Elective course offerings vary with every catalog season. Browse this page to discover what's currently scheduled. Students in pursuit of a Certificate must complete at least 30 elective course hours.
Have
you
wondered
why
plants
are
green?
What
makes
a
tomato
red?
Or
why
exactly
do
leaves
turn
red
or
brown
in
the
fall?
This
class
will
explore
the
diversity
of
colors
in
plants.
You'll
gain
insight
into
the
chemistry
more...
Discover how trees communicate via chemical signals in the air (to warn of insect attacks) and transfer nutrients to one another through complex underground fungal networks (sometimes to assist sick trees).
Discover the many herbs and spices prized for centuries to heal, to revitalize the immune system, and to treat and prevent asthma, insomnia, flu, and more.
Enhance
your
environmental
stewardship
skills
by
learning
the
methods
of
conducting
a
botanical
survey.
In
this
class,
you'll
examine
how
botanists
are
contributing
to
conservation
efforts
by
documenting
the
flora
of
the
Rockefeller
State
Park
Preserve
in
Westchester
County.
You'll
more...
Take
a
fascinating
look
at
the
unseen
forces
that
shape
our
green
world.
Using
NYBG
collections
as
a
living
lab,
you'll
discover
the
remarkable
ways
plants
interact
with
their
environment-from
keeping
cool
in
the
desert
to
staying
dry
in
the
more...
Explore
these
two
beautiful
and
intriguing
groups
of
herbaceous
plants.
NYBG's
Director
of
the
William
and
Lynda
Steere
Herbarium
Dr.
Emily
Sessa
will
take
you
through
the
basic
aspects
of
ferns
and
lycophytes.
Gain
an
understanding
of
their
form
and
more...
Chanterelles, Milk Caps, Black Trumpets, Boletes of all kinds, and many other choice edibles make their appearance in the steamy summer months. Learn how to sort through this abundance with hands-on techniques and observations.
Study the crucial role birds, insects, and bats play in local ecosystems. Expert naturalist Alan Wells discusses the many different types of pollination, as well as how the roles played by a plant's flower structure, nectar production, and fragrance.