Good Earth: From Healthy Soil to Healthy Garden

Healthy gardens start with healthy soil. But how do you get there? Learn the fundamentals of building healthy soil and keeping it that way with Bob Byers, Assistant Director and VP of Horticulture. You will leave with practical tools to create the healthy garden you've always wanted. 

Instructor: Bob Byers is Assistant Director and Vice President of Horticulture. He joined the Fort Worth Botanic Garden as Director in 2015. Bob learned to love gardening and plants working beside his parents in family gardens as a child. After college, he worked professionally as a landscape architect in Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas before a 21-year career as the Director of Operations and Associate Executive Director for Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is enjoys growing vegetables and flowers in his home garden in Willow Park and learning the large and varied flora of Texas.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021 (6:30 – 8 pm)

Registration Deadline: January 15        

$25/$20 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. 

Topiaries invite us into their worlds, offering spaces of stillness, abundance, and enchantment. They transform time through suspending us in their salubrious garden spaces. Their uncommon and uncharacteristic forms allow us to see the plants that comprise them – whether pines, herbs, or fruits – anew. Pines, Herbs, and Fruits: The World of Topiaries presents a selection of pieces from the Library’s Arader Natural History Collection of Art, with works by Pierre Joseph Redouté, Leonhart Fuchs, Georg Dionysius Ehret, Pancrease Bessa, among others. Rare books from the Library’s collection and specimens from the Herbarium are on view as well.

This exhibition is inspired by the outdoor display Topiaries in the Garden, on view throughout The Garden through June 30, 2021.

How many wild ferns grow near you? Where can you find them? What do they look like? And what are the best months to go fern-hunting in the DFW metroplex? These are questions that Dr. Alejandra Vasco, Research Botanist and Fern Curator of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, will answer during this ferntastic virtual class where we will take a closer look at some of the amazing native ferns that grow in our area.

Instructor: Alejandra Vasco, PhD is a Research Botanist at BRIT.  Her research interests are taxonomy and systematics of ferns, the genetic networks controlling leaf development in ferns, and the comparative morpho-anatomy of leaves in ferns. She leads the Taxonomy and Evolution of Ferns and Lycophytes Program at BRIT, where she has worked since 2017. She obtained her B.S. in Biology from the University of Antioquia, in her native Colombia, and her PhD in Botany in the joint program between the City University of New York and the New York Botanical Garden.

Saturday, January 23, 2021 (10 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: January 21        

$25/$20 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. 

This virtual workshop is focused on gut health and how it impacts our overall health and well-being. The class will focus on improving gut microflora using an ancient preservation technique – fermentation. Dixya will share how to incorporate various probiotic and prebiotic-rich food on a regular basis. You will enjoy a brief lecture and a solo, hands-on activity where you will learn how to make sauerkraut (with an option to add pineapple and turmeric) and tepache, a Mexican fermented pineapple beverage.

Instructor: Dixya Bhattarai, MS, RD, LD is a Fort Worth-based Registered Dietitian & Food and Nutrition Expert. She graduated with a major in dietetics and a minor in Biology from Idaho State University in 2010 before she received a Master of Science in Nutrition in 2016 from Texas Woman’s University. Dixya didn't grow up cooking, but being far from home she craved Nepalese dumplings and her mom's cauliflower curry, which forced her to learn and recreate them in her American kitchen. When she's not working at the hospital, she's probably at a dumpling pop-up, teaching cooking classes, or developing recipes for her website Food, Pleasure, and Health. 

Saturday, January 23, 2021 (1 – 3 pm)

Registration Deadline: January 21    

$28/$25 member

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

Materials: Participants will receive a workshop packet, including recipes and a grocery shopping list for the class, upon registration. Groceries will average $15 - $20 and many ingredients will last for multiple batches. 

Self-Guided Explorations provide the freedom to explore the Fort Worth Botanic Garden at your own pace. GROW Educators will not be present during this experience. 

