Anyone 21 years or older is eligible to apply to take Native Plant Master courses.

To become a certified Native Plant Master, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

·        For each course taken, commit to teaching at least 20 people about Colorado plants by December 31 of that year.

·        Complete quarterly reports on the number of public contacts made.
 

Native Plant Master courses are offered at various open space parks, State parks and other public lands.  No course is a required prerequisite for another course.  Each 12-hour course is made up of three, four-hour sessions taught on mornings in May, June, July, August or September. There is a fee for each course. Courses are offered at a reduced rate for participants who agree to teach at least 20 people per year about Colorado plants for each course taken.
 

Courses are taught in the field using living examples of the native flora in Colorado. Topics for the three sessions include:

·        Session 1:  Plant identification with an emphasis on scientific names, families and use of a botanical key.

·        Session 2:  Ecological relationships, including non-native plants.

·        Session 3:  Landscape, food and other human uses.

All instructors are staff or volunteers of Colorado State University Extension with extensive field experience in Colorado ecosystems.  Courses are moderately strenuous and may require walking on steep inclines for up to 2 miles on wet, rough, and/or slippery footing during windy, cold, hot or rainy days.
 

To be certified as a Native Plant Master, participants must take three courses in different months and/or locations.  If participants can't take all three courses in one year, they may apply in future years to take courses still needed for certification.  After successfully completing three courses and the educational contact requirement, participants are awarded the Native Plant Master certification. Certification may be maintained by teaching at least 60 people per year about native plants and reporting quarterly on those contacts.

 

Native Plant courses are available to the general public.  This option does not require any educational contacts.
 

Application process is required; registration is limited.

Applications are due by March 15 except for Boulder and Larimer Counties (call the numbers listed in the chart below for deadline information).  Follow the instructions in the table below for a copy of the application including course schedule.

What is CSU Extension?
The Native Plant Master Program is sponsored by Colorado State University Extension.  Extension is the outreach arm of CSU with branch offices in most of Colorado's counties.  The mission of Jefferson County Extension is to provide practical, research-based information and relevant educational programming to enhance the quality of life for county citizens.