Are you eager to get outside this season? Experience winter beauty at Morris Arboretum & Gardens while moving your body and connecting with nature! Led by our experienced Garden Educator Volunteers, our Winter Wellness Walks are an opportunity to experience the winter season in all its wonders and create connections with friends and fellow visitors. Wellness Walks are done in a group, at a conversational pace, and all levels of walking are welcome. All walks are on paved pathways. Meet at the Welcome Center. Free with general admission. Weather permitting.

Keep an eye on the calendar! Through the winter season, some walks will have themes of conversation, and some walks will invite families of all ages to participate:

Second Saturdays: Winter Nature Watch
Every second Saturday of the month, learn how to appreciate a garden in the winter on this guided walk. We'll look for winter interests such as tree bark color/texture, tree silhouettes, buds, and even look for winter-blooming plants. Every walk will be different, join us for as many as you can!

November 8
December 13
January 10
February 14
March 14

Third Saturdays: Family Walk
Join us every third Saturday to take a joyful family stroll through wintry Morris. All types of families welcome. Families can feel free to walk at their own pace, use strollers, and leave when they need to. Conversation topics will be kid friendly.

November 15 
December 20
January 17
February 21
March 21

Fourth Sundays: Nature’s Nurture
Get moving, get outdoors, and get connected to nature and others during these weekends! Walks during the Fourth Sunday of each month will focus on getting heart rates up. Each weekend will feature a discussion topic centered around movement in nature — come for the cardio, stay for the conversation!

November 23
December 28
January 25
March 1
March 29

Sponsored in part by:

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Members: $35 • Non-members: $40

Join panelists Tama Wong, Andrew Conboy, and Mike Van Clef to explore common-sense, practical, and real-life approaches to controlling invasive plants, and designing, establishing, maintaining and restoring vibrant, resilient landscapes.

You will be invited to share knowledge, build community, and learn from real-world case studies—highlighting both successes and setbacks. You will leave with fresh ideas, practical strategies, and a deeper understanding of how to control disruptive plants while restoring balance to landscapes ranging from highway medians to backyard gardens. Panelists will discuss practical and specific methods for working with common disruptive plants including mugwort, stiltgrass, lesser celandine, honeysuckle, garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, and more!

Public art complements the Morris’s landscape and plant collection. Art in the garden includes sculptures that have become featured in prominent places or tucked in the shade of a special tree. This tour highlights the sculptures that connect human art with the beauty of nature. Free with general admission. Meet at Welcome Center. Weather permitting. 

Ready to explore the arrival of spring’s beauty? Signs of spring pop up with tree buds, spring ephemerals, early cherries, and dogwoods. This tour uncovers the delight of a new season. Free with general admission.

Three Wednesdays: January 28, February 4, 11*
Members: $70 • Non-members: $80

The invitation is to keep moving, warm ourselves from the inside out.  Each week we will combine elements of Open Floor Dance, Nia Technique and mindfulness practices as we explore the hidden gems of the Morris in winter. We will begin indoors to warm up before hiking to a location to dance and move with the quiet of the season. Several scientific studies have shown that getting exposure to natural light on winter mornings helps improve mental health and sleep. 
 
These classes are appropriate for all abilities and fitness levels, no experience necessary, just a willingness to explore on a winter adventure. This will be a hybrid indoor/outdoor class so please dress appropriately and in layers. In the case of very cold weather or precipitation, we will spend more time indoors. We will meet at the Welcome Center.

Lisa has been teaching embodied movement and dance since 2011, including in therapeutic settings. She is a certified teacher of Nia Technique and Open Floor Dance Practice. 

*Single-session walk-ins always welcome on fair-weather days $30. Exact change cash payment is required; please arrive 10-15 minutes early. (no member discount)

Members: $30 • Non-members: $35

Honor the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. with a reflective, heart-centered morning in nature. Join Maura Manzo of Camaraderie for a guided mindful walk through the peaceful paths of Morris, followed by a loving kindness meditation that cultivates compassion for ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. 

This gentle, all-levels experience invites you to slow down, connect with the natural world, and reflect on themes of nonviolence, kindness and unity. Through the combined practices of mindful walking and meditation, you’ll leave feeling grounded, inspired, and more deeply attuned to the values that Dr. King celebrated. 

Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and bring an open heart to this reflective MLK Day gathering. 

Camaraderie will be donating all proceeds to Weavers Way Co-op’s Food for All Program.