Available: Year-Round,  Monday - Friday 9 am - 3 pm 

$6 /participant (students & registered adults)

Minimum of 20 participants to qualify. 

Any unregistered adult joining on the day of a Self-Guided Exploration will pay the regular garden admission of $12.

Self-Guided Exploration pricing is available for schools, homeschool groups, and after-school programs for children Pre-K-12th grade only. If you want to register a college class or an adult group to visit the garden, please contact Stephanie Sellers for group rates: ssellers@brit.org 

Fill out our quick inquiry form to request a date for your exploration!

Please contact Michelle Schmidlkofer at mschmidlkofer@brit.org with any questions or concerns about Self-Guided Explorations. 

It's cold outside, but it's the perfect time to dream about your landscape's design from the comfort of your sofa. Engage your imagination in this exploration of landscape design approaches and techniques, for beginners. Master Gardener Steve Cheney will share his knowledge and experience, inspiring you as you reimagine your home landscape. 

Instructor: Steve Chaney learned to love the garden from a very young age. After receiving two BS degrees from Oklahoma State University in Landscape Architecture and Marketing, he owned and operated a design/building firm for over ten years before joining the Extension family and acquiring his Master’s Degree in Agricultural Education. He first served as a CEA in Wichita County and, after four years, continued his service to the community as a CEA in Tarrant County, where he still continues to make a significant impact. His experience and expertise have helped to make the Tarrant County Home Horticulture programs recognized as “tops in the state."

Wednesday, January 27, 2021 (10 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: January 25       

$25/$20 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. 

When flowering plants took over the world: New insights into the changing structure of forests during the Cretaceous

A (Virtual) Brown Bag Lecture by Dr. Dori Contreras

Please join Dr. Dori Contreras as she discusses her research and how it fits into the broader picture of plant evolution. No prior fossil plant background needed as Dr. Contreras will provide a general introduction to paleobotany and the timeframe of plant evolution, with an emphasis on when and where flowering plants evolved and how they spread.

Dr. Contreras is Curator of Paleobotany at Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. Before joining the Perot Museum, Contreras was a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley working on using fossils and living plants to reconstruct the relationships and timing of evolution for vascular land plants. Dr. Contreras is on Twitter at @DLContreras.

This virtual lecture will broadcast live on YouTube at https://youtu.be/OEY37MUVG6E. Watchers can use the YouTube chat for Q&A with the speaker. A link to the recorded lecture will be posted here a few days after the event ends.

Get your trees and shrubs in shape before the burst of spring in this blended workshop with Japanese Garden Horticultural Manager, Nick Esthus. You will enjoy a pre-recorded lecture as well as attend a pruning demonstration in the Japanese Garden. Topics will include best pruning practices for small trees, shrubs, and other materials and how pruned plants impact your garden design. Plant biology and physiology and how it pertains to pruning will also be discussed. You will also learn tips on sharpening your pruning tools. 

Instructor: Nick Esthus is the Senior Gardener for the Fort Worth Japanese Garden located at Fort Worth Botanic Garden.  His previous work experience includes garden curator at Memphis Botanic Garden’s Japanese garden, Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Garden at Ohio State University, and nursery intern at Longwood Gardens.  He holds an Associate’s degree from Columbus State Community College in Landscape Design and a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Horticulture from Ohio State University. Nick specializes in Japanese garden design, maintenance and installation both FWJG and private clients.  

Saturday, February 6, 2021 (9 – 10:30 am)

Registration Deadline: February 4     

$28/$25 member

Location: The pre-recorded lecture will be sent to you a week prior to the live demonstration portion of the class; if you register less than a week before the live demonstration, you will receive the recording upon registration. All students will have access to the recorded lecture for one week following the class. You will receive emailed directions to the onsite pruning demonstration the day before the class. 

In the case of inclement weather, the rain date for this onsite demonstration is February 20 (9 - 10:30 am).

