Athens Outdoor Event Calendar
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia 30605 ALL CLASSES REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
Call 706-542-6156 or register online at www.uga.edu/botgarden.
Hermann Kosak Art Exhibition
March 1st through March 22nd:                           Visitor Center        Free
Opening Reception Sunday March 1st from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
 
Johnstone Lecture: The Cherokee Garden Library: Educational Resource Center Extraordinaire Staci Catron, Director Wednesday, March 4, 2009                7:30 p.m. Callaway Building                              Free; reservations required by calling 706-542-6138 The Cherokee Garden Library at the Atlanta History Center is an educational resource center for gardening, landscape design, garden history, horticulture, floral design, botanical art and ecology. Founded in 1974 by the Cherokee Garden Club, the library contains more than 20,000 books, photographs, manuscripts, seed catalogs, and landscape drawings. Among the library’s holdings are the Elisabeth Woodburn Collection, the Virginia Hand Callaway Collection, and the Elizabeth Lawrence Collection. Join Staci Catron as she describes the library, its holdings, importance and relevance to Southern gardening.  
Exotic Birds and Reptiles on Planet Earth: Family Day!
Saturday, March 7                               10:00-11:30am
Visitor Center, Great Room                 $3 per person or $10 per family (free under 2)
Roy Hodge of Exotic Paradise, Atlanta, will educate and entertain with his menagerie of exotic forest animals. Discover amazing facts and adaptations as well as conservation concerns for cockatoos, exotic parrots, spectacled owls, monitor lizards, anacondas, boa constrictors and more!  Following the live animal presentation, children will engage in a related art project lead by the Georgia Museum of Art, UGA, Athens.
Many thanks to our sponsor, Jackson EMC.
 
Beekeeping for Beginners: Units 4-6 
Dan Harris, Beekeeper, Athens
members $40; non-members $45
 
Have you ever wanted to harvest honey from your own beehive? Would you like to collect beeswax to make candles or soap?  Do you have a touch of ‘backyard biologist’ in your blood? If so, these workshops, covering the fundamentals of beekeeping, may be for you.  Weather alternative dates will be scheduled if necessary.  Completion of the Unit 1 – 3 is not required to attend.  However, a protective veil and gloves are required for Unit 4 and 5. Unit 4:  Spring Hive Management  Sunday, March 15                                1:00 - 3:00 pm  Meet at Shade Garden Arbor In the first outdoor lab, join Dan as he opens a hive and examines the inner workings of a living honey bee colony. Unit 5:  Installing Bees/Spring Buildup    Sunday, April 19                                  1:00 - 3:00 pm   Meet at Shade Garden Arbor
Dan will demonstrate how to install a package of bees into a new hive. He will also open an existing hive and compare it to the previous inspection from Unit 4. Unit 6:  Harvesting Honey  Sunday, May 24                                   9:00 am - 12:00 pm Visitor Center, Classroom A
The sweetest of all the beekeeping units!  Dan will take capped honey frames from a 'super', remove the cappings and extract the honey.
 
Birding by Ear
Ed Maioriello and Bill O’Grady, Oconee Rivers Audubon Society
Saturday, March 14                                             8:00 – 11:00 am
Visitor Center, Classroom A                               members $20; non-members $23
Spring is arriving along with a variety of birds and their beautiful songs!  This course will focus on techniques to identify birds based on the songs they sing.  The instructors will bring a ‘Bird Pod’ to identify songs during the birds ‘live performances’ during the walk through the garden.  Dress appropriately for the weather and don’t forget your binoculars!
 
Gardening 101
Amanda Tedrow, ACC Cooperative Extension, UGA
Monday, March 16                                              6:00 to 8:00 pm
Callaway Building Auditorium                           members $10, non-members $12
New to gardening or Georgia?  This quick start class will teach participants the basics of home gardening.  The class will touch on the topics of testing and preparing the soil, sunlight and water requirements, planting tips and yearly maintenance.  Amanda will provide basic zoning information to help participants plant and maintain annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees in their yard. 
 
Evergreen Concert - Wood 'n' Nickel Woodwind Quintet
Tuesday, March 17, 2009                                    7:30 -8:30 pm
Visitor Center & Conservatory                          free
Warm up a winter weekend evening with the sounds of Heidi Nibbelink (oboe), Beth Baile (flute), Tom Cooper (clarinet), Barbara Hawman (French horn) and Robert Placek (bassoon) inside the warm tropical conservatory.  These very talented quintet members are good friends, area residents and part of various musical groups including the Classic City Band and the Athens Symphony.  Bring your friends for this enjoyable, free concert in the Conservatory.
 
