Congratulations to the first group of participants to complete the Native Plant Certificate Program, an 80-hour course sponsored by the State Botanical Garden and the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance. The GNPS is pleased that six of the eight participants in this group are members of the GNPS.

The following people received Certificates on January 21, 2009: L-R, with their organizations: Joel Hitt (GNPS and BotSoc), Cindy Fielder (GNPS), Denise Hartline (GNPS and BotSoc), Ed McDowell (GNPS and BotSoc), Jane O'Brien (BotSoc), Joyce Stewart (GNPS), Margaret Rasmussen (BotSoc), and Susan Todd (GNPS and BotSoc)

The Native Plant Certificate Program provides participants with the basic knowledge and skills that dedicated amateurs and professionals need to know about native plants and their conservation. The program offers a comprehensive series of short courses in identification, cultivation, propagation, ecology, and conservation of native Georgia plants. With an emphasis on participatory learning, the short courses are designed to provide a supportive and challenging learning atmosphere.

To complete the certificate program, students must complete four core courses, a minimum of six elective courses, at least two organized/planned field trips, and fifteen hours of volunteer service in an approved area relevant to native plants or plant conservation.

For more information on the Native Plant Certificate Program, please see www.uga.edu/botgarden/cnp.html.