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Class Catalog
Providing educational opportunities that connect people with plants
is an important part of the Berry Botanic Garden's Mission.
Follow the links below to view our on-line catalog listing the courses
that have been offered in recent years by our Education Program.
You can find the upcoming courses listed by month on our calendar.
If you are interested in a course which is not currently scheduled,
please email
us. We are happy to adjust our schedule to meet demand, and
we can let you know when the course will next be offered.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST GARDENER
FOR THE NATIVE PLANTS GARDENER
FOR THE CREATIVE GARDENER
FOR THE BOTANIST - JOURNALING, HIKES, OUTINGS
FOR THE BOTANIST - JOURNALING, HIKES, OUTINGS
Beauty
and Mystery of Big Lava Bed
We may not have miles of hardwood forests such as grace parts of
the east coast, but we have a wealth of fall color if you know where
to look! The Gifford-Pinchot National Forest in SW Washington is
a rich and varied landscape - in the fall vine maples, dogwoods,
huckleberries, cottonwoods and more can put on a magnificent show.
We've timed this hike in hopes of enjoying the best that a Northwest
fall has to offer. First, we'll explore a section of the mysterious
Big Lava Bed, and then head out along a segment of the Pacific Crest
Trail for a moderate hike and interesting outing.
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Beyond
Identification: Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants
Once you know the local wild plants, deepen your understanding by
learning the many ways they have been used and how they may still
enrich your life. Join ethnobotanist and Audubon instructor Alice
Froehlich in an exploration of useful plants from our moist Valley
habitat. Over four hours we will take a journey from the forest
to the classroom, covering identification, sustainable harvest,
preserving and preparation. Learn which plants are tasty and which
will heal. You will produce a tincture to add to your medicine chest.
We offer this workshop, held at BBG, in partnership with Trackers
NW. To register, go to www.trackersnw.com.
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Bird Walk in the Garden
Have you been trying to get acquainted with all the birds in your
garden but just can't get started? This "field class"
is for you. Metro Parks naturalist, nature writer, and expert birder
James Davis will teach the basics of bird identification using The
Berry Botanic Garden as the classroom and lab. We will focus on
recognizing birds by their sounds, behavior, and habitat - not just
as a picture in a book. We'll also go over how to really use binoculars
as a birding aid. Bring your own binocs if you have them or borrow
a pair from James. Class is suitable for adults or interested teens.
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Cabin
Fever Hike on Rowena Plateau
Ready to hit the trail? This is just a first taste of spring and
summer hiking, but what a taste! Part of the Nature Conservancy's
Tom McCall Preserve, the Rowena Plateau supports a wealth of early
wildflowers. Grass widows, gold stars, desert parsley-there are
always delightful surprises to be had in the rapidly-changing early
spring season. The views of the Gorge and the terraced grasslands
of Washington are tremendous as well. This is an easy hike of 2.2
miles round trip, with little change in elevation.
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Cape Horn Spring Beauty Hike
One of the newest and best of the Washington Gorge hikes, this 7-mile loop
(we will be doing a shorter hike!) is a botanical wonder in April. Meadows,
lush woods, views and a wealth of spring wildflowers on a weed-free route
make this a must-hike. We will be doing about 5 miles. This is a moderate
hike, with some difficult footing.
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Catherine
Creek Wildflower Hike
This is a famous "first hike of the season." Over ninety species
of wildflowers can be found at Catherine Creek over the course of
the blooming season. The hike is an easy 3-4 miles round-trip and
offers outstanding views of the Columbia Gorge. This hike is timed
to give us a good shot at seeing a carpet of purple grass widows
on the rolling meadow. Be aware that this area can be very windy
(and cold in March!) so plan accordingly. We will send instructions
to registrants.
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Chasing
the Rain: A Mushroom Treasure Hunt
This fun(gal) travelogue features stories from expeditions across
the globe, including Tibet, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and North
America. Fast-paced and informative, itís a dazzling sampling of
mycological riches. Mushroom enthusiast Taylor Lockwood has traveled
the globe hunting for new and beautiful species to photograph, meeting
other fungophiles, and raising the awareness of an often overlooked
kingdom. Taylor's work as an "esthetic mycologist" has inspired
nature lovers everywhere.
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Colorful Trails - Great Fall Hikes in the Pacific Northwest
Hiker, backpacker and award-winning author Douglas Lorain shares
his decades of experience through a colorful slide show captured
on trips in the Pacific Northwest. Many outdoor lovers are unaware
that the Northwest is home to some outstanding displays of autumn
foliage you just have to know where (and when) to find them. Discover
some of our area’s best kept secrets--where to see hillsides covered
with quaking aspens, western and alpine larches, huckleberries,
vine and bigleaf maples, and other fall-color specialists, all waiting
for you and your camera to enjoy.
