Birds, Bees, and Bonsai: October Programs at Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum Highlight a Diversity of Topics

Each month throughout the year Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum offers a diverse selection of programs brought to you by our community and non-profit partners. Groups like Washtenaw Audubon Society, Sierra Club Huron Valley, Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center, and Ann Arbor Backyard Beekeepers bring fascinating---and for the most part free---educational programs on topics relevant to what's happening in the world of plants, animals, horticulture, and more.

Read on for some of our October 2016 offerings. All programs held at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, unless noted otherwise:

Tues., Oct. 11, 7 pm

New Impetus from Old Germany: My Strange and Terrible Journey to the Heart of German Beekeeping

Andrew Mills, a lecturer in German at the University of Michigan and a member of UMBees in ANn Arbor, recounts his summer 2016 trip through Germany, meeting beekeepers along the way and discovering what it means to keep bees in Germany. 

Wed., Oct 12, 6-7:30 pm 

Catching Your Breath

A free monthly program for caregivers of adults with memory loss. Designed for learning skills for continued health and well-being. Program is free but please register directly with the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center: 734.936.8803. Presented by Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Free.

Thurs., Oct. 13, 1-2:30 pm



Photo of ichiyo school arrangement
courtesy Ikebana International.

Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging

Create your own seasonal Ikebana arrangement with guidance by a certified instructor. Workshops are the second Thursday of each month from 1:00 - 2:30 in room 125. Cost is $20.00 which covers flowers and instructor. Reservations required. Info:  a2ikebana@gmail.com. Presented by Ann Arbor Ikebana International Chapter.

Sat., October 15, 11 am

Vanda coerulea Orchids

Learn about the Vanda coerulea orchid, also called the blue orchid, and about how orchids are judged for the American Orchid Society at the Great Lakes Judging Center’s monthly program. Today’s session presented by Alex Challis, Great Lakes Judging Center accredited judge. Presented by Great Lakes Judging Center (Orchids). Free.

Mon., Oct. 17, 7:30 pm

Photo: One of the most famous dunes in the
world: Michigan's Sleeping Bear dune.

Dune Ecology and Restoration

Shaun Howard, Nature Conservancy Project Manager for Eastern Lake Michigan, discusses this well-known Great Lakes habitats and the Nature Conservancy’s efforts to restore them. Presented by Michigan Botanical Club. Free.

Tues., Oct. 18, 7:30 pm

Improving Trail Connectivity in Ann Arbor

Despite the many recent improvements in Ann Arbor’s non-motorized system, there are still some major discontinuities in the trail system. Larry Deck, a board member of the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition, will present the organization’s proposal for how to close the gaps in the Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail and build the Campus-to-Campus (C2C) Bikeway. Matthaei-Nichols associate director Karen Sikkenga will also talk about the planned Dixboro Rd. trail. Free. Presented by Sierra Club Huron Valley. Free.

Photo: Resplendent quetzal, the
national bird of Guatemala. Photo
by Francesco Veronesi via Flickr.

Wed., Oct. 19, 7:30 pm

Birding in Guatemala

Join Bryn Martin for a program on Washtenaw Audubon’s most recent overseas field trip, to the Central American country of Guatemala, where there are a number of birds found nowhere else in the world. Bryn Martin is an avid world birder, a high school teacher, and Washtenaw Audubon’s field trip coordinator. Presented by Washtenaw Audubon Society. Free.

Sat., Oct. 22, 1:30-3 pm

Alpines with Peter Korn

Presenter: Great Lakes Chapter North American Rock Garden Society



Photo: Swedish rock gardener Peter Korn.

Renowned Swedish rock gardener Peter Korn discusses the natural history of alpines as it relates to their cultivation  in non-alpine environments. The gardening conditions in Sweden are more similar to Michigan than many parts of Western Europe, and his rock gardening experiences and techniques should be adaptable to gardening to our Michigan and Great Lakes region climates and soils. Besides that, Peter is an immensely energetic young gardener whose undertakes vast gardening enterprises that will inspire us all. Presented by the Great Lakes Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society. Free. For more information: reznicek@umich.edu.

Wed., Oct. 26, 7 pm

Best Practices for Bonsai Fertilizing

Aaron Wiley, a local horticulturist with a penchant for bonsai, discusses the reasons, goals, timing, objectives, and kinds of fertilizing for bonsai. Presented by Ann Arbor Bonsai Society.

Photo: Satsuki azalea on display
at Matthaei Botanical Gardens,
June 2016. Photo by Michele Yanga.