Strengthen your skills for leading volunteers in natural areas management with this interactive workshop at The Morton Arboretum—and gain the fundamental community organizing skills to recruit, retain, and empower volunteers.
Participants will learn how to:
- Plan and run a productive volunteer workday
- Plan activities such as tree planting, invasive brush removal, and seed collection
- Bring volunteers together using social media, mailing lists, and in-person meetings
This program includes self-paced online components and a live online session.
Instructor: Jasmine Dwyer, collections volunteer coordinator, The Morton Arboretum
Continuing education: This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program.
Age: 18 and older
Course number: W510
Instructor
Jasmine Dwyer, collections volunteer coordinator, The Morton Arboretum
Jasmine Dwyer is a natural resources professional with experience in ecology, conservation, natural areas management, and environmental education. Through her work at The Morton Arboretum, she works closely with natural areas, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration, and volunteer programs. She enjoys connecting ecological concepts to practical, real-world applications and helping others develop a deeper understanding of the natural world.
Her background includes bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies and Sustainability, and she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Land Resources and Environmental Science. Her interests include plant and community ecology, biodiversity, conservation, ecological monitoring, and restoration.
As an instructor, Jasmine values hands-on learning, real-world examples, and opportunities to connect scientific concepts with experiences in the field. She hopes to create a welcoming learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, exploring new ideas, and developing an appreciation for ecology and conservation.
What to Know
This program includes an online component you will complete on your own and a live, scheduled Zoom session.
See Education Program Policies for information about cancellations, refunds, and scholarships.
Online Materials
Please provide a unique email address for each registrant at registration. Registrants will receive an email with instructions on how to access TreeLearning, the Arboretum’s online learning portal.
Access to online materials begins at noon on the class start date and is available for 60 days after the start date.
Complete self-paced activities, such as e-learning modules, reading material, short videos, interactive activities, and quizzes to check your understanding. The self-paced activities do not need to be completed in one sitting. Your instructor will not be online with you.
Complete the online component before the scheduled Zoom session. It should take about 90 minutes.
Live Zoom Session
The link to the live Zoom session will be provided via email.
Continuing Education
This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program.
Program Schedule
This program includes a self-paced module online and a live online session.
Thursday, November 19, 2026, noon. Online materials become available.
TreeLearning
Thursday, December 3, 2026, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Meets online.
Zoom
