2025 Futures in Applied Arboriculture Conference (in-person)
Cost: $95 in-person registration
Discounts available for PlantAmnesty members, students, and CORPS members
Additional financial aid available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE
PlantAmnesty and the University of Washington Botanic Gardens are teaming up once again to bring a new symposium to the PNW’s arborist and tree worker community. We polled some of the city’s most respected tree companies – and municipal tree workers – and discovered the demand for continued learning opportunities, ISA-credited education, and solutions and research around new and evolving work challenges. The first symposium’s theme will revolve around climate change and tree selection, pest and disease evolution and treatment, and the changing impacts of tree work on urban wildlife and habitat. The priority will be practical, on the ground (or out on the limb) information and techniques with immediately implementable guidance.
Professional Credits Available: LA-CES - 4.75, ISA - 4, APLD - 4.75, CPH - 5, ecoPRO - 5,…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Northwest Horticultural Society Hall (NHS). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/education/adults/conferences-symposia/future-in-applied-arboriculture-conference/.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit botanicgardens.uw.edu. Gardening with the Seasons: Fall (online)
Cost: $25
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis
REGISTER ONLINE, Autumn is a dynamic season in the garden. Many plants are heading into dormancy, while others are in a period of active growth. Doing the right gardening tasks now can set the stage for next year's garden: adding new plants for seasonal interest or making changes to address problems observed over the past season. Some of the best things to do - or to avoid - at this time of year may seem counter-intuitive to some gardeners. This session will cover what to plant in fall, lawn care, how to prepare the garden for winter, and how to maximize seasonal interest and appearance.
About this series:
Plants and gardens don't live by the written calendar, but by the seasonal cycles and cues of changes in daylight, temperature, and moisture. When gardeners become acquainted with the seasonal rhythms and life cycles in the garden, and learn to work in sync with nature, caring for the garden becomes more of a process and less of a…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Age Range: Adults. Seniors. Presenter: Christina Pfeiffer. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_7ef3bd727acf.
Thursday, September 18, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Online via Zoom.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Meet Seattle's Urban Beavers!
Cost: $25, pre-registration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis
REGISTER ONLINEAs ecosystem engineers, beavers have a big impact on the habitats that they call home. This can often be a boon for fish and wildlife sharing this space, but a headache for people nearby. In Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound region, many beavers find homes in the urban and exurban waterways. Beavers Northwest Communications Manager Joe Mouser will dive into beaver ecology and benefits as well as the challenges and opportunities for living with beavers in a landscape dominated by human infrastructure. Join us after the presentation for a walk along the Yesler Swamp Boardwalk to look for beavers and beaver sign! Binoculars are suggested if you have them!
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Joe Mouser, Beavers Northwest Communications Manager. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_e0e265c6e3e2.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
Douglas Classroom at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Spider Season Virtual Story Time
In Seattle, we see lots of spiders in the fall. Learn more about them in these three books. JUMPER by Jessica Lanan
THE RESCUER OF TINY CREATURES by Curtis Manley and Lucy Ruth Cummins
ARE YOU A SPIDER? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries, Check in each month for new stories and activities that celebrate gardens, plants, and nature.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Accessibility Contact: Nick at nickjpw@uw.edu. Event Types: Not Specified. Age Range: Children. Families.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 – Friday, October 31, 2025.
Online.
For more info visit depts.washington.edu. Free 1st Thursday Public Tour
UW Botanic Gardens is committed to enriching the lives of all community members with free public tours. Please note our tours are for individual participants not organized groups. If you wish to have a group tour, please explore your options at botanicgardens.uw.edu. To ensure a positive tour experience and the safety of our visitors, our tours are now capped at 50 attendees on a first come first serve basis.
Our 1st Thursday public tours are casual walks through various areas of the 230 acre Washington Park Arboretum. Walks feature seasonal themes, collections plants, explorations of botany, and the history of our organization.
Our tour this month will feature fruits, cones, nuts and seed pods and any early autumn color.
To join the walk, meet us at the Graham Visitors Center, docents will be there to greet and gather visitors.
