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Discover "Brookgreen U", our comprehensive continuing education initiative designed to enrich both the community and our visitors. Featuring an array of classes and interactive experiences, Brookgreen U fosters lifelong learning and exploration.
Beginning in January of each year, our program offers a curated selection of lectures, demonstrations, and workshops. With four classes per month, participants can delve into the realms of our four mission areas: Art, Horticulture, Wildlife, and History.
“Brookgreen U: Intensives” allows visitors to engage in hands-on activities and classes, where learning extends beyond the standard one hour timeframe. Electives provide ongoing educational opportunities within the surroundings of Brookgreen Gardens.
Join us in unlocking the doors to knowledge and exploration at Brookgreen U.
Brookgreen U Certificates:
Showcase your commitment to personal enrichment with a Brookgreen U certificate. Certificates are awarded quarterly to individuals who have participated in four or more Brookgreen U classes. For the maximum Brookgreen U experience, students are encouraged to take one class in each mission area per quarter. Certificates include a 20% discount on a purchase at Keepsakes, the Brookgreen museum shop.
Brookgreen U Quarters:
Winter (Jan.–Mar.), Spring (Apr.–June), & Fall (Sept.–Nov.).
Registration is required. Walk-ins are subject to availability.
Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you will ever have is your mind and what you put into it. – Albert Einstein
f - 1 hour
Tue, Jan 27 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Tue, Jan 27 2026
Join us for an engaging talk by Frank, author of How to Forage For Mushrooms Without Dying: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide—the essential book he wishes he’d had when starting out. This comprehensive guide covers 81 species, including edible, medicinal, artisanal finds, and a few to avoid. With nearly 60,000 copies sold, it ranks in the top 5% of all printed books, and expert forager Sam Thayer calls...
f - 1 hour
Thu, Jan 29 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Thu, Jan 29 2026
Conjure is a body of work by photographer Easton Selby, rooted in the magic, mysticism, and spiritual complexity of the American South. For over forty years, this landscape, both physical and emotional, has shaped how Selby sees himself and those around him. His earliest memories are steeped in the sounds of cicadas, the rituals of Sunday church, and the lush vegetation along the Mississippi River...
f - 1 hour
Tue, Feb 3 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Tue, Feb 3 2026
American Sculpture
Sixteen years ago, Giany Guedjo and his family left their home in Benin to move to the United States, where they began building a new life in Georgetown County. In this talk, he will share his journey of finding a welcoming community in South Carolina and reflect on how he was able to create a sense of belonging around the Carolina Human Reinvestment (CHRSC) Community Garden, especially during the...
f - 1 hour
Thu, Feb 5 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Thu, Feb 5 2026
The animal kingdom is full of wacky, whimsical, and downright fascinating mating rituals. Enjoy exploring the wild and humorous ways our local animals go about the serious business of finding a mate in an open and candid manner. Discover how animals woo their mates by bellowing, singing, giving gifts of food, dancing, leaving scented notes, and much more. Strictly for adults only- be ready to...
f - 3 hours
Sat, Feb 7 2026, 10am - 1pm
Sat, Feb 7 2026
Create a beautiful, functional basket just in time for Valentine’s Day. In this hands-on workshop, participants will weave a six-by-six-inch basket in a classic plaid pattern using natural and hand-dyed reed. The instructor will guide you through every step, from laying the base and twining to shaping the sides and creating a balanced plaid design. Students will learn techniques for working with...
f - 1 hour
Tue, Feb 10 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Tue, Feb 10 2026
A woman moved to Georgetown in 1936, bought a house three miles south of the town of Georgetown, and opened a brothel. She ingratiated herself with the town by having a single location for her business and by not embarrassing the residents. She made a lot of money, and she spent a lot of money on Front Street. Her name can be found in the local newspaper as a donor to the March of Dimes and the...
f - 1 hour
Thu, Feb 12 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Thu, Feb 12 2026
Botanical Gardens
This presentation will cover the fundamental science and skills needed to take an ecological and sustainable approach to home gardening and landscaping. Maeve will focus on the importance of native plants, the fascinating interactions between plants and wildlife, and practical actions home gardeners can use to create healthy habitats. Participants will learn about local ecosystems in the Grand...
f - 1 hour
Tue, Feb 17 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Tue, Feb 17 2026
Join our Horticulturists--Kerry Rapp and Devin Ravencroft--for a tour of Brookgreen Gardens’ greenhouse and nursery complex. Kerry will discuss how staff and volunteers manage the production of over 40,000 plants each year, including the warm/cool season annuals for the Garden, the fall and spring plant sales, and poinsettias for Nights of a Thousand Candles. And Devin will share a behind-the...
f - 1 hour
Thu, Feb 19 2026, 10:30 - 11:30am
Thu, Feb 19 2026
For the last two years, University of North Georgia archaeology field school students, under the direction of Dr. Kendy Altizer and colleagues, have conducted shovel test surveys in two areas between the North and South Santee River branches in Georgetown County. In consultation with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Santee Coastal Reserve, this work is the first of its...
f - 1 hour
Sat, Feb 21 2026, 11am - 12pm
Sat, Feb 21 2026
In this hands-on, imaginative workshop, kids will design and create their own doll or action figure from simple materials. Participants will build a soft-bodied character, choose colors and textures, design clothing and accessories, and bring their creation to life with a short story about who their character is and what makes them special. No sewing experience is required, just creativity and...