Fall Invasive Plant ID Walk: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. Meet at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center

Join Jacob Edel, Invasive Management Specialist at Blue Ridge PRISM, in the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum for free quarterly training, where you will learn about how to idenitify and remove invasive plants throughout the seasons. Register here for the FREE event. Space is limited to 20 participants

Fall Conservation Stewards Removal Workday: Friday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. Meet at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center

Participate in a hands-on experience with Conservation Stewards as you remove invasive plants from the Arboretum. Gloves will be supplied. Register here for this FREE event. Space is limited to 10 participants.

Get to Know Oaks Walk, Thursday, October 22, 2026, 3-4 p.m., FREE event! Register here. Meet at the Arboretum's Pavilion.

Twenty-eight species of oak are found in Virginia and 12 of those are in the Arboretum. Walk with us, learn how to tell oak apart and appreciate their unique role in our Eastern Deciduous Forests.

What to bring: Comfortable walking shoes, weather appropriate clothing, water, and insect repellent.

Audience: Adults and interested youth.

Registration is enouraged. Walk-ins are also welcome. Register here.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., FREE event! Register by emailing Mark Gabriele at: gabrieleml@jmu.edu

Participants will learn techniques to quiet the mind, create space from past and future thoughts, and live more fully in the present moment. If you're feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, this offering is a path to rediscover the peace and calm already within you. With continued practice, you'll begin to realize that even though the world around you may feel chaotic, you can still choose peace instead. This shift in perspective can be deeply transformative, as you discover that the world you experience is shaped by the mind through which you experience it. As your awareness grows, you'll begin to see how changing your relationship with your inner experience changes the way the world appears to you, which, over time, opens new possibilities for how you understand and move through your life. No experience necessary — newcomers welcome!

Open Scopes at the Arboretum, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Location: the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center. FREE event!  Register here.

Explore the world we can't normally see! Microscopes will be set up for you to look at tiny life in pond water, vascular systems in plants, hairs on the legs of a bug and whatever other tiny things we can find.

Appropriate for 5th graders through adults. Our younger friends can explore with our more sturdy stereoscopes, bug viewers, and hand lenses. (Minors under 18 must have an adult attend with them.)

We look forward to having you join us! Register here.

Saturday, Nov. 7, Noon-1:00 p.m. Meet at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center. FREE event!  Register here.

Fall is a wonderful time to observe the natural world as it prepares for the transition from the hot summer to colder winter! Let’s fall into gratitude with our last seasonal Gratitude Walk of 2026, and witness the lessons and gifts we have received. We’ll do this through the lens of Positive Psychology, which is the Science of Human Flourishing. We do not just survive, but learn to thrive. It is not toxic positivity where we pretend everything is great when it is not. We do develop tools and strategies like gratitude, savoring, and mindfulness to help us process the harder and changing seasons and times. It can be meaningful to slow down, observe, reflect, and share in community. Join us for a stroll to witness the beautiful fall season and learn a well-being model to help us in the changing times. Free and usually about a 30min-1 hour walk with stops along the way.

We hope you will join us! Register here.

1st & 3rd Fridays | Dusk | FREE 

Next Meeting: April 17, 2026-Sept. 18, 2026

Location: Arboretum Pond

Members of our local chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists, in partnership with Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia, will be hosting an Evening with Bats! by the Arboretum's pond on the first and third Fridays of the month, beginning on April 17 and concluding Sept. 18. (See registration link for exceptions and starting times.)

Visitors should arrive 15 minutes before sunset to hear a brief presentation about bat conservation and behavior, followed by the opportunity to watch bats of the Arboretum emerge for their evening hunt. Master Naturalists and BCRV volunteers will also be hosting a bat call monitoring station as part of the evening, and visitors can watch and learn more about acoustic monitoring, and what it's telling us about the bats who live in the Arboretum. Dress for the weather and bring a light to return to your vehicle after dark. 

Registration is strongly recommended (it allows us to notify you if the program is changed, canceled, etc.). Walk-ins are welcome, too.

Parking: Park in the EJC Arboretum R5 lot at the top of the hill (Costco side). Meet at the Pond parking lot.

Please call 540.568.3194 or email ejcarboretum@jmu.edu with any questions or concerns.

Plan to arrive 15 minutes before sunset.

Register Here

1st Tuesdays | 6-8 PM | FREE

Location: Frances Plecker Education Center

Join presenters, Clark Driver and Simon Jilg for a short lecture, bonsai displays, and door prizes!

Register Here

Next dates: Check back for Fall 2026 dates.

Location: Meet at the Frances Plecker Education Center

A JMU Health 100 Passport event sponsored by the Counseling Center. Check in at the Frances Plecker Education Center to get your materials for this self-guided experience.

Next dates: Tuesday, June 9; Wednesday, July 8; Tuesday, August 11; Tuesday, September 8; Wednesday, October 7; Tuesday, November 10; Tuesday, December 8| See below for registration details and locations

Join us for a deep healing and relaxation experience with pure sound frequencies. Sound healing resets the nervous system, equalizes brainwaves and provides a cellular detox of the highest order. 

Tuesday, June 9, Pavilion, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Wednesday, July 8, Pavilion, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, August 11, Pavilion, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, September 8, Pavilion, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Shamanic Sound Healing with Connie and Matthew, $35, Register here.

Wednesday, October 7, Pavilion, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, November 10, Indoors at Frances Plecker Education Center, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Tuesday, December 8, Indoors at Frances Plecker Education Center, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Sound Bathing, $25, Register here.

Select "RSVP Here" for times and locations.

Harrisonburg Songtuary is a community song circle that seeks to propagate co-enchanting cohorts of contemplayful singers, sponsored by the Arts Council of the Valley and the Office of Creative Propulsion.

RSVP Here