Observing the Cycles of Nature
Classes Online, Onsite and On Demand

 

Outside our windows, icicles drip and refreeze again, flurries come and go in swirling winds. This is February, and we turn for comfort to tending home and hearth: the open book and the waiting chair; the soup pot simmering on the stove; houseplants filling rooms with the centering scent of earth; needle and thread in our hands stitching patterns that anchor us, through quiet craft, to the cycles of nature and the soothing ritual of mending. This is February, and we are nesting.

Enjoy the warmth of good company and indulge a love of learning from the comfort of your own nest this month with Adult Education Programs.

For more information, please contact Adult Education Programs at AdultEducation@ncarboretum.org.

Online Classes: February

  • ONLINE  Sunday, February 14; 3:30 – 5 p.m.

    A series of conversations on coalescence — crossing mediums and bridging disciplines — to discuss a nature-inspired practice of creating, community building and healing. Guest: Dr. Sally Atkins, core faculty of the European Graduate School, Switzerland, and professor Emerita and Founder of the Expressive Arts Therapy Program at Appalachian State University.

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  • ON DEMAND
    Video to be released the week of February 15.

    Correctly pruning woody trees and shrubs improves their general appearance and promotes plant health. In this On-Demand course, professional horticulturalist Ben Pick will discuss and demonstrate various types of pruning — structural, aesthetic, regenerative, and corrective — along with tools, techniques and timing, for successful pruning of small trees and flowering shrubs.

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  • ONLINE  Tuesday, February 16; 1 – 2:30 p.m.

    Join us for an exploration of the treasures of the night sky as we discover the constellations, bright stars, planets, and deep sky objects that fill the evening skies in the cool of winter. During this online class, we’ll review the basic use of planispheres and star charts to find our way around the night sky and learn about some of the rich collections of objects that are visible with binoculars and small telescopes.

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  • ONLINE  A: Tuesday, February 16; 8 – 9 p.m.
    ONLINE  B: Tuesday, February 16; 9:30 – 10:30 p.m.

    Stargazing and social distancing come together to form a unique virtual stargazing community as we explore the wonders of the night sky from the safety of our own stargazing locations, with local astronomer Stephan Martin guiding our gaze.

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    LEARN MORE – B

  • ONLINE  Wednesday, February 17; 1 – 2 p.m.

    Nobody better to teach us about wildlife in the Blue Ridge than Carlton Burke, a naturalist, educator, and licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator.  This Wednesday at 1, get to know the Barred Owl, whose hooting call, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” is a classic sound of old forests and treed swamps.

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  • ONLINE  Saturday, February 20; 10 a.m.- Noon

    Arboretum Production Greenhouse Manager June Jolley leads this class on how to be a good plant parent to your houseplants. Jolley shares on-trend resources from the horticulture industry, popular magazines, and social media in this informative class that will make you want to adopt a few new family members of the botanical variety.

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  • ONLINE  Sunday, February 21; 2 – 3:15 p.m.

    Join us online for this guided lying-down meditation to induce full-body relaxation and peaceful states of awareness. This practice will help you sleep better, release anxiety, and access inner calm, compassion, and clarity. No prior yoga experience is required, and students who are working with injury, illness and physical limitations will find this class to be highly accessible.

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  • ONLINE  Three sessions: Tuesdays and Thursday, February 23, 25 and March 2; 3 – 4:30 p.m.

    Spice up your winter menus with help from Nanette Davidson, author of The Folk School Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes. In this delicious three-part series, focusing on a different topic each session, Nanette shares a portfolio of 12 original recipes. Take one or sign on for all three!

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  • ONLINE  Thursday, February 25, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

    This is a crash course on all things relating to feeding birds. Learn about the different seed blends, feeders and hardware to successfully attract birds. This class will cover the seed preferences of the various species in the area as well as deterrents for seed-stealing squirrels and bears.

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  • ONLINE  Thursdays, February 25, March 25, April 29, May 27, June 24; 4 – 5 p.m.

