Adkins Arboretum Announces Winter/Spring Education Programs for Adults

Adkins Arboretum is offering a full slate of programs for winter and spring, including landscape design, ecology, art, writing and a speaker series. Offerings include:

Nature as Muse
Wed., Feb. 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Enjoy writing as a way of exploring nature. Each month this writing group follows a different Arboretum path to quietly observe nature and gain inspiration for writing. No previous writing experience is necessary. Bring a bag lunch and dress for both indoor and outdoor forest adventure. This program is free for members and free with the Arboretum’s $5 admission fee for non-members.

Dog Walking with Vicki Arion
Thursdays, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Adkins Arboretum is a wonderful place to walk, especially with your dog! Join Arboretum Trustee Vicki Arion for this hour-long walk to exercise both yourself and your dog and to enjoy time with fellow nature lovers and dog owners. This program is free for members and free with the Arboretum’s $5 admission fee for non-members.

Tracks and Scat
Wed., Feb. 12, 1–2:30 p.m.
What do animals leave behind, and how can you tell which animal left it there? Learn to identify the tracks and scat of local wildlife with educator and naturalist Jenny Houghton. Hone your tracking skills on a nature walk, interpret track stories and make scale models of scat to test your fellow trackers in training. Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members.

Landscape for Life
Sat., March 1 and Sun., March 2, 1–4 p.m.
Conventional gardens often work against nature, damaging the environment’s ability to clean air and water and provide other benefits that support life on Earth. But it’s possible to create a beautiful garden that’s healthier for you, your family, and the environment. Learn to harness nature’s power to create a healthy and beautiful home landscape in this two-day workshop with landscape designer Chris Pax and Arboretum docent Julianna Pax. Fee: $85 members, $110 non-members.

ARTiculture Philadelphia Flower Show bus trip
Tues., March 4, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
The long love affair between art and nature—and the artistic expression found in great garden and floral design—will be captured in an extraordinary presentation of the internationally renowned PHS Philadelphia Flower Show. In the 10-acre exhibition space of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, “ARTiculture” will demonstrate that horticultural design is itself a form of art. Join a bus trip to experience this extraordinary partnership between the nation’s largest flower show and the country’s most regarded art museums. Fee: $75 members, $95 non-members.

Introduction to Vermiculture: Build and Take Home a Worm Bin
Thurs., March 6, 1–2:30 p.m.
Join Jenny Houghton to learn the power of using earthworms to grow stronger seedlings and enrich your garden soils, houseplants and ornamentals. Learn an easy, low-maintenance way to significantly reduce kitchen waste, reduce your carbon footprint and create a fantastic soil amendment. Participants will build their own portable worm bin and leave with the knowledge and tools to get started vermicomposting. Fee: $30 members, $35 non-members.

Movie in the Afternoon—Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life
Sun., March 9, 1–2 p.m.
The recent trend in green architecture has decreased the environmental impact of the built environment, but it has accomplished little in the way of reconnecting us to the natural world, the missing piece in the puzzle of sustainable development. Come on a journey from our evolutionary past and the origins of architecture to the world’s most celebrated buildings in a search for the architecture of life. Fee: $10 members, $15 non-members.

Backyard Bug Farming and Beyond!
Wed., March 12, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join Nate Erwin, former manager of Insect Zoo at the National Museum of Natural History, as he describes challenges facing pollinators and shares his adventures in transforming his own backyard in Alexandria, Va., into an oasis for bugs and other wildlife. Presented in partnership with the Garden Club of the Eastern Shore, this talk will take place at the Oxford Community Center. It is free and open to the public.

Kokedama
Sat., March 15, 10 a.m.–noon
Kokedama is a green moss ball that refers to Japanese botanical art. In this hands-on workshop led by artist Young Choe, participants will learn traditional planting methods, display techniques, and instructions for maintaining these miniature representations of nature. Fee: $35 members, $40 non-members.

Native Bees
Sat., March 15, 1–3 p.m.
Join University of Maryland Extension Apiculturist Mike Embrey to learn about native bees, bee boxes, and resources for these native pollinators. Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members.

Landscape Design Workshop
Sat., March 29, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Three experienced landscape designers and avid gardeners will lead this all-day intensive design workshop that addresses the typical challenges of homeowners in the Chesapeake Bay region. Come with your challenges and dreams, and leave with a landscape plan, ideas and confidence to transform your home landscape. Fee: $95 members, $120 non-members.

A Garden of Marvels
Sun., March 30, 1–2 p.m.
Join Ruth Kassinger for a discussion of her most recent book, A Garden of Marvels. Combining science and botanical knowledge with reflections on Kassinger’s personal quest to become a better gardener, A Garden of Marvels is a journey of discovery that offers fresh and unexpected insights into the natural world. Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members.

Let it Rain—Landscape Solutions for Rainwater Issues
Thurs., April 3, 1–3 p.m.
Join landscape designers and Queen Anne’s County Master Gardeners Cathy Tengwall and Debbie Pusey to learn how to capture and direct rainwater—a delicate and important resource—by installing a rain garden or rain barrel or by redirecting your downspouts. Learn how a healthy lawn, native plants and alternative hardscapes help to regenerate groundwater by infiltrating rainwater into the soil. This program is free for members and free with the Arboretum’s $5 admission fee for non-members.

