Lecture Series
In Focus: Bringing Nature Home Series
Moving past the WHY, this series will explore HOW you can transform your garden, yard, or outdoor space into a thriving ecosystem that nurtures and supports a diverse range of plants, animals, and insects. Whether you're a land-care professional, an avid home gardener, or just getting started, join us at the Morris to discover simple, practical ways to make your home landscape more biodiverse—helping to restore balance, promote sustainability, and connect with nature right outside your door.
From creating habitat for pollinators and amphibians to choosing native plants and adopting land-care techniques that support local wildlife, this series will guide you through actionable steps to attract beneficial species, improve soil health, conserve water, and reduce the need for chemical inputs. By the end, you'll have the tools to cultivate a vibrant, resilient landscape that not only enhances your home's beauty but also contributes to the broader health of the environment.
Registration opens on Monday, January 20
How Can I Help?
Saving Nature with Your Yard
DOUG TALLAMY, Professor of Entomology at the University of Delaware; Author, Bringing Nature Home (2007), The Living Landscape (2014), Nature’s Best Hope (2020), and The Nature of Oaks (2021).
Tuesday, March 11 • 2 – 3:30 pm
Join author Doug Tallamy at Temple Ambler Arboretum for a deep discussion about concrete ways each of us can make a positive environmental impact.
Nearly every day Doug receives emails from people who have read his books and heard his talks and yet still have questions about ecological land care. These are good, thoughtful questions about ecology and evolution, biodiversity, invasive species, insect declines, native and non-native plants, conservation and restoration, residential and city landscapes, oak biology, supporting wildlife at home, and more.
Join us as Doug addresses as many of these queries as he can. His answers will further motivate and inform us all in our desire to restore ecosystem function where we live, work, play, worship, and garden. 1.5 LA CES and ISA CEUs available.
This program will take place in-person at Temple Ambler Arboretum and will also be available livestream via Zoom and as a recording. This program is co-presented by Morris Arboretum & Gardens and the Temple Ambler Arboretum
Students / Young professionals / Subsidized rate: $15
General admission: $25
Professionals / Benefactor rate: $35
In-Person Registration →
Online Registration →
Wildlife Ponds (ONLINE)
JOHN JANIK, Owner, Good Host Plants Native Plant Nursery
Tuesday, March 18 • 6 – 8 pm
Ponds add beauty to the landscape and can provide important ecological services for the environment. Wildlife ponds, which don’t incorporate fish, are used as a place
to breed for frogs, toads, dragonflies, damselflies, and a host of other beneficial insects, which in return provide natural mosquito/pest control on your property. We’ll discuss everything from small barrel ponds to liner and stormwater retention ponds, including planning, installation, maintenance, appropriate plants, and other tips to ensure success.
This class will be held online. A Zoom link will be sent to all participants prior to the class.
Members: $30 • Non-members: $35
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From Milkweed to Migration
Gardening for Monarch Butterflies
MICHELLE DETWILER, Wild About Native Plants
Tuesday, March 25 • 6 – 8 pm
Monarchs still need our help! Learn how to support the migration and reproduction of these iconic butterflies in your space. Ecological planting designer Michelle
Detwiler will present her favorite native plants to feed all life stages, including local milkweed species as well as essential nectar plants often overlooked in our gardens. Get tips on planting design for the most productive habitat for monarch caterpillars as well as guidance on incorporating a variety of habitat friendly species for wet-to-dry site conditions. Leave feeling empowered to participate in the necessary cooperation for habitat restoration and conservation to protect these endangered beauties. This class has been approved to carry 2 LA CES CEUs for Landscape Architects.
Members: $35 • Non-members: $40
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Ecological Arboriculture
CHRISTOPHER RODDICK, ISA Certified Arborist, NOFA AOLCP
Friday, March 28 • 9 am – 4 pm
Modern arboriculture recognizes trees as the center of tree-based ecosystem and yet, in practice, we all too often manage trees as isolated organisms. This workshop will introduce you to Ecological Arboriculture, a holistic approach to caring for trees, woody plants, and landscapes that considers trees as habitat, food sources, and ecosystem engineers. Planting strategies, species selection, and other arboriculture practices can be adapted to increase biodiversity and functionality in the landscape while still making beautiful spaces.
Christopher Roddick spent 30 years as the head arborist and foreman of grounds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Now he’s moved to southern New England to start Sweet Birch Land & Tree, an arboricultural consultancy and practice. By looking at trees as tree-based ecosystems, Chris follows a holistic approach to caring for trees and land called Conservation Arboriculture. Chris is an ISA Certified Arborist and a NOFA AOLCP. He is the author of the Tree Care Primer, a guide to care for young, mature, and veteran trees.
After a morning of learning indoors, we will move into the gardens for an afternoon of learning outdoors. Dress for the weather. This course has been approved for 6 CEUs from the ISA, LA CES, and NJ Board of Tree Experts.
Fee: $165
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Native Bees at Morris
RYAN DRAKE, McCausland Natural Areas Manager, Morris Arboretum & Gardens
Saturday, May 3, 1 – 3 pm
The Morris hosts a great diversity of native bees and ways to support these important insects. This workshop will be a hybrid of classroom learning about pollination
ecology, field ID, and training on photography-based citizen science so that you can contribute data on our native bees. Then we will take a walk through the Natural Areas to put our ID skills and citizen science to practice through a variety of habitats. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.
Members: $30 • Non-members: $35
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Gardening for Native Wildlife
MITCH ROBERGE, Horticulturist & Artist
Wednesday, June 18 • 6 – 7:30 pm
Learn how to create a welcoming environment for native wildlife in your garden in this informational seminar. Participants will learn what plants attract different species, and how to cultivate shelter and nesting sites for all walks of the animal kingdom. From birds and butterflies to snakes and toads—we will discuss them all! You will leave feeling empowered to transform your garden into a sanctuary for native wildlife, enhancing biodiversity and contributing to environmental conservation in your community. Whether you have a small urban garden or a larger rural property, this class will provide you with the tools to create a beautiful space that nurtures both plants and animals.
Members: $30 • Non-members: $35
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Endowed Lectures
An annual series of lectures held from late fall to early spring that explore a wide variety of fascinating topics. Lectures are supported in part by the Klein Lecture Endowment given in memory of Dr. William M. Klein who served from 1977-1990 as the Arboretum’s first full-time director, the Laura L. Barnes Lecture Endowment of The Philadelphia Foundation, given in memory of Laura Barnes by students and alumni of her school of horticulture, and the Byron Lukens Lecture Endowment, given in memory of educator and Arboretum volunteer, Byron Lukens and his wife Elizabeth.