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Viles Arboretum

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Outdoor Experiences

Fruit Tree Grafting

$85

with Jen Ries

Calendar Next session starts Apr 13, 2024 at 10 am
1 additional session on Apr 14, 2024

Viles Arboretum is partnering with Fedco Trees for a Fruit Tree Grafting workshop!

Learn to propagate and reproduce favorite apple varieties with instructor Jennifer Ries of Fedco Trees. She will explain how & why to graft and demonstrate the techniques for Whip & Tongue grafting. This is a hands-on class — participants will graft stock to take home and care of seedlings will be discussed.

You will need to purchase a grafting knife in advance of this event!

This is the one you will need:

Right-handed:https://fedcoseeds.com/ogs/folding-grafting-knife-right-handed-8989

Left-handed:https://fedcoseeds.com/ogs/folding-grafting-knife-left-handed-8990

Additionally, please bring a lunch and clothes that can get a bit dirty. Course will run from 10am-2pm.

Cost: $80 which includes 5 fruit trees to take home. This is a great deal!

Class size limited to 10 people to ensure one-on-one coaching with the grafting knife. Sign up early to reserve your spot.

Fee includes instruction and all supplies including rootstock, scionwood and handouts.

Full Course

Salamander Monitoring

Free

with Viles Arboretum

Calendar Next available session starts Apr 20, 2024 at 10 am
9 additional sessions through Jun 29, 2024

Come monitor for red backed salamanders with us! Check under cover boards and learn how to identify salamander species, handle them safely, measure them, and record helpful scientific data for the arboretum!

Beginner Bird Walks

$18

with Lauren Kircheis

Calendar Next available session starts Apr 27, 2024 at 8 am

Have you wanted to get into birding but not known where to start? Maybe you have started backyard birding but are looking to expand your horizons? Join us on one of our popular bird walk tours to and to learn more about bird ID, habitat and behavior. 

Lauren Kircheis, Viles Arboretum Director of Research and Education, will be leading these walks. She has an expansive knowledge on Maine's birds and their biology. These classes are welcoming to all skill levels. No equipment or prior knowledge is required, we just recommend good shoes! Each walk runs between 1.5 and 2 hours, we usually cover a little over a mile on foot at a slow pace.  

A limited number of binoculars and bird books are available in the Visitor Center to borrow. 

Class will not run in the event of incliment weather; steady rain or winds above 20 mph. In the event that a session cancels, you will have the option to transfer to a future session or you will be awarded a full refund. 

Spring Market
Online Registration Unavailable

Spring Market

Price not
available

with Viles Arboretum

Calendar Next session starts May 11, 2024 at 9 am

Explore nature and art at Viles Arboretum's annual Spring Market. Shop with a variety of local vendors and artists who will be selling a selection of homemade goods, food, and plants. Free for attendees.

Vendor Registration: https://viles-arboretum.square.site/

Medicinal Plant Walks

$25

with Debra Bluth

Calendar Next available session starts May 18, 2024 at 10 am
2 additional sessions through Sep 14, 2024

On this walk, we'll meet some plants, both wild and cultivated, and learn how they might be used from an herbal, homeopathic, or flower essence perspective.  Some plants might be very familiar (often our local weeds are actually wonderful medicinals), while others might be less well-known. During these late summer walks we will be meeting plants at the end of their growing season. For those that have attended previous walks, a new variety of late-season plants will be covered during this program. We'll talk about identifying factors, parts of the plants used, and preparation. Come be nourished by spending time with these healing friends.

This is a three-part series, you may choose to come to one, or all of the sessions. We will cover unique species as the seasons change. Example of species we may cover across the different sessions are listed below;

Session 1:

  • Burdock
  • Violet
  • Cinquefoil
  • Oak
  • Sumac
  • Elderberry
  • Willow
  • Bloodroot

Session 2:

  • Red clover
  • Comfrey
  • Ginkgo
  • Red Cedar
  • Yarrow
  • Hawthorn

Session 3:

  • Elecampane
  • Mugwort
  • Lesser periwinkle
  • Sassafras
  • Goldenrod
  • Queen Anne's Lace

 There will be the opportunity to taste tinctures made from plants found on this walk. 

Please dress for the weather. We recommend footwear such as boots or hiking shoes you dont mind getting dirty. 

Debra Bluth, CCH, is an herbalist, homeopath, flower essence practitioner, and movement teacher with a practice in midcoast Maine and online.  She also is affiliated with Delta Gardens, a center for flower essence research, education, and practice located in NH. 

Recommended for ages 16 and up. We will be doing some walking so bring good shoes! 

We do not wish for the price of this program to be a barrier for anyone interested in attending, and have several scholarship opportunities available.  Please reach out to us by emailing education@vilesarboretum.org for more information.. 





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