Unit 4:  Fruit and Vegetable Design
Celia McQuaid Brown, Master Flower Show Judge, The Garden Club of Georgia
Wednesday, March 18                                        9:00 am – 3:00 pm Visitor Center, Classroom A                              members $20; non-members $23 This is the fourth in a series of five National Garden Club units focusing on designs incorporating fruits and vegetables. Participants will be provided with a list of materials to bring to class. Limited to 20 participants. Priority will be given to those participants who have completed Units 1-3.
 
Spring Bird Ramble
Oconee Rivers Audubon Society
Saturday, March 21                                             8:00 am
State Botanical Garden, Meet in Upper Parking Lot near Day Chapel                       Free            
Come join the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society for a morning bird walk at the Garden. Look and listen for our spring migrants. First time birding? No problem. ORAS members will help you spot and identify the feathery creatures. All birding levels are welcome and binoculars are optional. For more information, visit www.oconeeriversaudubon.org.
 
Qigong for Health & Relaxation
Carl Lindberg, Certified Qigong Instructor, Hunyuantaiji Academy Mondays, March 23 through May 11             12:00 noon – 1:00 pm Visitor Center, Great Room                                 members $72; non-members $80 Qigong [Chi Gong] is an ancient Chinese art of self-cultivation that fosters health, relaxation, and calm. Graceful, expansive motions serve to facilitate the flow of blood, lymphatic fluid, and qi [chi] through the body to boost vitality and flush out toxins from body tissues. Visualizations and meditation focus the practitioner's mind inward and promote greater body awareness. This peaceful practice relieves stress and offers a low-impact exercise that is wonderful restorative and preventative medicine for body, mind, and spirit. Many will recognize Carl Lindberg from his musical work with Grogus, Squat, Kenosha Kid, Steve Dancz, and DubConscious.  In addition to music, Lindberg has been practicing the movement of Qigong and Taiji [Tai Chi] for 14 years. He has worked under the guidance of Master Chen Zhonghua of the Hunyuantaiji Academy since September 2003 and has taught Qigong at various locations.
 
Leigh Ellis Art Exhibition
March 29th through April 26th:                            Visitor Center        Free
Opening Reception Sunday March 29th from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
 
Family Night Hike
Cora Keber, SBG Education Staff
Thursday, April 2                                               7:00 pm
Meet at the front of the Visitor Center               members $3; non-members $5   (fee is for parent/child pair)  Limit 25
Join us on an exciting night hike along the Purple Trail. Families will explore the evening landscape using their senses and learn about the many creatures of the night. Participants may look forward to learning about firefly patterns, searching for the green eyes of spiders, and much more!
 
Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, April 4                                                8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Visitor Center & Conservatory                          Free admission
Let Garden staff and volunteers help you choose plants for your Garden. Plants include herbs, annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, as well as heirloom vegetables.
 
Illustration in the Garden with Toni Carlucci Co-Sponsored with Georgia Museum of Art Tuesday, April 14                                                4:00 – 6:00 pm Callaway Building Conference Room               Ages 8+                 FREE—Limited to 15 The Georgia Museum of Art presents a workshop on drawing from nature  at  the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia! Join artist Toni Carlucci to learn some of the secrets to drawing plants, flowers, and other objects of nature using techniques that are fun, effective, and easy to practice at home. Open to children ages 8 and older. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
 
Basic Botany
Robert Wyatt, Adjunct Professor of Ecology, UGA
Saturday, April 18                                           8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Callaway Building                                members $90; non-members $100
Basic Botany provides an introduction to general plant anatomy, morphology, and physiology, with an emphasis on relating form to function. Using live material and slides, students will make detailed observations of root, stem, and leaf tissues and discuss the processes of water and nutrient movements. The mechanisms of flower pollination, seed dispersal, and germination will be explored, along with the basics of plant genetics, photosynthesis and evolution.
 
Spring Bird Ramble
Oconee Rivers Audubon Society
Saturday, April 18                                                 8:00 am
State Botanical Garden, Meet in Upper Parking Lot near Day Chapel  Free
Come join the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society for a morning bird walk at the Garden. Look and listen for our spring migrants. First time birding? No problem. ORAS members will help you spot and identify the feathery creatures. All birding levels are welcome and binoculars are optional. For more information, visit www.oconeeriversaudubon.org.
 
Native Flora Ramble
Cliff Broc, Former Shade and Native Flora Garden Gardener, SBG
Saturday, April 18                                                10:00 am
Meet at Shade Garden Arbor
Interested in learning how to identify native woody and herbaceous plants or maybe you just want to take a Saturday morning to look at what’s blooming at the Garden?  Join Cliff on a stroll through the Native Flora Garden.
 
