Fruit Basket Virtual Story Time
What’s your favorite fruit? You never know, it could be one you haven’t tried yet! Visit the Miller Library in May or June to make a collage portrait featuring fruits. FARAH LOVES MANGOS by Sarthak Sinha
SPRING IS FOR STRAWBERRIES by Katherine Pryor and Polina Gortman
WHEN GRANDMA GIVES YOU A LEMON TREE by Jamie L.B. Deenihan and Lorraine Rocha
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.
Friday, May 1, 2026 – Sunday, May 31, 2026.
Online.
For more info visit depts.washington.edu. Polaroid Landscapes (in-person)
Class Cost: $60, advanced registration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE, Join us for a fun and creative watercolor class, where you'll paint charming mini Polaroid landscapes! Let your imagination run wild as you dream up serene scenes and bring them to life with watercolor. You'll learn essential techniques in watercolor and composition. By the end of the class, you'll have two mini paintings to show off! Whether you're a beginner or just looking for a creative escape, this class is the perfect way to dive into the world of watercolor art.
Instructor Robin Bundi is a teacher, artist, and designer living in Seattle, Washington. She loves to explore the natural world and primarily creates work to celebrate the natural world and our connection to it. Robin’s studio practice includes watercolor painting, drawing, and making her own watercolors from foraged materials. She has a BFA in Graphic Design and Art History from Ohio University and certificate in…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Robin Bundi. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_902834159dce.
Sunday, May 3, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Botanical Print-Making Workshop
Total class cost: $45
Limited financial aid slots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. REGISTER ONLINE, Come make your own unique Mother’s Day cards through an exploration of mixed media print-making! Explore the patterns and textures of plants through print-making processes. This class will invite you to use natural materials, like spring flowers & conifer needles, to create one-of-a-kind cards with/for a mother figure.
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: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). 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_7ea9deb7b58d.
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Forest Bathing (in-person)
Cost: $25 for first registration, $15 for each additional ticket
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…
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_9009c36afd64.
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Urban Foraging: Weeds & Wild Foods (in-person)
Cost: $45
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-serve basis, REGISTER ONLINE
Participate in this 'weed walk' and learn how to identify and gather some of the most common edible weeds and wild foods available in your garden and in other disturbed areas. Many gardeners are already recognizing many of the benefits of these 'interlopers.' However, when it comes to serving them up in the kitchen, few of us have learned to take full advantage of these labor-free gifts. This hands-on workshop at Discovery Park includes discussion on gathering ethics, local rules and regulations, safety, and general information about how to cook with weeds. Attendees receive a handy take-home flier with field identification information and cooking tips.
Instructor Melany Vorass Herrera studied ethnobotany at Evergreen State College and holds a degree in environmental policy. For well over 20 years, her public policy work focused on such subjects as stormwater, hazardous waste, solid waste, environmental cleanup and…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Melany Vorass Herrera. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_9c8d6cececc9.
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Discovery Park, North Parking Lot.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Gardening with Edible & Medicinal Native Plants (in-person)
Cost: $30, advanced registration required
Financial aid available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE, Join us for an exploration of the edible and medicinal plants native to the PNW. In this interactive class, you'll learn how to identify, grow, harvest, and utilize 10+ local plants with nourishing and healing properties. Throughout the session, you'll gain practical knowledge on how to incorporate these plants into your daily life and learn how to cultivate them in your own garden. Plus, you'll have the chance to sample a variety of edible plants and create a custom tea blend to take home.
This class will be taught by Lea Dyga, Oxbow Farm’s Native Plant Nursery Manager, formerly the SER-UW Native Plant Nursery Manager.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Lea Dyga, Oxbow Farm Native Plant Nursery Manager. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_5a8e4f17ceef.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Botanical Fiber Art Workshop: Embroidered Photo Frame (in-person)
Class Cost: $50, pre-registration required
REGISTER ONLINE, Limited financial aid slots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Want to create an embroidered photo frame keepsake? Create a personalized hand stitched frame to remember a special memory, location, event, and more. This two-hour hands-on class with Melissa Galbraith of MCreativeJ will get you started with hand embroidering a photo frame. Each person will be able to choose from a variety of nature inspired patterns and thread colors to create a personalized project. Class will cover hand embroidery stitches such as the satin stitch, split back stitch, stem stitch, and French knot.Melissa Galbraith is the fiber artist behind MCreativeJ. She was born and raised in the desert of Washington state where her mother instilled a love of making things by hand at an early age. Melissa shares her love of nature through whimsical and modern hand embroidery kits, workshops, and her books: 3D Botanical Embroidery & Stumpwork, DIY Embroidered Shoes, and …
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Melissa Galbraith. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_f0e636fff384.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Grow a Cut Flower Garden at Home (in-person)
Cost: $45
Advance registration required
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE, Enjoy homegrown blooms from your backyard to spread throughout your home and share with friends and family! In this class, you will be guided through planning a cut garden space, starting seeds at home, harvesting flowers and foliage, and the basics of arranging.
