Help Us Grow!
4/30/11; 7:00 am Bird Walk - Join local birder LeJay Graffious on an early morning bird walk. We'll be birding by eye and ear. We'll search high and low, in bushes and bows for our feathered friends. Bring binoculars if you have them. Everyone is welcome: younger and older; beginning or advance birders.
5/1/11; 2:00 pm Boardwalk Grand Opening and Wetland Walk - Come out and see the newest addition to the West Virginia Botanic Garden, the Wetland Boardwalk! Construction was completed last fall and new interpretive signs are being installed. Walk the boardwalk to enter and observe this unique habitat. Read the signs or attend the wetland walk to learn more about our wonderful wetlands and their inhabitants. Walk begins at 2:30.
5/15/11; 2:00 pm Experiencing Nature - Want to make your walks in the woods more meaningful? Join Erin Smaldone for a leisurely walk and learn about the benefits of being outside in nature as well as some techniques to help you appreciate your time there. All welcome. Wear comfortable clothing and footwear.
5/22/11; 2 pm Bonsai Presentation - Leader Tom Simonyi will explain how to maintain the health and style of a bonsai regardless of its origin (eg. collected from the wild, styled from nursery stock, or purchased from a bonsai nursery). A few specimen trees will be used as examples. An informative handout showing a flow chart of a “bonsai-in-training” sequence will be provided.
6/11/11; 7:00 am Bird walk - Join local birder Terry Bronson for an early morning bird walk searching the Garden's woods, wetlands, and edge habitat for early summer birds. Bring binoculars if you have them. All are welcome--no experience necessary.
7/9/11; 9:00 am Summer Mushrooms and Lichens - Local naturalist Bob Burrell will lead us to, identify and acquaint us with the characteristics of a diverse group of mushrooms and lichens. Come learn about these often overlooked yet fascinating trail-side finds. All ages are welcome. Wear hiking footwear, preferably waterproof. Bring hand lens if you have them, otherwise we’ll have a few to lend.
7/23/11; 9:00 am Ramble with Ken - Retired WVU Professor of Forestry Dr. Ken Carvell will take us on a journey through the several forest types found at the Garden. Learn little known facts and come to appreciate the nature of these fascinating woodlands. All ages are welcome. Wear hiking footwear, preferably waterproof. Bring magnifying glasses if you have them, otherwise we’ll have a few to lend.
8/14/11; 2:00 pm Insects Walk - Join Wildlife Biologist Sue Olcott as we go in search of winged wonders. Learn to identify butterflies as they dine at the butterfly garden. Watch for dragonflies and other jewels of the sky as we walk the reservoir loop trail. All ages welcome. Wear hiking footwear, preferably waterproof. Bring a butterfly net, magnifying glasses, and binoculars if you have them. Walk dependent on warm, dry weather.
8/27/11; 9:00 am Wildflower Walk - With local naturalist and WVBG member, Ellen Hrabovsky, we will explore the plethora of summer wildflowers found around the reservoir basin. We typically find up to 30 different species, varying from goldenrod to Nodding Ladiestresses. A wildflower book is helpful.
9/18/11; 2:00 pm Wonderful Woods of West Virginia - The WVU Society of American Foresters will lead this walk (approxiately 1hour) through the Botanic Garden and share their forestry knowledge! Leaders will present common tree species as well as some shrubs and current and historic uses for the plants. The SAF group is excited to share their knowledge with you!
9/25/11; 2:00 pm History Walk: "No More Wiggle-Tail Water" - A central feature of the botanic garden is the "reservoir loop trail." Take a leisurely stroll along this familiar, accessible path, with a few "side trips" to the spillway and wetland, while learning about the history of this area when it was the source of pure clear drinking water for Morgantown for over fifty years. Walk leaders are Michael Caplinger and Barb Howe, historians and WVBG volunteers. Wear comfortable shoes.
10/1/11; 9:00 am Mosses, Lichens, and Ferns - WVU Professor of Biology Dr. Susan Studlar will lead us to and teach us about many exciting species of mosses, lichens, and ferns. A whole new world will become apparent as you learn the fascinating biology behind these organisms as well as tips to tell them apart. All ages are welcome. Wear hiking footwear, preferably waterproof, and bring magnifying glasses if you have them.
10/9/11; 2:00 pm Fall Mushrooms - WVU Professor of Mycology Dr. Dan Panaccione will lead us in search of forest fungi. Dan will tell us how to identify the native mushrooms at the garden by their unique characteristics. Come enjoy and learn about the bright colored (and less bright colored) mushrooms and the old growth forest! All ages are welcome. Wear hiking footwear, preferably waterproof, and bring magnifying glasses if you have them.
12/4/11; 2:00 pm Winter Botany - Join landscape architect and WVBG Executive Director George Longenecker for the last walk of the season! George will explain to us how to recognize the native and exotic trees, shrubs, and ground covers growing in the garden by means of leaf scars, bud scales, bark characteristics and many other indicators left behind after the leaves fall. Learn with us this little known lore of the old growth forest at the West Virginia Botanic Garden! Bring magnifying glasses if you have them, otherwise we’ll share ours. All ages are welcome. Wear hiking footwear, preferably waterproof.
Download a PDF of the 2011 Educational Walk Descriptions.