    Bonsai is a much favored feature of the Arboretum’s identity, and not without reason. Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura presents an in-depth look at bonsai at The North Carolina Arboretum in a new series of monthly online talks. If you are among the many who are enchanted by what you see in the Arboretum’s bonsai garden, you will want to experience these revealing glimpses of the philosophical foundations upon which our bonsai program is built.

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  • ONLINE  Friday, February 26; 5 – 6 p.m.

    A facilitated discussion with faculty and students in the Blue Ridge Naturalist (BRN) program, but anyone is welcome to attend with questions and observations of our bio-diverse region. Additional information will be available for those interested in the Arboretum’s BRN Certificate of Merit.

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  • ONLINE  Sunday, February 28; 4 – 5 p.m.

    Join in this winter as we read together in community Braiding Sweetgrass by ethnobotanist and writer Robin Wall Kimmerer.

    Arboretum volunteers will lead a series of discussion groups in Zoom-based meetings starting mid-May through June. Everyone participating will have opportunities to come together in large online gatherings for talks by Adult Education faculty and guest speakers on Zoom and Facebook Live culminating with a special Arboretum Reads event with the author in June.

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Online Classes: March

  • ONLINE  Six sessions: Wednesdays and Fridays, March 3 – 19; 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    In this continuation of Vertebrate Zoology of the Blue Ridge I, students will learn the basic identification and natural history of many of our mountain wildlife species. Each week we will cover a different group of vertebrate animals through the use of slide presentations and worksheets.

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  • ONLINE  Wednesday, March 3; 3 – 4 p.m.

    Learn creative ways to plan, record and reflect on your journeys through the seasons in your garden and landscape with award-winning garden blogger Lisa Wagner. To help you get started, Wagner asks, “What are the things that you want to be able to remember about your garden later?” Sign on for this encouraging talk on setting up satisfying ways to tell your story.

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  • ONLINE  Thursday, March 4; 4 – 5 p.m.

    Have you ever wondered where a certain bird nests? How about how they build those intricate nests? Kevin Burke will be talking all about nest selection and construction during this class, highlighting some of the more common species nests in our area as well as some of the more unusual nest builders from around the world.

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  • ONLINE  Sunday, March 7; 2 – 3:15 p.m.

    Join us online for this guided lying-down meditation to induce full-body relaxation and peaceful states of awareness. This practice will help you sleep better, release anxiety, and access inner calm, compassion, and clarity. No prior yoga experience is required, and students who are working with injury, illness and physical limitations will find this class to be highly accessible.

    LEARN MORE

  • ONLINE  Tuesday, March 9; 1 – 2:30 p.m.

    This class, a combination of presentation and exploration, will focus on plants that are at their best in spring.

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  • ONLINE  Thursday, March 11; 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

    Sign on for this free and informative conversation with authors Danesha Seth Carley and Anne M. Spafford as we celebrate the launch of Pollinator Gardening for the South: Creating Sustainable Habitats. Combining up-to-date scientific information with artful design strategies, the authors teach gardeners of all levels to plan, plant, and maintain successful pollinator gardens at home and in shared community sites.

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  • ONLINE  Monday and Thursday, March 15 and 18; 1:30 – 3 p.m.

    Explore gardening as a creative process in this highly interactive workshop led by gardener, designer and garden blogger Lisa Wagner. Inspired by Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening by Fran Sorin, Wagner helps gardeners of all levels, but especially new gardeners, develop confidence and own a distinctive style with activities focused on imagining, envisioning, planning, planting, tending and celebrating!

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  • ONLINE  Tuesday, March 16; 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

    Join UNC Press Author Roxann Ward to celebrate the launch of Color-Rich Gardening for the South. In a lavishly-illustrated talk, Ward will show how color provides one of the easiest and most impressive ways to shape a garden with intense eye appeal. With Ward’s signature approach to plantings of annual flowers layered with bulbs, perennials, woody ornamentals, and fruiting shrubs, you will soon be combining beloved southern plants with new plant varieties to create lively, long-lasting color displays.