We make every effort to tailor our tours to our audience and most months we are able to offer visitors a choice of a longer or shorter walk depending on their capabilities.…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: cmn23@uw.edu. Event Types: Information Sessions. Age Range: Adults. Teens. Seniors. Presenter: UW Botanic Garden Tour Docents. Contact Information: cmn23@uw.edu.
Thursday, October 2, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
Local Plants for Natural Dyes and Pigments (in-person)
Cost: $72, Advance registration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE
This one-day workshop will provide an introduction to the world of natural dyes with a focus on the use of common garden plants, local ornamental trees and flowers, and even weeds! Students will learn how to prepare dye baths, how different fibers react to natural dyes, and be introduced to the use of mordants. Each student will leave with a swatch book and a silk scarf and cotton bandana that they dye themselves. Class cost includes all necessary supplies. Anneke Wilder is an artist and illustrator based in Seattle, WA. Anneke received degrees in Biology and Studio Art, as well as a certificate in Natural Science Illustration from UW. She’s participated in numerous artist residencies at the nexus of art and science and is a contributor to Hyldyr, a publication company that combines art, ecology, and folklore. She draws on her background in the sciences to create detailed watercolors…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture. Campus room: Douglas Classroom. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Anneke Wilder. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_9857475f9865.
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Forest Bathing (in-person)
Cost: $25
Advance registration required.
REGISTER ONLINE
Join UW Botanic Gardens and Cascadia Forest Therapy for a unique forest bathing opportunity in the Washington Park Arboretum. Forest bathing (or shinrin-yoku) has been popular in Japan for decades and is gaining momentum in the US. The practice encourages you to move in nature at a slower pace and take in the atmosphere around you. Multiple scientific studies have shown that the practice lowers stress and blood pressure levels, while increasing immune system functioning, making you more resilient to diseases and illness.
During this class the guide, in partnership with the forest, will offer an evolving series of invitations crafted to help participants slow down and open their senses. The opening of one’s senses encourages mindfulness, which readies the heart and mind to be fully present in the natural world. Come discover the medicine of being in the forest.
Accessibility: These sessions are slow-paced and generally cover less than a mile of trail.…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Washington Park Arboretum (LNDMK-8). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Cascadia Forest Therapy. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_811774da77a8.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Watercolors from Natural Pigments (in-person)
Price: $72, preregistration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis
REGISTER ONLINE
This workshop will introduce the process of lake pigmentation, the creation of pigments from organic materials. Students will learn about common plants used for pigments as well as the process of creating watercolor paint from dried pigments. Each student will leave with two watercolor paints created during class. Class fee covers all necessary supplies. Anneke Wilder is an artist and illustrator based in Seattle, WA. Anneke received degrees in Biology and Studio Art, as well as a certificate in Natural Science Illustration from UW. She’s participated in numerous artist residencies at the nexus of art and science and is a contributor to Hyldyr, a publication company that combines art, ecology, and folklore. She draws on her background in the sciences to create detailed watercolors that deal with themes of growth and decay—of our bodies, our culture, and our landscapes. Her work often…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture. Campus room: Douglas Classroom. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Anneke Wilder. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_45a27161c29a.
Sunday, October 12, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Cemetery Lichens
Cost: $45, pre-registration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE
Ghosts and Goblins in a cemetery for Hallowe'en? Why not consider lichens as an alternative? Lichens are friendly and interesting organisms that love to grow on headstones and old trees. They are harmless to your plants and add aesthetic value to trees and shrubs. We can actually use them as indicators of air pollution!
Cemeteries can take on new meaning as a fun place to observe a symbiotic organism made up of fungus and algae. You will also learn about common lichens found in an urban environment and take home a user-friendly chart that lists lichens found in your neighborhood.
Instructor Katherine Glew, Ph.D. is Curatorial Associate of Lichens at the University of Washington Herbarium, Burke Museum. She manages historic collections and processes lichens from the Pacific Northwest and Russian Far East. In addition to assisting with lichen curation, her research interests include alpine…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Katherine Glew, Ph.D. Curatorial Associate of Lichens at the UW Herbarium, Burke Museum. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_931e57be8f5c.
