8/10/2021
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 in our Perennial Circle. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Aviva 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.

8/12/2021
9:30 AM - 9/2/2021 12:30 PM

Plant Taxonomy
This course builds on the fundamentals taught in Botany and prepares students for supplementary material covered in Flowering Plant Families. It is a core course for students enrolled in either of the NCBG public certificate programs. Students learn the basic concepts of the taxonomy of vascular plants and how to identify plant families by making observations of selected characteristics. The use of taxonomic keys is introduced. Interesting examples are studied to illustrate current issues in plant taxonomy and nomenclature. This course serves as a prerequisite for Flowering Plant Families.

8/16/2021
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Conservation Gardening 101: Landscaping with Native Plants (Hybrid Edition)
Conservation Gardening 101: Landscaping with Native Plants is a certificate series designed to provide home gardeners and emerging landscape professionals with foundational concepts of landscape design, species selection, implementation and maintenance of compellingly beautiful and ecologically productive native plant gardens based on conservation principles.

8/21/2021
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.

8/26/2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Woodland Restoration at Picture Creek Diabase Barrens
Picture Creek Diabase Barrens is a Nationally Significant Natural Heritage Area in southwestern Granville County. Picture Creek was once a magnificent Piedmont prairie because of its unusual geology, resultant soils and frequent fire. This Piedmont prairie remnant now supports dozens of plant species with various ratings of rarity or concern including the largest known population of the federally endangered Smooth Coneflower. Join us to learn more about this significant site and the woodland restoration efforts taking place.

8/31/2021
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 in our Perennial Circle. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Aviva 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.

9/2/2021
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Edible Campus UNC Tour
Take a walk with the coordinator of Edible Campus UNC, one of the North Carolina Botanical Garden's community outreach programs that creates gardens across the UNC-Chapel Hill campus full of edible and medicinal plants and pollinator-friendly wildflowers. 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!

9/7/2021
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Lovesome Okra: An Ethnobotanical Perspective of the Past, Present, and Future Thereof - Virtual
Plants have played a significant role in the evolution of life on Earth and have in many ways served as multifaceted agents in all societies since prehistoric times. Ethnobotany is the study of flora concerning how they are utilized by the many facets of people. This includes culture, foodstuff, and technology. Whether it is a component of food, ceremony, medical, or applied science, plants have been and continue to be a part of human evolution. In this course, we will highlight a specific plant, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) from a past, present, and future ethnobotanical perspective. Beginning with the past and ending in the future we will dive into the world of okra to discover how this organism has affected: health, nutrition, holistic wellness, technology, and its interaction with other organisms including the environment. There will be special emphasis on the potential okra has to offer as a component in manufacturing and medicine.

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

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: History and Heritage of the Coker House and Gardens
William C. Coker came to Chapel Hill in 1903 as the first Professor of Botany. Over the first half of the 20th century, Professor Coker, as a botanist, planner and landscape designer, shaped the UNC campus and the Chapel Hill community. He is responsible for the design and creation of the Arboretum, named in his honor. His home and surrounding garden offer insight into this remarkable man and his wife, Louisa Venable Coker, and the enduring influence they had on this community. In 1985, Dr. Woodrow Burns, Jr. and his late wife, Mary Jane, purchased the Coker property from the university and oversaw the restoration of the home and garden.

9/11/2021
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Putting it into Practice: Using the WOTAS Field Guide to Identify Native Wildflowers
Published in 2019, the Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (WOTAS) field guide was co-authored by the instructor and staff of the NC Botanical Garden. Containing a key, color photos, and an introduction to wildflower habitats, the guide helps interested enthusiasts get acquainted with more than 1200 species of wildflowers found in the Atlantic Coastal states (NJ to Georgia, plus W Va). Best of all: you don’t need to be a botanist to use it! Learn how to use the guide in a relaxed, informative session. In the classroom, we’ll familiarize ourselves with the book’s approach and terms used in the key, and then try it out on plant samples brought indoors. Finally, we’ll take it into the field—the trails and plantings of the Garden. Bring your copy if you’ve already bought one, or purchase one when you register. We’ll also have a few classroom copies for use by those who aren’t ready to purchase.

9/14/2021
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Lovesome Okra: An Ethnobotanical Perspective of the Past, Present, and Future Thereof - Virtual
Plants have played a significant role in the evolution of life on Earth and have in many ways served as multifaceted agents in all societies since prehistoric times. Ethnobotany is the study of flora concerning how they are utilized by the many facets of people. This includes culture, foodstuff, and technology. Whether it is a component of food, ceremony, medical, or applied science, plants have been and continue to be a part of human evolution. In this course, we will highlight a specific plant, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) from a past, present, and future ethnobotanical perspective. Beginning with the past and ending in the future we will dive into the world of okra to discover how this organism has affected: health, nutrition, holistic wellness, technology, and its interaction with other organisms including the environment. There will be special emphasis on the potential okra has to offer as a component in manufacturing and medicine.

9/16/2021
1:15 PM - 10/7/2021 4:45 PM

Intermediate Drawing
In this class, students continue their journey to learn the skills needed to produce accurate tonal graphite botanical drawings from life. Covered topics include: more methods to increase accuracy, transitioning to tonal drawing, light on form fundamentals, realistic textures, and rendering fine plant details. Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing.

9/18/2021
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Native Southeastern Medicinal Plants
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.

9/21/2021
9:30 AM - 11/16/2021 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.

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 - 4:00 PM

Introduction to Mushrooms
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This course is intended for a broad audience as an introduction to mushrooms, including their identification, ecology and cultivation. Session includes classroom discussion on the basic taxonomy of fleshy fungi and a foray to a nearby forest. Price includes supply fee, which covers materials for mushroom cultivation bags that participants will be able to take home. No prerequisites.

10/6/2021
1:00 PM - 10/27/2021 5:00 PM

Beginning Watercolor: Virtual
In this class, students are introduced to watercolor and learn basics techniques such as flat and graded washes. Students learn to paint various simple shapes (spheres and cylinders) and a small botanical subject. Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing.

10/8/2021
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Native Seed Propagation
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Intended for all levels, students learn seed propagation techniques for native perennials and woody plants. Topics include seed collection methods, post-collection handling, cleaning equipment and techniques, seed storage, seed sowing techniques, sowing media, cultural requirements of seedlings, and dormancy requirements. No prerequisites.

10/14/2021
9:30 AM - 11/11/2021 12:30 PM

Fall Flora
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This course is intended for a broad audience. Field trips and exercises provide experience in the use of identification keys and recognition of plants in a natural setting. Upon completion of this course, students will have an understanding of basic plant morphology, naming conventions for plants and the history of scientific naming, how to identify the prominent plants of the season using a dichotomous key and field characteristics, all through a season-specific lens. No prerequisites.

10/16/2021
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Fall Cornucopia: Pumpkins and Fall Foliage in Watercolor
Join Beverly Dyer, Certified Botanical Illustrator, to learn how to paint pumpkins and fall foliage in watercolor. We will learn wet-on-wet techniques and how to shade. Bring a pumpkin of your choice and some fall foliage. Beginners welcome. Beverly’s style is loose and fun.

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.

10/27/2021
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.

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.

11/20/2021
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Graduation Preparation for the Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration
Students will receive guidance on Independent Projects, graduation procedures and requirements, as well as organizing the exhibit, photographing and framing their paintings, and an introduction to marketing their work. Non-credit course.