ADULT PROGRAMS
Scott Arboretum and Tyler Arboretum Bus Trip
Wednesday, September 23, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Fee: $35 members, $45 general public includes admission to both facilities
Join Claire Sawyers, director of the Scott Arboretum, for a morning tour of this garden of ideas and suggestions. The Scott Arboretum encompasses more than 300 acres of the Swarthmore College campus and exhibits more than 4,000 kinds of plants. In the afternoon, the tour will continue at Tyler Arboretum, exploring 650 acres of horticultural collections, rare plant specimens, ancient trees, historic buildings, extensive hiking trails, and the Totally Terrific Treehouses: Nature’s Play exhibit.
Feed the Birds
Friday, September 25. Bird walk 8–9:30 a.m., classroom program 9:30–11:30 a.m.
Fee: $15 members, $18 general public
Learn to attract birds by enriching habitats with native plants that support insects and produce berries, seed, and nectar that provide food for birds. The program will begin with a bird walk to observe birds in nature followed by a classroom presentation of native plants that benefit birds. An overview of supplemental feeding and bird feeder care will also be covered in this program.
Landscape Design Workshop for Eastern Shore Homeowners
Two workshop dates are offered: Wednesday, September 30, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. or Saturday, October 24, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Fee: $65 for one all-day session
Is your home set on a lot that recently was a farm field? Does your property lack beauty and distinctive character, or do you want to add outdoor living spaces? This workshop will address typical challenges of Eastern Shore homeowners. Four experienced landscape designers and avid gardeners will lead participants through an all-day intensive planning session. Bring your property plat and photos, and leave with a landscape plan you have created with guidance from these landscape professionals.
Topics include analyzing the challenges and opportunities of your property; developing a conceptual plan for circulation and unique features; designing “rooms” for outdoor living; choosing materials for patios, walks, and retaining walls; and designing with plants. The day will be organized around presentations followed by breakout sessions for participants to work with designers. The work sessions will focus on specific landscape needs and wishes of the participants and the special characteristics of their properties. The designers will offer practical advice as needed, such as how to get started, what to do with low, wet areas; how to lay out a path; how to screen an unappealing view; and plants recommended for specific garden conditions. Step by step, participants will develop their own landscape plans throughout the day.
Workshop leaders are Arboretum Executive Director Ellie Altman, landscape architect Vernon Hustead of Sigma Engineering, landscape architect Barbara McClinton, formerly of the Baltimore landscape architecture and land planning firm Daft, McCune, Walker, and landscape designer and native plant enthusiast Chris Pax.
Bring lunch and coffee. Drinks, break refreshments, and worksheets and handouts on native plants will be provided.
Introduction to Color Pencil
Thursday and Friday, October 1 and 2, 10 a.m. –4 p.m.
Fee: $110 members, $125 general public
Learn basic color pencil techniques in this two-day workshop led by artist Lee D’Zmura. The first session will include demonstrations of color pencil techniques and incorporate exercises that explore application and tonal effects on various surfaces. Hue, value, and intensity will also be discussed. The second session will be devoted to individual projects emphasizing initial sketch, transfer, value study, and color application. A demonstration of color pencil on Mylar will conclude the workshop. Materials list will be provided.
Nature and the Underground Railroad
Wednesday, October 14, 2–3 p.m.
Fee: $15 members, $18 general public
In May 1996, Anthony Cohen embarked on a two-month journey to explore a tragically overlooked part of American history—the Underground Railroad, the secret network that thousands of slaves traveled to escape to freedom. Cohen began his trek in Sandy Spring, MD, and traveled a distance of 1,200 miles by foot, boat, and rail to his final destination in Amherstburg, Ontario. Along the way, he traced the steps of freedom seekers along wilderness trails and waterways to fugitive slave communities and Quaker sanctuaries.
Cohen is a historian, author, and explorer of the American past. His stories offer insight into the Underground’s role in the nation’s struggle for freedom, and allow the public to travel alongside fugitive slaves on their journeys. In this presentation he will explore nature’s role in the Underground Railroad. Cohen received his B.A. in American Studies from American University. He is the founder and president of The Menare Foundation, Inc., a national nonprofit restoring a Maryland plantation as a living history center.
Plant Communities—Changing with the Times?
