Interested in learning how to incorporate wild native plant seed into your ornamental plant production? Join us for Sourcing & Distributing Native Seed: Wild & Commercial, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and the Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI). 

Date: Friday, February 20, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Zoom (recording available to registrants)
Fee: $45 (non-refundable)

Registration

• Online: Register here
  Closes Wednesday, February 18 at 5 PM

• By phone/text/email: Contact Mina Vescera at 631-603-9613 or [email protected]

CEUs - Continuing Education Credits

• CNLP: Credits pending

• Landscape Architects: 3.25 HSW credit hours 

• Note: No arborist or pesticide applicator credits offered

Program Highlights

See attached flyer or visit the CCE event page for full details.

• Seed Biology and the Importance of Ecotypic Native Plant
  Jessica Lubell-Brand, PhD., University of Connecticut

• Wild Native Plant Seed Collection Strategies
  Steve Knezick, Pinelands Nursery & Maggie Muzante, LINPI

• Seed Increase Plots: What Are They and How to Incorporate Them into Your Nursery Operation?
  Michaels Butts, Outreach Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic Regional Seedbank

• Introduction to Commercial Harvesting/Processing/Storing Seed
  Steve Knezick, Pinelands Nursery, New Jersey

• Case Study: NRCS Cape May Plant Materials Center – From Seed to Plant
  Scott Snell, Study Leader, USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

• Commercial Availability of Wild Native Seed Across the Northeast and NYS Policies
  Edward Toth, Director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Seedbank

Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI).