Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm & Bringing It to the Table: On Farming and Food (ZOOM)

Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm by Isabella Tree

Longlisted for the 2019 Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize for Nature Writing

“This must be the most inspirational nature book of the year . . . a narrative of conservation, courage, vision and miracles…”  Bel Mooney, 'The Year's Best Books on Nature' - Daily Mail

In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the ‘Knepp experiment’, a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope.

Forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land at Knepp was economically unsustainable, Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature take over. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs and deer – proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain – the 3,500 acre project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade.  Wilding is an astonishing account of the beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible.

Bringing It to the Table: On Farming and Food by Wendell Berry

Drawn from over thirty years of work, this collection joins bestsellers The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Pollan, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver, as essential reading for anyone who cares about what they eat. The essays address such concerns as: How does organic measure up against locally grown? What are the differences between small and large farms, and how does that affect what you put on your dinner table? What can you do to support sustainable agriculture?

Only a farmer could delve so deeply into the origins of food, and only a writer of Wendell Berry’s caliber could convey it with such conviction and eloquence. A progenitor of the slow food movement, Wendell Berry reminds us all to take the time to understand the basics of what we ingest. “Eating is an agriculture act,” he writes. Indeed, we are all players in the food economy. For the last five decades, Berry has embodied mindful eating through his land practices and his writing. In recognition of that influence, Michael Pollan here offers an introduction to this wonderful collection that is essential reading for anyone who cares about what they eat.

This class is sold out.

Have you always wanted to brew with herbs and fruit from your own garden? Do you enjoy trying new beers and supporting our local breweries? Then join Funky Picnic's Head Brewer, Michael Harper, for this spirited overview of the beer brewing process. Learn the basics, and tips and tricks, all while sampling a very special summertime beer brewed with wild yeast, herbs, and fruit from the Botanic Garden. 

Instructor: Michael Harper is the Head Brewer at Fort Worth's Funky Picnic Brewery. Harper is a drum-playing, mariachi-loving head brewer who studied at the American Brewers Guild in 2013. He is passionate about classic techniques but also loves to experiment with new styles and terroir-based ingredients. When he's not knee-deep in spent grain, you can find him at home with his wife, cats, and pet tortoise.

Saturday, July 25 (1 –  3 pm)

Registration Deadline: July 23

$65/$60 members - SOLD OUT -

Location: BRIT

Materials: None required. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

Humans have always been drawn to plants, and the history of art is full of depictions of vegetation of all types. Join art historian Erin Starr White in this spirited exploration of art whose subject includes flowers, stems, leaves, and trees. Did we mention flowers?  Artists from the Western artistic tradition will be our focus, from Raphael to O'Keeffe, and beyond. 

Instructor: Erin Starr White is an art historian, curator, environmentalist, and gardener. She serves as Community Education Manager for BRIT / FWBG and brings over a decade of experience as a museum educator to her role. Erin is passionate about working with adult learners, having led the docent corps at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. She has served on the UTA Fort Worth Gallery Advisory Committee and written extensively about art of all types. 

Saturday, August 1, 2020 (10 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: July 30      

$18/$15 member

Location: This is an online class; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Meeting the first Saturday of each month, our Mindfulness Meditation classes invite you to slow down, release the stresses of everyday life, and tune in to the serenity of the natural world. With plants all around, explore the grounds of BRIT and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as you learn mindfulness practices and techniques from meditation instructor Lisa November, M.A. Ed. Lisa leads her students in unique, hour-long mindfulness meditations, always attuned to the surrounding natural world. Classes often take place outdoors, weather permitting.   

Instructor: Lisa November is a meditation teacher based in Fort Worth. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and communication from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982 and her Master of Arts in Special Education-Moderate Needs from the University of Northern Colorado in 1992. She is a life-long teacher and learner and has been practicing mindfulness based meditation since 1996. Most recently, she has received the 14 Mindfulness Trainings in the Order of Interbeing, Tiep Hien, Ordained Students of Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh in August of 2019. She is also a student of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a proven heath and wellness program from the Oasis Center at the University of Massachusetts.

Saturday, August 1, 2020 (2 pm – 3 pm)

Registration Deadline: July 30         

$10/$8 member

Location: This class will take place online; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Back by popular demand! Join local artist Kendall Davis to learn the earliest method of forming clay. This method begins with a ball of clay, which is pinched into a cup form. There will be the option to turn the cup into a planter with a drainage hole. Supplies and clay are provided. Finished pieces will be taken to Kendall’s studio to be fired and glazed; they can then picked up from her store.

