Free lectures and workshops Lurie Garden

Free lectures and workshops Lurie Garden. All lectures and workshops are cancelled due to Covid.

The Lurie Garden offers seasonal FREE lectures and workshops. All events are garden and nature themed. Here’s more info on the Lurie Garden.

Some events require registration. Click on links below for more information and to register.

If an event is “Sold out”add yourself to the waitlist. Time slots may open closer to the event. Also most events have “No shows” so you may be able to arrive day of and get in although there are no guarantees!

Peace Yoga

April 5, 19, May 3, 17, 2020 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Join us for a gentle yoga and meditation class called Peace Yoga, led by Chicago’s Peace School. Peace Yoga is the perfect combination of basic stretches, yoga postures, breath work, meditation and relaxation, all geared to create harmony within the mind, body and spirit. The Peace Yoga movements are designed to stretch and tone muscles, loosen stiff joints, help correct poor posture, improve balance and leave you feeling agile and refreshed. Sign up for any or all sessions!

Gardener’s Plant Walk

April 24, 2020 @ 8:00 am – 8:45 am

These morning walks are for the gardener that would like focused information about Lurie Garden plants and their place in our garden landscape. These walks are meant to expand your understanding of plant varieties, their habits and environmental requirements. The walk will last approximately 45 minutes. Register

Morning Bird and Nature Walk

May 8, 2020 @ 7:30 am – 8:30 am

It’s bird migration time, and it’s amazing what we see in our downtown hot-spot! Begin your day surrounded by nature and observing birds in Lurie Garden and Millennium Park. Join Jeff Walk, director of science for The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, and Lurie Garden staff on this bird and plant appreciation walk. Register

Botany Basics 1

May 9, 2020 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

In this two-week series, learn basic terms, plant life cycles, plant families and plant id skills. Workshops will take place inside and after a short break we’ll outside (weather permitting) using Lurie Garden to hone our botany skills. Sign up for either or both. May 9 session will focus on basic terms, plant life cycles and we’ll start id skills. May 16 session will focus on plant families, plant id skills and using a key to identify plants. Register

Speaker Series: Laura Erickson: Uncommon Facts About Common Birds

May 13 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Did you know that White-throated Sparrows come in two different plumages, and that even though half of females are white-striped and half of males are tan-striped, almost 100 percent of all pairs include one bird of each plumage? Or that Great Horned Owls keep their eggs a toasty 100 degrees or hotter while incubating, even when temperatures are well below freezing in February?

Botany Basics 2

May 16 @ 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Bird Calls: Vocalizations of Local Birds

June 13 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Ever hear a bird call and wonder which bird it is? This workshop can help! Learn calls of some common Chicago area birds and where to find them. Register

Forms & Features in the Lurie Garden: Haibun

June 13 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

All are welcome to a discussion and creative writing workshop led by Maggie Queeney of the Poetry Foundation. To celebrate spring in Lurie Garden, we explore the haibun, an ancient Japanese form that fuses prose and haiku. Together, we will read and discuss a wide variety of poetry. After spending time exploring the garden, participants will compose original haibun. Register

Speaker Series: Dudley Edmondson: Cultural and Ethnic Inclusivity in the Outdoors

August 13 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Dudley Edmondson shares images from his career as a nature photographer along with his passion for birds. He will also talk about some of the reasons he feels it’s been a challenge getting African Americans and other people of color into the outdoors. He will share stories and films about his efforts and those of others in trying make the outdoors more ethnically and culturally inclusive. Register

Speaker Series: Doug Tallamy: Nature’s Best Hope

October 7 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Recent headlines about global insect declines, the impending extinction of one million species worldwide, and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. Such losses are not an option if we wish to continue our current standard of living on Planet Earth. The good news is that none of this is inevitable. Tallamy will discuss simple steps that…