Cooking in the Garden: Sweet and Savory Spring
Courtney Alford-Pomeroy, Cooking with Courtney and Former Athens-Banner Herald Food Editor Tuesday, April 21                                                6:30 – 8:30 pm Cecil D. Day Chapel                                            members $24; non-members $27Spring is the perfect time for culinary creations straight from the garden. In this class, we'll focus on delights made from the best of spring's finest, including a fresh mint salad, garlic spinach and a sweet herb ice cream. Get ready for some garden goodness!
 
Unit 5:  Creative Miniature Design
Celia McQuaid Brown, Master Flower Show Judge, The Garden Club of Georgia
Wednesday, April 22                                          9:00 am - 3:00 pm Visitor Center, Classroom A                               members $20; non-members $23 Unit 5 focuses on Creative Miniature Design. Upon completion of all five units, students will be awarded the Basic Design Certificate from The Garden Club of Georgia. Courses do not need to be completed in order.  Participants will be provided with a list of materials to bring to class. Limited to 20 participants. Priority will be given to those participants who have completed Units 1-4.
The Georgia Review Release Party
Wednesday, April 22                                          5:30 – 7:30 pm
Cecil B. Day Chapel                                           free and open to the public
The Georgia Review comes to the Garden celebrating publication of the spring 2009 issue and its Focus on Culture and the Environment featuring essays from five contemporary writers on the environment and the practice of living simply. Readings, music and a reception at the beautiful Day Chapel are a perfect way to commemorate Earth Day 2009. Winner of two National Magazine Awards, The Georgia Review is a nationally respected, award-winning literary quarterly published at UGA since 1947. Come early – tours of the new Flower Garden, adjacent to the Day Chapel, will be available from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
Cosponsored by The Georgia Review and Friends of the Garden.
 
Twilight Toasts in the Garden: Proven Annuals for Georgia SummersThursday, April 23, 2009                                   6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Visitor Center & Conservatory                          $10 Friends members/ $15 non-members
It’s time to plant annuals for summer-long color in your landscape or to accent your outdoor living spaces. Representatives of the Athens Area Nursery Growers Association will be on hand with informative handouts and example plants to help you choose proven performers for our Southern summers.  You can be sure that the annuals chosen as a Georgia Gold Medal or Athens Select plant have been tested here and will do well in your garden.  Come find out more about these colorful heat-lovers.
Wine tasting by The Healthy Gourmet in Athens. Light hors d’oeuvres by Trumps Catering. Live music by Lansdowne Three, "Traditional Celtic Music in the Deep South" played on fiddle, accordion, hammered dulcimer, guitar and/or mandolin. Presented by Athens First Bank & Trust and Athens Area Health Plan Select in cooperation with FRIENDS of the Garden, Athens Area Nursery Growers Association, The Healthy Gourmet and Trumps Catering.
 
Cookin' Up Compost
Stacee Farrell and Suki Janssen, Athens-Clarke County (ACC) Recycling Division
Amanda Tedrow, ACC Cooperative Extension Service
Monday, May 4                                                   6:00 – 7:30 pm Callaway Building Auditorium                           members $10; non-members $12 Join ACC Recycling Division and Cooperative Extension personnel, during National Compost Week, as they share recipes for backyard composting. Participants will learn the basic ingredients and directions for making compost at home. Composting supplies will be provided to all attendees.
 
Ted Mikalsen Photography Exhibition
May 10th through May 31st:                                Visitor Center        Free
Opening Reception Sunday May 10th from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
 
Cooking in the Garden: Lite in Spring
Shelia Bradley, Former Garden chef and local Athens artist
Thursday, May 21                                               6:30 to 8:30 pm
Cecil D. Day Chapel                                           members $24; non-members $27
Join us in creating a light delicate spring-time dish that all would enjoy.  We will be making Jamaica Skillet Fish, New Way Collard Greens, and Zucchini Fritters with a twist.
 
The Georgia Museum of Art presents Sunny Sunflowers Family Day Co-Sponsored with the State Botanical Garden of Georgia Saturday, May 23                                                 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Visitor Center, Great Room                                 FREE Come to the Botanical Garden and paint “sunflowers.” Participants will view the flowers in the various theme gardens for inspiration! Georgia Museum of Art Family Day programs are sponsored by Heyward Allen Motor Co., Inc., Heyward Allen Toyota, YellowBook USA and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art
 
Cool-Season Grasses
Elaine Nash, Self-taught Naturalist, Conyers, GA.
Saturday, May 30                                           8:30am - 12:30pm
Visitor Center Classroom A                                members $40; non-members $45
The economic and ecosystem functions of grasses will be reviewed. A hand-out will be provided to aide with recognition of vegetative or field characteristics of common cool-season grasses of the SE. Using the handout, students will work on recognizing grass parts that are useful in field identification. Fresh specimens will be examined using hand lens. The last two hours will be spent along powerline and river trails at the SBG where students will examine a wide variety of native and exotic grasses. Bring a small knife and hand lens.
 
