A gardening class online?

Although it may seem counterintuitive to learn about gardening and composting online, the mission of UVM Extension is to make University resources available to individuals across the State of Vermont. The online platform provides us with a cost-effective and accessible way to reach people in many different locations - rural and urban - who would not otherwise have access to one physical location. Plus, we are able to reduce our carbon footprint by offering the course online! A rough estimate shows we are able to save around 12.29 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents by offering each course in this way.  

We suggest these courses be taken as a first step toward learning more about sustainable gardening or composting practices, including reducing your use of pesticides and other harmful garden products and enhancing your landscape to be both a human and wildlife-friendly environment.You might be surprised how much you enjoy the convenience of an online course, as it allows you the flexibility to schedule your time around work, vacations and other family activities.

What do I need to know?

You will need basic computer skills, such as knowing how to do the following:

  • Download and open files (word docs, and pdf docs)
  • Fill out answers on a word doc and upload it 
  • Familarity with opening links and watching videos online
  • Be able to search the internet comfortably
  • Be able to login to the course website and send messages on the website to the instructor
  • Have access to high-speed internet-1.5 mpgs or faster. Talk to your internet provider if you are not sure of your internet speed
  • Have access to a webcam 
  • Download and use Zoom software for online meetings
  • Operating systems and computer brands can varry, but it may feel more frustrating to use an operating system that is not updated

Tech Support Policy

We take pride in providing a high quality, interactive and engaging online courses. However, at this point, we do not have the staffing capacity to provide indepth assistance with individual level computer issues. Please consider lining up help prior to enrolling in one of our courses.