Invasive Plant ID Walk | Wednesday, April 1, 10 a.m. | Free Event 

Join Jacob Edel, Invasive Management Specialist at Blue Ridge PRISM for this FREE field training where you’ll learn how to identify invasive plants. These sessions include a short hike along trails, some with uneven surfaces.

Register Here

Invasive Plant Removal Workday | Friday, April 17, 10 a.m. | Free Event

Location: Meet at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center

Space is limited to 10 participants for the Removal Workday.

Register Here

2026 Wildflower Walks 

Wednesday, April 1 at 12 p.m.

Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 15 at 12 p.m.

Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m.

Wednesday, April 22 at 12 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29 at 12 p.m.

Parking without a permit in Ballard Parking Deck from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for walks on Wednesday and noon-3 p.m. for walks on Sunday will be allowed for these events only. 

Meet at the Family Garden/Pavilion Kiosk | FREE

Register Here

Spring will be in the air and all around as flora comes into bloom at the Arboretum. Enjoy these magical surroundings during a specially curated Wildflower Walk led by Central Shenandoah Master Gardener Keala Timko or one of our guides who know the Arboretum’s many secrets.

We hope to see you.

Tree ID Walk | Wednesday, April 15, 2-3 p.m. | Meet at the Arboretum's Pavilion (by the Family Garden) | FREE

Join us for a Tree ID Walk led by Ellen Powell of the Virginia Department of Forestry.

In celebration of Arbor Day, attendees may claim a free tree to plant at home. Meet at the Pavilion by the Family Garden. Registration is requested, but walk-ins are welcome.

Register here.

Birding Events at the Arboretum | Saturday, April 18, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Meet at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center | FREE | Register Here

Bird Activities, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (come and go as you please)

Multiple bird topics and activities for families/individuals to explore at their own pace at the Frances Plecker Education Center. Identify several local bird calls, investigate real nests and feathers, try to pick up various bird food items with simulated beaks and create a bird craft to take home.  Come and go as you please. Then stick around for Birding 101 at 11am with Mike Donaldson from the Rockingham Birding Club. 

Birding 101, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

With Mike Donaldson of Rockingham Birding Club. Adult instruction, all ages welcome.  Meet at the Frances Plecker Education Center. The program begins with a 30-minute slide show presentation featuring a brief overview of the birds of the local region. The slide show will conclude with quick tips about how to find birds and audience questions. Afterward, weather permitting, the group will venture outside to briefly listen and look for birds near the Education Center.

Register here.

With the Shenandoah Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society

Second Sundays | 1:30 PM-3:00 PM (Please note: we won't have a Native Plant Social on Sunday, May 10, due to Mother's Day being celebrated on this date.)

Location: Frances Plecker Education Center

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

1st & 3rd Fridays | Dusk | FREE 

Next Meeting: May 1, 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.

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

Next dates: Friday April 10 at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 11 at 12 noon| FREE | No registration 

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: Monday, April 20; Wednesday, May 13; 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. 

Monday, April 20, Ernst Terrace, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Wednesday, May 13, Ernst Terrace, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Shamanic Sound Healing wtih Connie and Matthew, $35, Register here.

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, October 7, Ernst Terrace, 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