Join us to discover the essential elements of vegetable gardening in North Texas. A special emphasis will be given to the planting site – in ground, raised beds, and containers – and vegetable varieties for our locale will be recommended.

Instructor: Harold Annis has been a Tarrant County Master Gardener since 2011, when he completed the advanced training for vegetable gardening. Like many, he gained a mountain of knowledge from his Grandmother who he lived with and gardened with during college years. He currently gardens in Southlake where he has a large vegetable garden, growing everything from asparagus to zucchini. 

Saturday, February 6, 2021 (10 am – noon)

Registration Deadline: February 4      

$25/$20 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. 

Join textile artist Lesli Robertson and licensed trauma counselor Tiffany Reves to learn healthy ways to manage the stress of a changing world. Using their Self-Care Kits, which began as a conversation between friends and evolved into a textiles-based toolkit for emotional wellness, Robertson and Reves will offer you tactile and therapeutic techniques to deal with the anxiety and stress resulting from the pandemic. Self-Care Kits include instructions for therapy techniques such as breathing practices, positive self-talk, and grounding techniques. These techniques will be directly tied to a textile-based activity using plants. Participants will be introduced to the intersection of textiles and therapy, expanding the reach and definition of craft, and enhancing well-being and groundedness.

Instructors: Lesli Robertson is an interdisciplinary textile artist and project developer who partners with local and international organizations to develop impactful engagement through interactive programs. She has developed numerous educationally-based trainings and outreach events with the goal of encouraging others to find new perspectives and value on a range of cultural and social topics. These have taken place in countries as diverse at Ghana, Kuwait, Scotland, Uganda, and Armenia. 

Tiffany Reves, MA, LPC-S, NCC is a Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor and the proprietor and clinical director of R&AC. She has worked in the mental health field since 2006, in her own private practice as well as a group practice, a mental health hospital, and non-profit social services. Tiffany is trained in EMDR and has specialty training in evidenced based practices for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She specializes in working with veterans and individuals who have experienced trauma. In addition, she served 6 years as the Clinical Consultant for the Denton County Veteran's Treatment Court and continues to provide counseling services to individuals in the program. 

Saturday, February 13, 2021 (10 – 11:30 am)

Registration Deadline: February 11

$55/$45 member 

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

Materials: A self-care kit is included in the price of registration and are available for pickup at BRIT. If you need your kit mailed, we are happy to do so for a $10 postal fee. 

Love your roses? Then help them to love you back! This blended class includes a pre-recorded lecture from resident rose expert, Jeffrey Myers, as well as a hands on pruning experience in the Rose Garden. The lecture will be sent to you a week prior to the hands on portion of the class, where questions will be answered, and roses pruned. 

Instructor: Jeffrey Myers has been the rose gardener at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden since December of 2008. A graduate of Penn State University, he received degrees in Agricultural Education and Horticulture.  After college, he taught high school agricultural science before joining the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society where he served as a community garden coordinator, senior education specialist, and Country administrator for the society’s neighborhood greening program, Philadelphia Green.  Jeff spoke to area garden clubs, presented workshops at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and appeared on HGTV’s Philadelphia Flower Show specials.  Jeff created a horticultural job skills training program and community kitchen garden for residents of a homeless shelter in Southwest Philadelphia. In Phoenix, Jeff worked for the Arizona Department of Agriculture as an inspector and the state’s Noxious Weed Coordinator, traveling throughout the state locating invasive plant species and working with area groups and agencies to control and remove the pest. Jeff also acted as the Department’s liaison to the Governor’s Arizona Invasive Species Advisory Council. 

Saturday, February 13, 2021 (1 – 2:30 pm)

Registration Deadline: February 11

$28/$25 member

Location: The pre-recorded lecture will be sent to you a week prior to the live demonstration portion of the class; if you register less than a week before the live demonstration, you will receive the recording upon registration. All students will have access to the recorded lecture for one week following the class. You will receive emailed directions to the onsite pruning demonstration the day before the class. 

