Spring Break Camp

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Spring has sprung! Send your nature lover to a week full of hands-on outdoor discovery celebrating the change of season. What’s stirring in the pond, sprouting from the soil, and emerging in the trees? Participants will explore different habitats for signs of animals and plants that come to life in spring, enjoy games and stories, and express creativity through themed arts/crafts. Camp features a blend of indoor and outdoor learning, a camper to staff ratio of 4:1, experienced environmental educators and naturalists, and loads of fun!

$360

Annual Evelyn McNeill Sims Native Plant Lecture with Bill Finch

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

The longleaf pine ecosystem has often been described as North America’s most diverse forest ecosystem, and longleaf, like few other ecosystems, fostered diversity within and outside its canopy. But understanding the diversity of that diversity will be critical not only to maintaining longleaf pine but also to restoring forest ecosystems that can survive the dramatic changes of the next century, while more equitably serving the people who live there.

Free

Bluets: Preschoolers Exploring Nature – Spring Series

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Learning comes naturally during this fun-filled series that fosters a sense of wonder for nature and science. Preschoolers will get their hands dirty learning about seeds, dip in the pond for tadpoles, observe birds up-close, pretend to be pollinators, and more through hands-on activities, outdoor exploration, stories, crafts, and group play. Healthy snack provided. Program is led by experienced early childhood environmental educators.

$144

Hybrid Lunchbox Talk – Longleaf Pine Restoration Benefits: The Perspective of a Landowner and Forest Manager

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Longleaf pine forests once covered over 90 million acres of the Southeast, but they have been reduced to less than 5 million acres today. Restoring longleaf pine ecosystems is a challenging but rewarding endeavor that requires patience, knowledge, and passion. In this talk, a current forest manager and landowner will share his experience and insights on restoring his family’s land with longleaf pine, and how he has benefited from its superior timber quality, pine straw income, and wildlife habitat. He will also discuss the current and future economic value of longleaf pine forests, and how they can help landowners diversify their income streams, reduce risks, and enhance environmental quality. This talk is intended for a general public audience who wants to learn more about longleaf pine restoration, including its economic benefits to the landowner, from a boots-on-the-ground perspective.

School’s Out Camp: Plant Superpowers!

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Why do carnivorous plants trap bugs? How does a tiny seed travel hundreds of miles to find a new home? Why would a tree release toxic chemicals to attack other trees? Let’s figure it out! Campers will investigate the wild and wonderful ways that plants meet the challenges of their environment through hands-on outdoor exploration, experiments, and games, and then create their very own super plant. Camp features a blend of indoor and outdoor learning, camper to staff ratio of 4:1, experienced environmental educators and naturalists, and loads of fun!

Exploring the Longleaf Pinecone through Drawing

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Create a botanical study page depicting the longleaf pine in pencil. Discover through drawing the identifying features of the cone, scales, and seeds. Learn how to tackle the complex pinecones' spiraling structure on day one. Day two will be spent creating a tonal monochromatic study of the seeds and scales in a drawing medium of your choice.

$90

Little Sprouts: Seed Surprise

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

For ages 3-5 with a participating caregiver. What's inside a seed? How do they grow? Where can we find them? Little ones will get their hands dirty learning all about seeds through hands-on discovery, play, stories, and planting their own seeds to take home.

$10

Drop-In Discovery Station: Pine Power!

North Carolina Botanical Garden 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC, United States

We’re celebrating the amazing longleaf pine habitat this spring. Drop in at the discovery station for a celebration of all things longleaf pine trees! How do they grow? Why do they need fire? What animals depend on them? Find out! Try your hand at pine needle painting and cone stamping, and then enjoy a scavenger hunt for a prize.

Free

Lifelong Longleaf Hike: Holly Shelter

Holly Shelter Game Land

The longleaf pine story continues with our exploration of Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County. Here we will explore the longleaf pine savannas and associated pocosins rich in carnivorous plants and colorful orchids. Holly Shelter, North Carolina’s first state game land, is managing longleaf pine with an aggressive burn regime and restoring longleaf pine to areas that had been converted to loblolly pine plantations when under private ownership.

$15