Open Hive Frames
Sat., April 12, 1–3 p.m.
Join University of Maryland Extension Apiculturist Mike Embrey for a demonstration and information session about open hive frames. The program will be held at the Arboretum’s Native Plant Nursery. Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members.

Natural Egg Dyeing
Sat., April 12, 1–2:30 p.m.
Enjoy the art of dyeing Easter eggs using blueberries, onion skins, coffee and other natural items! Bring your own blown or hard-boiled eggs, and be sure to wear old clothes. Egg-dyeing will be followed by a peek into an Arboretum bluebird box and a nest hunt along scenic woodland paths. Fee: $5 per person for members, $7 per person for non-members. Ages 2 and under are free.

Designing for Waterfront Landscapes
Sat., April 12, 10 a.m.–noon
Waterfront properties present homeowners with daunting challenges and precious opportunities. Join landscape designer and native plant enthusiast Chris Pax, a graduate of the George Washington University sustainable landscape design master’s program, for a look at plants that are good for waterfront landscape conditions and to review some of the special rules and regulations that may apply in your county. Fee: $35 members, $45 non-members.

Dogwood Painting
Thurs., April 24 and Fri., April 25, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Found throughout Maryland, the dogwood tree is a beloved harbinger of spring. This watercolor class taught by Lee D’Zmura will focus on the history, folklore and botany of the dogwood’s delicate flowers as participants create a watercolor botanical art piece. D’Zmura received her certificate in botanical art from the Brookside Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration, where she now teaches advanced watercolor classes. Her work is in collections throughout the country. Fee: $95 members, $120 non-members.

Spring Ephemerals—The Fleeting Flowers
Sun., April 27, 1–2:30 p.m.
Spring at Adkins Arboretum offers a dazzling diversity of flowers that emerge and disappear in the blink of an eye. Discover these botanical treasures on a walk with Arboretum docent and Maryland Master Naturalist Margan Glover. This program is free for members and free with the Arboretum’s $5 admission fee for non-members.

Wave Hill and New York Botanical Garden trip
Wed., April 30, 7 a.m.–10 p.m.
Enjoy a spectacular day at Wave Hill, a 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, and at the New York Botanical Garden, a National Historic Landmark featuring one of the world’s greatest collections of flora. Fee: $115 members, $140 non-members.

Bird Migration Walk
Sat., May 3, 8–10 a.m.
Join Wayne Bell for a guided walk to scout for migrant warblers that regularly pass through the Arboretum in early May. Many of these birds are colorful and full of song. Bell is Senior Associate and former Director of the Center for Environment and Society at Washington College. He is past president of the Maryland Ornithological Society. This program is free for members and free with the Arboretum’s $5 admission fee for non-members.

Shinrin-Yoku: The Healing Practice of Forest Bathing
Sun., May 4, 1–3 p.m.
The Japanese practice of forest bathing is a way to deepen one’s connection to the natural world in ways that remind us of our belonging to it. Experience a slow, contemplative walk with Anna Harding to experience the gifts that come from walking in quiet, mindful awareness, and from our senses opening to the healing effects of the forest and all its offerings. This program is free for members and free with the Arboretum’s $5 admission fee for non-members.

Photo Capture and Enhancement
Sat., May 10, 8 a.m.–noon
Join Josh Taylor, Jr. to learn how to capture the best images with your camera and how to enhance your images. This hands-on workshop covers basic shooting techniques for capturing spring splendor and image processing, such as cropping, compositing, and converting to black and white. The program is non-technical and visually informative, and includes both classroom instruction and outdoor shooting with the instructor. Fee: $45 members, $60 non-members.

Split and Divide a Hive
Sat., May 10, 1–3 p.m.
Join University of Maryland Extension Apiculturist Mike Embrey for a demonstration at the Arboretum’s Native Plant Nursery. Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members.

Concrete Leaf Casting
Fri., June 6, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Cast a live leaf into stone to create a unique garden ornament or bird bath. All materials are provided. Fee: $40 members, $50 non-members.

Foraging
Sun., June 8, 1–3 p.m.
Bill Schindler, Ph.D. returns to the Arboretum to lead a hands-on workshop that will immerse participants in the exciting, sustainable and nutritious world of foraging for wild plants. It doesn’t get more local or organic than this! Fee: $15 members, $20 non-members.

Introduction to iPhone Photography
Sun., June 15, noon–4 p.m.
More than just a snapshot device, the iPhone is a powerful creative tool for creating art. We now carry both a camera and a darkroom with us! Join Karen Klinedinst to learn iPhone camera capture techniques, apps for stylizing your captures, and combinations of apps that transform your images into fine art. Fee: $55 members, $65 non-members.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, it will build the W. Flaccus and Ruth B. Stifel Center at Adkins Arboretum and a “green” entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.