Join us for our first ever Squirrel Fest!

September 19, 11am to 2pm

We welcome the JMU and local community to join us. Participate in the following ways:

• Attend! It's free and registration is not needed to attend.
• Open Mic: Perform a squirrel-themed song or poem (originals encouraged!). Register to perform here! (Lyrics must be family-friendly and submitted in advance.)
• Volunteer on the day of the Squirrel Fest. Sign up here!

Celebrate these quirky critters at the Arboretum! Activities for all ages.

• 11am: Squirrel Haiku Workshop @ pavilion
• 11:30am: Storytime in the Understory @ Reading area of the Family Garden
• Noon: Open Mic for Squirrel songs and poems @ pavilion
• 12:30: Five Senses Tour from the perspective of a squirrel. Meet at the pond bridge.
• 1pm: Arboretum History Tour. Meet at the pond bridge.
• Exhibit on all 4 species of squirrels that live in the Arboretum (Yes, FOUR!)
• Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter on StoryWalk
• Lash together a tiny raft to reach Owl’s island (like the squirrels in Squirrel Nutkin!)
• Tote Your Harvest: craft a no-sew tote bag from an Arboretum t-shirt and store up provisions like a chipmunk!
• Face Painting
• iNaturalist project: Going Nuts for Black Squirrels
• Treasure Hunt (choose a simple map or orienteering course) and Scavenger Hunt along the trails of the Arboretum
• Acorns Sink or Float: What does that mean for a squirrel? hosted by JMU Tree Campus
• Shenandoah Nature Journal Club: journal with us!
• Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia: learn how bats and squirrels live in the same habitat
• JMU Birding Club: learn how birds and squirrels compete for resources
• Eat like a Squirrel! make a fun treat
• Welcome table for guests and volunteers
• Squirrel merch