Friday, August 21 from 9:30 to 10:30pm
(because that's when the nocturnal bugs are active!)

Visit the Arboretum for a special nighttime program to get to know nocturnal insects. Bring a headlamp or phone w/ light for navigating in the dark.

Location: Meet at pavilion for an outdoor program.
Audience: All ages, minors must have a parent/guardian with them.
Registration requested. (allows us to contact you if details change)
Registration 

Sunday, August 23 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Meet at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center

Join us for this workshop by the Shenandoah Nature Journal Club. Rhonda Roebuck will demonstrate a range of materials for use in nature journals, from familiar basics to more unusual options. You'll have the opportunity to try them and discuss new ideas with the Nature Journaling group. Bring your favorite tools and supplies to share so we can all learn from one another. 

Please RSVP so we have an idea of how many people to expect. This will help us prepare for the workshop.

RSVP on the Facebook Event page here.

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

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

Wednesdays | 12 p.m.-1 p.m.| FREE | Register here

June 10-July 22

Location: Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center

Join us for exciting talks during lunchtime on Wednesday from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. in the Frances Plecker Education Center at the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. All talks are FREE and open to all! Bring your lunch and learn from local experts on a variety of topics, including:

• June 10: Native Landscaping for Backyard Birds with Rich Woods
• June 17: Brood Pollination of Plants by Specialized Insects by David Hembry
• June 24: Flora of Virginia app by Anna Marie Johnson
• July 1: Watersheds and Watercolor by Ali Sloop
• July 8: Sounds Fun by Lincoln Gray
• July 15: Conservation Photography: Riverine and Backyard Biodiversity in Rockingham County by Steven David Johnson
• July 22: Topic TBD, Bailey McInturff, Recruitment and Enrollment for Appalachian Conservation Corps

See full descriptions of each lecture on our Brown Bag Lecture Series page.

Call 540.568.3194 or email ejcarboretum@jmu.edu with any questions.

Register Here

With the Shenandoah Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society

Second Sundays | 1:30 PM-3:00 PM 

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

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