In the case of inclement weather, the rain date for this onsite demonstration is February 27 (1 - 2:30 pm).

Eager to gain new skills in painting your favorite flowers? Then join renowned watercolor instructor Soon Y. Warren for this virtual workshop. Warren will share her tips for capturing the vibrant colors of flowers through the layering of this luminous medium. Essentials such as color theory, effective compositions, and materials will be explored.

Instructor: Soon Y. Warren was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1987. Since she began painting full time in 1998, she has had many exhibitions and earned numerous awards. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society (NWS), the Southern Watercolor Society (SW), the Society of Watercolor Artists (SWA) and the Texas Watercolor Society (TWS)–Purple Sage Brush Society. She is one of the featured artists in Splash 8: Watercolor Discoveries and Splash 10: Passionate Brushstrokes. Soon Y. is the author of two books:  Vibrant Flowers in Watercolor and Painting Vibrant Watercolors.

Saturday, February 13, 2021 (1 - 4 pm)

Registration Deadline: February 11

$65/$55 member

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

Materials: A full list of necessary materials will be emailed upon registration. If you are interested in the class but would like more information on necessary materials, please email ewhite@brit.org. 

Sustainer-level member benefit only. Sustainer-level members are invited to attend a Meet and Greet with internationally acclaimed artist Patrick Dougherty. This is a rare chance to celebrate the artist and an original "Stickwork" creation in the Botanic Garden. 

Mr. Dougherty, will be onsite starting in February to construct one of his unique, site-specific sculptures that are woven, bent, and twined from twigs and saplings. While his creation will be on display for some time, we’re inviting you to see the final product before anyone else and to take a tour with the artist himself.

Registration: Contact the membership office at 817-332-7518 or membership@fwgrow.org to reserve your tickets.

Location: Outside in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden

**COVID-19 safety precautions are in place at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and BRIT.

Not sure if you're a member? What to upgrade your membership? Need assistance with registration? Contact the membership office at 817.332-7518 or membership@fwgrow.org.

The Plant Hunters by Carolyn Fry

Travel across the world and through history to meet the botanical pioneers who changed our landscape.Plant Hunters tells the story of our obsession with all things that grow—both for their beauty and their economic potential—and the creation of botanical gardens to cultivate them. This sumptuous, intriguing volume moves from East to West and back again, introducing the botanists, explorers, and empire builders who gathered plants such as the coconut tree, roses, and numerous fruits and vegetables to bring back home. Showcasing hundreds of breathtaking illustrations and historical documents, it examines the species we now take for granted and the plants that have enriched and impoverished nations.

A groovy partnership between the Fort Worth Garden Club, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas provides an opportunity for girls to complete badge work and enjoy nature-based activities together. Join us for some educational fun this year! 

• Time: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
• Audience: 2nd - 10th grade
• Price per session: $10 /participant per session

Sessions:

• February 27th: Heading to the Beach
• March 27th: Stick Design
• April 10th: Neato, Flower!

*Please note that the session themes have been updated and may differ from what you saw on this page previously. Dates and times remain the same.

 Click here to register! 

The safety of our staff and guests is very important to us. Because physical distancing is difficult to enforce when working with children, a mask requirement, even when outside is necessary for all children’s programming. If you or a family member needs to temporarily remove your mask during a program, designated spaces for this will be available. Activity spaces will be set up according to social distancing needs, and all activity supplies will be either disposable or be used only by one child, then removed for sanitization.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on group size, it is important we maintain an accurate headcount of participating individuals. This includes both adults and younger siblings staying with the group during activities. Please be sure to include both when making your registrations.

Going back to school looks different this year and so do GROW Field Study Trips!

Registration is currently open for Virtual Field Study Trips for Kindergarten - 5th Grade. 

Registration for middle/high school Virtual Field Study Trips is coming soon. 

