A note about our programs
We hold most programs rain, snow, or shine, unless we notify you otherwise. If you cancel your registration seven days or more prior to the program date, we’ll refund your fee in full. If you cancel within seven days of the program date, we are unable to refund your fee. If the Foundation of the State Arboretum cancels a program for any reason, we will refund your fee in full. Programs open to children/youth require an adult to attend with them and the adult is responsible for their supervision for the duration of the program. Advance registration is required for all programs. Space is limited.
Beyond the Image: Exploring Place through Photography
6:30-8:00 PM Thursday, October 3rd
Michael Sherwin's photographic artwork explores the intersections of nature, history, and spirituality, delving into the ways landscapes can hold deep cultural and historical significance. In this presentation, Sherwin will examine how each of his recent projects, such as Vanishing Points, reflect his profound engagement with the land and the places that hold special meaning for him. His work captures the ethereal beauty of these places while also provoking thoughtful consideration of their past and present narratives. Through his lens, Sherwin invites viewers to contemplate the silent stories embedded in the land, challenging us to see beyond the surface and recognize the layers of meaning that shape our understanding of place.
Speaker: Michael Sherwin is an artist currently based in the Appalachian Mountains of northern West Virginia on land that includes ancestral territories of the Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware), Cherokee, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois – the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Tuscarora), and other Indigenous peoples. Currently, he is a Professor of Art in the School of Art and Design at West Virginia University and Coordinator for the 2D Studio and Global Positioning Studies programs. In July 2021, Sherwin published his first major monograph, Vanishing Points, with Germany-based publisher, Kehrer Verlag.
What to expect: A lecture-style talk.
Who can come: This talk is designed for adult audiences, but children over age 12 are welcome.
Where to meet: Meet at the Blandy library in the Quarters building. Signs will direct you from the front parking lot near the flagpole and information kiosk to the library.
Registration required. Register on Eventbrite.
Leaves: Junior Naturalist Series
10:00 AM -12:00 PM Wednesday, October 16th
We'll learn about fall leaves together through art, activities, stories, and a fall nature walk. Crunch, crunch, crunch!
Junior Naturalist Series: Join us at Blandy for a morning of fun and learning this fall with our new Junior Naturalist series! These programs are designed to help caregivers and kiddoes ages 1-6 explore the natural world together.
We're hosting "drop in"-style programs from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM on the third Wednesday of every month September-December. Come when you like, stay for as long as you like, and work through activity stations at your own pace.
For individual families only. Organized preschool and homeschool groups should contact Blandy's pre-K-12 Education Department to learn more about their excellent school program offerings.
What to expect: Self-paced stations, complete as many or as few as you like.
Who can come: This program is designed for children 6 and under with their caregiver/s. Maximum of 3 children per adult. Minors must be accompanied by a caregiver for the duration of the program. No pets, please.
What to bring: Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. If you like, bring a snack or lunch and enjoy a picnic on Blandy’s grounds during or after the program.
Where to meet: Meet in the outdoor amphitheater by the Quarters building. Signs will direct you from the front parking lot near the flagpole and information kiosk to the amphitheater.
Free program, RSVPs appreciated. Donations happily accepted onsite or online. Register here.
Winter Migrants Bird Walk
8:00-10:00 AM Friday, October 18th
Around this time of year, birds from northern forests fly south in search of overwintering grounds. Join Blandy Director and birding enthusiast Dr. Dave Carr in search of juncos, sparrows, finches, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and more!
What to expect: We will walk about a mile over gently rolling terrain.
Who can come: Adults and children aged 12 and up. No pets, please!
What to bring: Dress for the weather. Wear comfortable walking shoes that can withstand early morning dew on the grass. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair from Blandy.
Where to meet: Meet at the flagpole at the front parking lot close to the “Arboretum Information”
Registration required. Register on Eventbrite.
Invasive species identification walk at Chet Hobert Park (Berryville, VA)
With VDOF and the Berryville Tree Board
2:00-3:30 PM Sunday, October 20th
Join Connor Goolsby, Natural Resource Specialist at the Virginia Department of Forestry, to learn all about common invasive species in our area. We’ll practice invasive plant identification in a short walk through Chet Hobert Park. Along the way, we’ll learn about how invasive species affect our ecosystems and discuss practical strategies for management and control.
What to expect: Nature walk with plenty of time for Q&A
Who can come: This program is designed for adults, but kids welcome.
What to bring: Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. If you like, bring a water bottle.
Where to meet: Meet at the Lions shelter, Chet Hobert Park.
Free program, no need to register.
