A local resource for enriching nature-based educational experiences, the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum serves over 3,000 students per year on field trips with our guided tours and self-guided field trip opportunities. Field trips and group visits are offered year round and are free of charge. See our Field Trip Guidelines for more information.

Guided field trips are free to the public, but donations are welcome. Learn how to show your support for the Arboretum.

Self-Guided Tours and Group Visits: You are welcome to bring your class or group to the arboretum for self-guided learning, and since we are open to the public, you may come anytime dawn-dusk. However, for the best experience for everyone: to avoid overcrowding, to allow us to best utilize our space resources, to help us document how the arboretum is being used, and so we can offer you any resources you might find helpful according to your objectives, we would very much appreciate it if you registered your group by filling out the field trip form below. Maximum 120 students per day, please. 

Docent-Guided Tours: Engaging, age-appropriate tours are offered on weekdays during the school day and are capped at 20 students per docent, but we can often accommodate larger groups using a rotation cycle--please indicate your needs on the Field Trip Form, and we will happily talk with you about possibilities! 

• Five Senses Tour (Preschool – 2nd): Through hands-on activities and play, students use their five senses to explore the Arboretum, learn about parts of a tree and/or life cycles, and look for animals in their habitat. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour per tour group.

• Throw and Grow Seedballs Tour (Preschool - 3rd): Students make a seed ball (hardened mixture of soil, clay, and flower seeds) to take home and toss outside, encouraging the spread of native Virginia flora. Afterwards students take a tour of the Arboretum focused on seed dispersal, plant structures, and life cycle of plants. Allow 1 hour 15 minutes per tour group.

• Forest Web Tour—Ecosystems (3rd – 6th): We'll explore how consumers, producers, and decomposers cooperate and compete to fully utilize all the resources a forest or a wetland can offer. We'll also think about the importance of native plants and animals in an ecosystem. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour per tour group. 

• The Forest Web—Human Impact on the Ecosystem Puzzle (6th-9th): Should we pave over the pond to create more parking? Why not? Students will explore the arboretum in teams to collect all kinds of ecosystem data to inform the opinions they will form. Great for thinking about policy making, cost/benefit trade-offs, conservation, water systems, the value of trees, and the complex interactions all around an ecosystem.  Allow 75 minutes per 25 students.

• Watershed Health and Restoration (4th+): Explore the Arboretum watershed, including our stormwater management features, pond, intermittent stream, and riparian buffer. We can modify this tour's additional activities to fit your content needs and/or age of student: students can participate in activities about storm run-off, pollution sources, see an enviroscape watershed demonstration model, learn to use a turbidity tube, or do some water quality testing. Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours per group.

Please complete the Field Trip Request Form below. Arboretum staff will email you within 5 business days to schedule your docent-guided trip or group visit. If you have questions, email us at ejcarboretum@jmu.edu or call (540) 568-3194.

Please note that all dates are subject to availability and your field trip/visit is not scheduled until you receive a confirmation email from Arboretum staff.