All Virtual Field Trips are priced for a single class with a maximum of 35 students. Payment must be completed before any materials can be shared.

Tree Level - $80 - Includes 1 Self-guided Activity with:

• Teacher's single-page activity sheet

• Pre-activity video

• Post-activity video

Grove Level - $120 - Includes 3 Self-guided Activities with:

• Teacher's single-page activity sheet

• Pre-activity video

• Post-activity video

• Supplemental Documents

• One 30-45 minute live video session with GROW Girl

Forest Level - $140 - Includes 6 Self-guided Activities with:

• Teacher's single-page activity sheet

• Pre-activity video

• Post-activity video

• Supplemental Documents

• Your choice of one or two 30-45 minute live video sessions with GROW Girl!

Click here to download the PDF guide to K-2 Virtual Field Study Trips.
Click here to download the PDF guide to 3-5 Virtual Field Study Trips.

Or click here to submit a request form now!

Schedule a day for your group of learners 18 months to 6 years old to join Bella the Begonia or Carlos the Cactus to discover nature, read a story, sing and move, plus take home a family nature challenge! All activities take place outdoors.

Ideal for groups of 10-20 individuals.

Email mschmidlkofer@brit.org to request a date. 

Inspired by our popular Homeschool Day events, Private Homeschool Days invite you to schedule a date for your group of 15 - 40 learners to make science and literacy connections through the guidance of our trained education staff and outdoor classrooms.

• All Private Homeschool Day experiences take place Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM.
• $10 /each: students and adults (siblings under 5 years free)
• Minimum 15 participants, maximum 40 participants.
• Payment in full is due 2 weeks prior to visit date.

Each experience is available for one month - the date of your scheduled visit will determine which experience you receive. The Spring 2021 experience schedule is:

March: Stickworks

Learners will design and create 3D art using natural fibers and STEM processes. Come join the challenge!

April: Topiary Terrain

Topiary Terrain plays with the imagination and will give learners and their families the chance to rethink the possibilities of forging shapes from plants.

May: Pollinator Pathway

Ready, Set, GO! It is time for Homeschool learners to do citizen science in the garden and learn about what makes insects so essential.

Please select one adult who will be responsible for organizing the group and being the primary point of contact with BRIT staff and have them submit an inquiry here. This individual will also be responsible for collecting money from the group in order to pay the complete total by the due date.

Submit your inquiry today!

This is a unique experience including an in-depth virtual guided tour of BRIT's LEED Platinum campus with over 20 videos and 360° views.

Students will explore inside and outside of our BRIT campus to make connections between the impact of a LEED Platinum building and the environment, then apply their knowledge to design their own sustainable buildings of the future.

$140 LEEDing the Way Virtual Package Includes:

• Pre-activity video

• Kuula virtual tour of BRIT

• Activity Pages with suggested vocabulary, driving questions, and instructions for the Engineering-Design Challenge

• 45 minute live video session with Education staff for students to share and discuss their designs.

All Virtual Field Trips are priced for a single class with a maximum of 35 students.

Payment or PO must be completed before any materials can be shared.

Live video sessions available Monday - Friday at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, or 2 PM.

Click here to submit a request form now!

Stick Works helps learners design and create through the STEM process with natural fibers 3D art. This experiential challenge focuses on how self-engineered art embodies ideas and celebrates nature.

*The safety of our staff and guests is very important to us. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on group size, it is important we maintain an accurate headcount of participating individuals. All participants must register. Unregistered individuals are not permitted to join activities. Masks should be worn at all times during the program.

Price: $10 / students and parents
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: FW Botanic Garden
Registration Closes: Thursday, February 25

Click Here to Register Through Our Online Shop!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact volunteers@brit.org.

Do you have a garden, but want to strengthen your vegetable gardening skills? You’ll learn how to be successful this season in your garden with this mix of presentation and conversation. A wide range of topics will be covered including site selection, irrigation, soil biology, specialty gardens like herb, salad and salsa gardens, and much more. This 5 hour seminar is split into two sessions.

