Explore nature as a family at Duke Gardens

By Katie Jones
Photo by Megan Morr/Duke Photography

The garden—with all of its boundless life, activity and potential for discovery—is a perfect place to explore with the whole family. Whether your family simply wants to enjoy a day in the garden or wants to investigate nature or our food sources, Duke Gardens has much to offer.

“Nature is endlessly fascinating, and everything in the garden is exciting,” says Kavanah Anderson, education program coordinator at Duke Gardens.

Because there is so much to discover, parents should encourage their children to use their imaginations to guide them to the areas that intrigue them. The most important thing to do with your kids in the garden is  to build the sense that they can investigate and discover at their own pace, says Anderson, who puts together classes, camps and programs for children of all ages and their families.

“The families must feel like they have some ways to explore safely and know where to take their questions for satisfying answers,” she says.

Did you know that earthworms carry their eggs around their waists in a band—kind of like they are wearing a special kind of belt? It’s wacky facts like these that make people of all ages smile and want to learn more about nature’s inhabitants.

“Sometimes it’s really fun just to find a weed and pull it up to really look closely at the different parts of a plant,” says Anderson. “You’re looking up close at the stem and the roots and the leaves and finding flowers and talking about the function of the different parts.”

Duke Gardens’ Discovery Garden Family Workshops provide an opportunity to learn more tips and tools for discovery that you and the whole family can take to your own back yard. Upcoming workshops in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden (a new organic food garden) include “Insect Investigation” on March 28 from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m., "Three Sister Gardens" on April 24 from 1:30-2:30 p.m., and "Plant a Rainbow," on May 1 from 2-3 p.m. Although there are pre-determined themes to these events, many activities will be guided by the interests of the children and families in attendance.

Another great program for children to investigate nature more deeply is spring break or summer Nature Adventures Camps. Campers will prowl their way around the Gardens to discover animal habitats, learn how clever plants can be, and become scientists in these weekly day camps, beginning with spring break from April 1-5 and then running from June 10 to Aug. 2.

For more information about these and other family programs, please go to gardens.duke.edu or call 919-668-1707.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture. Duke Gardens is at 420 Anderson St.

Columnist Katie Jones is an undergraduate student at Duke and a work-study student at Duke Gardens. This column first appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun.

Path-closure notice: Asiatic Arboretum 3/27/13

Duke Gardens will close several paths on Wednesday, March 27, for removal of a pine tree that was damaged by storms and is a hazard.

Duke students and other visitors accustomed to walking from the Lewis Street entrance of the Asiatic Arboretum to Flowers Drive on the south side of the pond will need to take an alternate route on Wednesday. Other nearby paths will also be affected. Please see the map above for assistance.

We are sorry for the inconvenience and plan to have all paths open again on Thursday. Thank you for your cooperation.

Class Preview: Exploring Spring Flora

Hepatica Americana. Photo by Stefan Bloodworth

By Emma Loewe

When envisioning the floral transition into springtime, people usually imagine a sudden and dramatic bloom—an outburst of life that quickly drapes over the barren winter landscape. But botanist Ken Moore, former assistant director of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, disagrees. He says the cyclical nature of plants makes the rise to spring a more gradual one.

Moore will discuss this early spring period in a field studies class presented by Duke Gardens at Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve on March 16. He shared some of his observations in a phone interview this month.

Certain spring wildflowers on the forest floor take advantage of the dwindling sunlight of late winter, Moore notes. Spring ephemerals are plants “adapted to come out as soon as the weather begins warming up while there is still sunlight coming through the deciduous tree canopy of the forest.”

This year, these signs of the coming spring are surfacing especially early. “Because of the weird weather we are having, things are blooming earlier than normal.” Plants like hepatica take advantage of milder weather, he says, and “if you have a warm spell in winter, a few of them will come out on certain sunny days.”

Crane flower orchids are another instance of wildflowers that flourish outside of the typical flowering season. The flower’s leaves “come out in the fall on the forest floor, grow through the winter and disappear in April, taking advantage of the winter sun.” The products of this early development can be seen in the summer when its stems come up covered in a cluster of tiny orchids.

Once spring hits and life is restored in natural habitats, the forest takes on a whole new dimension, he says. “The plants and animals are responding to the return of the warmer growing season, so you’ll have lots and lots of activity—from plants growing and flowering to insects buzzing around and pollinating to the birds going through their life cycle. You’re looking at everything.”

Nature’s seasonality limits every life span, Moore says. For this reason, observing something in blossom is a true gift. “Every time you see a native plant in bloom, it's really special. It's like a present—taking a walk in the woods means seeing what little presents nature has given you.”

