University Courses

Cornell Plantations, as part of Cornell University, contributes to Cornell University’s academic programs by offering several courses for credit.  Plantations’ director, Don Rakow, offers two for –credit courses for Cornell enrolled students, Hort 4800: Plantations Lecture Series and Hort 4850: Public Garden Management.  

Plantations Lecture Series, Hort 4800, is a one-credit, S/U course which covers a range of subjects related to the plant and natural sciences, and human-cultural themes. Students attend Plantations lectures and on non-lecture Wednesdays, the class meets to discuss content from the previous week. Students are required to write a reaction paper for each lecture.

Public Garden Management, Hort 4850, is a 3-credit course which explores the history of public gardens, types of contemporary public gardens, and the operation of public gardens including botanical gardens and arboreta.

Plantations’ director of education, Sonja Skelly co-teaches Hort 2350, Plants and Human Well Being, which examines the beneficial effects of plants on human cultures, communities and individuals. Students analyze and evaluate plant-based initiatives in many phases of contemporary life.