Instructors: Instructors Kim Martin and Laurie Bostic, owners of Barking Cat Farm, teach others to grow high quality crops in an organic and sustainable manner, just as they do. 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 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.

Saturdays, March 6 & 13, 2021 (1 – 3:30 pm)

Registration Deadline: March 4

$75/$65 member

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

Butterflies bring beauty and the pollination of our fruits and flowers. And they need us to create ecosystems in our gardens to help them flourish. If you’ve always wanted to attract these beautiful pollinators to your garden, this is the class for you! Join one of Fort Worth’s favorite Master Gardeners to learn what you need to build a successful and fun Butterfly Garden. 

Instructor: Theresa Kay Thomas is a TCMGA Master Gardener, NC NPSOT Member and Cross Timbers Master Naturalist. She is Co-lead at the Southwest Regional Library Native Plant Demonstration Gardens.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 (10 – 11 am)

Registration Deadline: March 8

$25/$20 member

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

Join us for Spring Break Family Camp and take a botanical art class or use science to solve a mystery, or better yet, do both! This program is the same on both days.

Morning session- Botanical Art
Get in touch with your inner artist by taking a class in botanical art. This nature-inspired, hands-on program is fun for the whole family, no matter what your skill level is.

Afternoon Session- Case of the Fallen Pollen
Work together as a team of detectives to solve the Case of the Fallen Pollen. Pollinators are now at risk more than ever and they need your help. What is causing their decline and who is the culprit? Use scientific tools to uncover clues throughout the garden to discover the mystery behind the fallen pollen.

Date: Wednesday, March 17 & Thursday, March 18
Time: Morning Session 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM; Afternoon Session 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Registration Closes: Wednesday, March 10

Non-Member Price: $12 /Adults and children ages 6+ 
Member Price: $10 /Adults and children ages 6+ (Login to shop.brit.org to receive Member benefits)
If you do not know your member login information, please call our Membership office at 817-332-7518 for assistance.

*The safety of our staff and guests is very important to us. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on group size, it is important we maintain an accurate headcount of participating individuals. All participants must register. Unregistered individuals are not permitted to join activities. Masks should be worn at all times during the program.

Click here to register in our online shop!

Explore the pollination dance of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in this hands-on photography class in our gardens. Pollinators are both a calming and enlivening sight and capturing their dance brings new challenges to many photographers. Join professional photographer and educator Edgar Miller to learn tools to photograph the variety of pollinators visiting our gardens. You will learn the techniques, settings, and equipment needed to capture the vibrant promenade of winged friends. Afterward, venture into the gardens to practice what you’ve learned. You will leave with exceptional photographs and knowledge to use on your solo adventures! Bring your cameras, lenses, and tripods and create lasting memories. This workshop takes place outdoors. Comfortable clothes are recommended. 

Instructor: Edgar Miller is a commercial and fine art photographer and educator, having earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has taught photography and art for the last 20 years and is always looking for new ways to help his clients learn. His work has been shown and awarded in several Texas and national exhibitions, and he is a member of the Texas Photographic Society and the Texas Artists Coalition. Influenced by his late father and his college photography professor, Edgar continues to find interesting light on interesting subjects. His work can be found at Edgar Miller Images. 

Saturday, March 20 (10 am – 12 pm)

Registration Deadline: March 18   

$42/$37 member

Location: Pollinator Pathway & Fuller Garden

*This class will take place outdoors with space for 6' between participants. Class size will be capped at 15. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available. Mask use is encouraged. 

Supplies: Bring your cameras, lenses, and tripods. 

In the case of inclement weather, the rain date for this class is March 27 (10 am - 12 pm).