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
700 W Raye St. Seattle, WA 98119.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Boo-tanical Relief Block Printing (in-person)
Class Cost: $80, advanced registration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis
REGISTER ONLINE, Find some inspiration from the season and make some botanical-themed Halloween cards for your family and friends! In this class, students will be introduced to the process of relief printing using a technique known as linocut. Using botanical motifs, students will learn the basics of relief design, block cutting and inking, and hand printing techniques. Each student will leave with a series of their own hand printed cards and a block printing supply starter kit to continue printing at home!
Location: Douglas Headhouse, Center for Urban Horticulture, Anneke Wilder is an artist and illustrator based in Seattle, WA. Anneke received degrees in Biology and Studio Art, as well as a certificate in Natural Science Illustration from UW. She’s participated in numerous artist residencies at the nexus of art and science and is a contributor to Hyldyr, a publication company that combines art,…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture. Campus room: Douglas Headhouse. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Anneke Wilder. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_f1c5ec798409.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Harvest Time Virtual Story Time
Let’s head to the farm this month to see what good food is growing there. Visit the Miller Library in November or December to make an Archimboldo-inspired collage portrait featuring vegetables.
AMARA’S FARM by JaNay Brown-Wood and Samara Hardy
IN OUR GARDEN by Pat Zietlow Miller and Melissa Crowton
MY DELICIOUS GARDEN by Anne-Marie Fortin and Julien Castanié Check in each month for new stories and activities that celebrate gardens, plants, and nature.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Accessibility Contact: Nick at nickjpw@uw.edu. Event Types: Not Specified. Age Range: Children. Families.
Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Sunday, November 30, 2025.
Online.
For more info visit depts.washington.edu. Free 1st Thursday Public Tour
UW Botanic Gardens is committed to enriching the lives of all community members with free public tours. Please note our tours are for individual participants not organized groups. If you wish to have a group tour, please explore your options at botanicgardens.uw.edu. To ensure a positive tour experience and the safety of our visitors, our tours are now capped at 50 attendees on a first come first serve basis.
Our 1st Thursday public tours are casual walks through various areas of the 230 acre Washington Park Arboretum. Walks feature seasonal themes, collections plants, explorations of botany, and the history of our organization.
Our topic this month has to be Autumn color in our plant collection!
To join the walk, meet us at the Graham Visitors Center, docents will be there to greet and gather visitors.
We make every effort to tailor our tours to our audience and most months we are able to offer visitors a choice of a longer or shorter walk depending on their capabilities. If you have any specific…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: cmn23@uw.edu. Event Types: Information Sessions. Age Range: Teens. Adults. Presenter: UW Botanic Garden Tour Docents. Contact Information: Catherine Nelson at cmn23@uw.edu.
Thursday, November 6, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
Washington Park Arboretum
Graham Visitors Center
2300 Arboretum Dr E, Seattle.
For more info visit botanicgardens.uw.edu. Autumn Botanical Collage - Art Workshop (in-person)
Cost: $57
Limited financial aid slots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. REGISTER ONLINE, Cut, tear, and paste layers of colorful papers to create small pieces to frame! Taking inspiration from the autumn flora of the UW Botanic Gardens, you will learn to simplify the subject matter, create dynamic compositions, and discover techniques to take with you. All materials will be supplied, but students are welcome to bring in their own subject matter, photos and ideas to work from, as well as collage papers to recycle into their pieces. Students of all artist levels welcomed.
Instructor Lisa Snow Lady has a BFA in painting from the University of Washington, and a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Edmonds Community College and has been sketching and painting for over 20 years. She has a passion for travel sketching and is a member of Urban Sketchers. Lisa loves to encourage students of all artistic levels.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Lisa Snow Lady. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_3e6dc23fbb3b.
Saturday, November 8, 2025, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Center for Urban Horticulture.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Forest Bathing (in-person)
Cost: $25
Advance registration required.
REGISTER ONLINE
Join UW Botanic Gardens and Cascadia Forest Therapy for a unique forest bathing opportunity in the Washington Park Arboretum. Forest bathing (or shinrin-yoku) has been popular in Japan for decades and is gaining momentum in the US. The practice encourages you to move in nature at a slower pace and take in the atmosphere around you. Multiple scientific studies have shown that the practice lowers stress and blood pressure levels, while increasing immune system functioning, making you more resilient to diseases and illness.
