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Rutgers Gardens invites you to a series of outdoor learning experiences on select Saturdays throughout the year. As the official botanic garden of Rutgers University, Rutgers Gardens has a rich horticultural history and is home to many fascinating plant cultivars. During these approximately two-hour excursions, you’ll be introduced to native plants and unique specimens not typically found outside the botanic garden setting, all while having a staff member with years of experience as an arborist and/or horticulturist available to answer your questions.
Each month will offer a new subject, with the beauty of Rutgers Gardens on full display and nature as your classroom. Ticket fees for these events help us maintain Rutgers Gardens while keeping admission free all year long. Thank you for your support!
Our next event is…
All About Pollinator Gardens
Saturday, August 17th at 10:00am
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In this month’s tour, we’ll be exploring the world of pollinators: who they are, what types of plants they love and the bloom periods to attract them, environments where pollinator plants thrive, and how you can provide pollinators with food and shelter year-round. This outdoor walking tour will visit our Pollinator Garden (naturally!) and additional “hot spots” for pollinators all throughout Rutgers Gardens. You’ll be introduced to some eco-friendly host plants including herbaceous perennials and trees, as well as plants that are aesthetically pleasing for your home garden. Not only will you experience an enjoyable Saturday excursion through Rutgers Gardens, but you will also come away with ideas for how to plant and maintain your own pollinator garden.
For this summertime exploration, we recommend comfortable footwear and sun protection. Please bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. Tour participants should be prepared to spend up to two hours outdoors walking along uneven or unpaved pathways and through grass.
Tickets are offered first to Rutgers Gardens Members as part of their annual benefits. Check back here for the ticket link when they go on sale to the public!
Tickets are nonrefundable. Advanced reservations are required – no tickets may be purchased on the day of the event.
Previous Events:
Meet your Neighbors: An Introduction to Native Plants – Saturday, July 20th at 10:00am
Want to know more about plants that offer a beautiful aesthetic AND benefit the ecosystem? Join Dr. Lauren Errickson, Director of Rutgers Gardens and Campus Stewardship, for an in-depth conversation and walking tour in the gardens as she shares some of her favorite plants for different environments. From sun to shade, wet to dry sites, and clay to sandy soil, there are native plants to suit any garden or landscape, and areas of Rutgers Gardens that provide an eye-catching backdrop for each topic! Learn how to identify, grow, and maximize the benefits of a delightful collection of perennials, shrubs, and trees by exploring the native specimens throughout Rutgers Gardens. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for native plants and the not-so-hidden gems of Rutgers Gardens and be ready to incorporate more natives into your home landscape.
Organic Pest and Disease Control for your Backyard Vegetable Garden – Saturday, June 22nd at 10:00am
Now that temperatures are heating up and your gardens are beginning to put on rapid growth, pest and disease pressure will be mounting too! Join Student Farm Manager Alex Sawatzky on June 22nd to talk about organic pest and disease control for your backyard vegetable garden. Alex has been farming diversified vegetables organically for 15 years and will share an arsenal of tips and tricks to keep your plants healthy and productive. While on a walking tour of the Student Farm, he will show guests the methods that are used to reduce pest and disease pressure. The full toolkit consists of cultural, physical, biological, and therapeutic controls. Come learn how to work alongside nature to ensure a bountiful harvest this season!
Please wear comfortable shoes and sun protection…and bring plenty of water!
Spring Bulbs & Blooms – Saturday, April 20th at 10:00am
Earth Day is almost here! Celebrate the beauty and resilience of nature with a walking tour throughout Rutgers Gardens. Bulbs that were planted in the winter have survived the elements to delight you on April 20th. Assistant Director Maxine Marvosa will show guests where all the bulb blooming “hot spots” are during the tour and will introduce other early-flowering plants along the way. Drawing from her years of experience as a horticulturist, Maxine can answer your burning bulb questions along the walk.
The full schedule of events through December is below, with a ticket link provided on this webpage a few weeks before each event. Reminders will also be sent in the monthly “Friends of Rutgers Gardens” e-newsletter. Sign up here if you haven’t already subscribed! Rutgers Gardens Members enjoy early registration privileges and $5 off per member ticket. These events will proceed rain or shine, though Rutgers Gardens reserves the right to reschedule an event due to severe weather.
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Meet your Experts for 2024:
Maxine Marvosa is a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert and ISA Certified Arborist with a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. She is newly elected to the board of the New Jersey Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (NJISA). Maxine is a Rutgers alum, earning her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at SEBS before earning a master’s degree from Clemson University. Prior to joining Rutgers Gardens as the Assistant Director in February 2023, Maxine worked at the Robert A. Winters Arboretum at Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, New Jersey as well as Moore Farms Botanical Garden in South Carolina. Maxine’s years of experience in the horticulture industry include positions as Horticulturist, IPM Coordinator, and Plant Recorder. Maxine is also a current PhD student in the Rutgers Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources.
Alex Sawatzky has a master’s degree in sustainable food systems and specializes in small-scale organic farming. He began his farming career as an intern at Living Hope Farm in Pennsylvania in 2010. He then went on to start Sandbrook Meadow Farm in Stockton, NJ—a certified organic farm and CSA, where he was farm manager and co-owner for eight years. He joined Rutgers University in 2019 as the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm Manager. In this role, Alex has mentored undergraduate and graduate students in learning and implementing principles and practices of small-scale farming. He has also coached aspiring farmers—working professionals from a variety of sectors interested in starting careers in agriculture as a farm coach for the RU Beginner Farmer Training Program, and taught undergraduates as part-time instructor in the Agriculture and Food Systems Program.
Dr. Lauren Errickson has served as the Director of Rutgers Gardens since January 2022. In a previous university role, she worked with Rutgers Cooperative Extension in the development, management, and evaluation of multifaceted nutrition, agriculture, and food access programs, including the New Brunswick Community Farmers Market and Community Gardens, Rutgers Against Hunger, and RU Ready to Farm: Getting Rooted in the Garden State. Prior to coming to Rutgers, Lauren co-owned and operated a small-scale, diversified organic farm and worked for a number of years in the environmental and agricultural education non-profit sector. She completed her Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers, after earning a M.S. in Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Stockton University. She has taught ecology, environmental studies, water resources, and health-focused courses at Rutgers and other universities. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed publications such as the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development; Journal of Extension; and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
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