addressing the biodiversity crisis, she trials methods to manage ecological landscapes that enable people who may have limited resources and little or no gardening skills to encourage biodiverse ecosystems that support wildlife where they live.

Her book Nature’s Action Guide: How to Support Biodiversity and Your Local Ecosystem, a companion to Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope, features 15 actions we urgently need to take to support biodiversity. Sarah lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania surrounded by wildlife habitat. Find out more about Sarah at www.naturesactionguide.org.

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Jared Rosenbaum- Rare Plants and the Primary Forest of the Sourlands

Full List of Resources

Click here for a free 13-Page handout from the book Nature’s Action Guide by Sarah F. Jayne

Click here for a free 4-Page handout from the book Planting for Climate Resilience by A Wild Seed Project Guide

Click here for the Grasses and Sedges Planting Guide for New Jersey

About the Somerset County Chapter

Somerset County is located in the picturesque (and somewhat mythical) region of Central New Jersey, renowned for its historic towns, lush landscapes, and diverse ecosystems. Our goal as a chapter is to assemble individuals passionate about botany, ecology, native plant gardening, and environmental stewardship, in our collective endeavor to appreciate, conserve, and study New Jersey’s indigenous plants and their habitats.

We warmly welcome everyone, from novice gardeners to expert botanists, interested in enriching their landscapes with native plants, cultivating gardens that support local wildlife, and actively participating in our region’s unique botanical legacy. Our meetings, workshops, and special events will provide a platform for collaboration, learning, and celebration of the beauty and importance of New Jersey’s native plants. Join us in the Somerset County Chapter as we explore, protect, and celebrate the flora that defines our state, contributing to a greener and more sustainable New Jersey.

Leaders: Valerie Szkodny and Nancy Toro
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