In the perfect class for beginners, students learn watercolor techniques including creating flat and graded washes, dry brushing, and basic color theory. We will cover foundational watercolor basics such as brush selection, color mixing, layering, and the interaction of paint, water, and paper. Enjoy the expertise of instructor and longtime watercolorist, Samantha Peters, and leave with inspiration to continue your journey in botanical watercolor. And don't miss your chance to continue skill-building with our intermediate class, Watercolor: Next Steps, on May 1.

Instructor: Instructor Samantha Peters is a science illustrator based in Dallas. She received her B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin and attended the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, leaving once she realized illustrating her study guides was more fun than actually studying them. Afterwards, while living in New York City, she discovered a love of botanical art through classes at the New York Botanical Garden, and decided to pursue science illustration full time, attending the graduate program in Science Illustration at California State University, Monterey Bay. Samantha currently works in the graphics department at the Dallas Zoo and is the President of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Texas Group. Member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Saturday, March 20, 2021 (12:30 - 4:30 pm)

Registration Deadline: March 18

$90/$75 member

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

Materials: A full list of necessary materials will be emailed upon registration. If you are interested in the class but would like more information on necessary materials, please email ewhite@brit.org. 

Image courtesy Samantha Peters

Oaxaca Journal 

Since childhood, Oliver Sacks has been fascinated by ferns: an ancient class of plants able to survive and adapt in many climates. Along with a delightful group of fellow fern aficionados—mathematicians, poets, artists, and assorted botanists and birders—he embarks on an exploration of Southern Mexico, a region that is also rich in human history and culture. He muses on the origins of chocolate and mescal, pre-Columbian culture and hallucinogens, the vibrant sights and sounds of the marketplace, and the peculiar passions of botanists. What other species would comb ancient Zapotec ruins on their hands and knees, searching for a new type of fern? Combining Sacks's enthusiasm for natural history and the richness of humanity with his sharp and observant eye for detail, Oaxaca Journal is a rare treat.

Join us for this six-week Vinyasa flow series, led by Fort Worth yoga instructor Julie Vitek. Take in the tranquil views of nature as you enjoy this slow, meditative yoga flow, connecting movement to the breath. You will leave each session feeling relaxed and refreshed, with a stronger connection to yourself and to the world. All levels are welcome. This is a series; single-classes are not available. 

Instructor: Julie Vitek has her Teacher Training Certification 200 hour Deep Study and Teacher Apprenticeship. She has studied pranayama, asana, meditation, and the chakra system. She teaches conscious, mindful, and joyful flow yoga connecting you to mind, body, and spirit.

Wednesdays, March 24, 31 & April 7, 14, 21 & 28 (9:30 – 10:30 am)

Registration Deadline: March 22

$75/$60 member 

Location: BRIT Terrace*

*Due to ongoing social distancing measures, this class will maintain 6' distance between participants and is held outdoors. Hand sanitizer and masks will be available for use while indoors, though masks are not required during the class. In the case of inclement weather, the class will be rescheduled.  

Materials: A yoga mat and any props you wish to use

In the case of inclement weather, individual classes will be rescheduled according to the instructor's availability. 

Twenty-twenty was a year of tumult, isolation, and upheaval. The instability which pushed us away from each other also serendipitously pushed many of us back into the arms of humanity’s great muse and long-time comfort: the natural world. Artists, in particular, have always sought inspiration and solace in the natural world, but in the unprecedented isolation of a global pandemic, the physical acts of painting and spending time in nature have become vital coping strategies. Staring uncertainty and bubbling social tension in the face, what was once a deep aesthetic appreciation has become an imperative, existential reminder: we are all, together, of the land.

Coming together as artists, Camille Warmington and Brenda Ciardiello share their visual meditations on finding renewal in nature in this exhibition titled Of the Land: Two Artists Find Renewal in Nature. Both artists create immersive natural scenes exploring personal connections to nature using original photographs they take while traveling. One working in acrylic, the other in watercolor, the two artists conjure scenes that evoke hope, comfort, memory while exploring the autographic marks that place makes on a person. These contemporary - almost surreal - botanical scenes are simultaneously striking and meditative; using perspective and abstraction, they ask questions about human’s role in nature, and how we can work to better coexist with ourselves and other species.

