Want to save some money on our classes, while also being invited to exclusive events, all while supporting one of your local greenspaces? Then become an Arboretum Member today!

• Arboretum memberships last for 12 months (1 year) from the date of purchase.

• Members receive discounts for Arboretum classes as well as 10% off at the Arboretum's gift store.

• Members are also invited to special Arboretum member-only events and nights such as the Arboretum's Plant Sale, 4th of July Fireworks Viewing, Luminaria, and more!

4-Part Landscape Design Class with Doug Rice

Tuesdays April 16, 23, 30, and May 7th

6:00pm to 9:00pm

Cost:

$150 YAA Member

$165 Non-Member

$50 for a Partner (Work on Same Design)

Learn the fundamentals of residential garden design for the homeowner with Doug Rice, a landscape architect who taught garden design for over 20 years in the Seattle Community College system.

Doug's first class will discuss how to create a plan and how to "see" what you have and determine what you want. Class two teaches you the design process and how to apply it to your situation. Class three teaches the fundamentals of designing with plants. The fourth and final class will look at each student's plan for feedback and suggestions. 

Each class is three hours long. Remember, if you have a plan, your project will tend to happen!

*All supplies for the class will be provided! 

If your spouse, partner, or housemate would like to join you, then they can be added for $50 to work on the same design as yours. If you wish to work on two separate and different plans, then it will be the full price for each person.

Spring Beginning Mushroom Foraging Class

Wednesday, May 1st, 2024

6:00pm to 8:00pm

Cost:

$25 YAA or YVMS Member

$30 Non-Member

There is more to mushrooms than those buttons you can get down at the grocery store, your local forest has so much more to offer!

Let us introduce you to the wonderful world of Spring (and some fall) wild mushroom hunting, where you can find choice edible mushrooms that you would normally only see on the menu of a high-end restaurant. Through this class, you can learn some basic tips on how to get started, including helpful supplies, a brief look at some of the more prized edible mushrooms (and areas to find them), and some ideas on how to prepare and cook what you find.

If you're into mushroom hunting but don't where to go, this is the perfect class for you to help get you started. Join the Yakima Valley Mushroom Society (www.yvms.org) to get more information about mushrooms in our area, where to find them, and even what to cook with them!

Ink Trails and Wilderness Tales with Jim Christensen-

Select Tuesdays (and one Monday)

6:00pm to 8:00pm

Cost: FREE

Upcoming Dates:

February 27th- Australia (Queensland and N Territory)

March 26th- South Australia and Victoria

April 22nd (MONDAY)- Wonders within 50 miles of Yakima

May 28th- Washington's Cascade Mountains

June 25th- Butterflies of Yakima County

July 30th- Glacier National Park

August 27th- Alaska Tour

All talks will be from 6pm to 8pm!

World traveler, photographer, author, and fantastic pen artist Jim Christensen will take you through his travels around the globe by showing his photos and drawings, discussing his time exploring the wonders of our natural world. These talks are free to attend, but donations are gladly accepted. Jim will be selling some of his prints from his original drawings to support the Yakima Area Arboretum as well to those interested!

Free Native Plant Identification Public Workshops

Wednesdays:

Mar 20, May 8, July 10, Sep 11, Oct 9, and Nov 13, 2024

6:00pm to 7:30pm

Cost: FREE

Whether it's learning about grasses, identifying leafless twigs, or spending an evening determining which type of native aster we have in our hands, it's always a fun journey to learn together with the Washington Native Plant Society using the dichotomous keys at the workshops.

These are not formal "classes" but are more like a nature study club that likes to brush up on their flora of the inland northwest in different ways using real samples. Registration is preferred but walk-ins are welcome, though space may be limited.