Louisiana Native Professional Certification Program

The Louisiana Native Professional Certification Program (LNPCP) is a new

initiative of the Louisiana Native Plant Society (LNPS). The training team held the

state's first Basic training class in Lafayette June 14-15. Thirty-one landscape and

environmental professionals were introduced to native landscapes at the National

Wetland Research Center and at the homes of Bill and Lydia Fontenot and

Lawrence Rozas and Donna Gauthier. Classes covered the value of native plants

in a changing climate, invasive species, plant identification, and installation and

maintenance. Graduates will be listed in a directory available on the LNPS

website for homeowners, municipalities, and government entities to find

knowledgeable professionals.

Acadiana Native Plant Project was well represented with members including

LNPCP Program Director, Dona Weifenbach, and Instructors, Phyllis Griffard,

Lawrence Rozas, Becky Moss, and Bill Fontenot. ANPP education and outreach

members Jackie Carlisi, Melissa Robinett, and Rebecca Howard assisted behind

the scenes, making sure the class ran smoothly. Lafayette class members

represented landscape companies, environmental firms, and Moncus Park. The

New Orleans Native Plant Initiative also was well represented with Program Co-

founder and Instructor Tammany Baumgarten and many class

members, including several members from the City Park horticultural staff,

Audubon Park, and Longvue Gardens. Class members traveled from Shreveport,

Houston, Daphne, Alabama, and southeast Louisiana for a 2-day native

landscaping immersion.

We are very proud of the work the class put in to become the first graduates of

our program! LNPCP was made possible through grants from Barataria

Terrebonne National Estuary Program and Louisiana Nursery and Landscape

Foundation for Scholarship and Research. Dates for future training are being

selected and will be available later this summer. Click Get Notified at lnps.org if

you want to know when upcoming trainings are.

Report by Dona Weifenbach/Photos by Phyllis Griffard