Instructor Sarah Nayani runs Grow Girl Seattle, a seasonal flower growing and arranging studio, and chats with other flower growers and florists on her podcast, Flower Friends. Each year she grows thousands of flower and foliage stems in her small home garden, and designs textural and fragrant bouquets and arrangements for clients. She loves learning from the garden and continues to be amazed by the jaw-dropping beauty that the tiniest of seeds can bloom into.
This in-person class will be held at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Sarah Nayani. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_f280261c9cfd.
Saturday, May 30, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Summer Sun Virtual Story Time
Sunny weather is coming. In these books, learn how sunlight supports life on earth. WILD SUMMER: LIFE IN THE HEAT by Sean Taylor, Alex Morss, and Cinyee Chiu
LIVING SUNLIGHT by Molly Bang and Penny Chisolm
SUN IN MY TUMMY by Laura Alary and Andrea Blinick
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.
Monday, June 1, 2026 – Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Online.
For more info visit depts.washington.edu. The Eagles of Washington (Online)
Cost: $25 - Advance registration required.
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINEThe Bald Eagle is our most beloved bird, the emblem of our country. Almost as admired are their cousins, the Golden Eagles. But do these apex predators deserve their noble reputations? Benjamin Franklin believed eagles were the opposite of honorable, nothing more than thieves, and wanted the turkey as our national bird. So, noble kings/queens of the sky or brazen thieves? You be the judge. Come hear master birder Connie Sidles tell you all about the eagles of Washington. New to Zoom or need more information? Get Started Here.
All times are Pacific Time.
Accessibility: Closed captioning (through Zoom) is available for all of our online classes. This class will be recorded and available for registrants for 2 weeks after the class date.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Constance Sidles. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_8738c309064f.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Online via Zoom.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Botanical Fiber Art Workshop: Cactus Embroidery Basics (in-person)
Class Cost: $50, pre-registration required
REGISTER ONLINE, Limited financial aid slots offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Calling all cactus lovers! Learn beginner and advanced embroidery in this cactus-inspired workshop with fiber artist Melissa Galbraith of MCreativeJ. This two-hour, hands-on workshop covers a variety of beginner-friendly embroidery stitches including the back stitch, reverse chain stitch, couching, needle weaving, and more! Each attendee will receive a full kit. Kits include: a wooden embroidery hoop, cactus transfer designs, embroidery needle, full skeins of embroidery thread, a surprise pattern fabric, backing materials, and printed instructions.Melissa Galbraith is the fiber artist behind MCreativeJ. She was born and raised in the desert of Washington state where her mother instilled a love of making things by hand at an early age. Melissa shares her love of nature through whimsical and modern hand embroidery kits, workshops, and her books: 3D Botanical Embroidery &…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Melissa Galbraith. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_afa643469ec1.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Urban Foraging: Weeds & Wild Foods (in-person)
Cost: $45
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-serve basis, REGISTER ONLINE
Participate in this 'weed walk' and learn how to identify and gather some of the most common edible weeds and wild foods available in your garden and in other disturbed areas. Many gardeners are already recognizing many of the benefits of these 'interlopers.' However, when it comes to serving them up in the kitchen, few of us have learned to take full advantage of these labor-free gifts. This hands-on workshop at Discovery Park includes discussion on gathering ethics, local rules and regulations, safety, and general information about how to cook with weeds. Attendees receive a handy take-home flier with field identification information and cooking tips.
