Morton Arboretum offers nature programs, online camps for kids
The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53 in Lisle, is offering online programs for youth, families and adults, including camps for kids or forest therapy walks for adults. To register, visit www.mortonarb.org/.
Prairie Ethnobotany:
The course includes two live online sessions from 9 to 11 a.m. Fridays, July 31 and Aug. 7, with the opportunity to interact with instructor Cindy Crosby, prairie steward, and author, compiler and contributor to more than 20 books.
Prairie plants have served as a pharmacy, grocery store, fuel source, fortune teller, purveyor of love charms and so much more. In Prairie Ethnobotany, you can investigate the human dimension of the prairie, and learn about the historical and traditional uses of many vibrant summer blooms and grasses. Cost is $46 or $39 for members.
Crosby is the author, compiler, or contributor to more than 20 books, including "The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction," co-author of "Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit," and author of the forthcoming, "Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural and Cultural History" (Northwestern University Press, 2020). Crosby is a prairie steward at the Schulenberg Prairie and Nachusa Grasslands, and coordinates dragonfly monitoring programs at both sites. She earned a Master's Degree in Natural Resources at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and is a Certified Interpretive Trainer with the NAI. She blogs each week at Tuesdays in the Tallgrass @Wordpress and teaches natural history and trains naturalists in the Chicago region.
Smartphone Photography for iPhone:
Learn how to take great nature photos with your smartphone in this online class with nature photographer Cora Jacobs on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon online.
Whether you are new to photography or new to smartphones, discover techniques for capturing the season with your iPhone. Over the course of the class, your instructors will go over your iPhone's most useful camera functions provide tips and tricks for composing attractive images recommend a selection of good starter apps for basic photo editing provide personalized feedback on homework assignments give you quick assignments to complete and share for feedback.
This program will take place using Zoom video conferencing. A link will be provided to all registrants by email. Registrants should click on the link to join the program at the scheduled date and time.
Registration closes five hours before class begins. Participants will need access to the internet via a computer or mobile device. There is a 15-person limit. Make sure your iPhone is fully charged. No prior experience required. Cost is $46 or $39 for nonmembers; there is a 50-person limit. Registration is required; it closes five hours before class begins.
Natural Artists:
Kids can sign up for a virtual camp titled "Natural Artists." They will learn how to paint, draw, and sculpt as they explore the natural world outside their front door. There will be two program offered. One for children entering first to third grade this fall and the other for fourth to sixth-graders. It will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday, Aug. 10-14. The fee is $65 or $50 for nonmembers. There is a 24-person limit for each course. Register at www.mortonarb.org or (630) 719-2468 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
Eco-Investigators:
Youth entering fourth to sixth grade can sign up for "Eco-Investigators," a virtual camp from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday, Aug. 3-7. Is there life under a rock, on a tree, or in the grass? Take a closer look at the wildlife that is hiding in plain sight. The fee is $65 or $50 for nonmembers. There is a 24-person limit for each course.
Forest Therapy Walk:
Experience the healing and wellness-promoting effects of Shinrin-Yoku, the practice of bathing the senses in the atmosphere of the forest. Awaken your senses and reconnect with nature during these mindful walks with a certified Forest Therapy guide. No two walks are the same; visit different locations at The Morton Arboretum and enjoy a variety of awareness-raising exercises.
On the three-hour walk, you will experience a series of guided, gentle invitations to open the senses and cultivate presence, with more time to deepen the healing interactions between people and the natural world.
It is for ages 18 or older. Cost is $37 per session or $30 for members. Registration is required. Participants must comply with current public health guidelines as required by the state, which include social distancing and the use of face masks when indoors and when social distancing is not possible outdoors.
The next three-hour walks will be: 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, with Laura Kamedulski; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 22, with Jeanne Iovinelli; or 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, with Laura Kamedulski at Big Rock Visitor Station. There is an eight-person limit.
A two-hour forest therapy walk will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, with Retta Hennessy at Prairie Visitor Station. Cost is $27 per session or $20 for members. There is an eight-person limit.