Thursday, October 29, 10–11:30 a.m.
Fee: $10 members, $15 general public
As sea levels rise and climates change, what will happen to the Delmarva’s plant communities? Join a walk on the Arboretum’s paths to learn what comprises a plant community and the process of succession. Back inside, discuss how sea level and climate change might change the future of plant communities and how land-use planning can help. Dr. Sylvan Kaufman is an ecologist with research experience in plant community responses to climate change and practical experience as a land manager at the Arboretum.
Understanding Wood
Thursday, November 12, 10 a.m.–noon
Fee: $10 members, $15 general public
Whether you’re a woodworker, a naturalist, or a lover of wood furniture, understanding the structure of wood is critical to understanding its uses. This program will examine samples of wood to learn about cell types and arrangement of cells used for wood identification. Participants will also learn about the characteristics of wood through hands-on experiments. Instructor Sylvan Kaufman is an admirer of wooden objects and an ecologist with a fondness for trees.
Introducing Wicker Basketry: The Melon Basket
Friday, November 13, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.
Fee: $45 members, $55 general public
Learn the basic techniques of this traditional gathering basket, using natural rattan and indigenous materials such as grapevine, honeysuckle, and willow. Produce a functional, colorful, one-of-a-kind basket that will be both useful and beautiful, and use your new-found skills to continue on your own.
Lee Zimmerman Nelson has exhibited her award-winning basketry for more than 30 years, nationally and abroad, and teaches regularly at Arrowmont (Tennessee) and the John C. Campell Folk School (North Carolina), as well as in Maryland and Virginia. She integrates her knowledge of the craft and love of teaching in a relaxed and informative manner. Bring a lunch, a basin, clippers, awl, and jackknife and join the fun!
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JOURNAL WRITING WITH NATURE
Workshops about discovering nature through art and words
Fee: $15 members, $18 general public per program; $40 members, $55 general public for all three sessions
Webs and Fluff
Wednesday, September 2, 9 a.m.–noon
As the days begin to grow shorter, learn the secrets of the spider’s web weaving and the magic of its silk. See a different kind of silk from inside the milkweed pod as the wind helps to scatter its riches across the meadow. Write and talk about how these two miracles can shape your end-of-summer outlook. Bring your journal and some curiosity.
Bridges and Reflections
Wednesday, October 7, 9 a.m.–noon
Experience the uniqueness of the Arboretum’s bridges as you note the reflections of nature in the water beneath. Pause and narrow your gaze as you look not only on the surface of the water but also at the world that lies beneath it. Bring your journal, a desire to search for surprises, and an inclination to go with the flow.
Shedding the Out-of-Doors Life
Wednesday, November 4, 9 a.m.–noon
Shed your outdoor focus and explore the potential of nature’s transition to a quieter time when the light dims more quickly and the air begins to cool. Even as we feel like retreating indoors, we won’t give up on our chillier outdoor question: “Does the activity in the forest, meadow, and wetland ever truly stop?” Bring your journal and camera and join Ann and Richard Rolfing to record observations and the results of our creative imaginations.
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Soup ’n Walks—Nature, Nurture, and Nutrition
Saturdays, September 19, October 17, November 21, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Fee: $18 members, $20 general public
Pre-registration required. Call 410-634-2847, ext. 0 to register.
Discover birds and butterflies among meadow grasses and flowers, fall color in the forest, and berries, nuts, and seeds that signify winter on the horizon. After a guided walk with a docent naturalist, enjoy a delicious and nutritious lunch followed by a brief lesson about the meal’s nutritional value. Copies of recipes are provided.
September 19—Birds and Butterflies in the Meadow
Milkweed, black-eyed Susan, goldenrod, Maryland golden aster, purple love grass, pearly everlasting, Indian grass, big bluestem
Menu
Couscous with chickpeas and carrots
Wheat flaxseed bread with black bean spread
Pumpkin pie
October 17—Fall Colors That Dazzle the Senses and the Appetite
Tulip tree, sweet gum, sassafras, beech, tupelo, sumac, hickory, and pawpaw
Menu
Butternut squash and sweet potato bisque
Colorful chopped vegetable salad
Rye walnut bars with fresh mozzarella
Lemon apple tart bars
November 21—Berries, Nuts, and Seeds
Dogwood, hibiscus, partridge berry, oak, juniper, tulip tree, verbena, ironwood, strawberry bush, hickory, and beech
Menu
Sixteen-bean soup
Orange walnut salad with citrus vinaigrette
Anadama oatmeal bread with Cheddar cheese
Fresh fruit crisp
Special Soup ’n Walk programs may be scheduled for groups of 15 or more. Contact Ginna Tiernan, Adult Program Coordinator, at 410-634-2847, ext. 27 or gtiernan@adkinsarboretum.org.