Instructor: Kendall Davis, Kendall Davis Clay

Thursday, August 13, 2020 (6 - 8 pm)

Registration Deadline: August 11       

$70/$60 member

Location: BRIT

Materials: Provided. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

Are you a granola connoisseur, always searching for the perfect crunch-to-soft ratio? Then this class is for you! Join Gina Propp, granola evangelist and owner of Crunchy Girl Granola of Fort Worth, to learn the ins and outs of this sweet and healthful food. You will make your own granola in class, then take it home to bake.  

Instructor: Doing things the “crunchy way” has been part of Gina Propp’s life for a long time.  Composting, repurposing, growing her own fruit/vegetables, and recycling are among the many ways she stays crunchy. Gina began Crunchy Girl Granola of Fort Worth in the fall of 2019 and can be found at Clearfork Farmer’s Market every Saturday. Her granola is also available at Neighbor’s House Grocery and The Table Market and Culinary Studio.

Saturday, August 15 (10 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: August 10 (9 am)

$35/$32 member

Location: BRIT

Materials: Provided. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

Plants Go to War: A Botanical History of World War II by Judith Sumner (August 2019)

As the first botanical history of World War II, Plants Go to War examines military history from the perspective of plant science. From victory gardens to drugs, timber, rubber, and fibers, plants supplied materials with key roles in victory. Vegetables provided the wartime diet both in North America and Europe, where vitamin-rich carrots, cabbages, and potatoes nourished millions. Chicle and cacao provided the chewing gum and chocolate bars in military rations. In England and Germany, herbs replaced pharmaceutical drugs; feverbark was in demand to treat malaria, and penicillin culture used a growth medium made from corn. Rubber was needed for gas masks and barrage balloons, while cotton and hemp provided clothing, canvas, and rope. Timber was used to manufacture Mosquito bombers, and wood gasification and coal replaced petroleum in European vehicles. Lebensraum, the Nazi desire for agricultural land, drove Germans eastward; troops weaponized conifers with shell bursts that caused splintering. Ironically, the Nazis condemned non-native plants, but adopted useful Asian soybeans and Mediterranean herbs. Jungle warfare and camouflage required botanical knowledge, and survival manuals detailed edible plants on Pacific islands. Botanical gardens relocated valuable specimens to safe areas, and while remote locations provided opportunities for field botany, Trees surviving in Hiroshima and Nagasaki live as a symbol of rebirth after vast destruction.

"In this impressively researched exploration, esteemed ethnobotanist Sumner takes a scholarly yet totally accessible approach to the myriad ways plant materials were critical to both Allied and Axis war efforts. With balanced attention to domestic sacrifices and ingenuity, Sumner's astonishing discoveries make this a fascinating read for botany buffs and those steeped in military history." --Booklist

"A unique blend of botanical and military history... Plants Go to War is an original and meticulous study that is as informed and informative as it is accessibly organized and reader friendly in presentation...recommended" --Midwest Book Review

"[Sumner's] research is exhaustive...authoritative and informative...destined to be a classic source on this topic"==The Herb Society of America

"The comprehensive volume takes the story far beyond the victory gardens that perhaps immediately come to mind when discussing WWII and plants. Although this topic is addressed, the book spans across the European and Pacific theaters, touching Allies and Axis civilians and combatants."--The Times of Israel

"The first botanical history of World War II"--Southern Naturalist

"In all our years of experience with books about Wold War II, never have we seen one quite like this...a big, serious study of the subject" --Stone & Stone

Meeting the first Saturday of each month, our Mindfulness Meditation classes invite you to slow down, release the stresses of everyday life, and tune in to the serenity of the natural world. With plants all around, explore the grounds of BRIT and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as you learn mindfulness practices and techniques from meditation instructor Lisa November, M.A. Ed. Lisa leads her students in unique, hour-long mindfulness meditations, always attuned to the surrounding natural world. Classes often take place outdoors, weather permitting.   

Instructor: Lisa November is a meditation teacher based in Fort Worth. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and communication from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982 and her Master of Arts in Special Education-Moderate Needs from the University of Northern Colorado in 1992. She is a life-long teacher and learner and has been practicing mindfulness based meditation since 1996. Most recently, she has received the 14 Mindfulness Trainings in the Order of Interbeing, Tiep Hien, Ordained Students of Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh in August of 2019. She is also a student of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a proven heath and wellness program from the Oasis Center at the University of Massachusetts.

Saturday, September 5, 2020 (2 pm – 3 pm)

Registration Deadline: September 3         

$10/$8 member

Location: This is an online class; you will receive an email the day prior to class with the Zoom class code and password. 

Stay tuned for more details. Click here to check out details from the 2019 Members Sneak Peek.

Not a member? Click here to become a member today.

