Garden Certifications You Might be Interested In...

Here are a few garden certifications you can choose to get for yourself or your gardens.  The Great American Bird Count is coming up this month so don't forget to register and count the birds you see in your backyard/garden. Be sure to check them out!
Wildlife Habitat Certification
Certify Your Habitat-Anyone can create a welcoming haven for local wildlife. Turning your yard, balcony container garden, schoolyard, work landscape, or roadside greenspace into a Certified Wildlife Habitat® is fun, easy, and can make a lasting difference for wildlife.
National Garden clubs-Plant America-Plant Pollinators
National Garden Clubs President Brenda Moore wants to encourage NGC members to make our gardens more than just beautiful.  That’s why she created the National Garden Clubs Pollinator Garden Certification program. Our gardens can support birds, bees and other insects, and this program provides the incentive to take additional steps to make sure we’re providing all the components to help pollinators thrive. ​
Professional Gardener Certificate Program
In the Professional Gardener Certificate of Merit Program (PGL1), students gain the fundamental knowledge and skills required of garden professionals. This program provides a foundational knowledge of native and ornamental plants, a focus on gardening techniques throughout the seasons, and an understanding of soils and plant health. The certificate coursework features hands-on learning leading to a new career or career advancement in the horticulture industry.
Certified Monarch Waystations
To offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar sources we need to create, conserve, and protect monarch butterfly habitats. You can help by creating "Monarch Waystations" (monarch habitats) in home gardens, at schools, businesses, parks, zoos, nature centers, along roadsides, and on other unused plots of land. Creating a Monarch Waystation can be as simple as adding milkweeds and nectar sources to existing gardens or maintaining natural habitats with milkweeds. No effort is too small to have a positive impact. By creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation you are contributing to monarch conservation, an effort that will help assure the preservation of the species and the continuation of the spectacular monarch migration phenomenon.
Great Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.

The 27th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 16, through Monday, February 19, 2024. Please visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information.
Become an Illinois Maser Gardener Volunteer
​Interested in becoming a Certified Illinois Extension Master Gardener Volunteer or just simply bettering your own gardening knowledge? Our online training program may be for you. Please read carefully through the details below. Timing of training availability may vary from county to county.
Pollinator Steward Certification
PLEASE NOTE: Registration for the 2024 Pollinator Steward Certification Program is NOW OPEN!
We are excited to announce that we will be running our virtual Pollinator Steward Certification (PSC) training again in 2024!
There are limited spaces so register today to reserve your spot in this educational program offered only by Pollinator Partnership. PSC empowers people with the scientific know-how to make a real difference for pollinators, people, and the planet.
Topics include an introduction to the wonderful world of pollinators, how they live and thrive, threats to pollinators, and how we all can help. Details will be provided on habitat creation for pollinators in many landscapes including parks, rights-of-way, urban gardens, and farms. Additional information on pollinator identification and how to spread your knowledge will be provided.
This course is ideal for home gardeners, land managers (large and small), farmers, and anyone that wants to do more to support pollinators. Join our growing community of Certified Pollinator Stewards!