Consider joining Moore to see what gifts nature has to offer next month. His “Early Spring Jewels: Field Studies” hike runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

TO REGISTER: please call 919-668-1707, email slsmith@duke.edu or go to gardens.duke.edu to register or for more information. 

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture. The Gardens is at 420 Anderson St.

Columnist Emma Loewe is an environmental policy major at Duke University and a work-study assistant at Duke Gardens. This column originally appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun.

Tango & Swing weekend: dances & workshops

Chris & Holly Owens

Duke Gardens' new Health & Wellness Series continues this weekend, Feb. 8 & 9, with a fun-packed schedule of dances and beginner workshops.

TANGO

On Friday, Feb. 8, we'll host an Argentine tango milonga (dance) in the Doris Duke Center's Kirby Horton Hall (with a gorgeous hardwood floor that's perfect for dancing). Jason Laughlin and Cecilia Pagani, of Tangophilia, will teach a beginner lesson from 7-8 p.m., which is included in the price of admission. You need not show up with a partner. Everyone will rotate partners (except those who prefer not to), so you will get to know others at the event very quickly.

The dance will run from 8-11 p.m. This is Argentine tango, not the choreographed American tango you may have seen on "Dancing with the Stars." Argentine tango is a gorgeous dance to experience or even just to watch. Check out the video below to see the dance style you can expect at Friday's dance. Argentine tango can be danced in close embrace or open embrace. Beginners generally dance in open embrace.

SWING 

On Saturday, Feb. 9, we'll start the day earlier with some dance workshops with Chris Owens & Holly Beeson Owens, of What a Shuffle and the Eastern Balboa Championships. We'll start with a beginner Balboa workshop from 2-3 p.m. Then Chris & Holly will build on that beginner class with a beginner 2 workshop from 3-4 p.m. From 6-7 p.m. they'll offer a beginner Charleston workshop.

Then you can stay for the evening swing dance, which runs from 8-11 p.m., after a 7-8 p.m. beginner East Coast Swing lesson with Chris & Holly that's included with the dance admission. DJs Chris Owens & Ray Crampton will spin tunes through the evening.

TICKET INFO + MORE

Please see our swing dance web page for more info about workshop fees, dance tickets and other details, including a discount on advance tickets for Duke staff & students and members of Duke Gardens, CDC & TSDS. More info on the tango milonga is here. We'd love for you spread the word about these events via our Facebook page, too.

VIDEOS 

Below are some videos to give you an sense of the dances and what to expect. The first is Chris & Holly previewing the Balboa workshops. The second is a demonstration of some Charleston moves. The third is Jason and Cecilia dancing tango. And the last one is an East Coast Swing demo.

Health & Wellness: dancing & yoga at the Gardens

Social dances, dance workshops and yoga are part of a new Health and Wellness Series that Duke Gardens is offering this winter.

DANCES and WORKSHOPS

* Please see our February update with Feb. 8 & 9 tango dance, swing dance and swing workshops. Each dance starts with a 1-hour beginner lesson included with admission.

A swing dance and workshop series on Saturday, Jan. 12, kicks off the dance series. The dance will be at 8 p.m., preceded by a beginner lesson at 7 p.m. that’s included with admission. People age 16 and over may attend, and no partner is required. Richard Badu will teach the lesson and DJs will spin classic swing tunes for the dance.

Duke Gardens will also host four one-hour workshops from 1 to 5 p.m. with Wesley Boz and Debbie Ramsey, of Mad About Dance Academy. The workshops are: slow blues for beginners, 1 p.m.; Charleston kicking patterns, 2 p.m.; slow blues for experienced dancers, 3 p.m.; advanced East Coast swing patterns, 4 p.m. Again, no partner is necessary.

On Friday, Feb. 8, the Gardens will host a tango dance at 8 p.m., preceded by a 7 p.m. beginner lesson with Jason Laughlin, of Tangophilia.

And on Saturday, Feb. 9, there will be a swing dance at 8 p.m., preceded by a 7 p.m. beginner lesson with Chris Owens, of What a Shuffle. Chris and Holly Owens will also teach three workshops preceding the dance: beginner Balboa (2-3 p.m.), beginner Balboa II (3-4 p.m.) and beginner Charleston (6-7 p.m.).