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A Sense of Wonder Sundays—A Family Affair
Fall Sessions
September 27, October 25, November 22
Fee: $5 per person members, $7 per person general public
Pre-registration is required; call 410-634-2847, extension 0 to register.
Though its beauty and serenity inspire each person differently, the Arboretum’s woods, wetlands, meadows, and gardens appeal to all ages. The whole family is invited for a fun-filled Sunday of enjoying the outdoors together. If you’re lucky, you may glimpse your child’s inborn sense of wonder—and rediscover your own.
Wildlife in the Wetland
Sunday, September 27, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Early autumn is a wonderful time to explore wetlands for wildlife. Dragonflies still patrol the wetland for territory and hunting, turtles are taking in the late warming rays of the sun, and tadpoles and aquatic insects are gearing up for a long winter sleep burrowed deep in the soft mud. Join Children’s Education Coordinator Coreen Weilminster to learn about the wildlife found in local freshwater wetlands. Through investigation and simulation activities, participants will glimpse the value of wetlands to humans and to the wildlife that call them home. Pack a lunch and dress for both indoor and outdoor activities.
Exploring Colors in Nature
Sunday, October 25, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Fall is a terrific time to explore colors in nature. We often notice the change of the seasons because of the changes in nature’s color palette, and inspiration is often found in the subtle, and sometimes dramatic, colors we find in the world around us. This program will explore why leaves change color, how water affects the colors we see, how animals see color, and why flowers are so colorful. Plan on a touch of magic, and some fun activities to demonstrate how leaves change their colors. Pack a lunch and dress for both indoor and outdoor activities.
Time Out!
Sunday, November 22, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
With work and school schedules, daily commutes, and after-school activities, families rarely find the time to immerse themselves in some much-needed fresh air and sunshine. This session will provide insight into why daily outdoor time is essential to our well being, and offer interesting solutions for spending even a few moments outdoors each day. Parents will learn strategies for encouraging children to take pleasure simply in being outdoors. Pack a lunch and dress for both indoor and outdoor activities.
EVENTS
Plant Sale Preview Walk
Wednesday, September 9, 1–2:30 p.m.
Free
Join Arboretum staff on a preview walk through the fall plant sale display area! This is a great opportunity to plan fall planting projects and ask garden and plant identification questions. Staff will help you find the right plant for the right place in your garden. Plants will not be for sale the day of the preview walk.
Fall Native Plant Sale (Members enjoy a 10% discount.)
Members-only Sale, Friday, September 11, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Shop the Members-only Sale for the best selection. New members are welcome!
General Public Sale, Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Enjoy fall in the garden! Take advantage of autumn’s cool, moist weather by adding plants with brightly colored fall berries that provide food and habitat for birds and wildlife. Add color with plants whose leaves turn crimson, yellow, or orange. A wide variety of native perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees will be for sale. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions, and Arboretum docents will be on hand to lead guided walks. Members, including those who join on the sale day, receive a 10% discount on plants, gift shop items, and new books. Sale days are popular and can be crowded, so please leave dogs at home. The sale benefits the Arboretum’s education programs and introduces the public to the beauty and benefit of gardening with native plants.
Used Book Sale
Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
The Arboretum is accepting donations of gardening and nature-themed books and magazines for a book sale during the plant sale. Donations may be dropped off at the Arboretum any day of the week between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Shop for books and magazines at great prices on sale day!
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Magic in the Meadow
Saturday, September 26, 6–9 p.m.
As twilight falls, the magic of the Arboretum beckons guests for an enchanted evening. Indulge in sumptuous food, music, and cocktails beneath the glow of celestial wonders. The Delmarva Stargazers will be on hand with telescopes to show guests the beauty of the night sky. Live and silent auctions benefit the adults and children served by the Arboretum’s education programs and outreach services. Tickets are $95 per person, with tables of 10 available for reservation. For information or to reserve tickets, call 410-634-2847, ext. 0 or e-mail info@adkinsarboretum.org.
