3/28/2019 12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM

LUNCHBOX Talk: The Month of Their Ripening: NC Heritage Foods Through the Year
Telling the stories of twelve North Carolina heritage foods, each matched to the month of its peak readiness for eating, Georgann Eubanks takes readers on a flavorful journey across the state in her new book from UNC Press, The Month of Their Ripening. In this talk, she’ll introduce some of the farmers, fishmongers, and cooks who help us understand how certain foods are deeply tied to the culture of the Old North State. For example, garlicky green ramps, gathered in April and traditionally savored by many Cherokee people, are now threatened by their popularity in fine restaurants. In June, serviceberry trees offer a delicious fruit for pies if you can pick them before the birds descend.These ephemeral ingredients make up the long-standing dialect of North Carolina kitchens. But we have to wait for the right moment to enjoy them, and in that waiting is their treasure.

3/31/2019 2:00 PM
to 5:00 PM

Meet Paul Green: Playwright, Social Activist, Naturalist
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Join the Paul Green Foundation for a dramatization of Paul Green's life and work, presented by PlayMakers actors Kathryn Hunter Williams and Ray Dooley. Then, enjoy refreshments and tour the Paul Green Cabin, where he wrote for 26 years. Free; preregistration encouraged.

4/6/2019 9:30 AM
to 4:00 AM

Lichens
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
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.

4/6/2019 1:30 PM
to 3:30 PM

Plants That Bite Back - FOR FAMILIES!
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
For ages 8 & up with accompanying adult. Venus fly traps, pitcher plants, sundews… oh my! Learn about the secret lives of native carnivorous plants. Meet live specimens, dissect pitcher plants, and find out how you can keep some plants that bite back (on insects, not people) in your own backyard. You can even take home a special plant to get you started. $15 ($13 Members) per child; no fee for accompanying adult

4/10/2019 1:00 PM
to 5/1/2019 4:30 PM

Acrylic
Learn the fundamentals in painting with the opaque water medium, acrylic. This course offers a survey of various methods of painting with acrylic and provides instruction in using acrylic in botanical art and illustration. Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing

4/11/2019 12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM

LUNCHBOX Talk: Climate Change, Plants, Bugs, and Birds: Interconnections in Your Own Backyard
Climate change is having impacts on the natural world, many of which are evident in our own backyard. We’ll discuss climate change from a bird-centric point of view, thinking about how their fate is tied to the individual responses of different plant and insect groups. Then, we'll review the many different citizen science programs that you could become involved with to help reveal these responses to climate change where you live.

4/13/2019 2:00 PM
to 3:30 PM

Weeds 101
Every gardener and homeowner can tell you what they consider to be a weed. Too often, one person’s weed is another creature’s critical food source or shelter, while another person’s prized plant might be the next ecological disaster. Discussion will include a brief history of weeds and their impact on ecosystems and our economy, ways to identify your weeds, and strategies for their management, whether they be friend or foe. Management practices include time-tested approaches and some new techniques we employ here at NCBG, with an emphasis on environmentally responsible gardening. Participants are welcome to bring in specimens for identification.

4/14/2019 1:15 PM
to 5/19/2019 4:45 PM

Integrating Composition and Color Theory
In this class students learn the basics of color and the techniques for properly mixing pigments to match a specific color. Concepts of the color wheel and analogous/complementary colors are explored through instruction and numerous exercises. The three attributes of color – hue, value and intensity are also covered. This class was formerly known simply as Color Theory. It serves as a prerequisite for the Advanced Watercolor classes and for Intermediate and Advanced Colored Pencil. Prerequisites: Composition, Intermediate Watercolor

4/20/2019 10:00 AM
to 12:00 PM

Brushwork Flowers in Watercolor
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Brush painting is a magnificent experience that's accessible to anyone, regardless of experience. We will focus on capturing the essence of flowers with simple brush strokes that create a sweep of pure color and energized freedom.

4/20/2019 1:30 PM
to 4:30 PM

Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This course is intended for a broad audience. Through classroom and field demonstrations, students learn the tools and methods needed to identify invasive species and effectively remove them. We'll discuss the most prominent invasive plants in North Carolina and how to identify them by habit and growth form. Then, we'll cover integrated methods for controlling invasive plants on multiple scales.

4/27/2019 9:00 AM
to 4/28/2019 6:00 PM

Educator Trek: Pitcher This - Plants that Eat Bugs!
North Carolina is home to an amazing diversity of plants, including some of the ‘most wonderful plants in the world,’ according to Charles Darwin. Join the Museum of Natural Sciences and the NC Botanical Garden on an overnight trek to discover and learn about our wonderful insect-eating plants and the habitats in which they thrive. Venue: The Green Swamp Preserve and Holly Shelter Game Land near Wilmington, NC. Fee: $90 (includes lodging, transportation, some meals)

4/28/2019 1:30 PM
to 4:30 PM

Spring at Mason Farm
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Take a turn around the Mason Farm Biological Reserve’s Old Farm Trail, which travels through some 260 years of cultural and natural history. Naturalist Ed Harrison will point out wildflowers and discuss how the Garden’s intense management of both field and forest benefits local biological diversity conservation. About 2.5 miles in length, the hike includes a short off-trail foray into the old-growth Shagbark Hickory forest. Wear sturdy hiking footwear and bring insect repellent, water, and a walking stick, if you ever use one.

