Adult Education Classes

ONLINE  Tuesday and Thursday, January 12 and 14; 10 to 11:30 a.m.

The winter garden is just as important as other seasons and deserves the same level of appreciation, design intent, and awareness of the habitat it provides. This online class will explore all aspects of adding winter beauty and usefulness to garden spaces, including winter-blooming flowers, designing for woody and evergreen structure, learning to appreciate intricate seedheads and tawny grasses, and welcoming wildlife.

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ONLINE  Video Release on Friday, January 15

Gardening takes place all year long and timing is critical to certain garden activities. Each seasonal class offers tips, projects and considerations for activities such as fertilizing, watering, planting, pruning, pest control, planning, clearing, harvesting and cleaning in your garden year round.

Video to be released on January 15 for on demand viewing followed by a live round-table discussion on January 28.

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ONLINE  Sunday, January 17; 2 to 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  Sunday, January 17; 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Opening January 16th in the Baker Exhibit Center Gallery, “The Enveloping Landscape: A Contemplative Photographic Journey” will bring together documentary photographer Susan Patrice’s photographs shown alongside students who participated in Contemplative Photography workshops offered through the Arboretum’s Adult Education Programs during all four seasons of 2020. This stunning and expansive exhibition shows the breadth and depth of our region through the eyes and hearts of 24 regional photographers.

Join Adult Education Programs Manager Rebecca Caldwell in conversation with artist educator Susan Patrice and a panel of participating students as they reflect on how their practice of photography changed and, in the journey, deepened their ways of seeing, knowing and loving a place.

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ONLINE  Tuesday, January 19; 10 to 11 a.m. 

Tai Chi is excellent for promoting health, improving balance, physical therapy, and mutual well being. This class will introduce the Tai Chi principles of movement in the Chen Style, known for its silk reeling spiral movements which work to circulate chi (or energy) throughout the body. Students of all levels welcome.

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ONLINE   Wednesday, January 20; 1 to 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 introductory hour kicks off a special year-long series of lunch-time talks for you to meet a different animal neighbor each month. Learn more about mountain wildlife species and what you can to do protect and preserve them.

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ONLINE  Six Sessions: Thursdays, January 21 – February 25; 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Regular meditation practice improves mental clarity and emotional well-being while reducing the effects of stress on the body and the brain. In this online series, we will cover the fundamentals of developing a healthy relationship with meditation practice.

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ONLINE  Friday, January 22; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Can photography radically change your relationship with the natural world? Award-winning documentary photographer Susan Patrice believes it can. On Friday, January 22, Susan Patrice will be sharing images and stories from her most recent project, The Enveloping Landscape, which features stunning, round, black and white photographs that offer a unique view of the beautiful and sometimes threatened forests of the Southern Appalachian region.

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ONLINE  Tuesday, January 26; 10 to 11:30 a.m.

William Robinson, the great English gardener, said that we should banish the idea that “winter is a doleful time for gardens.” This class, a combination of presentation and exploration, will focus on plants that are at their best in winter.

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ONLINE  Wednesday, January 27; 10 a.m. to Noon

Trees take on a whole new dimension in winter. Learn to identify winter trees based on silhouette, bark, twigs and other characteristics. We will cover major concepts and terms, and review some of the best books for tackling this subject matter.

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ONLINE  Thursday, January 28; 1 to 3 p.m.

Join in this discussion about how to approach planning and gardening projects year round in the home landscape. We’ll share a few tips to apply ecological principles and methods in your gardening practice. A facilitated discussion with faculty and students in the Blue Ridge Eco-Gardener (BREG) program, anyone is welcome to attend with questions and tips for what works for growing in our region.

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ONLINE  Thursday, January 28; 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Bonsai is a much favored feature of the Arboretum’s identity, and not without reason. Join us in the coming months for this new series with Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura and special guests helping us see “More Than Meets the Eye.”