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Crash
Course in Flower ID
In this two-part class, learn how to dissect flowers, speak the
language of botany and hone your identification skills. The first
session meets at The Berry Botanic Garden where we start with the
basics using slides, handouts, live plants and discussion. For the
second session, we'll go on an easy hike to test our plant ID skills
in an area of spring flowering beauty. If you own them, please bring
to both sessions a plant ID book, a hand lens, and a clipboard.
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Elk
Meadows Hike
Much of the trail leads up through a sheltering forest with trillium,
vanilla leaf, arnica and huckleberries. See Engelmann spruce, more
common in the Rockies than in the Cascades, along Clark Creek. We'll
walk by summer favorites: bear grass, lupine and queen's cup lily,
red Indian-paintbrush, columbine and more. The high point features
outstanding views of Mt Hood, so close you can almost touch it,
and a lovely alpine meadow.
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Ethnobotanical Foray
Kids will love this hands-on class! Ethnobotany is the study of how humans use
plants. In this entertaining workshop naturalist Deb Scrivens will share her
knowledge of plants traditionally used for food, medicine, baskets and many other
uses. You will create cordage and tea from stinging nettles, demonstrating the
surprising ways a single plant may be used. She will provide a list of resources
for further investigation and discuss the ethics and safety protocols involved in the harvest of wild plants.
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Fall Fungal Hike
We may not have miles of hardwood forests such as grace parts of
the East Coast, but we have a wealth of fall color if you know where
to look! We also are fungus-rich, and Maggie Rogers can tell you
the names of the many species of mushrooms and lichens in the Gifford-Pinchot
Forest in SW Washington. We’ve timed this hike in hopes of enjoying
the best that a Northwest fall has to offer. We will combine a solid
introduction to the fungi with a moderate hike on the Pacific Crest
Trail.
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Fall
Fungi in the Belton Family Forest
Not just famed for their role in the survival of Lewis & Clark's
Corps of Discovery (the edible "bitterroot" is Lewisia rediviva),
lewisia plants are also favorites of the rock garden, their showy
flowers ranging from rich rose to candy-stripe peach to snow white.
In this class Burl Mostul of Rare Plant Research will share from
his years of experience in cultivating lewisia. He'll present a
slide show of species in their habitats, followed by examples of
his own varieties in the home garden. Take home tips on growing
lewisia successfully, so that you may be rewarded with the beguiling
flowers of these tough beauties.
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Flower
Detectives Crash Course
Snapdragons, roses, carnations, lilies - build upon your familiarity
with these common garden plants to learn how to identify their “wild”relatives
in the field. Create the framework for examining plants with the
botanical perspective. This class is jam-packed: hands-on flower
activities, a short slide show of common wildflowers, and an exploration
of the garden will help you hone your identification skills. If
the weather is nice, pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic lunch in the
garden!
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Flower Identification
Snapdragons, roses, carnations, lilies - build upon your familiarity
with these common garden plants and learn how to identify their
"wild" relatives in the field. Create the framework for examining
plants with the botanical perspective. This class is jam-packed:
hands-on flower activities, a slide show, and an exploration of
the garden will help you hone your identification skills. If the
weather is nice, pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic lunch in the garden!
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Gardening for Birds and Wildlife
Mother Nature and her wonderful and wild plants and animals are
on-call 365 days of the year! Learn how you can enhance your landscape
by planting native plants that not only produce visual enjoyment
for you every season, but also help Mother Nature care for her children
- the birds, bees, butterflies, mammals....! Landscape designer
Gail combines degrees in Wildlife Science and Horticulture to offer
unique insight into landscape choices that support birds and other
wild thingse.
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Geology and Botany of Camassia
The Camassia Natural Area, only 26 acres, supports an extraordinary
diversity of habitats: oak--madrone woodlands, ponds, and stunning wet-meadows.
On this hike, with geologist Dick Thoms, learn where the dark gray basalt bedrock
came from and how it became exposed. We'll also look at the unique flora of this
site, including the stunning camas, which should be blooming. Be prepared for
muddy trails on this easy hike.
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Geology
and Botany of Tom McCall Preserve
Join us for an educational trip to a beautiful Nature Conservancy
site. Two moderate hikes, about 5 miles round trip and about 1000
feet of elevation gain, are well worth the effort. The east limb
of the Ortley anticline is a geographically outstanding point for
looking at the structure of the Gorge, and geologist Dick Thoms
will be on hand to explain. There is a variety of habitats to explore:
native grassland, rocky rims, Oregon oaks (and some poison oak too!).
We hope to see desert parsley, lupine, balsam root, Indian paintbrush,
fritillaria and shooting stars. This should be a memorable day of
spectacular views, wildflowers, geology and companionship.
