9/23/2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Form and Function: An Ecological Approach to Stormwater Using Native Plants
Native plants have long played an important role in creating landscapes that are both beautiful and functional. We tend to think of their use in the upland spaces in our communities; however, their ecological role in cleaning stormwater and creating aquatic habitats should not be overlooked. Naples Botanical Garden incorporates native plantings into stormwater design across the site, from the Garden’s entry drive and parking areas to the connected natural marsh adjacent to the Garden. These stormwater areas have become a destination for members of the community who want to learn more and work to address our region’s issues with algal blooms. This program will share the benefits of incorporating native plants into your stormwater system, concepts of using plants to improve water quality, and provide some examples of plants you can include in your own pond edges, swales and other stormwater areas.

10/1/2021
9:30 AM - 10/22/2021 12:30 PM

Light on Form
Light shining on a subject gives it mass, volume and form; providing the viewer with information about where the light is coming from. Without light, you cannot create the illusion of 3-dimensions. This class concentrates on how to create this illusion by learning how to draw and paint how light effects flowers and leaves.

10/2/2021
10:00 AM - 1:30 PM

Early Autumn at Mason Farm
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
An in-depth tour of Mason Farm Biological Reserve’s Old Farm Trail that travels through some 260 years of cultural and natural history. Explore the beauty of fall, and learn about the Garden’s intense management of both field and forest on the Reserve. The walk includes a short hike off-trail into the Shagbark Hickory Forest. Wear sturdy footwear and bring water (and a walking stick if you use one). Meeting spot supplied upon registration.

10/3/2021
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Carolina Futurescapes: Planning and Planting Climate Resilient Landscapes - Virtual
In this workshop, participants will learn about and begin to plan their own native-plant gardens. We will learn the basics of creating Carolina Xeriscape gardens, which do not require additional watering and are resilient to extreme heat. Topics include plant selection, site selection, plant care, and color palettes. Participants will develop or refine planting plans for their own climate-resilient gardens.

10/5/2021
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Outdoor Yoga in the Garden
Join us for 75 minutes of rejuvenating outdoor yoga. The class will be held outside along the Streamside Trail. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Sam leads you through a series of seated, standing and lying poses in the meadow with views of native flowers, trees, and butterflies. The class is gentle and invigorating. Modifications of poses will be offered.

10/6/2021
1:15 PM - 10/27/2021 4:45 PM

Intermediate Expressive Watercolor
This class introduces students to fluid watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet. Students will learn to work with more water in the beginning and middle of the painting process and then rely on the skills learned in Beginning Watercolor to refine and add detail towards the end of the process. Students will create textures for backgrounds, work on color mixing using a limited palette, and learn to use glazing and masking fluid. Techniques for correcting mistakes in watercolor will also be covered. Upon completion of this course, students will have knowledge/skill of the following: • Working with various amounts of water and watercolor paint; • Working wet-on-wet; • Working with masking fluid; • Making a variety of watercolor textures such as salt, plastic wrap, etc.; • Glazing; • Working with a limited palette; and • Color mixing

10/9/2021
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Lichens
This class is intended for a broad audience. Lichens (lichenized fungi) are symbiotic organisms that consist of fungal, algal and/or bacterial partners. Among the first life-forms to live on land, lichens have occupied nearly every habitat on Earth and grow on many of the surfaces of our environment. This class introduces students to the fascinating world of lichen biology, the dazzling diversity of the local lichen flora, and their importance as indicators of environmental health. Includes lecture, demonstrations, and a foray out into the Garden.

10/13/2021
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Native Edible Plants in Your Landscape
Native Edibles Plants for Your Landscape will focus on native fruiting trees, shrubs and vines that are relatively easy to grow. This class will cover the siting and cultural needs of these plants, how to propagate them, as well as the ecological benefits of growing these plants in your landscape. There will be a walking tour at the end of the class to see some of these plants in the garden's habitats.

10/14/2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Cringe-worthy Herbarium and Museum Labels: Acknowledging and Moving Forward
Over the past twenty years many museums have made their collections available to both research communities and to the public via online databases. Many of these online portals include an image of the object and an image of the original label with details of where and when the item was collected. Collections managers are aware that some labels contain place names which are ethnic or cultural slurs. During 2020 a group of herbarium curators decided to understand the scope of the problem and then to develop guidance and best practices for herbaria. I will give an update on what the group has done, what we plan to do, and how these policies and practices will affect the UNC-CH Herbarium.

10/16/2021
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Coker Arboretum Tour
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Take a tour of this gem on the UNC campus with Coker Arboretum assistant curator Geoffrey Neal. This walking tour will explore the 5-acres that make up the Arboretum, allowing time for observation and discussion. Each tour differs as the gardens change through the seasons.

