New Naturalism Academy

The New Naturalism Academy is a virtual school developed by planting designer Kelly D. Norris. The Winter Cohort is the foundation course in horticultural ecology suitable for both professionals and serious enthusiasts. The Fall Cohort is a design-intensive course geared towards landscape design professionals.

Available Courses

Winter Cohort

The course offers a thorough overview of how ecological landscape design can be defined, what differentiates it from more conventional design approaches, and why to use it. It completely rotated my view of landscape design, offering a richer and more nuanced perspective on long-term solutions. I highly recommend it to any garden enthusiast or professional.
— Winter 2023 Cohort Participant

In this engaging workshop in horticultural ecology, built from over a decade of research and practice, you will learn about wild plant communities and landscape ecology while developing an understanding of dynamic, natural design and gardening strategies.

By adopting systems thinking, we will explore what designing and gardening can look like when you tap into the power of planting with place. You’ll gain insights from the scientific literature into horticultural practices that will guide you to cultivate natural gardens rich with life, beauty, and interest. The course offers an in-depth exploration of ecological planting design and landscape management. You will learn how to develop site-specific, regionally appropriate plant palettes and how to apply them to a home landscape regardless of where you live and garden.

What will you learn? You will complete the course with a new framework for how to approach planting design and gardening with an ecological mindset. This course emphasizes the residential footprint and is designed for landscape professionals, garden designers, and keen home gardeners.

How do you participate? Join the live broadcast via Zoom Webinar every Wednesday evening January 15 through February 26 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Central Standard Time or watch the recordings on your own schedule. The link for the Zoom webinar will be sent out weekly in advance of each live session. 

New Naturalism Academy Winter 2025 Cohort
$399.00
One time


✓ 12 hours of live instruction
✓ 6 months access to all course materials
✓ 10+ bonus videos
✓ Interaction with expert instructors and peers
✓ 12 CEUs / Assoc. for Professional Landscape Designers

Course Content

Course Benefits

Tuition of $399 USD includes:

  • Six, live modules (12 contact hours) with an expert instructor and active practitioner in ecological landscape theory, design, and management.

  • Includes access to all course materials (video recordings of presentations, bonus videos, assignments, supplemental documents, and master resource list) for six months after the final session.

  • 10+ bonus videos, including lessons filmed in-garden.

  • Interaction opportunities with instructor and other course participants during each session.

  • Two-hour, midterm discussion session dedicated to participant questions and dialogue.

  • 12 Continuing Education Units available to Association for Professional Landscape Designer (APLD) members!


Registration for the Fall 2024 Cohort has closed. This course will be offered again in October-November 2025.

The Fall Cohort is an advanced workshop in ecological planting design emphasizing techniques and methods for assembling site-specific plant palettes. This much-requested follow-up to the Winter Cohort is recommended for previous participants and/or professionals working in landscape design, architecture, and management.

As a participant, you will participate in lectures and discussions with accompanying homework that will hone your skills for designing ecologically inspired plant communities. Built from over a decade of research and practice, the course explores various methods for interpreting natural patterns of plant abundance in horticultural contexts. Curriculum themes and topics include site-specificity, regionalism, quantitative design, landscape plant performance, disturbance ecology, and the aesthetics of complexity. Throughout the course, participants will be immersed in the issues surrounding ecological planting design at various scales, including residential and public landscapes.

What will you learn? You will complete the course with tools for designing plant communities and ecological landscape systems. The methods presented in the course highlight both contemporary and unconventional modes of practice relevant to a broad range of practices, including landscape architects, landscape designers, horticulturists, and advanced gardeners.

How do you participate? Join the live broadcast via Zoom Webinar every Wednesday evening October 9 through November 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (UTC-5) or watch the recordings on your own schedule. The link for the Zoom webinar will be sent out weekly in advance of each live session. 

Fall Cohort

Course Content

Course Benefits

Tuition of $399 USD includes:

  • Four lecture periods (8 contact hours) with an expert instructor and active practitioner in ecological landscape theory, design, and management.

  • Midterm discussion session (2 contact hours) hosted on Zoom Meetings to facilitate dialogue between participants and instructor on course topics.

  • Final Design Showcase and Critique Session (2 contact hours) featuring work submissions from course participants evaluated and critiqued by a panel of design professionals.

  • 12 Continuing Education Units available to Association for Professional Landscape Designer (APLD) members!

  • Includes access to all course materials (video recordings of presentations, bonus videos, assignments, supplemental documents, and master resource list) for 6 months after the final session.

  • Interaction opportunities with instructor and other course participants during each session.


Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the course for?

The course is developed for landscape professionals and advanced gardeners. It is not for those beginning a journey with ecological horticulture or planting design. While participants always come to the courses with a wide range of experiences, the Fall Cohort is designed to follow the completion of the Winter Cohort curriculum. Experienced professionals who haven’t participated in the Winter Cohort may apply at their discretion. Others should consider the Winter Cohort as a prerequisite.

Will this class guide me in developing a design for a specific project or property?

The course teaches a fundamental framework based on research and practice with many examples for how to creatively plan and plant an ecological garden. The course is not meant to be a personalized design development experience. Instead, you will learn principles, strategies, and methods that you can synthesize and apply to projects of any size.

I don’t live in North America. Will I find the course relevant?

The course is based on fundamental principles of plant ecology that apply across environments and geography. While most images used to support the course content are from North America and Europe, the principles and strategies of building place-driven plant palettes apply to anywhere. Past cohorts have included participants from 10 countries.

What is required as a participant?

