New Growth: Artists Respond to the Forest

New Growth: Artists Respond to the ForestJan 17 – May 10The North Carolina Arboretum’s new Winter Artist Residency program welcomes Asheville Artists to engage with the landscape during the shift from winter to spring. This evolving exhibition presents aesthetic respons......More

New Growth: Artists Respond to the ForestJan 17 – May 10The North Carolina Arboretum’s new Winter Artist Residency program welcomes Asheville Artists to engage with the landscape during the shift from winter to spring. This evolving exhibition presents aesthetic responses to the sights and sounds of the dormant to waking states of our surroundings from January to March each year. We encourage you to visit periodically as the exhibition unfolds. Return viewers will discover the beauty of our environment as the seasons turn and gain a deeper understanding of the work coming from emerging contemporary artists of our region.   Showing concurrently:‘Fine Details’ by artist Mary Ruden showcases botanical illustration by artist The exhibit includes colored pencil and watercolor drawings used in scientific articles, posters, and in folding field guides to identify plants. All artworks feature native orchids, including a bronze statue of a Pink Lady Slipper orchid. Ruden authored and illustrated two folding field guides on native orchids of North America for Waterford Press “A Pocket Naturalist” series. Many of the species of orchids displayed in the art are native to North Carolina.

Baker Exhibit Center

Spring Mind-Body Wellness Retreat

Spring Mind-Body Wellness Retreatwith Jenne Sluder Tuesday, April 28  |  10 am – 4pm REGISTER HERE Set aside a day for quiet reflection and renewal at the North Carolina Arboretum, centering themes from the poetry of Mary Oliver. Calm your mind, refresh your spirit, and......More

Spring Mind-Body Wellness Retreatwith Jenne Sluder Tuesday, April 28  |  10 am – 4pm REGISTER HERE Set aside a day for quiet reflection and renewal at the North Carolina Arboretum, centering themes from the poetry of Mary Oliver. Calm your mind, refresh your spirit, and relax your body and nervous system with a gentle immersion into mind-body centering practices both indoors and in nature. Expect slow, mindful yoga and qigong, guided meditation, progressive relaxation + sound bath, contemplative readings from Mary Oliver, and time for personal journaling and quiet time in nature. All mind-body practices will be gentle and accessible, including the choice to do any seated movements or meditations in a chair or on a cushion according to your own body’s needs. Jenne Sluder, MA C-IAYT holds a Master’s in Transpersonal Psychology: Ecopsychology from Naropa University. She is a certified yoga therapist, mind-body specialist, and meditation instructor. Jenne is also an environmental educator and spent her undergrad years working and studying under the direct mentorship of Thomas Berry and Joseph Cornell at the Center for Education, Imagination, and the Natural World, continuing her studies in nature-based rites of passage with the School of Lost Borders and the Earth-Based Institute. An Asheville native, Jenne works one-on-one with individuals and with groups using mindfulness-based, nature-based, and compassion-centric mind-body therapies towards personal and collective well-being. Members: Remember to enter your promo code upon checkout to receive your 10% member discount! Email [email protected] with questions.See a full listing of Adult Education Programs at the North Carolina Arboretum here! Questions? Check our FAQs.We are committed to fostering a diverse, supportive learning community. If the cost of a class is a barrier for you, please complete this scholarship form and we will see what kind of assistance we can provide.Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!Join our Adult Education Student Hub on Discord!Interested in supporting the NC Arboretum more directly? Donate to the ONE Fund here.

Guided Trail Walk

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and thr......More

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with a guided trail walk! April through October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more. Guided trail walks are limited to 15 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.. Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather. There is no pre-registration walks are first-come first served and sign up sheets are located in the Baker Visitors Center. Walks are FREE however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free. Know Before You GoGuided Trail Walks are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age.Guided Trail Walks are rain or shine and all participants should be dressed comfortably and for the weather.Hikes cover 1-2 miles and last 1.5-2 hours.Well-behaved leashed pets are welcome to accompany their owners. In the rare case that a pet is disruptive or negatively impacts the experience, the pet and its owner may be asked to excuse themselves from the guided walk.

Artist Talk with Karen Sixkiller: Cherokee Water Beetle Brings Sacred Earth to North Carolina

Artist Talk with Karen Sixkiller: Cherokee Water Beetle Brings Sacred Earth to North Carolinawith Karen Sixkiller Tuesday, April 28  |  5:30 – 7 pm REGISTER HERE Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door on Tuesday. Learn about how one of the oldest Cherokee storie......More

Artist Talk with Karen Sixkiller: Cherokee Water Beetle Brings Sacred Earth to North Carolinawith Karen Sixkiller Tuesday, April 28  |  5:30 – 7 pm REGISTER HERE Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door on Tuesday. Learn about how one of the oldest Cherokee stories inspired Artist Karen Sixkiller to create the new ‘Sacred Earth’ sculptural installation at The North Carolina Arboretum.  Sixkiller explores the aspects of magical realism and symbolism that combine her larger-than-life water beetle with the faceted geometric “mud” he perches on. Follow the technical journey of Karen Sixkiller’s simple clay maquette through the process of becoming a large bronze piece of public art. Karen Sixkiller is a contemporary sculptor residing on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. Sixkiller creates sculptures using metal, ceramic, glass beads, leather/suede and fabric. As a Cherokee Nation citizen much of her work is informed by Native American understandings or stories. Cherokee Nation has purchased many of Karen Sixkiller’s ceramic and mixed media sculptural pieces for display in official buildings. She has permanent public art installations in Tahlequah OK, Olympia and Port Angeles WA, and now Asheville NC as well as several temporary installations in Coeur d’Alene ID, Olympia WA and Lake Oswego OR. Her work has been featured at multiple Indigenous and non-Indigenous art shows. Members: Remember to enter your promo code upon checkout to receive your 10% member discount! Email [email protected] with questions.See a full listing of Adult Education Programs at the North Carolina Arboretum here! Questions? Check our FAQs.We are committed to fostering a diverse, supportive learning community. If the cost of a class is a barrier for you, please complete this scholarship form and we will see what kind of assistance we can provide.Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!Join our Adult Education Student Hub on Discord!Interested in supporting the NC Arboretum more directly? Donate to the ONE Fund here.See all of our classes open for registration here!