10/17/2021
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Further Afield: Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Join Carol Ann McCormick & Mark Peifer for a ramble through Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area located in south-central Alamance County. We will explore the 2.5 mile 'Northern Approach Trail' which goes through several seepy stream areas as well as the dry rock-strewn summit. The elevation gain on this trail is about 330 feet. Some of the plants we will encounter on our ramble include Chestnut Oak, Umbrella Magnolia, Black Huckleberry, Royal Fern, and Common Toadskin.

10/20/2021
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Local Trees
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This short course is perfect for those just beginning their study of trees or for recent transplants to the NC Piedmont who want to identify the common deciduous trees in their backyard gardens and neighborhoods. Students spend time outdoors, walking in the Garden or on the Piedmont Nature Trails, learning about common trees, how to identify them, and understanding why they grow where they do.

10/21/2021
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Local Trees
This short course is perfect for those just beginning their study of trees or for recent transplants to the NC Piedmont who want to identify the common deciduous trees in their backyard gardens and neighborhoods. Students spend time outdoors, walking in the Garden or on the Piedmont Nature Trails, learning about common trees, how to identify them, and understanding why they grow where they do.

10/26/2021
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Outdoor Yoga in the Garden
Join us for 75 minutes of rejuvenating outdoor yoga. The class will be held outside along the Streamside Trail. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Sam leads you through a series of seated, standing and lying poses in the meadow with views of native flowers, trees, and butterflies. The class is gentle and invigorating. Modifications of poses will be offered.

10/28/2021
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

The Wonderful World of Weeds: Virtual
One man's weed is another man's wildflower! What are some of the weeds that have snuck their way into our lives? And how can we best evict them when they’re unwanted? This course will focus on natives, native edibles and resources available.

11/2/2021
1:15 PM - 11/23/2021 4:45 PM

Pen and Ink
In this class, students learn to draw with pen and ink using standard techniques and conventions. Students work with both “old-fashioned” dip pens and modern technical pens to create accurate botanical drawings. Prerequisite: Intermediate Drawing.

11/4/2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: More Than A Garden: What the Garden Writings of D’Arcy McNickle Tell Us About Indigenous Encounters with Settler Colonialism
D’Arcy McNickle (1904-1977) is one of the twentieth century’s most important American Indian writers, intellectuals, and political actors. In addition to authoring several classic works of fiction and history, he played a vital role in reforming federal Indian policy and cultivating a generation of young activists from the 1930s to the early 1970s. While much has been written about his novels, the diary he kept during these years has been almost completely overlooked. At first glance, it doesn’t tell the stories scholars expect to hear about his life—a life typically cast as “a search for identity between Indian and white worlds.” This talk takes a closer look at his garden writing—one of the things that has caused the diary to be dismissed—and finds in it a crucial window into not only his experiential world but also one Indigenous person’s means of grappling with settler colonialism. In these ways, we will see that McNickle’s garden writing is about “more than a garden.”

11/18/2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Venus Flytrap Champions
Much of North Carolina’s Venus flytrap territory is privately owned. Debbie Crane of The Nature Conservancy will describe the Venus Flytrap Champions, a program that works to help private landowners identify and manage flytrap habitat. Landowners in the Carolinas with Venus Flytrap on their property can play a significant role in maintaining the remaining Flytrap populations and preventing the loss of this fascinating, management-dependent species. The Nature Conservancy is one of many organizations participating in this new program.

11/20/2021
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Coker Arboretum Tour
Take a tour of this gem on the UNC campus with Coker Arboretum assistant curator Geoffrey Neal. This walking tour will explore the 5-acres that make up the Arboretum, allowing time for observation and discussion. Each tour differs as the gardens change through the seasons.

3/15/2022
9:30 AM - 5/17/2022 12:30 PM

Visualizing the Landscape; A Photographic Exploration into the Trails of the NCBG
Participants will join a masters level educator and professional photographer to explore the many trails of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Through a series of exercises and personalized assignments, students will examine technical, aesthetic, and emotional elements that contribute to creating strong imagery beyond the basics. While experimenting with design attributes including light, color, tonality, and texture, participants consider lens choices, angle of approach, and compositional arrangement. They will contemplate their own relationship to the land including environmental concerns, symbolic representation, or use of metaphor to represent a broader message. At the end of each workshop session, participants will receive a custom quality 8x10 matted print of their work to exhibit in the instructor’s 2022 show at the NCBG DeBerry Gallery, Garden Journeys: A Portrait Artist Explores the Landscape with Those Who Nurture It.