Learning is Half the Fun

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


LISLE, IL (May 12, 2009) - Even a wise, old owl can't pass up the chance to learn more about animals, and how they rely on trees. The Morton Arboretum Education Program offers interesting classes in natural history, ornithology, horticulture, nature photography, and botanical art and illustration for children and adults related to the Animal Houses exhibition.

The full course list is available under "Education" at www.mortonarb.org.

JUNE CLASSES

Use the light of the moon to follow raccoon trails and search for muskrats, and pause to listen for the sounds of birds, bats, and coyotes in "Animals at Twilight" (N039a). $18 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). Ages 11 and up, Prairie Visitor Station.
June 6: 8 - 10 p.m.

Enjoy summer at The Morton Arboretum by searching the woods, fields, and edges for summertime birds. Learn about the summer resident birds, their preferred haunts, foraging needs, and nesting behavior with an expert guide in "Summer Bird Walk" (OO33).  Prepare to spend most of the class outdoors; binoculars and field guide will be useful. Activity level: mild hiking. $18 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members).
June 15 (course OO33a): 8-10:30 a.m.
June 20 (course OO33b): 8-10:30 a.m.

Get ready to explore the Animal Houses exhibition with your children or grandchildren. Join us for discovery-based exploration of the wetland houses in "Animal Houses Adventures" (Y302a). $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org. (Discounts for Arboretum members) For children ages 2-12 with adult; Bur Reed Marsh Parking lot (P6).
June 21: 10-11:30 a.m.

Other June classes: for youth and family, "Turtle Time," "Froggy Fun," "Happy Hoppers," and "Water Babies." In natural history: "Dragonflies and Damselflies." In ornithology: "Bluebird Conservation and Monitoring," and "Field Study: Birds of Summer."

JULY CLASSES

Take advantage of a special, featured presentation and prairie walk to learn about the fascinating relationships between prairie plants and animals in "Prairie Houses" (N255). Craig Johnson, respected educator who worked in the Arboretum's Schulenberg Prairie for 25 years, unlocks some of prairie's secrets in a detailed description of how plants and animals take on crucial roles to keep a prairie flourishing. Find out why prairies got the name: "breadbaskets of the world." $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). Age 11 and up, Prairie Visitor Station.
July 25: choose from 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1-3 p.m.

Anybody home? Find out how prairie plants play an important role in providing animal habitats and how animals communicate in "Animal Houses Adventures" (Y302b), a guided exploration of the Animal Houses in the Arboretum's Schulenberg Prairie. $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). For children ages 2-12 with adult; Prairie Visitor Station.
July 25: 10-11:30 a.m.

How are your neighborhood, your home, and perhaps your pets affected by the rising coyote populations in metropolitan areas? Discover the answers to these and other questions in "Ghosts of the Cities: The Urban Coyote Project" (N256). Hear results determined so far in an ongoing study of coyotes in the Chicago region. Among other things, the study is tracking whether coyotes are helping to control deer and geese populations as they rose to the top of their food chain in metropolitan areas. $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members. )Age 6 and up, Administration building.
July 26: Your choice of 1:30-2:30 or 3:30-4:30

Other July classes: in horticulture: "Gardening and Wildlife." In nature photography: "Dragonflies and Butterflies." For youth and family: "Who's There" (learning animal sounds), and "Darting Dragonflies." 

AUGUST CLASSES

Discover how trees play an important role in providing animal habitats in "Animal Houses Adventures" (Y302c), a guided exploration of the Animal Houses in the Arboretum's East Woods. $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). All ages, Big Rock Visitor Station.
August 22: 10-11:30 a.m.

Be an Arboretum explorer! Use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to guide yourself to locations with hidden treasures near the Animal Houses using their geographic coordinates, in "Geocaching" (N701). $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). All ages, Special Events Room.
August 22: Choose from 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., or 4 p.m.

Did you know that grey squirrels tend to be "city slickers" and fox squirrels are more often found in the suburbs? Learn more about these very common creatures, and how scientists are studying their reactions to changes in the human-dominated landscapes in "Squirrels at the Arboretum" (N257). $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). Ages 6 and up. Administration building.
August 22: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

It's a two-way street. Discover how prairie restorations affect animals, and how animals affect prairie restorations in "Foraging on the Prairie" (N258). Find the commonalities between meadow mice and bison by exploring the lives of animals that survive by foraging for grains and seeds. $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). Ages 6 and up. Administration building.
August 22: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Animals use a variety of methods to navigate-how do humans find their way? In "Introduction to Orienteering, GPS and Geocaching" (N702) professionals from REI will introduce you to these: orienteering (map and compass), GPS (based on signals from a satellite), and geocaching (using GPS to hunt for "treasures" called caches). $12 per person, enroll at 630-719-2468 or www.mortonarb.org (discounts for Arboretum members). All ages, Special Events Room.
August 23: Orienteering course: 1 p.m.; GPS course: 2:30 p.m.; Geocaching course: 4 p.m.

Other August classes: in botanical art and illustration: "Sketchbook: Textures in Nature." In natural history: "Animals at Twilight." For youth and family: "Cricket Chorus," and "Coming out of Their Shell" (regarding snails, turtles, and shelled creatures).

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of 4,117 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission - the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time or sunset, whichever is earlier. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., March through October, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., November through February. Visit Press Room at www.mortonarb.org, call to learn more.

Media Contact: Gina Tedesco, (office) 630-725-2103, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it