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Grassy
Knoll Wildflower Hike
Our past director, Linda McMahan, calls the 2,070 acre Grassy Knoll
Natural Area "a little paradise on Earth." We'll see a stunning
diversity of plants due to a unique convergence of bioregions on
this gentle hike. The terrain ranges from a grassy meadow to rocky
outcrops to Hemlock forest. The elevation rises gradually about
1200', and the trail is 4.4-mile round trip. Visit our Publications
page to download our Grassy Knoll Trail Brochure (pdf file)
describing this botanical gem. Plan for a day hike. Meeting location
will be mailed to participants.
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Grocery
Store Botany
Did you ever think of a grocery store or florist shop as a place
to learn about the secret lives of plants? Ever wonder just what
part of a plant you are eating when you munch on celery or broccoli?
We derive most of the food we eat from a great variety of plant
parts. In this fun class, we will use food and flowers in a friendly
intro to the often mysterious world of plant biology. We will be
eating some of our study subjects, but bring a small lunch with
you and enjoy the autumn garden after the class.
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Lolo
Pass Hike
The wildflowers on this walk are so amazing, this trip has become
a tradition. Hike a beautiful section of the Pacific Crest National
Scenic Trail near Zig Zag. View Mt. Hood and lovely woodlands filled
with rhododendrons and beargrass. Shale cliffs will be popping with
penstemon, Indian-paintbrush and larkspur. We’ll stroll along,
snapping pictures. The route is about 3 miles round trip and relatively
flat. Pack a lunch, for we have a favorite outcropping where we
like to stop. We will send instructions to registrants.
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Mosses
and Lichens Up Close
Before the discovery of the microscope, lichens were thought to
be mosses. So if you've found yourself puzzling over their distinctions,
take heart! This class will provide that closer look, as we stroll
through the Magness Memorial Tree Farm outside of Oregon City. This
invaluable "outdoor classroom" is the ideal setting to
explore the diversity of these organisms that seldom get the attention
they deserve. As you learn more about their structure and role in
the ecosystem, you'll begin to widen your awareness. Bring a hand
lens or borrow one of ours.
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Nature
Journaling with Pen and Watercolor
Record impressions, experiences and musings of nature, while traveling
or in the garden. Naturalist and watercolorist Jude Siegel will
share simple techniques in her relaxed way, encouraging you to explore
drawing and watercolor skills and increase awareness of nature.
No art experience is necessary. Prepare to be outside as well as
inside, weather permitting. A supply list is mailed to registrants.
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Nature
Journaling with Pen and Watercolor in the Autumn Garden
Explore a unique way to capture impressions of the life around you,
using simple pen and watercolor approaches and some writing. As
you learn to “see” differently, your awareness and skill level will
increase while you fill your sketchbook with beauty and inspiration.
An educator and artist with a background in natural science, Jude
Siegel has taught classes for OMSI, the Haystack Program and in
her own studio. Her book, A Pacific Northwest Nature Sketchbook
will be released August 2006 by Timber Press. All skill levels are
welcome.
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New
Hikes in Northwest Oregon (& SW Washington)
In a stunning slideshow showcasing local wildflowers and spiced
with anecdotes about outdoor lore and local history, author and
hiking guru William L. Sullivan takes us on a dozen new trails he
has discovered within a 2-hour drive of the Portland area. Explore
new paths to a Columbia Gorge viewpoint on Cape Horn, a historic
railroad grade near The Dalles and a timberline lake on the "hidden"
side of Mt. Hood. Also expect tips on where to stay, from rental
lookouts to rustic lodges and remote cabins. Sullivan is the author
of a dozen books about Oregon, including the popular "100 Hikes"
series.
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Organic Gardening with Birds
If you want to be a successful organic gardener, you have to
encourage birds to aid your efforts. Local author and
fearless gardener Linda Beutler will explain how to enlist birds in a
mutually beneficial relationship to enhance your garden and their livelihoods.
Bring special beauty and life to your yard!
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Ramona
Falls Hike
“Like white lace,” Ramona Falls “drapes across a
stair-stepped cliff of columnar basalt,” writes William Sullivan
in his hiking guide. A spectacular spot for our lunch, which will
be preceded by a gentle climb through a lush forest where wildflowers
will be setting seed and becoming dormant for the winter. We’ll
take the time to notice the beauty of the fruits of the forest:
it’s capsules, follicles, drupes and berries. It’s fun
to see how flowers become fruits. The hike is a gentle climb, about
1000 feet, and will be done as a loop just over 7 miles in distance.
