To advance our educational mission, Brookgreen Gardens is offering “Brookgreen U” in 2021, providing a variety of classes and hands-on learning opportunities for the community and our visitors.
Consisting of a variety of lectures, demonstrations, and workshops, classes will begin in January. Four classes per month will be offered each quarter: January – March, April – June, and September – November. Classes will concentrate on Art, Horticulture, Wildlife, and History.
Some classes will engage students in make-and-take activities. Electives will include ongoing learning experiences at Brookgreen Gardens. Completion of each class or elective will qualify as one (1) credit. Completion of four (4) classes or electives per quarter that represent one of each departmental focus of Art, Horticulture, Wildlife, and History will qualify students with enough credits to receive a Brookgreen U Certificate.
Upcoming Classes:
Sea Turtles Along Our Coast with Ranger Mike Walker
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Come explore the fascinating life cycle of south Carolina’s state reptile, the loggerhead sea turtle! Learn why they dig the dark, what they eat, and why they are a threatened species. We will also investigate the lives of other species of sea turtles which use our local waters, including leatherbacks, Kemp’s ridleys, and greens. Everyone will leave with helpful tips on how we can all make certain these amazing animals are around for generations to come.
Dirt N' Details - "Landscape Design" with Director of Horticulture, Katherine Rowe
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 - 12:00PM TO 1:00PM - Event is full
A short walking tour of select garden areas to explore principles of landscape design as exhibited through Anna Hyatt Huntington’s original landscape plan, garden features, and contemporary garden plantings. Incorporate these elements in the home garden when it comes to plant selection, composition, and garden design.
Sandy Island with Susan McMillian
MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM Event is full
Sandy Island South Carolina is the largest undeveloped freshwater island along the Eastern Seaboard. Susan McMillian has a passion for coastal South Carolina history and has led archaeological digs on former Georgetown County rice plantations, including Brookgreen. Join Susan as she takes you on an exploration of Sandy Island.
Conifers of the Southeast with Bradley Roberts
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Bradley Roberts, former President of the Southeast Region of the American Conifer Society, will join us to speak about the best conifer selections for the Southeastern United States. He will touch on using conifers for texture and color in your home landscape as well as selecting the best specimens for performance during our hot and humid summers.
Spring Bird Tour in the Garden
FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 12:00PM
Join Hal Vivian, a long-time member of the Audubon Society and avid birder, plus a long time member and volunteer at Brookgreen Gardens as he leads you on a walking tour of the birds around the gardens of Brookgreen.
Bonsai! with Miles Bailey
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021 - 12:00PM TO 1:30PM
An introduction to the art of bonsai that will include a beginner’s demonstration on how one can create their own bonsai. Bonsai is a traditional horticultural practice of Japan that originated approximately 800 years ago. This demonstration will showcase techniques and tools used to create such art.
A Diving Exploration of Local Rivers with Ron Watkins and Stacey Foxworth
MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Ron and Stacey will share stories about their adventures diving the local rivers of our area. They will share some of the artifacts they have brought back to the surface and talk about some of the things that remain. Tools and equipment used to dive the dark black rivers in our area along with artifacts will be displayed.
Tai Chi for Beginners
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 - 1:00PM TO 2:30PM
Have you ever wanted to try Tai Chi? Now is your chance to see how practicing Tai Chi can benefit you. Join Marsha Green a local Tai Chi instructor as she leads you through the basic, fundamental moves that are common to all the different Tai Chi styles so that you can personally experience Tai Chi’s gifts.
Shell Candle Ring Workshop
MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 - 10:00AM - 3:00PM
Do you ever wonder what to do with all the shells you pick up at the beach? Bring your shell collection and join us as we create a beautiful candle ring for your home. Bring your lunch! Limited attendance. Cost is $45 members and $60 nonmember.
Roses, the Queen of Flowers
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Join Brookgreen Gardens’ Assistant Manager of Plant Collections and Rosarian for an informative tour of the Poetry Garden. Within the last four years, Brookgreen Gardens has been building its rose collection within the walls of the Poetry Garden.
Natives in the Garden
TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 - 12:00PM TO 1:00PM
Join Brookgreen horticulturist Jason Flynn as he talks about his garden at Heron, Grouse and Loon. He will be talking about native plants and environmentally friendly gardening and design techniques.
South Carolina's Red Wolf
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Join Brookgreen’s Andrea DeMuth, VP and Curator of Zoo Collections and Zookeeper, Caleb Dennis, as they share their knowledge of red wolves and Brookgreen’s involvement in the Species Survival Plan....
Weavers and Spinners
MONDAY, MAY 24, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
If you love to knit or crochet, come spend an hour with some ladies that take yarn back to basics! The Lowcountry Spinners are a group of ladies that are fiber artist. Kaye Endres has been working with fiber since she was a child. She loves to spin, weave and knit. Join us as we take fiber back to its roots.
The Environmental History of a South Carolina Rice Field, with Dr. Russell Fielding
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
When settlers first arrived from Barbados in what is now South Carolina, they were in search of a way to create the large wealth-generating plantations that they had known in their Caribbean home. After several false starts with other crops, rice emerged as the dominant cash-crop in the area. To grow rice, however, involved the large-scale modification of the landscape from its previous state into a complex, human-controlled system of geography and hydrography. We will explore this transformation in detail as we study the various landscapes that make up Brookgreen Gardens.
The Elusive Fox! With Zookeeper Jared Wagner
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Jared will talk about several species of foxes from around the world, then bring it back home to our native foxes in South Carolina! He will give you the individual history on the foxes in our zoo, and why they live at Brookgreen Gardens.
Vegetables in the Flower Garden
FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
One of Jimmy Brandt’s sections in the garden is the Old Kitchen area. Plantation kitchens were usually separate from the house in case a fire were to breakout in the kitchen. The gardens surrounding the kitchen were a mixture of medicinal plants, edible plants and flowers.
Juneteenth Freedom Day!
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect on Jan 1, 1865, enslaved Africans in Texas, the farthest remote slave state, finally received notice about their freedom...
Beginner Yoga with Sharon Stollenmaier
MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 - 10:00AM TO 11:00AM
Keeping our flexibility and core strength is so important as we age. Let Sharon introduce you to a beginners class in Yoga....