TICKET PRICES: Tickets to the dances are $10 in advance for general admission; $8 for Duke students/staff and members of Duke Gardens, Carolina Dance Club or Triangle Swing Dance Society. Tickets may be bought with a credit card over the phone at 668-1707. Advance sales end at noon the day before each dance. At the door, if tickets remain, they will be $12 for all, with a $5 student rush for students with a valid high school or college i.d. (cash/check only).

Admission to the Jan. 12 workshops is $18; $16 members of Duke Gardens, CDC or TSDS or Duke staff/students. Multi-class discounts: $32/$30 for 2 workshops; $42/$38 for 3 workshops; $48/$44 for all four workshops.


Admission to the Feb. 9 workshops is $18; $16 members of Duke Gardens, CDC or TSDS or Duke staff/students. Multi-class discounts: $32/$30 for 2 workshops; $42/$38 for 3 workshops.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK: We'd love it if you'd help spread the word by RSVPing to these events (even "maybe" is OK) and then inviting your Facebook friends. Please go to https://www.facebook.com/DukeGardens and click the "events" tab for a full list of events.

NEW YOGA SERIES

 Photo by Rick Fisher

The Gardens’ yoga classes for beginners -- titled "Yoga, Stretch & Meditation for Gardeners," but open to non-gardeners also -- will start Thursday, Jan. 10, from 6-7 p.m. and run through Feb. 14. People may attend all classes or simply drop in. The class will include yoga, meditation, therapy ball massage and stretching, and it will be taught by Orla Swift. It will have a special focus on addressing and preventing aches and pains that gardeners get, but anyone can benefit. It’s open to anyone age 16 and older.

TO REGISTER: The drop-in fee is $15 per class. Students who pay for a multi-class pass will pay $10 per class, or $8 for members of Duke Gardens or Duke students/staff. For more information, or to register, please go to gardens.duke.edu or call (919) 668-1707.

Holiday gift idea: dance, dance, dance!

Having trouble finding a fun holiday gift for a special someone?

Why not give him/her an evening of fun at Duke Gardens' forthcoming swing or tango dances?

We'll have swing dances on Jan. 12 and Feb. 9, each preceded by a one-hour beginner lesson that's included with the price of admission. We'll also have four one-hour workshops from 1-5 p.m. on Jan. 12, which you can read about in our previous blog post.

And on Feb. 8, we'll have a tango milonga, also preceded by a one-hour beginner lesson.

You don't need to bring a partner, and you don't need a certain level of physical fitness. You can enjoy these dances at any level. They're part of the new health and wellness series of classes and events offered at Duke Gardens.

For information about other educational programs for children and adults, please see our website. We are only now beginning registration for these events, so feel free to craft your own gift certificate and take care of the registration details with our registrar Dec. 26 or thereafter at (919) 668-1707.

Happy holidays!

 

Photo courtesy of Mario De Camillis & Barbara Wainnright

Swing dance workshops Jan. 12

Duke Gardens' swing dances have been so popular that we decided to go a step further and offer an afternoon of swing workshops preceding our next dance on Jan. 12. The dances and workshops are part of a new Health & Wellness Series that also includes yoga for beginners.

The workshops will be taught by the fabulous Wesley Boz and Debbie Ramsey, of Mad About Dance Academy.

Each workshop will be an hour long, and they will run from 1-5 p.m. Beginners who would like to attend the 8 p.m. dance that night should also plan to take advantage of Wes' one-hour beginner East Coast swing lesson at 7 p.m., which is included in the cost of dance admission. That beginner lesson will be different from what's taught in the workshops, but it will all work together for you.

Please see our website for full information about the evening dance and lesson.

The workshops will be as follows:

1 p.m.: Slow Blues Basics
Learn the basic elements of this popular dance style, including connection, rhythm and musicality.

2 p.m.: Charleston Kicking Patterns
Add some more spunk to your basic East Coast Swing with a dash of high-energy Charleston. 

3 p.m.: Slow Blues for Experienced Dancers
Move beyond the basics of the popular blues dance style, using your existing dance abilities to dig deeper into connection, rhythm and musicality.   

4 p.m.: Advanced East Coast Swing Patterns
Take your swing dancing to a whole new level.

Cost: $18; $16 members of Duke Gardens, Carolina Dance Club or Triangle Swing Dance Society.
Multi-class discounts: $32/$30 for 2 workshops; $42/$38 for 3 workshops; $48/$44 for all four workshops.

Pre-registration required. Parking included.

Buy tickets: To charge tickets by phone, please call 888-21SWING. Tickets may also be purchased in person at Duke Gardens (cash/check only).

Gardens info: 919-668-1707. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 420 Anderson St. gardens.duke.edu.