Tails and Trails Dog Walk
Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
All proceeds benefit Caroline County Humane Society. For more information or to register, call Steve at 410-820-1600, or e-mail kiwini1@yahoo.com.
Halloween Haunted Hayride
Friday, October 23, 8–10 p.m.
Saturday, October 24, 7–10 p.m.
Fee: $8 per adult, $5 per child (free for children ages 4 and under)
Boo! This annual event draws the Arboretum’s biggest crowds. It’s not for the faint of heart. Gather your courage and hop aboard a hay wagon to experience wicked witches cackling over a gruesome brew, ghosts and goblins appearing from the deep dark woods, a headless horseman tracking your every move, and smoke and screams hovering on the night air. Come dressed in costume and arrive 30 minutes early to compete in the costume contest. This event is co-sponsored with Tuckahoe State Park, Eastern Shore Jousting Association, and the Tuckahoe Equestrian Center. Tickets available at the door.
Fall Family Festival
Saturday, November 7, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Fee: $12 per family, $5 per individual
This is a special event for young families to enjoy the Arboretum. Plan to come for lunch. Activities include planting pansies in painted pumpkins, leaf printmaking, face painting, and other crafts so that every child carries something home. Hay wagon rides will travel the Arboretum’s native meadow throughout the day. The littlest tots will enjoy playing in the corn crib and exploring the hay bale maze. Live music and storytelling will entertain all ages. A variety of lunchtime treats will be available.
Holiday Greens Sale
Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
A beautiful Eastern Shore holiday begins with decorations from the Shore’s woods and meadows. Kick off your holiday decorating at the annual Holiday Greens Sale and deck the halls with nature’s renewable resources. Decorated wreaths, swags, topiaries, roping, and boxwood trees will be for sale, as well as fresh local greens and natural materials to create your own arrangements.
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The Arboretum sponsors art exhibitions throughout the year, including an annual competition and an outdoor environmental art show. The program is sponsored in part by Caroline County Council of Arts. Call 410-634-2847, ext. 0 or e-mail info@adkinsarboretum.org for gallery hours.
“Botanical Dreams” features Baltimore artist Marcia Wolfson Ray’s exuberant organic sculptures inspired by the patterns and rhythms she observes in nature. Using plant materials collected anywhere from vacant city lots to the Arboretum’s meadows, Wolfson Ray puts the focus on twigs, bark, and seedpods, suspending them in geometric frameworks of dried plant stalks. Her exhibit is on view through September 26, with a reception Saturday, August 22 from 5 to 7 p.m.
From September 28 through November 27, Faith Wilson’s acrylic canvases and functional floorcloths, featuring images of leaves from the Arboretum forest, will share the gallery with Marilee Schumann’s inventive furniture made from salvaged wood and found objects. The show’s title, “Palimpsest,” gives a clue as to how these two Chestertown artists (who are sisters) allow traces of the history and associations of their materials and working methods to show through, lending richness and a curious sense of mystery to their work. A reception will be held Saturday, October 17 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Every spring, Rockville artist Juliana Netschert hikes into the woods to make drawings of trees and vernal ponds. In her studio, she develops these plein-air scenes into quiet, gem-like paintings with an elegant economy of means. Entitled “March,” her show of drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings—lively with watery reflections and the linear rhythms of trunks and branches—will be on view from November 30 through January 29, 2010. A reception will be held Saturday, December 12 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Inspired by the resemblance of bare tree branches to the spidery marks of calligraphy, Centreville artists Howard and Mary McCoy will collaborate with Kit-Keung Kan of Bethesda to bring his Chinese calligraphy literally into the forest. Hung in trees and dangling from bridges across the creek, these scrolls, written in both Chinese and English, will include a text by Mary McCoy inspired by the Arboretum’s creek and paths. Their calligraphic installations can be seen in the Arboretum forest November 2 through January 29.
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Guided walks are offered Saturdays through November at 11 a.m. Walks are led by a trained docent naturalist. Free for members, free with admission for the general public. 410-634-2847, ext. 0 for information.