The course is designed around live broadcasts and discussions because spontaneity and interaction add to the depth of the educational experience. The assignments and readings are released weekly to pace the material alongside the lectures. The assignments aren’t strenuous, nor are they graded. They can become tools to utilize in your gardening or design practice. Based on past participant surveys, those who engage with the course at least weekly tend to derive the most value from it.

I can't participate in all live sessions, but will recordings be available?

Yes! Each two-hour session will be recorded and available in the Members Area of the website for six months after the last night of class, giving you plenty of time to watch, re-watch, and catch up on all the good discussions that will happen at the end of every class.

Something happened during the course that disrupted my participation. Can I extend my access beyond six months after the conclusion of the course?

Unfortunately, we cannot extend or grant lifetime access to the course content.

Testimonials

Kristyna Culp, 2022 J.C. Raulston Arboretum Cohort Participant

“This class and supporting book changed the way I view gardening and gardens…Every person that absorbs this approach and acts on it will help create a more supportive, stable, and, of course, more beautiful space.

The opportunity to learn from Kelly Norris in real-time did not disappoint. His love for his work was clear, and his insight and materials were terrific. Taking this course was a game-changer for me.
— Winter 2024 Cohort Participant

Kara Woodward, Spring 2023 Cohort Participant

“I loved this class! I came in a purist, my goal an overwhelming task to only plant natives in my designs in an area completely transformed by agriculture. I was depressed by the fact that it could never be completely restored to how it was before it had been disturbed. I found a new perspective with your class. It will never be the way it was but it can still have a native base and be amazing, both a habitat for wildlife and beautiful. You have given me hope and tons of new ideas! Thank you.”

As a lifetime learner, I can say that this is one of the best and most worthwhile classes I’ve taken in the past twenty years. Kelly is a humble horticultural guru who generously shares his creative process without hesitation.
— Angela Jobe, Fall 2023 Cohort Participant

More Testimonials from Previous Participants

It's rare to find a practical course with strong academic underpinnings. I did with Kelly's New Naturalism Academy — it felt like the real deal. Kelly is an excellent teacher and knows his stuff, having taught this material often and getting his hands dirty in many gardens. This course was a fascinating, nourishing guide to creating these gardens, encouraging me to dig deeper. — Simon Payn, (@grounded.haliburton), Haliburton, Ontario, Canada

“Kelly is a wonderful speaker and lends an interesting vocabulary to our professional excursion. His take on planting design for sustainability has changed my approach to design. I am better for the experience. Thank you!” — Wanda Evangelista

“This was a very useful class for bridging the gap between ecology and horticulture. It gave me the tools to see natural communities of plants in new ways and to take my observations and translate them into functional, attractive garden designs that I can apply to my own business.” -John Dwyer (Magna Silva, LLC)

“I've taken horticulture and garden design classes but the New Naturalism Academy with Kelly Norris stood out! His approach made me shift my thinking and gain a fuller understanding and appreciation of what an ecological garden is. The in-depth workshops were rich in material and insights, both practical and theoretical. I also appreciated how Kelly really took the time to make sure all of our questions were answered. Overall, incredibly inspiring and educational!" — Claudia Babcock, @nativeplantsinbrooklyn

“I want to thank you all for the terrific class this past spring… It was a terrific series and speaks to so much of what I love in landscapes and am curious about.” — Leslie Findlen, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

“I was passionate about making a positive impact on my landscape environment but didn’t know where to start.  Kelly’s class gave me the knowledge and how-to steps for creating a naturalistic planting. From site prep, to selecting the plant palette, to implementation of the final design and long-term management, he covered it all.  I am in my first year of my wildflower meadow and already seeing not only great beauty, but also an explosion of wildlife as well!” — Dean D.

“This course changed the way I garden!” — Leah M.

If you are looking to start naturalistic design or further your knowledge within this topic, then this is the course for you. While short, it is filled with great resources and Kelly is an amazing instructor.” — Spring 2023 Cohort Participant

 “Kelly's knowledge and enthusiasm about ecological planting techniques is astounding and engaging!  Anyone who designs, owns, or cares for land can learn how to truly partner with nature to create beneficial (and beautiful) wild landscapes.” — Spring 2023 Cohort Participant

“I absolutely loved Kelly's New Naturalism Academy course. Each class was chock full of useful and pertinent information. Learning new design perspectives and how to implement them as a garden designer was priceless. I'll be using many of Kelly's techniques in my designs and installations moving forward. Kelly's knowledge is unsurpassed and his charming charisma makes his teachings even more enjoyable! I'm looking forward to taking more courses from Kelly in the future.” — Spring 2023 Cohort Participant

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Kelly D. Norris, LLC provides the following no-questions-asked money-back guarantee governed by the following terms.

  • If a refund is requested after participant registration is processed, the maximum refund amount available is $399.

  • To claim a refund, you must request your money back before the start of the second class or no later than 5:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time on January 21, 2025. Requests submitted after this date and time will not be accepted.

  • You may request your money back by emailing office@kellydnorris.com. Please include the name and email associated with the purchase and, if possible, the date of your purchase.

  • Upon determining that you are entitled to a refund pursuant to this policy, Kelly D. Norris, LLC will promptly issue an instruction to its payment processor to issue the refund. Kelly D. Norris, LLC does not control its payment processor and will not be able to expedite any refunds.

  • If you receive a refund, you will lose online access to the course material.

Additionally, Kelly D. Norris, LLC reserves the right to cancel the course before the start of the class for any all reasons within or beyond their control. In the case of such event, a representative will notify participants of cancellation via e-mail and receive a full refund of $399. Kelly D. Norris, LLC will not be held responsible for any expenses incurred by participants due to the cancellation of the course.