During this class the guide, in partnership with the forest, will offer an evolving series of invitations crafted to help participants slow down and open their senses. The opening of one’s senses encourages mindfulness, which readies the heart and mind to be fully present in the natural world. Come discover the medicine of being in the forest.
Accessibility: These sessions are slow-paced and generally cover less than a mile of trail.…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Washington Park Arboretum (LNDMK-8). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Cascadia Forest Therapy. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_3d3487c58e5c.
Saturday, November 15, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Arboretum Lichens
Cost: $45
Limited financial aid slots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
REGISTER ONLINE
Lichens grow on trees, shrubs and rocks in botanic gardens and can tell us about air quality and the make-up of plants and geology. Botanic gardens can take on new meaning as a *fun* place to observe a symbiotic organism made up of a fungus and algae. You will also learn about common lichens found in an urban environment and take home a user-friendly chart that lists lichens found in your neighborhood.
Lichens are harmless to your plants and add aesthetic value to trees and shrubs. We can actually use them as indicators of air pollution! Join Dr. Katherine Glew at the Washington Park Arboretum to get a head start on learning lichens from one of Seattle’s botanic gardens. You can enjoy the late winter/early spring season by looking for lichens, rather than staying inside and missing out on the excitement of being outside!
Instructor Katherine Glew, Ph.D. is Curatorial Associate of Lichens at the University of…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Katherine Glew, Ph.D. Curatorial Associate of Lichens at the UW Herbarium, Burke Museum. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_e203fde2a561.
Sunday, November 16, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Washington Park Arboretum.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Outdoor Joy Virtual Story Time
Is it too cold to go outside? Too gray? These books prove you can enjoy being outdoors no matter what!
THE EXTRAORDINARY GARDENER by Sam Boughton
STICKLER LOVES THE WORLD by Lane Smith
THE SHORTEST DAY by Susan Cooper and Carson EllisCheck in each month for new stories and activities that celebrate gardens, plants, and nature.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Accessibility Contact: Nick at nickjpw@uw.edu. Event Types: Not Specified. Age Range: Children. Families.
Monday, December 1, 2025 – Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
Online.
For more info visit depts.washington.edu. Forest Bathing (in-person)
Cost: $25
Advance registration required.
REGISTER ONLINE
Join UW Botanic Gardens and Cascadia Forest Therapy for a unique forest bathing opportunity in the Washington Park Arboretum. Forest bathing (or shinrin-yoku) has been popular in Japan for decades and is gaining momentum in the US. The practice encourages you to move in nature at a slower pace and take in the atmosphere around you. Multiple scientific studies have shown that the practice lowers stress and blood pressure levels, while increasing immune system functioning, making you more resilient to diseases and illness.
During this class the guide, in partnership with the forest, will offer an evolving series of invitations crafted to help participants slow down and open their senses. The opening of one’s senses encourages mindfulness, which readies the heart and mind to be fully present in the natural world. Come discover the medicine of being in the forest.
Accessibility: These sessions are slow-paced and generally cover less than a mile of trail.…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Washington Park Arboretum (LNDMK-8). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Cascadia Forest Therapy. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_ea7405962d79.
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Botanical Print-Making Holiday Card Workshop
Cost: $45
Limited financial aid slots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. REGISTER ONLINE, Come make your own unique holiday cards and gift tags through an exploration of mixed media printmaking! Explore the patterns and textures of plants through print-making processes. This class will invite you to use natural materials, like fallen leaves & conifer needles, to create one-of-a-kind holiday cards to give to your loved ones this holiday season. All class supplies are provided.
Instructor Dillyn Adamo is a print-maker and arts educator in Skagit County, WA. Currently she works as the Learning & Engagement Coordinator at the Museum of Northwest Art, where she creates arts experiences for visitors of all ages. She has a passion for both biology and fine arts, and uses print-making as a way to explore both of these interests.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Douglas Research Conservatory (DRC). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Dillyn Adamo. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_a0b9460a6be5.
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com.