Monday, September 14, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., FREE event! Register here.

Join Dr. Annette Naber of Emerable Mountain Sanctuary for a guided forest bathing walk at the Arboretum, featuring mindful, multi-sensory nature exercises. Developed in Japan in the 1980s as preventative medicine, forst bathing (shirin-yoku) is supported by research for showing benefits for mental and physical well-being.

Location: Meet at the Arboretum's Pavilion
Maximum of 15 people.
Registration required. 
Register here.

Saturday, September 19, 2026, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., FREE event! No registration. When you arrive, look for the Welcome table.

The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum is delighted to host its first-ever Squirrel Fest with a wide variety of activities including:

• Themed walking tours
• A squirrel-based Citizen Science project using iNaturalist
• Beatrix Potter's "Squirrel Nutkin" featured on our StoryWalk
• Open mic poetry/songs about squirrels
• Educational exhibit of squirrels that live in the Arboretum
• Activity and display tables

Questions? Want to be involved? Contact us at EJCArboretum@jmu.edu or call us at 540-568-3194.

Check here for more information and updates.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., FREE event! Register by emailing Mark Gabriele at: gabrieleml@jmu.edu

Participants will learn techniques to quiet the mind, create space from past and future thoughts, and live more fully in the present moment. If you're feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, this offering is a path to rediscover the peace and calm already within you. With continued practice, you'll begin to realize that even though the world around you may feel chaotic, you can still choose peace instead. This shift in perspective can be deeply transformative, as you discover that the world you experience is shaped by the mind through which you experience it. As your awareness grows, you'll begin to see how changing your relationship with your inner experience changes the way the world appears to you, which, over time, opens new possibilities for how you understand and move through your life. No experience necessary — newcomers welcome!

1st & 3rd Fridays | Dusk | FREE 

Next Meeting: April 17, 2026-Sept. 18, 2026

Location: Arboretum Pond

Members of our local chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists, in partnership with Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia, will be hosting an Evening with Bats! by the Arboretum's pond on the first and third Fridays of the month, beginning on April 17 and concluding Sept. 18. (See registration link for exceptions and starting times.)

Visitors should arrive 15 minutes before sunset to hear a brief presentation about bat conservation and behavior, followed by the opportunity to watch bats of the Arboretum emerge for their evening hunt. Master Naturalists and BCRV volunteers will also be hosting a bat call monitoring station as part of the evening, and visitors can watch and learn more about acoustic monitoring, and what it's telling us about the bats who live in the Arboretum. Dress for the weather and bring a light to return to your vehicle after dark. 

Registration is strongly recommended (it allows us to notify you if the program is changed, canceled, etc.). Walk-ins are welcome, too.

Parking: Park in the EJC Arboretum R5 lot at the top of the hill (Costco side). Meet at the Pond parking lot.

Please call 540.568.3194 or email ejcarboretum@jmu.edu with any questions or concerns.

Plan to arrive 15 minutes before sunset.

Register Here

1st Tuesdays | 6-8 PM | FREE

Location: Frances Plecker Education Center

Join presenters, Clark Driver and Simon Jilg for a short lecture, bonsai displays, and door prizes!

Register Here

Next dates: Check back for Fall 2026 dates.

Location: Meet at the Frances Plecker Education Center

A JMU Health 100 Passport event sponsored by the Counseling Center. Check in at the Frances Plecker Education Center to get your materials for this self-guided experience.

Next dates: Tuesday, June 9; Wednesday, July 8; Tuesday, August 11; Tuesday, September 8; Wednesday, October 7; Tuesday, November 10; Tuesday, December 8| See below for registration details and locations

Join us for a deep healing and relaxation experience with pure sound frequencies. Sound healing resets the nervous system, equalizes brainwaves and provides a cellular detox of the highest order. 

Tuesday, June 9, Pavilion, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Wednesday, July 8, Pavilion, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, August 11, Pavilion, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, September 8, Pavilion, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Shamanic Sound Healing with Connie and Matthew, $35, Register here.

Wednesday, October 7, Pavilion, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, November 10, Indoors at Frances Plecker Education Center, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, December 8, Indoors at Frances Plecker Education Center, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Select "RSVP Here" for times and locations.

Harrisonburg Songtuary is a community song circle that seeks to propagate co-enchanting cohorts of contemplayful singers, sponsored by the Arts Council of the Valley and the Office of Creative Propulsion.

RSVP Here