Arboretum grounds are open. The Visitor Center will be closed until further notice. Please join us for fall virtual events. COVID-19 updates»

• Friday, October 23

  Mary Oliver and the Art of Observation in Nature – SESSION FULL
  virtual class

  10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

  This four-week nature poetry class is meant for participants who want to regularly write nature poetry. We will look at a variety of nature writing but focus on two poetry and essay collections by Mary Oliver. We will cover four thematic observation techniques that can enhance the ability to write spontaneously and regularly. Instructor: Troy Hess. Free. SESSION FULL.

• Saturday, October 24

  Observation Station
  

  1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

  This fall Arboretum naturalists will be available outdoors to share knowledge and stories of the land. You can add trail observations to the phenology record, learn what others are seeing, and ask questions. The Observation Station is located behind the Visitor Center in the Native Plant Garden. Participants are required to wear masks and maintain physical distance. This program is weather dependent and may be cancelled without notice. Drop in, no registration required.

• Sunday, October 25

  Observation Station
  

  1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

  This fall Arboretum naturalists will be available outdoors to share knowledge and stories of the land. You can add trail observations to the phenology record, learn what others are seeing, and ask questions. The Observation Station is located behind the Visitor Center in the Native Plant Garden. Participants are required to wear masks and maintain physical distance. This program is weather dependent and may be cancelled without notice. Drop in, no registration required.

• Tuesday, October 27

  The African American Land Ethic
  virtual lecture

  7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

  Lillian "Ebonie" Alexander is the executive director of the Black Family Land Trust. The BFLT defines the African American Land Ethic as blending the concepts of phenomenology, Leopold’s land ethic, and cultural competence to describe African Americans’ historical relationship with the land and how that relationship dictates the value placed on land ownership in the United States, particularly in the rural south. Free. Register by October 23: forms.gle/s15eyFDUwVsruBan6.

• Friday, November 6

  Art and Nature Poetry, Session 1
  virtual class

  10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

  Organized by season, the poems in Art and Nature: An Illustrated Anthology of Nature Poetry celebrate the grandeur of wild places and subtle everyday wonders. We will focus on the fall section of the book, reading W.S. Merwin, Marianne Moore, Rainer Marie Rilke, and others. We will discuss the connection between visual art and poetry and then create our own pairings. Instructor: Troy Hess. Free. Register by November 4: forms.gle/pCVPJvfsPen9HL1n6. See also November 13 and 20.

• Friday, November 13

  Art and Nature Poetry, Session 2
  virtual class

  10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

  Organized by season, the poems in Art and Nature: An Illustrated Anthology of Nature Poetry celebrate the grandeur of wild places and subtle everyday wonders. We will focus on the fall section of the book, reading W.S. Merwin, Marianne Moore, Rainer Marie Rilke, and others. We will discuss the connection between visual art and poetry and then create our own pairings. Instructor: Troy Hess. Free. Register by November 11: forms.gle/pCVPJvfsPen9HL1n6. See also November 6 and 20.

• Friday, November 20

  Art and Nature Poetry, Session 3
  virtual class

  10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

  Organized by season, the poems in Art and Nature: An Illustrated Anthology of Nature Poetry celebrate the grandeur of wild places and subtle everyday wonders. We will focus on the fall section of the book, reading W.S. Merwin, Marianne Moore, Rainer Marie Rilke, and others. We will discuss the connection between visual art and poetry and then create our own pairings. Instructor: Troy Hess. Free. Register by November 18: forms.gle/pCVPJvfsPen9HL1n6. See also November 6 and 13.