Instructor Melany Vorass Herrera studied ethnobotany at Evergreen State College and holds a degree in environmental policy. For well over 20 years, her public policy work focused on such subjects as stormwater, hazardous waste, solid waste, environmental cleanup and…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Melany Vorass Herrera. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_3e940beb422a.
Saturday, June 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Discovery Park, North Parking Lot.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Gardening with the Seasons: Summer (online)
Cost: $25
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE, Summer brings an abundance of growth and blooms...and sometimes garden problems. Managing weeds and irrigation are prime targets for attention at this time of year. Time-saving tips for proactive garden care will help gardeners have more time to enjoy their gardens. Key topics will include care of seasonal containers, watering practices, potential weed and pest problems to be aware of, and specialized pruning practices for the season.
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 battle with potential garden enemies. This series will help beginning and seasoned gardeners learn how to capitalize on optimal timing and…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Christina Pfeiffer. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_d229820c1cca.
Thursday, June 18, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM.
Online via Zoom.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Gardening with the Seasons: Summer (in-person)
Cost: $35
Financial aid slots available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE, Join us in person at the Center for Urban Horticulture! Summer brings an abundance of growth and blooms...and sometimes garden problems. Managing weeds and irrigation are prime targets for attention at this time of year. Time-saving tips for proactive garden care will help gardeners have more time to enjoy their gardens. Key topics will include care of seasonal containers, watering practices, potential weed and pest problems to be aware of, and specialized pruning practices for the season. In addition to hands-on demonstrations, we will end the class by taking a stroll through the Center for Urban Horticulture’s gardens.
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…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Center for Urban Horticulture Complex (CUH). Campus room: Douglas Research Conservatory. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Christina Pfeiffer. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_0e61db27fb6e.
Saturday, June 20, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:15 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Forest Bathing (in-person)
Cost: $25 for first registration, $15 for each additional ticket
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…
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_796ca173cc21.
Saturday, June 20, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Summer Trips Virtual Story Time
Are you going on a journey this summer? Stop by the library during July or August 2026 to make a nature journal for your adventures, big or small. NATSUMI’S SONG OF SUMMER by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Saburi
MOSS PILLOWS by Rosemary Wells
THROUGH GEORGIA’S EYES by Rachel Rodríguez and Julie Paschkis, 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, July 1, 2026 – Friday, July 31, 2026.
Online.
For more info visit depts.washington.edu. Field Sketching Plants in Watercolor (in-person)
Cost: $60
Advance registration required
Financial aid seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
REGISTER ONLINE, Do you love botanical art? Do you like to spend time outside? Combine the two in this nature journaling class that focuses on plants. In this class you’ll learn techniques to document the experiences you’re seeing in nature, how to improve your observational skills, how to combine pen and watercolor to create your pieces, how to create a pleasing composition, and color relationships. You’ll also learn how to use creative prompts to connect further and deeper with nature. Come create a memory of a place! During inclement weather, class will be held under cover.
, Students must bring their own art supplies. A supply list will be provided with your confirmation email.
Robin Bundi is a teacher, artist, and designer living in Seattle, Washington. She loves to explore the natural world and primarily creates work to celebrate the natural world and our connection to it. Robin’s studio practice…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Washington Park Arboretum (LNDMK-8). Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Robin Bundi. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_7c901a1553f8.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Forest Bathing (in-person)
Cost: $25 for first registration, $15 for each additional ticket
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…
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_d75566bafc31.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com. Native Plants 101: Field Identification (in-person)
Cost: $30, advanced registration required
Financial aid available on a first-come, first-served basis, REGISTER ONLINE, Learn some of Western Washington’s common native plants as well as pick up a few tips on plant identification in general! We’ll cover several different species of native plants as well as their growth preferences and how best to incorporate them into your garden or yard at home.
This class will be taught by Lea Dyga, Oxbow Farm’s Native Plant Nursery Manager, formerly the SER-UW Native Plant Nursery Manager.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: urbhort@uw.edu. Presenter: Lea Dyga, Oxbow Farm Native Plant Nursery Manager. Contact Information: urbhort@uw.edu. Ticket Link: https://apps.ideal-logic.com/uwbg?key=2WSB-TGY2T_K9KH-5PTF_4ae79eddd031.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Washington Park Arboretum
2300 Arboretum Dr E.
For more info visit apps.ideal-logic.com.