Native Meadows, Glades and other Sunny Habitats: Ecology, Restoration, and Gardens

Thursdays, January 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2026

Online via Zoom

How and where do native meadows, glades, shrublands, and other sunny habitats occur in the wild? How can we steward them in natural areas and mimic them in smaller landscapes and gardens?

In this short course we’ll discuss the ecology of open sunny plant habitats. What role do open habitats play in the historical ecology of our area? What forces allowed for the persistence of sunny habitats in a region typically dominated by forests?

We’ll focus in on sun-loving native plant species, and learn about many charismatic plant species that rely on open habitats. We’ll also discuss the many species of conservation concern found in meadows, glades, shrublands, and other openings.

We’ll talk about gardens, and discuss lawn to meadow conversions, gravel gardens, pocket meadows and larger meadow projects.

And we’ll discuss the profound importance of humans in creating and maintaining these habitat types, including the role of fire, forestry, landscaping, and ecological restoration.

Jared Rosenbaum is a botanist, native plant grower, and Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner. He is a founding partner at Wild Ridge Plants LLC, a business that grows local ecotype native plants using sustainable practices and performs botanical surveys. Jared is the author of the book Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Native Edible and Medicinal Plant Communities, as well as the children’s book The Puddle Garden, about native plants and wildlife.