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  • ONLINE  Monday and Thursday, March 15 and 18; 1:30 – 3 p.m.

    Explore gardening as a creative process in this highly interactive workshop led by gardener, designer and garden blogger Lisa Wagner. Inspired by Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening by Fran Sorin, Wagner helps gardeners of all levels, but especially new gardeners, develop confidence and own a distinctive style with activities focused on imagining, envisioning, planning, planting, tending and celebrating!

    LEARN MORE

  • ONLINE  Sunday, March 21; 2 – 3:15 p.m.

    Join us online for this guided lying-down meditation to induce full-body relaxation and peaceful states of awareness. This practice will help you sleep better, release anxiety, and access inner calm, compassion, and clarity. No prior yoga experience is required, and students who are working with injury, illness and physical limitations will find this class to be highly accessible.

    LEARN MORE

  • ONLINE  Tuesday and Thursday, March 23 – 25; 10 – 11:30 a.m.

    An ideal landscape nurtures itself and fits seamlessly into the natural environment. In this two-part class, students will learn landscape design basics, principles of Permaculture, and be called to action through inspiration.

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Registrants also have the opportunity to view recorded videos on demand for select online classes if they are unable to attend the live session.

Onsite and Field-Based Small Group Classes

  • ONSITE classes are temporarily suspended through February due to rising COVID-19 cases in Buncombe and surrounding counties.  We hope to reschedule these classes for later in the spring.  Please sign up on our waitlist to indicate your interest.

    Accept an invitation to receive the forests’ healing gifts and insights on this guided restorative walk, which is designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and restore the body to a calm and composed state. Boosted immune system, lowered blood pressure, reduced stress, decreased depression and anxiety are a few possible benefits associated with nature-based experiences.

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  • ONSITE classes are temporarily suspended through February due to rising COVID-19 cases in Buncombe and surrounding counties.  We hope to reschedule these classes for later in the spring.  Please sign up on our waitlist to indicate your interest.

    Strolling with an eye toward the wonders around you during an otherwise ordinary walk could have significant benefits for your mental health. An interesting new psychological study contends that people who take a fresh look at the objects, moments and vistas that surround them during brief “awe walks” feel more upbeat and hopeful. Bundle up, wear your mask and be awed along with documentary photography Susan Patrice, who will help you look at the landscape through new and loving eyes.

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  • ONSITE classes are temporarily suspended through February due to rising COVID-19 cases in Buncombe and surrounding counties.  We hope to reschedule these classes for later in the spring.  Please sign up on our waitlist to indicate your interest.

    Trees take on a whole new dimension in winter. This class will explore the Arboretum trails to learn and practice tree identification based on silhouette, bark, twigs and other characteristics. 

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Onsite and field-based classes are subject to rescheduling due to county and state health and safety guidelines and/or inclement weather.

On Demand Online Classes

  • The world comes together for the love of birds each February to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, a program of Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Learn how to participate in this worldwide citizen science project that aids scientists in learning more about the birds we enjoy in our own neighborhoods. This session includes a brief overview of the project including what previous counts have revealed about changes in bird populations and how scientists use this data. We’ll then explore how to submit your observations and join the world in celebrating birds. By taking this course and contributing to the project you can receive your own NC Bird Count badge.

    Register Here

  • Follow along in this on-demand class anytime to take a break and focus on nature and love in this season. Begin with a brief online introduction to mandalas, practice a loving kindness meditation, and have a nature experience from your home, or in your neighborhood, the Arboretum, or elsewhere. Then settle in to design your own mandala inspired by nature and loving kindness.

    Register Here

  • Used by over 30 million people world-wide, Star Chart is an app that provides a magical star gazing experience like no other. In this online introductory class for adults, originally presented in April of 2020, Astronomer Stephan Martin introduces you to Star Chart and other free stargazing apps so that you can carry around a virtual planetarium in your pocket! Look through your smartphone or other handheld device to help you bring the whole visible universe into focus. Steve will share insights on the treasures of the night sky that you can see this spring, including tips for viewing Meteor Showers!

    Register Here

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