Educator Courses

Course List

  • College and professional self-guided field trips
    The Morton Arboretum is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the planting and conservation of trees. Our site is the ideal location for college and professional field study in many disciplines.

  • Plants of Wetlands
    Learn the names and ecology of the wildflowers, sedges, rushes, and other plants that inhabit wetlands at The Morton Arboretum. This class will be offered again in July 2019. Registration will open April 2019.

  • Trees of Illinois I
    Learn to identify the trees you see every day in the woodlands and neighborhoods of the Chicago region at The Morton Arboretum. (SOLD OUT) Saturday, September 15, 2018, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • Basic Plant ID (Online or In-person)
    Get the botany basics you need to identify plants at The Morton Arboretum. In-person only meets: Online only begins:Tuesday, November 27, 2018. 2019 dates vary starting February 12 through June 9 with online or in-person options available.

  • Volunteer Leadership (Online and In-person)
    Strengthen your skills leading volunteers in natural areas management with this interactive primer for volunteer stewardship activity planning, group dynamics, safety, and volunteer empowerment at The Morton Arboretum. (Registration opens November 20, 2019) Online component begins: Thursday, January 31, 2019. In-person component: Saturday, February 9, 2019, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • Invasive Species I (Online Only)
    Learn to identify and manage the most common invasive plants in the Great Lakes region at The Morton Arboretum. Online class begins: Wednesday, February 20, 2019 (registration opens November 20, 2019).

  • Tools for Management (Online and In-person)

    Learn to effectively and efficiently use the tools of the trade to tackle different restoration jobs at The Morton Arboretum. Dates and times vary starting September 11 or November 6, 2018. (Winter registration opens November 20, 2018) Online component begins: Tuesday, February 26, 2019. In-person component meets: Tuesday, March 5, 2019, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

  • Basic Plant ID (Online or In-person)
    Get the botany basics you need to identify plants at The Morton Arboretum. In-person only meets: Online only begins:Tuesday, November 27, 2018. 2019 dates vary starting February 12 through June 9 with online or in-person options available.

  • Ecosystem Concepts (Online and In-person)

    Explore the interactions that drive ecosystem function and learn to identify plants, animals, and fungi in relation to ecological habitats at The Morton Arboretum. (SOLD OUT) Online component begins: Friday, October 19, 2018. In-person component: Sunday, October 28, 2018, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. NEW SECTION ADDED: Online components begins: Friday, November 9, 2018. In-person component: Sunday, November 18, 2018, noon to 4:00 p.m.

  • Identify Woodland Wildflowers (Online and In-person)
    Learn the names and ecology of the wildflowers that cover the woodland floor in spring at The Morton Arboretum. This class will be offered again in April 2019. Registration will open February 2019.

  • Basic Plant ID (Online or In-person)
    Get the botany basics you need to identify plants at The Morton Arboretum. In-person only meets: Online only begins:Tuesday, November 27, 2018. 2019 dates vary starting February 12 through June 9 with online or in-person options available.

  • Wetland Ecology
    Learn the essentials of wetland ecology and the vital management techniques necessary to maintain threatened wetland ecosystems at The Morton Arboretum. This class will be offered again in June-August 2019. Registration will open Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

  • Woodland Trees (Online and In-person)
    Learn to identify the trees you see every day in the woodlands and neighborhoods of the Chicago region at The Morton Arboretum. This class will be offered again in Summer 2019. Registration will open Tuesday, May 21, 2019.

  • Plants of the Prairie
    Learn the identification skills to manage, restore, or simply enjoy prairie habitats at The Morton Arboretum. This class will be offered again in July 2019. Registration will open May 2019.