An opening reception for this exhibition is pending, contingent upon COVID-19 community status in March. 

Click More Info (below) for Exhibition Preview:

About the Artists:

Brenda Ciardiello is a Mexican-American artist and poet who paints contemporary landscapes, botanicals, and abstract art that deal with themes of personal connection to nature, as inspired by her travels. Almost all of her work focuses on using the unpredictable nature of water to depict the unique interplay of color, light and texture in otherwise fleeting elements: water, clouds, and flora. Brenda is heavily influenced by her bicultural and international experience of the world. Born in Mexico City but raised in Texas, she has also lived / studied in Mexico, Italy, the U.K., New York City, New England, the Rocky Mountains and the Middle East and, as part of her process, travels whenever possible to capture original source imagery for her work. Brenda currently lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Classical Civilizations from the University of Notre Dame, as well as a Master of Science in Education from The City College of New York. She is a 2021 Carter Community Artist with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth. Her work can be found at her website. 

Camille Warmington is a painter whose work reflects on artifacts and their connection to memory and mortality, place and presence. She studied painting at the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and earned a Bachelor of Interior Architecture from Kansas State University. Her paintings have appeared in national, regional, and local juried exhibitions, been featured in New American Paintings, and received a Hunting Prize nomination. A mother of three, Warmington was born in Massachusetts, grew-up in Dallas, and lives and works in Houston, Texas. Her work can be found at her website. 

Camille Warmington, Gulf Coast Groundscape No. 4, 2020, Acrylic on 9 Clayboard panels, 34 x 43 overall 

Topiary Terrain plays with the imagination as learners and their families rethink how art embodies ideas and celebrates nature. Through creative expression within the environmental STEM format experience students will re-imagine the possibilities of forging shapes with plants. Training plants in our garden is just the beginning since students take home their team created art living masterpiece. This homeschool day is about teamwork and how the environmental STEM process helps in the design.

*The safety of our staff and guests is very important to us. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on group size, it is important we maintain an accurate headcount of participating individuals. All participants must register. Unregistered individuals are not permitted to join activities. Masks should be worn at all times during the program.

Price: $10 / students and parents
Date: Tuesday, April 6
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: FW Botanic Garden
Registration Closes: Thursday, April 1

Click Here to Register Through Our Online Shop!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact volunteers@brit.org.

Explore the pollination dance of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds in this hands-on photography class in our gardens. Pollinators are both a calming and enlivening sight and capturing their dance brings new challenges to many photographers. Join professional photographer and educator Edgar Miller to learn tools to photograph the variety of pollinators visiting our gardens. You will learn the techniques, settings, and equipment needed to capture the vibrant promenade of winged friends. Afterward, venture into the gardens to practice what you’ve learned. You will leave with exceptional photographs and knowledge to use on your solo adventures! Bring your cameras, lenses, and tripods and create lasting memories. This workshop takes place outdoors. Comfortable clothes are recommended. 

Instructor: Edgar Miller is a commercial and fine art photographer and educator, having earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has taught photography and art for the last 20 years and is always looking for new ways to help his clients learn. His work has been shown and awarded in several Texas and national exhibitions, and he is a member of the Texas Photographic Society and the Texas Artists Coalition. Influenced by his late father and his college photography professor, Edgar continues to find interesting light on interesting subjects. His work can be found at Edgar Miller Images. 

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 (10 am – noon)

Registration Deadline: April 5

$42/$37 member

Location: Pollinator Pathway & Fuller Garden

*This class will take place outdoors with space for 6' between participants. Class size will be capped at 15. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available. Mask use is encouraged. 

Supplies: Bring your cameras, lenses, and tripods. 

In the case of inclement weather, the rain date for this class is April 14 (10 am - 12 pm).