The key to growing nutrient dense food and happy plants is having healthy, functioning soil in your garden. The organisms living in soil are crucial to soil health and in this five hour, hands-on class participants will work with microscopes to identify the different types of organisms that live in the soil and learn how to manage them for optimal soil health. This workshop will give you an understanding of how to use soil biology in your organic gardening to grow tasty, healthy, nutritious food.

Instructors: Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, focus on growing high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner. Brix testing is done regularly to monitor the nutritional quality of the produce and compost, and compost teas are applied to the soil to ensure that the soil biology is constantly improving. Both Laurie & Kim have their Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton’s Permaculture Design Course. Both have studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham and are working towards becoming Certified Soil Life Consultants. They offer permaculture design and soil biology consulting services to other growers and gardeners.

Saturday, September 12, 2020 (10 am – 12 pm)

Registration Deadline: September 10       

$85/$75 member

Location: BRIT. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

Learning the art of calligraphy allows us to slow down and appreciate the simple act of holding a pen. In this increasingly digital world, calligraphy will truly help you to unwind and find yourself. Join artist Swetha Kalluri as she teaches the mesmerizing art of writing beautifully. All supplies are included; kits will be available for purchase at the end of class for you to continue your practice. No prior experience is required. 

Instructor: Swetha Kalluri (Printable Ink Art) lives in Frisco and is committed to providing students with fun and valuable workshops. Formerly working in the financial sector, she left to pursue her dream of teaching and inspiring creativity. Swetha teaches students how to paint in watercolor and practice modern calligraphy. She has also carefully curated her popular signature watercolor and Modern Calligraphy kits, which help students use the knowledge and inspiration they gain in class.

Saturday, September 12, 2020 (10 am – 1:00 pm)

Registration Deadline: September 10  

$65/$55 member

Location: BRIT

Materials: Provided. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

If you’ve always wanted to spend time studying the fascinating shapes and colors of cacti, and create art in the garden, this experience is for you! Join artist-educator Avery Kelly to learn drawing and watercolor techniques in this unique outdoor class. We will explore various methods of approaching what we see and translating that to drawings and watercolor paintings. Class will take place outdoors in the Cactus Garden and Greenhouse. Beginners are welcome. 

Instructors: Avery Kelly is a native of Fort Worth, where she currently lives and makes art. She teaches at local colleges and enjoys outdoor pursuits. Avery earned her MA and MFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Tyler, a BFA in Painting from Texas Christian University, and a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Redlands, California. In her work, Avery brings together her love of creating images with her love for the outdoors, focusing especially on animals, their perceptions, and relationships within the landscape. She has taught art for ages kindergarten through college level and enjoys outdoor pursuits.

Saturday, September 19, 2020 (10 am – 12 pm)

Registration Deadline: September 17      

$35/$30 member

Location: FWBG Cactus Garden and Greenhouse (in the case of inclement weather, class will take place with potted cacti indoors)

Materials: A full list of necessary materials will be emailed upon registration and should be brought to class by the student; the basic materials include a pencil, eraser, simple watercolor set, synthetic watercolor brushes, and watercolor paper. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

Succulents are made for topiary, with their unique shapes and full, fleshy leaves. And combining these low-water and easy-to-care-for plant powerhouses with pumpkins makes for the perfect autumnal centerpiece. This class welcomes you to explore the artist within as you work with a wide range of colorful succulents, creating a beautiful and festive topiary to take home and enjoy.

Instructors: Wanda Stutsman, Tarrant County Master Gardener

Saturday, September 19, 2020 (10:30 am – 12 pm)

Registration Deadline: June 17     

$40/$35 member

Location: BRIT

Materials: Provided. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

“Engaging and scrupulously reported”  Constance Casey for The New York Times

Award-winning author Amy Stewart takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes look at the flower industry and how it has sought—for better or worse—to achieve perfection.  Stewart traveled the world for a year to research the $40 billion dollar cut-flower industry. She tracks down the hybridizers, geneticists, farmers, and florists working to invent, manufacture, and sell flowers that are bigger, brighter, and sturdier than anything nature can provide.  At every turn she discovers the startling intersection of nature and technology, of sentiment and commerce. The author also raises environmental issues related to the trade, as well as the concerns of florists. 