5/4/2019 10:00 AM
to 11:00 AM

FREE First Saturday Tour: Garden Wildlife
I wake expectant, hoping to see a new thing. ~Annie Dillard Join us as we hike the Garden trails looking for the creatures that call this natural haven home. Bring your binoculars or borrow ours as we look for birds, bugs, and other critters that find our native plantings to their liking.

5/5/2019 1:30 PM
to 4:00 PM

Creek Critters! Family Hike - FOR FAMILIES!
For ages 8 & up with accompanying adult. Discover the amazing world of aquatic insects and other water critters the best way possible...by getting wet! Enjoy a spring hike along the Piedmont Nature Trails to Morgan Creek, where we will explore stream habitats and collect/release crayfish, dragonfly nymphs, and more. Learn how these creatures survive in their aquatic home and the importance of indicator species to determine the health of the creek. Wear clothes and closed-toed shoes for hiking and to get wet. NOTE: This is a moderate hike of about 1-mile round-trip on our trail system. Parents/caregivers must remain with child(ren) at all times. $10 ($9 Members) per child; no fee for accompanying adult

5/11/2019 10:00 AM
to 12:00 PM

Plant This, Not That
Home landscaping is all too often captive to the same old plantings. Though functional, they often are a 'dead zone' ecologically, and some are downright invasive. Luckily, there are plenty of beautiful native plant choices more suited to our particular climate that fit our needs and are even beneficial to the environment. This class includes an extensive plant list and a garden walk to see the plants at NCBG.

5/11/2019 1:30 PM
to 4:30 PM

Native Southeastern Medicinal Plants
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Explore the beauty of native southeastern medicinal plants through field identification. Using the expansive resources of the NCBG display gardens and the Piedmont Nature Trails behind the Garden, students take in the abundant medicine that our local flora has to offer. Topics include field identification, ethical gathering and harvesting, history and lore of each plant, therapeutic and medicinal uses as well as preparations. No prerequisites.

5/15/2019 5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM

Edible Campus UNC Tour
Take a walk with the coordinator of Edible Campus UNC, one of NCBG’s community outreach programs that creates gardens across the UNC-Chapel Hill campus full of edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly plants. We’ll see and taste from the gardens, and we’ll learn about the program and how it supports food justice initiatives at the University, and more!

5/17/2019 11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM

NCBG Display Gardens Tour
Tour the NCBG display gardens with our director of horticulture, Dan Stern. From our innovative horticultural displays of southeastern native plants to our sustainable gardening practices, learn about how the North Carolina Botanical Garden leads the way as the premier conservation garden in the southeastern U.S.

5/18/2019 10:00 AM
to 1:00 PM

Penny's Bend Blue Wild Indigo Hike
Ed Harrison, Penny’s Bend Management Committee member, leads a hike through the spring landscape of this 84-acre natural area surrounded on three sides by the Eno River in northeast Durham. With luck, the glade blue wild indigo (Baptisia aberrans) will be in full bloom. Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve encompasses mature forests and remnant diabase glades and prairies with regionally rare plants. About 2 miles in length, much of this hike is on primitive trails over uneven terrain, with one short, steep climb up from the river. Wear sturdy hiking footwear and bring insect repellent, water, and a walking stick, if you ever use one.

5/18/2019 11:00 AM
to 12:00 PM

FREE Coker Arboretum Tour
Join us for a free tour of Coker Arboretum on the UNC campus! Led by an experienced guide, this tour provides a relaxed, informative introduction to this jewel in the heart of Chapel Hill. 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. The tour departs from the stone gathering circle on the Cameron Avenue side of the Arboretum at 11 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month (March through November). Tours take place rain or shine. Registration is encouraged but not required.

6/1/2019 9:30 AM
to 6/15/2019 12:30 PM

Entomology
This nine hour course is designed for a broad audience. Most aspects of insect biology will be covered, with an emphasis on the adaptations that have made them the most diverse group of organisms. The variety of orders, families, and species will be reviewed, using examples found in the local area. Observational techniques will be demonstrated in a field trip to Mason Farm, and a tour of the Garden’s display areas will be used to discuss how to improve habitats for insects in our own backyards.