 
 

SUMMER CAMPS AT THE GARDEN

 
GARDEN EARTH NATURE CAMP: AGES 5-8
Each session runs Monday – Friday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
members $85 non-members $95
Earth is a garden that we all share!  During these weeklong adventures, children learn about garden earth while exploring the natural and cultivated areas of the Garden.  Outdoor experiments, games, and garden walks highlight each day.  Camp registration forms can be found on the Garden Website at www.uga.edu/botgarden or register in person at the Garden’s education office in the Visitor Center. Campers can attend one week from Garden Earth I and one week from Garden Earth II.
Garden Earth 1
Week I:  June 8-12
Week II: June 15-19
In Garden Earth I, campers explore pollinators, soil critters and food chains in the gardens and forest of the Garden. Children meet puppets including Suga Magnolia who is in charge of the flowers, Oli Earthworm who takes care of the soil, and Madame Squirrel who runs a woodland restaurant for all the creatures who live at the Garden!   Indoor gardening projects, solar cooking, treats and crafts projects complement the exciting outdoor adventures!
 
Garden Earth II
Week I:  July 6 - 10
Week II:  July 13-17
In Garden Earth II, campers investigate water, insects and trees. Visits to the Middle Oconee River and Orange Trail stream (both on the grounds of the Garden) bring the world of the water critters to life.  Children explore insects in carnivorous pitcherplants, pitfall traps, and through fun discovery hunts.  To top off the week children meet Old Man Spruce who takes campers on a tour of his Air Cleaning Factory though puppet shows, interactive games and forest investigations.  Craft projects complement each day’s activities.
 
Sweet Pea Club Camp: Ages 3 - 4
Monday – Friday: June 22-26                           9:00 – 11:00 am
Visitor Center, Children’s Classroom
members $100 (fee for parent and child); non-members $110
Additional child fee members $55; non-members $60
Developed specially for young nature lovers and their parent or grandparent helpers, the Sweet Pea Club offers a marvelous introduction to the natural world. Each day focuses on a different "earthy" topic. Sample daily topics include, A Visit with Old Man Spruce Tree!, Adventures with Oli Earthworm in the Soil and Who’s Eating at Madame Squirrel’s Restaurant!  Programs involve puppet shows, storytelling, indoor and outdoor learning games, nature crafts and garden explorations.
Summer Camp Junior Counselors Positions
The State Botanical Garden is pleased to offer volunteer camp counselor positions.  These positions afford adolescents opportunities to build confidence, serve as a role model for younger children, and learn new skills. If you have a child between the ages of 13 and 17 would like to apply to be a Botanical Garden Summer Camp Counselor, please contact Cora Keber at (706) 542-6156. 

Athens Areas - Bishop | Bogart | Bostwick | Chamblee | Clarke County | Commerce | Comer | Danielsville | Jackson | Jefferson | Gwinnett, GA | Kennesaw | Lawrenceville | Loganville | Marietta | Monroe | Madison | Nicholson | North High Shoals | Oconee County | Statham | Walton County | Watkinsville | Winterville

Atlanta Areas - Acworth GA | Alpharetta GA | Athens GA | Atlanta GA | Auburn GA |Ball Ground GA/ Bethlehem GA | Bogart GA | | Braselton GA | Buckhead GA | Buford GA | Canton GA | Cartersville GA | Chamblee GA | Conyers GA | Covington GA | Cumming GA |Dallas GA/ Dawsonville GA | Decatur GA | Dacula GA | Dekalb GA Douglasville GA/| Duluth GA | East Point GA |Fairburn GA | Flowery Branch GA | Gainesville GA | Gwinnett County GA | Hiram GA | Jackson GA | Jefferson GA | Kennesaw GA | Lawrenceville GA | Lilburn GA | Lithonia GA | Loganville GA | Mabelton GA | Marietta GA | Monroe GA | | Norcross GA | Oakwood GA | Pendergrass GA | Powder Springs GA | Roswell GA | Sandy Springs GA | Scottdale GA | Smyrna GA | Snellville GA | Social Circle GA | Statham GA | Stone Mountain GA | Suwanee GA | Tucker GA | Villa Rica GA | Walton County GA | Watkinsville GA | Winder GA | Woodstock GA | Gwinnett County | Dekalb County | Fulton County | Hall County | Jefferson County | Cobb County | Paulding County | Walton County | Douglas County | Cherokee County | Jackson County | DawsonCounty | Barrow County and more.