In this first installment of the series, Joura highlights exactly what makes our bonsai unique from any other public display to be found through a talk colorfully illustrated with a pleasing selection of popular specimens in our collection. If you are among the many who are enchanted by what you see in the Arboretum’s bonsai garden, you will want to experience this revealing glimpse of the philosophical foundation upon which our bonsai program is built.

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ONLINE  Fridays, January 29 – February 19; 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Deepen your intimacy with your surroundings and the natural world through photography. Award-winning documentary photographer Susan Patrice offers a heart-felt photography workshop that combines contemplative practices with ways to document this extraordinary time that might keep us six feet apart from other humans but can inspire a closer and more intimate focus on nature and our surroundings. Through this simple photographic practice, a nearby green space can become an oasis of beauty and connection and your own backyard can come alive with extraordinary photographic opportunities.

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ONLINE  Six sessions: Tuesdays, February 2 – March 9; 10 to 11 a.m. 

In this class we will be learning whole body spiral mechanics through Tai Chi. Students will learn the beginning movements of the Chen Style Old Frame Tai Chi First Form, with an emphasis on Tai Chi principles of movement. Tai Chi is excellent for promoting health, improving balance, physical therapy, and mutual well being. This class is for students of all levels.

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ONLINE  Thursday, February 4; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Birdwatching has increased 300% during the pandemic, and many eyes are newly opened to the wonder of birds. Expand your world view of our avian friends in this travelogue of birding near and far by expert birder Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding Tours.

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ONLINE  Sunday, February 7; 2 to 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  Tuesday, February 9; 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Birdwatching is one of the nation’s fastest growing outdoor activities. In this class, instructor Kevin Burke introduces us to eBird, a free online program that will help you track and share your sightings and join in a world-wide citizen science revolution.

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ONLINE  Six sessions: Wednesdays & Fridays, February 10 – 26; 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Southern Appalachian Mountain region is quite diverse in the many different species of vertebrate animals that make their home here. In this series of classes, 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  Thursday, February 11; 1 to 2:30 p.m.

There’s no sweeter way to wake in the morning than to a chorus of birdsong surrounding your home. This talk will cover how to attract and support a diversity of bird species to your property through gardening, including intentional design, plant selection, maintenance techniques, and the creation of habitat features.

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ONLINE  Thursday, February 11; 3 to 4:30 p.m.

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.

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ONLINE  Thursday, February 11; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Love is in the air, literally! Come join Kevin Burke for an evening chat on the various mating habits of birds, including nest building, courtship rituals, mate selection, nest defense, and chick rearing. This is sure to be an informative evening suitable for all you love birds out there.

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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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ONLINE  Tuesday, February 16; 1 to 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  Tuesday, February 16; 8 to 9 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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ONLINE  Wednesday, February 17; 1 to 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. to 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 to 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, February 23 – March 9; 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Use simple embroidery to transform botanical sketches into design motifs for a stitched nature journal, to use on small constructed objects, or to embellish or repair clothing. We will look at two methods of Sashiko, Japanese functional embroidery, and work in some other methods of contemporary stitching.

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ONLINE  Thursday, February 25, 10 to 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 to 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 this revealing glimpse of the philosophical foundation upon which our bonsai program is built.

LEARN MORE

ONSITE  Saturday, January 23; 1 to 3:30 p.m.

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  Sunday, January 24; 3 to 4:30 p.m.

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  Wednesday, January 27; 1 to 3 p.m.

Correctly pruning woody trees and shrubs improves their general appearance and promotes better health. Though it can be hard to know where to start, what to cut and what to leave, to keep trees and shrubs in your landscape healthy and beautiful, this class will help both with providing a thorough and practical approach while instilling confidence.

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ONSITE  Friday, January 29; 1 to 3 p.m.

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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The Arboretum’s annual wreath-making class takes on a new format this year. Join Clara Curtis, the Arboretum’s senior director for mission delivery, to learn how to make a festive holiday wreath. Participants will be sent a pre-recorded video tutorial to watch on their own time, learning classic wreath making methods and creating a full-sized door wreath using the hand-wrapped bundle method.

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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!

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