Sculpt Your Own Water Beetle

Sculpt Your Own Water Beetlewith Karen Sixkiller Wednesday, April 29  |  12 – 4pm REGISTER HERE Many of our oldest Cherokee stories feature small, humble creatures who accomplish the most important things!  Learn a little more about the Grandmother Spider bringing fire ......More

Sculpt Your Own Water Beetlewith Karen Sixkiller Wednesday, April 29  |  12 – 4pm REGISTER HERE Many of our oldest Cherokee stories feature small, humble creatures who accomplish the most important things!  Learn a little more about the Grandmother Spider bringing fire and Water Beetle creating earth stories while we celebrate spiders and insects by learning how to sculpt your own Water Beetle. All necessary supplies will be provided except a rock (about the size of two fists or bigger) so be sure to bring your own for the class! Students will go home with an air-dry clay Water Beetle mounted to their rock. Karen Sixkiller is a contemporary sculptor residing on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. Sixkiller creates sculptures using metal, ceramic, glass beads, leather/suede and fabric. As a Cherokee Nation citizen much of her work is informed by Native American understandings or stories. Cherokee Nation has purchased many of Karen Sixkiller’s ceramic and mixed media sculptural pieces for display in official buildings. She has permanent public art installations in Tahlequah OK, Olympia and Port Angeles WA, and now Asheville NC as well as several temporary installations in Coeur d’Alene ID, Olympia WA and Lake Oswego OR. Her work has been featured at multiple Indigenous and non-Indigenous art shows. Members: Remember to enter your promo code upon checkout to receive your 10% member discount! Email [email protected] with questions.See a full listing of Adult Education Programs at the North Carolina Arboretum here! Questions? Check our FAQs.We are committed to fostering a diverse, supportive learning community. If the cost of a class is a barrier for you, please complete this scholarship form and we will see what kind of assistance we can provide.Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!Join our Adult Education Student Hub on Discord!Interested in supporting the NC Arboretum more directly? Donate to the ONE Fund here.See all of our classes open for registration here!

Spring Ecology Walk

Spring Ecology Walkwith Dan Lazar Wednesday, April 29  |  1:30 – 3pm BRN – Core  |  BREG – Elective REGISTER HERE Join Dan Lazar on this walk and talk designed to point out signs of life awakening in springtime. Wildflowers are blooming, amphibians are mating, and birds......More

Spring Ecology Walkwith Dan Lazar Wednesday, April 29  |  1:30 – 3pm BRN – Core  |  BREG – Elective REGISTER HERE Join Dan Lazar on this walk and talk designed to point out signs of life awakening in springtime. Wildflowers are blooming, amphibians are mating, and birds are returning to their nesting habitats. Opportunities for learning in place are far from dormant in this or any season at the Arboretum! This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time. Dan Lazar served for many years as the director of education at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, followed by several years as executive director of the Colburn Earth Science Museum. Dan has a degree in forest biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and has been an instructor in the Blue Ridge Naturalist program since 2005. Members: Remember to enter your promo code upon checkout to receive your 10% member discount! Email [email protected] with questions.See a full listing of Adult Education Programs at the North Carolina Arboretum here! Questions? Check our FAQs.We are committed to fostering a diverse, supportive learning community. If the cost of a class is a barrier for you, please complete this scholarship form and we will see what kind of assistance we can provide.Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!Join our Adult Education Student Hub on Discord!Interested in supporting the NC Arboretum more directly? Donate to the ONE Fund here.See all of our classes open for registration here!

Southern Appalachian Birds Through the Seasons

Southern Appalachian Birds Through the Seasonswith Carlton Burke Thursday, April 30  |  12 – 4pm BRN – Core REGISTER HERE Since birds are capable of long distance flights and many engage in annual migration rituals, their presence in our area often changes in relation t......More

Southern Appalachian Birds Through the Seasonswith Carlton Burke Thursday, April 30  |  12 – 4pm BRN – Core REGISTER HERE Since birds are capable of long distance flights and many engage in annual migration rituals, their presence in our area often changes in relation to the seasons of the year.  In this class we will discuss the seasonal patterns of southern Appalachian birds and focus on some of the major species and their annual life cycles. As part of this program, there will be a “lab” portion where students will be able to meet some live birds and participate in other hands-on components to deepen the learning. Carlton Burke is a naturalist and educator who operates Carolina Mountain Naturalists, an educational service which offers wildlife and nature educational programs throughout western North Carolina. He also was on the staff of the western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville for over 25 years as the Curator of Exhibits. Carlton co-hosts a weekly radio program NATURE NEWS and is also a NC state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Members: Remember to enter your promo code upon checkout to receive your 10% member discount! Email [email protected] with questions.See a full listing of Adult Education Programs at the North Carolina Arboretum here! Questions? Check our FAQs.We are committed to fostering a diverse, supportive learning community. If the cost of a class is a barrier for you, please complete this scholarship form and we will see what kind of assistance we can provide.Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!Join our Adult Education Student Hub on Discord!Interested in supporting the NC Arboretum more directly? Donate to the ONE Fund here.See all of our classes open for registration here!