6/4/2019 1:00 PM
to 6/25/2019 4:30 PM

Beginning Colored Pencil
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Colored pencil is a next step in advancing from drawing to painting, and introduces the full array of fine art pigments. This course is a hands-on introduction to commonly used materials and techniques such as layering, blending, burnishing and tonal gradation. Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing.

6/8/2019 2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM

Honeybee Hive Tour at the CCCG
Come learn about one of the world’s most fascinating insects. Bees are responsible for pollinating one third of the world’s food and produce one of the sweetest treats around. Participants explore a real live hive with hobbyist beekeeper, Anne Cabell. Free, preregistration required.

6/9/2019 1:30 PM
to 4:30 PM

Native Plant Propagation
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This workshop is intended for a broad audience. Students learn fundamentals of vegetative propagation and techniques for propagating southeastern native plants by means of stem and root cuttings. Class includes hands-on propagation and a tour of the vegetative propagation facilities of NCBG.

6/17/2019 9:00 AM
to 6/21/2019 12:00 PM

Sensing Nature - Nature Explorers Summer Camp (ages 4-5)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Curious preschoolers will love this camp, designed to provide playful, hands-on experiences with the natural world in a small group setting. Young campers will use all of their senses to watch for frogs, listen for birdsong, smell the flowers, touch slimy worms, and taste from the vegetable garden. A new theme will be introduced each day through nature walks, crafts, stories, puppet shows, and group play. Snack included. Session has 10 campers. Fee: $145 ($130 Members)

6/22/2019 10:00 AM
to 6/29/2019 12:00 PM

Native Plant Summer Gardening
Spring has sprung, all is planted, and now it’s growing, growing, growing! Now what? How do you tend the garden through our hot southern summers? In this two-session course, we will learn sustainable maintenance methods to keep your native garden - and the local ecology - thriving. Watering, weeding, and pest control will be covered, as well as cutback and design evaluation. Includes both classroom and hands-on experience.

6/24/2019 9:00 AM
to 6/28/2019 12:00 PM

Sensing Nature - Nature Explorers Summer Camp (ages 4-5)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Curious preschoolers will love this camp, designed to provide playful, hands-on experiences with the natural world in a small group setting. Young campers will use all of their senses to watch for frogs, listen for birdsong, smell the flowers, touch slimy worms, and taste from the vegetable garden. A new theme will be introduced each day through nature walks, crafts, stories, puppet shows, and group play. Snack included. Session has 10 campers. Fee: $145 ($130 Members)

7/15/2019 9:00 AM
to 7/19/2019 3:00 PM

Things with Wings - Nature Explorers Summer Camp (ages 6-7)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Learn about native bats, birds, bugs, and even seeds that fly as we search the gardens, forest, and ponds for nature's winged wonders. Campers will investigate the lives and habitats of our high-flying neighbors and enjoy hikes, games, stories, and crafts. Session has 16 campers. Fee: $285 ($256 Members)

7/29/2019 9:00 AM
to 8/2/2019 3:00 PM

Junior Naturalists - Nature Explorers Summer Camp (ages 8-10)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Whether your child is interested in plants, bugs, or birds, this is the camp for kids who love nature! Campers spend the week honing their naturalist skills and developing an understanding of ecology by getting their hands dirty exploring the Garden’s woodlands and wetlands. Guest naturalists, art projects, and field trips will enrich our nature study and fun! Session has 16 campers. Fee: $285 ($256 Members)

8/5/2019 9:00 AM
to 8/9/2019 3:00 PM

Junior Naturalists - Nature Explorers Summer Camp (ages 8-10)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Whether your child is interested in plants, bugs, or birds, this is the camp for kids who love nature! Campers spend the week honing their naturalist skills and developing an understanding of ecology by getting their hands dirty exploring the Garden’s woodlands and wetlands. Guest naturalists, art projects, and field trips will enrich our nature study and fun! Session has 16 campers. Fee: $285 ($256 Members)

8/7/2019 1:00 PM
to 8/28/2019 4:30 PM

Intermediate Colored Pencil
This course adds to the information covered in Beginning Colored Pencil and hones skills in color, value and layering. Students will be introduced to new surfaces and techniques. This elective is intended for students who wish to develop a strong, more advanced-level skill in colored pencil. Prerequisites: Beginning Colored Pencil, Intermediate Drawing.

8/24/2019 9:30 AM
to 12:30 PM

iNaturalists in Action
Join us for this hands-on introduction to recording plant and wildlife observations with the iNaturalist mobile app and website (inaturalist.org). We’ll meet in the classroom for a brief overview of the application and a discussion of photographing flora and fauna for identification. We’ll then carpool to nearby Mason Farm Biological Reserve to make observations, and we’ll return to the classroom at the end to take a closer look at some of them. We'll provide suggestions for recording observations on your own and contributing observations to citizen science projects. To participate, you will need to bring a digital camera, smartphone, or tablet.