Creating an Ecologically-Rich Garden
6:00-7:30 PM Thursday, October 24th
With increasing pressures from invasive species and degraded natural landscapes, it has become a priority to ensure designed plantings are beautiful, resilient, and ecologically rich. Home gardeners have the opportunity to aide in rebuilding local ecosystems but often the task can feel overwhelming without a guide. Landscape architect Emilie Carter will share horticultural wisdom, design techniques and field-based outcomes that her landscape architecture firm, Phyto Studio, uses to address these challenges and create diverse and vibrant plantings. In this talk, Emilie is going to break down basic elements of ecological horticulture, discuss why it is important on a local scale and will give you some ideas - and plant species - to incorporate in the next season of your garden.
What to expect: A lecture-style talk.
Who can come: This program is designed for adult audiences.
Where to meet: Meet at the Blandy library in the Quarters building. Signs will direct you from the front parking lot near the flagpole and information kiosk to the library.
Registration required. Register on Eventbrite.
God's Acre: the cemetery for enslaved families at the Tuleyries
Free, virtual program (Zoom)
7:00-8:00 PM Thursday, November 7th
Join Dr. Lynn Rainville on an illustrated tour of the African American community at the Tuleyries, highlighting the lives and deaths of the enslaved men, women, and children at the site.
Speaker: After earning her PhD in Anthropology (University of Michigan, 2001), Lynn Rainville has spent the last two decades as a Public Historian, Academic Leader, and Digital Humanist. She applies innovative ethnographic, historical, and digital methods to the study of everyday Virginians doing extraordinary things. Her grant-funded research has produced numerous articles and books, including Hidden History: African American Cemeteries in Central Virginia (2014); Sweet Briar College (2015); Virginia and the Great War (2018); Invisible Founders: How Two Centuries of African American Families Transformed a Plantation into a College (2019).
How to “tune in”: Expect to receive a link to the Zoom meeting through the email used in Eventbrite at registration. Can’t find it? Check your spam folder, or email public programs coordinator Ariel Firebaugh ([email protected]) to request a new link. Still having trouble? Don't worry. We hope to livestream the program on Blandy’s Facebook page at 7:00 PM Thursday, November 7th, and a recording will be available after the program.
Right Tree, Right Place
6:00-7:30 Monday, November 11th
Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs on your property, but accidentally choosing the "wrong" tree species—one that will grow too big for the space you have in mind, or one that is ill-suited for the environmental conditions of your yard—can lead to maintenance headaches and compromise the long-term health of the tree. Arborist Jamie Wood (Arborist Representative/Local Manager at Bartlett Tree) shares practical tips to choose the best tree species that will support native wildlife based in your home landscape.
What to expect: A lecture-style talk.
Who can come: The program is designed for adult audiences.
Where to meet: Meet in the library at the Quarters building.
Registration required. Register on Eventbrite.
SNOW BIRD WALK
8:00-10:00 AM Friday, November 15
Our winter residents have come home to roost! Join Blandy director and birding enthusiast Dr. Dave Carr in search of Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Northern Harriers, and others.
What to expect: We will walk about a mile over gently rolling terrain.
Who can come: Adults and children aged 12 and up. No pets, please!
What to bring: Dress for the weather. Wear comfortable walking shoes that can withstand early morning dew on the grass. Bring your own binoculars or borrow a pair from Blandy.
Where to meet: Meet at the flagpole at the front parking lot close to the “Arboretum Information”
Registration required. Register on Eventbrite.
Conifers: Junior Naturalist Series
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Wednesday, December 18th
They're not all pine trees, you know! Find out all about different kinds of conifer trees with crafts, stories, and activities. Explore the arboretum's cool conifer collection with a Blandy naturalist.
Junior Naturalist Series: Join us at Blandy for a morning of fun and learning this fall with our new Junior Naturalist series! These programs are designed to help caregivers and kiddoes ages 1-6 explore the natural world together.
We're hosting "drop in"-style programs from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM on the third Wednesday of every month September-December. Come when you like, stay for as long as you like, and work through activity stations at your own pace.
For individual families only. Organized preschool and homeschool groups should contact Blandy's pre-K-12 Education Department to learn more about their excellent school program offerings.
Free program, RSVPs appreciated. Donations happily accepted onsite or online.
What to expect: Self-paced stations, complete as many or as few as you like.
Who can come: This program is designed for children 6 and under with their caregiver/s. Maximum of 3 children per adult. Minors must be accompanied by a caregiver for the duration of the program. No pets, please.
What to bring: Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. If you like, bring a snack or lunch and enjoy a picnic on Blandy’s grounds during or after the program.
Where to meet: Meet in the outdoor amphitheater by the Quarters building. Signs will direct you from the front parking lot near the flagpole and information kiosk to the amphitheater.
Free program, RSVPs appreciated. Donations happily accepted onsite or online. Register here.