NATIVE PLANT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
2026-06-13 08:00 - 2026-06-14 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Red River National Wildlife Refuge, 150 Eagle Bend Point, Bossier City, LA, 71112, United States
Louisiana Native Plant Society has scheduled the latest in its series of trainings for native plant professionals and dedicated gardeners, providing information and best practices on topics from ecology to garden design. Read all about it here; registration deadline is May 23.

Every Friday: Big Lake Native Plant Trail Restoration Project
2026-06-19 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-06-26 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-10 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-17 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-24 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-31 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-08-07 08:00 - 10:00, 2026-08-14 08:00 - 10:00 and 2 more dates | Big Lake, City Park, 7 Freiderichs Ave
Put your gardening skills to work (and learn some new ones) at the Big Lake Native Plant Trail in New Orleans City Park (the trail is near the boat and bike rental on Friedrichs Avenue). Pull weeds, prune, plant, and work with some of the most knowledgeable gardeners around. City Park provides tools, clean gloves, water, and insect repellent or you can bring your own. Pick a Friday (or two? or more?) and sign up at the City Park Conservancy Volunteer Calendar of Events webpage. If you have questions, email team leaders Susan Norris-Davis or Jennifer Prout.

History Of Garden Design Talk
2026-06-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Lakeshore Library, 1000 W Esplanade Ave, Metarie, 70005, United States
The Louisiana Master Gardener program presents Anna Timmerman of the LSU AgCenter, who’ll share the history of gardening from ancient times to now. As we know from our own experiences, gardens can be fine art, totally functional, and everywhere in between, and they can reveal a lot about our relations to the natural world.

Volunteer At Morris Jeff School
2026-07-10 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-11 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-12 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-17 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-18 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-19 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-24 07:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-25 07:00 - 11:00 and 1 more date | Morris Jeff School, 211 South Lopez, New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, 70119, United States
The kids planted their native plant garden this spring, but summer volunteers are needed to keep things on track so back-to-school time will mean back to the garden too. Join Michele Mire for digging, weeding, mulching, and light pruning. No need to sign up: just come when you can (bring your own tools and water) and stay for as long as you can. Contact Michele at 504-258-5117 if you have questions.

Seed Collecting
2026-07-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, 4300 South Broad in New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, 70114-1389, United States
It’s seed collection time! Join the Pull & Prune team at one of the public gardens maintained by NPI and learn to tell if seeds are ready, how to harvest, and how to store them til they’re ready to package and share. NPI will supply brown paper bags (all sizes are useful, from grocery bags to lunch bags), clippers and scissors, colanders, and Sharpies for labeling, but the more tools and supplies the merrier, so if you have your own, please bring them.

Wild Ones Pontchartrain Basin Meeting With Presentation On Native Plant Taxonomy
2026-07-19 13:30 - 16:00 | 63350 Pelican Dr, 63350 Pelican Dr, Mandeville, LA, 70448, United States
Dedicated birder and native plants gardener Wendy Rihner shares the secrets of plant taxonomy, which sets the rules for scientific names. Her talk’s official title “From ‘loathsome harlotry’ to DNA: plant taxonomy is not nerdy!” suggests that this has been a controversial topic from its beginning. Taxonomy prevents the confusion created by multiple common names for the same plant; more importantly, it may help address the threats a changing climate poses for plant communities from life cycles to extinction. Wendy is a retired Delgado Community College English professor, Wild Ones Pontchartrain Basin board member, active member of NPI and the Orleans Audubon Society, and owner of Birdgirl’s Blooms native plants. If you can’t make it in person, the recorded meeting (and other presentations) will be available here. If you can make it in person, here’s a map.

Gardening in Longue Vue's Native wildflower path
2026-07-23 08:30 - 10:30, 2026-08-20 08:30 - 10:30 | Longue Vue, 7 Bamboo Road, New Orleans, LA, 70124, United States
Go a little wild with volunteer projects in Longue Vue’s native garden on the second to last Thursday of each month. Bring your own water bottle, gloves, hat, and insect repellent. To sign up, visit the Longue Vue volunteer webpage or email Leigh.

Prune and Pull Lafitte Greenway
2026-08-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Lafitte Greenway, Greenway Plaza, 436 N. Norman C. Francis Pkwy., New Orleans, Louisiana
Help us maintain our native garden at the Lafitte Greenway Turning Sculpture (at the corner of Conti and Norman C. Francis Parkway in New Orleans). We’ll be pulling weeds, pruning our native plants, and chatting with passersby about the great work NPI does. New to native plants? Don’t worry, we’ll have experts on site to teach you how to work in the garden. Please bring your own water, gloves, sun protection, and bug spray. We’ll have some extra gardening tools on hand, but if you happen to have your own, bring them! Need more info or have questions about the event? Email admin@npi-gno.org

Seed Packing
2026-08-29 12:00 - 15:00 | JEFFERSON PARISH EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY, 4747 WEST NAPOLEON AVENUE, Metarie, LA, 70001, United States
It’s time to get those native plant seeds ready to go to work! Join the party in the library’s Jefferson Room to prep and pack seeds; experts will be on hand to provide all the whys and hows. If you’ve been collecting seeds, bring them along to share (check out the Learn & Share section below for seed collecting info). If you haven’t been collecting, there’ll be plenty of seeds from local gardens for you to work on. NPI will provide envelopes and some tools, but if you can bring sieves, colanders, or measuring spoons, they’ll be most useful. As always, everyone is welcome, NPI member or not (to join NPI, follow this link to joinit.com). No sign-up, just show up.

Prune and Pull Rosa Keller Library
2026-09-08 17:00 - 19:00 | Rosa Keller Library, 4300 S Broad Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70125, United States
The garden features a bioswale with native plants and trees that reduces stormwater runoff, brightens the neighborhood with year-round blooms and pollinators, and showcases the teamwork of NPI, the New Orleans Public Library system, the Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans, and the New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways.

NPI Meeting And Tour Of The Louisiana Wetlands Education Center
2026-09-19 09:00 - 12:00 | Louisiana Wetlands Education Center, 4905 City Park Drive, Jean Lafitte, LA, 70067, United States
Take a walk on the wild side! The morning’s fun will include a short NPI business meeting and a stroll through the swamp on an elevated boardwalk. When the building opens at 10:00 a.m., it’s time to explore the center’s exhibits to learn more about local plants, critters, and ecosystems. The link above has information about the center and a map to get you there. Enjoy a sneak preview via this Fox 8 WVUE-TV story. Closed-toe shoes, mosquito repellent, and water are suggested. As always, everyone is welcome, NPI member or not (to join NPI, follow this link to joinit.com). No sign-up, just show up. Free (note that although the center now charges admission, since NPI booked our visit before admission fees went into effect, this NPI field trip will be free!).

Bartram Bio Bash
2026-09-25 - 2026-09-27 | FONTAINEBLEAU STATE PARK, 62883 HIGHWAY 1089, Mandeville, LA, 70448, United States
It’s like nature camp for grownups, though kids are welcome too! Hike, paddle, listen, and learn; come for the day or stay overnight. Details and how to sign up at the link; early bird registration is now underway.