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Saddle
Mountain Hike
Some of the best vistas in the Coast Range can be seen from Saddle
Mtn., including views of our four Cascade Range Volcanoes and the
ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River. This botanically rich
area supports goatsbeard, false Solomon’s seal, cinquefoil,
and nodding onion. In particular, Kris hopes to see a favorite,
the Sitka mistmaiden, Romanzoffia sitchensis. The hike is
three miles each way, with an elevation change of 1600 feet. Plan
for a full day of botanizing - we’ll be stopping to look at
plants but have some distance to cover, too. Much of the trail is
exposed, so don’t forget your hat and sunscreen! We will send
instructions to registrants.
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A
Season of Wild Flowers in the Columbia Gorge
Join photographer Paul Slichter for an enjoyable armchair foray
into the Columbia River Gorge. For several years, this Gresham biology
teacher has posted bloom lists and photographs of PNW wildflowers
on a page of the Gresham HS web site, titled "Flora
Northwest." If you haven't visited the site you have been missing
a great treat and useful resource. Tonight see what you've been
missing find out what they look like, where they can be found and
when they bloom, and enjoy every minute of it! For wildflower lovers
with an eye to gardening, Paul will offer suggestions about what
Gorge plants are suitable for use in Valley gardens.
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The Seasons of Mt Adams
Join photographer Paul Slichter for an enjoyable armchair foray onto Mt Adams. For several years, this Gresham biology teacher has posted bloom lists and photographs on a page of the Gresham HS web site, titled “Flora and Fauna Northwest.” If you haven’t visited the site you have been missing a great treat and useful resource. Tonight see what you’ve been missing – find out about the plants and animals and the seasons of the mountain, and enjoy every minute of it!
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Silver Star Mountain Hike
Revegetation of this peak in the Gifford-Pinchot Forest has been
slow, due to a history of fires. In the fall, this means a fabulous
show of vine maples, reddening huckleberry bushes and other colorful
shrubs. The drive to this hike includes a rough stretch of road,
but the color and the nearly 360 degree view will make it all worth
it! Moderate hike of 5 miles, 1000’ elevation gain.
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Summer
Nature Journaling at the Garden
Inspired by the beauty of the summer garden, we'll draw, paint,
and write our thoughts and observations. For continuing or beginning
journallers, no experience is required to participate in this relaxing
and fun class.
Bring to the class: a permanent black pen, small set of watercolors,
a water bottle and small container, sketch book, portable lawn chair.
Dress for the outdoors, it is often a bit cooler in the garden than
in the city.
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Top
Spur Fall Hike
Wildflower season is mostly over, but the beauty goes on. Enjoy
gorgeous views of Mount Hood and plan for your spring exploration
of alpine meadows on the mountain's northwest flank. Our hike will
encompass a loop around Bald Mountain and a short trek amidst ridgeline
meadows. The hike is about 4.5 miles, with 1000' elevation gain.
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Weldon
Wagon Road Wildflower Hike
This is a favorite hike of historical as well as botanical interest.
As its name indicates, it was once a pioneer homestead road. On
this easy spring hike we might see lomatium, big-headed clover and
many other early bloomers. In particular we'll be looking for two
species of lady-slipper orchid that are known to lurk along the
trail here. This is a 2-3 mi. hike, about 500 ft. elevation gain.
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Walk
Through the World's Plants- For our Volunteers Only
In appreciation of their hard work and support of our programs,
BBG volunteers are invited to "walk through the world's plants"
in a rare opportunity (the garden is not open to the general public)
to see the Global Garden at Harold Oliver School. We'll get to see
plants from all 7 continents-more than 100 genera in over 60 families-grouped
by geographic region, lovingly and ingeniously arranged and signed.
Guided by the garden's designer, we'll gain from his extensive research
and knowledge. We think our volunteers who give so much to us, will
appreciate the hundreds of hours of community effort that went in
to creating this garden which celebrates the world's botanical diversity.
Bring a lunch and we'll picnic in the garden after the tour - BBG
will provide cookies and sweets.
PS It's never too late to become a volunteer!
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Winter
Twig Identification
Identifying deciduous trees and shrubs is a great skill for those
with an interest in plants, restoration projects, and more. Once
you learn how to shift your focus from the familiar leaves and flowers,
you'll realize that a leafless twig is sometimes even more diagnostic
for identification purposes. In the warm comfort of the visitor's
center, learn how to identify 12 of our common shrubs and trees
solely by their twigs.
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Wondrous
Waterfall Hike
Meeting directions will be sent.
As winter snow melts, impressive waterfalls can be found! Join us
on a gentle hike for a look at four (or six, depending on how you
count!) beautiful Columbia Gorge waterfalls. Of course we'll take
plenty of time to enjoy the wildflowers in all of their May splendor.
This hike is about 4.5 miles and 500 feet elevation.
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