Join Richard Spellenberg and Naida Zucker, authors of the newly published The Sunflower Family: A Guide to the Family Asteraceae in the Contiguous United States (BRIT Press) for a lecture titled "Knowing the Sunflower Family in Texas." This presentation is based on the newly published book, which details all the approximately 430 genera of sunflowers and relatives in the contiguous United States. The Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) is the largest of plant families, with about 30,000 species. It is found in all habitats, is showy, many species are used for ornamentals and some for food. They provide large swatches of color on the landscape in the warm months and contribute to the misery of pollen allergies in many areas of the country. Though it is a family with many beautiful species, it is to most people baffling because of its compound head of flowers and complex terminology. The presentation covers the mysteries of the sunflower head, genera found only in Texas, a review of some of the widespread, common genera in Texas, and how one goes about identifying these interesting plants. 

A workshop with the authors will follow the lecture and will look at examples detailed in the book. Refreshments will be served, and copies of The Sunflower Family: A Guide to the Family Asteraceae in the Contiguous United States will be available for purchase at a discounted rate of 10% off for lecture attendees (this discount can only be applied in person the day of the lecture). The authors will be available to sign books, whether your copy has been brought from home or newly purchased at the lecture. 

Speakers / Instructors: Richard Spellenberg and Naida Zucker

Saturday, September 26, 2020 (9 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: September 24     

$15/$10 member 

Location: BRIT

Supplies: For the workshop and walk, participants might find it useful to bring a 10x-20x folding hand lens or loupe to facilitate viewing small parts, understanding that the species selected to view will not make this mandatory. Proper social distancing will be maintained throughout the event and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

Members only hours coming soon...

“Chevalier admirably weaves historical figures and actual events into a compelling narrative.”
—San Francisco Chronicle 

Remarkable Creatures is a beautifully written book about two remarkable women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. A fictional account based on real-life characters and events, Remarkable Creatures is set in the early 1800's in the coastal town of Lyme Regis, England.  Mary Anning, born in a poor family, was from an early age fascinated by the fossils that could then be picked up on the beaches.  Her discoveries of fossils leads to conflict with the religious authorities in town and friendship with Elizabeth Philpot, a woman of higher social class who is also fascinated by the fossils. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual appreciation, and barely suppressed envy. Ultimately, in the struggle to be recognized in the wider world, Mary and Elizabeth discover that friendship is their greatest ally.

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas is proud to announce the recipients of our 2020 International Award of Excellence in Conservation: Cristina Mittermeier, international photographer, conservationist, and founder of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers; and Russell Mittermeier, Global Wildlife Conservation’s Chief Conservation Officer and a world leader in the field of biodiversity and tropical forest conservation.

Both Mittermeiers have devoted their lives to protecting Earth’s natural habitat and informing and influencing people as to the delicate balance between nature and traditional cultures and both have made significant impacts on preserving the variety of plant and animal life on Earth and protecting its ecosystems.

Join us at our annual gala on October 22, 2020 at the Palmwood Event & Conference, Frost Tower Fort Worth for an inspiring evening of conversation with two of the world's greatest conservation adventurers as we recognize their impactful achievements.

Banner photo by Cristina Mittermeier.

In this class you will learn different techniques for drawing foliage, texture, and value, all while sketching the elegant beauty of the Japanese Garden. Artist Erika Duque Scully will demonstrate how to achieve these techniques and will share examples of other artists’ works for further inspiration. You will be encouraged to draw loosely, sketching balanced and interesting compositions of trees and other plants with confidence. Supplies are not provided (see below for a supply list)

Instructor: Erika Duque Scully is a landscape and nature-based painter who lives and works in Fort Worth, TX. Scully received her BFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA in painting at Texas Christian University. She has been featured in over thirty solo and group shows throughout the Metroplex. In 2017, Scully was nominated by Ro2 Gallery for Rising Star Fundraiser at the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts. She is currently represented by Fort Works Art Gallery in Fort Worth.

Saturday, November 14, 2020 (11 am – 1 pm)

Registration Deadline: November 12        

$35/$30 member

Location: Japanese Garden

Supplies: Click here for the supply list. Class size will remain small to accommodate proper social distancing, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. 

"Bud Moore's The Lochsa Story is epic. It's an autobiography, a history, and a manifesto; a massive work of nonfiction incorporating folklore and ecology." --Zach Dundas, Missoula Independent

This story chronicles the history of the Bitterroot Mountains, the preservation of forest landscapes, early Native Americans, the Lewis and Clark Trail, and Bud Moore's life as the last of the mountain men to live there and join the U.S. Forest Service. He became Head Ranger of Powell Ranger District, Chief of the Forest Service Region in Missoula, Montana, the leading authority on fire management and smoke-jumpers of the northwestern forests and the system of fire lookouts and fire suppression.   Moore is profoundly dedicated to the forest and all of the natural elements, including people, that make it whole. He believes anyone who works with the land must have a feel for it. "When in doubt, go slow," he advises. "Be humble. Learn from your mistakes."