Innovation & Teaching

Designed for individuals interested in a comprehensive introduction to soil science from an environmental and plant management perspective, this series of YouTube videos shares lectures from a Cornell University Soil Science course taught by Dr. Jonathan Russell-Anelli. The series can be followed in sequence or you can select topics of interest to enhance your knowledge.  

The lectures are divided into three units:

• Soil Information introduces students to soil characterization, testing, mapping, classification, GIS, and land evaluation;
• Soil Management addresses fertility, pest management, water, and soil climate, as well as erosion, conservation, pollution, and soil health;
• The Role of Soils in Ecosystems considers topics such as biodiversity, soils as sinks and sources of greenhouse gases, and the impact of soils on land use. 

There are no tests or assignments, but you will be watching an actual series of Cornell University class lectures. Enjoy!

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program is a nation-wide education and service program. Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who work in partnership with their local Cooperative Extension office to extend information throughout their county or region. Volunteers receive instruction and are kept up-to-date through training and workshops. In return, they share their knowledge through community service. Master Gardeners are neighbors teaching neighbors about horticulture and environmentally-sound gardening practices, and provide the public with educational programs and activities. 

For information about a local NY State program, visit CCE Master Gardener Program. 

For non-NY residents, find information about other state and provincial programs at the Extension Master Gardener website.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Composters are individuals trained to educate the public about composting, and promote this practice with enthusiasm and skills-based learning. Volunteers achieve these goals in a number of ways. They conduct workshops at Demonstration Sites throughout the county. Through exhibits and demonstrations, they provide information at community events held during the year at various locations. Volunteers also offer troubleshooting and technical assistance to composters in the community. 

CCE Tompkins County led the development of this program, and similar programs are now available in other select counties in NY State as well.

For more information, visit CCE Tompkins Master Composter website, the CCE Tompkins Compost website, or check with your local CCE county office to find out more about compost training opportunities near you. In the future we hope to see Master Composting programs in additional areas, so keep an eye out!

If you are local to Ithaca, NY, the Cornell Botanic Gardens offers a number of learning opportunities from individual and group tours, to Adult Education, and even Graduate Study. Please visit the Cornell Botanic Gardens Learn webpage for more information. 

The School of Integrative Plant Sciences at Cornell University offers a number of hands-on distant learning courses in permaculture, gardening and botanical illustration. Please visit the Horticultural Distance Learning webpage for more information on registration and cost (~$300-$700 per course). Course offerings include:

Organic Gardening & Intro to Garden Design (Offered Fall & Spring):

Organic Gardening teaches the basics of small-scale organic gardening with a systems-thinking approach that includes soil and plant health, fertility, and pest management. We explore soil health and its impact on plant health and your garden ecosystem, as well as environments for beneficial insects and organisms. Garden design teaches basic garden design techniques and how to create a healthy and attractive garden.

Permaculture Design:  Fundamentals, Ecosystem Mimicry and Practicum (Offered Fall, Winter & Spring)

These three courses provide an opportunity for you to build your knowledge about permaculture and ecological design. Participants will explore the content through videos, readings, and activities and complete portions of design for a site of their choosing.  An option to obtain a Permaculture Design Certificate is offered to those that successfully complete the courses and create a final project portfolio in the Practicum Course.

Teaching and Learning in the School Garden (Offered Summer & Fall):

This course focuses on effectively implementing a school or youth gardening program that uses the garden as an outdoor classroom and living learning lab. Perfect for teachers, homeschool educators and youth leaders who wish to design welcoming and accessible school and youth gardens, and come away with a portfolio of project-based lessons that meet standards and easily integrate into all areas of the school curriculum.

Planning a Successful School & Community Garden Program (Offered Fall & Spring):

This course provides members, educators and leaders of new and existing group gardens the tools, resources, and collaborative support needed to plan, organize, and implement a successful and sustainable program that meets organizational needs. Although this is not a pre-requisite to the Teaching and Learning in the School Garden course, it provides an excellent foundation for that course.

Botanical Illustration Courses

These six-week online course for beginners teach you how to use plants as the subject of art with easy approaches and many visual examples. Because you take the course online, you can access it whenever you want and complete the lessons at your own pace.  Each course builds skills like Basic Drawing Techniques, Working with Watercolor, and Advanced Techniques using art markers, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, tempera and gouache to develop a professional portfolio.