The Morton Arboretum is dedicated to supporting the educators that are teaching the tree stewards of the future. In addition to providing the materials and resources, the Arboretum hosts teacher workshops that align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, and when applicable Common Core State Standards. Additionally, these workshops provide CPDH credit for participating individuals.
Teachers and educators, expand your knowledge and skills with workshops and resources that foster a connection to nature and the environment for your students.
In addition to workshops and courses within our professional development framework of offerings, we also partner with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to offer ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) workshops throughout the year. For more information on these offerings, and to learn more about other ENTICE programs in your area, visit this webpage.
Teacher Tuesdays
Tuesdays, June 2 through September 29, 2026
Teacher Tuesdays provide free admission to current educators to explore the Arboretum to learn about its many educational resources. Classroom teachers, homeschool teachers, and pre-service student teachers from preschool through college qualify for the program.
Free Teacher Tuesday passes must be obtained in advance by filling out the interest form the week prior to the desired Teacher Tuesday. The interest form opens each Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, unless capacity has been reached. Pass availability is on a first-come, first-served basis and capacity may vary each week. Teacher passes are not available at the gatehouse.
Complete the interest form to register for the next Teacher Tuesday.
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Free with advance registration. Registration opens weekly Wednesday at 8:00am and stays open until capacity has been filled OR 4pm on Friday, whichever comes first.
Basic Tree Identification
Saturday, July 18, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to noon OR Saturday, August 8, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to noon | CPDH credit offered
Get to know the common trees you see in local preserves or in your neighborhood in this single-session class at The Morton Arboretum! You will learn how to identify a tree by: recognizing characteristics such as leaves, bark, branches, flowers, and fruit, using tree identification keys and field guides, closely observing your natural surroundings. Although the concepts you will learn can be applied to identifying trees in any region, this course will focus on examples of common trees in Illinois and the Midwest.
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- 4.LS1.1 – Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
- MS.LS2.1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystems.
- MS.LS2.5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystems services.
- HS.LS4.5 Evaluate evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in changes in species distribution.
Tree identification is a useful skill that can deepen your connection with nature. Get to know the common trees you see in local preserves or in your neighborhood in this single-session class at The Morton Arboretum! You will learn how to identify a tree by:
- Recognizing characteristics such as leaves, bark, branches, flowers, and fruit
- Using tree identification keys and field guides
- Closely observing your natural surroundings
- Although the concepts you will learn can be applied to identifying trees in any region, this course will focus on examples of common trees in Illinois and the Midwest.
This program meets in person at The Morton Arboretum. If you’d like to learn from home, please check out the self-paced online course, Basic Tree ID (on demand).
Instructor: Education program guides, The Morton Arboretum
Continuing education: This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program. This program also provides educators with continuing professional development hours (CPDH).
Age: 16 and older
Course number: N142
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Adult: $39
Member: $32
Educator Open House
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Attend an open house for educators at The Morton Arboretum to discover and explore a variety of STEM resources for teachers and students. On Tuesday, August 18, the Educator Open House will host a number of local STEM resources, museums, and organizations that can support your students’ learning this school year. Connect with other K–12 STEM professionals in DuPage, Cook, Kane, and Will counties and uncover resources to bring science education to life in your classroom.
Attendees may arrive any time between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to review resources while connecting with local experts.
Register to attend the Educator Open House. Registration opens Monday June 1, 2026.
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Educator is free with advance registration. Guests will need to purchase their admission ticket in advance.
Full Moon Guided Hike
Thursday, August 27, or Saturday, September 26, 2026, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. | CPDH credit offered
As a naturalist guide leads you along moonlit trails at The Morton Arboretum, learn moon facts and lore, how animals are adapted for nighttime. Enjoy the magic of the woods on a summer night, the symphony of sounds, and hopefully some wildlife darting through the darkness. In this special opportunity to enjoy the Arboretum after hours, you’ll be surprised how much you can see in the dark.
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- MS.LS1.4 – Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
- MS.LS4.4 – Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
- MS.LS2.2 – Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
- MS.ESS1.1 – Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
In this special opportunity to enjoy the Arboretum after hours, you’ll be surprised how much you can see in the dark.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Education program guides, The Morton Arboretum
Continuing education: This program provides educators with continuing professional development hours (CPDH).
Age: 16 and older
Course number: N064
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Adult: $26
Member: $19
ENTICE: Adaptive Aves
September 12, 2026 9:00am - 3:00pm | CPDH credit offered
Flap your wings down to The Morton Arboretum and explore animal structures and adaptations using a variety of activities with the theme of birds. Participants will explore several examples of different birds' feathers, participate in an interactive lab that examines beak adaptations, a hands-on exploration of bird's feet, and so much more! Participants will walk away with indoor and outdoor activities related to bird adaptations. Although targeted to teachers of grades fifth through eighth grade, all educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but the information may need to be adapted, as appropriate. Supplemental classroom resources and materials will be provided. Professional Development Hours are available.
Sponsored by the IDNR, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.
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NGSS Alignment:
- 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
- 5-PS3-1. Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, and motion and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.
- MS-LS1-4. Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
- MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
- MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
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Sponsored by the IDNR, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program. Learn more and register at https://www.enticeworkshops.com/
Adult Field Trip: Eco Explorers
Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. OR Thursday, September 17, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | CPDH credit offered
Remember the excitement of field trip day when you were younger? Come to the Arboretum for an adult field trip experience! Hunt for producers, consumers, and decomposers in three different ecosystems with hands-on activities and experience this popular Eco Explorers field trip program. Engage in hands-on activities, just like our field trip students do, to compare the unique characteristics of living things in each ecosystem.
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- 2.LS4.1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
- 3.LS3.2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
- 3.LS4.3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Education program guide, The Morton Arboretum
Continuing education: This program provides educators with continuing professional development hours (CPDH).
Age: 16 and older
Course number: N001
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Adult: $26
Member: $19
Diversifying Conservation with Indigenous Perspectives
Self-paced online course | CPDH credit offered
Consider environmental stewardship from Indigenous perspectives, and learn to apply the principles of Indigenous science to conservation and land management efforts. This recorded webinar series explores how science, language, and maps shape our understanding of land and our relationship to it.
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Consider environmental stewardship from Indigenous perspectives, and learn to apply the principles of Indigenous science to conservation and land management efforts. This recorded webinar series explores how science, language, and maps shape our understanding of land and our relationship to it.
Over the course of three sessions, participants will
- learn the principles of Indigenous science,
- examine language and cultural bias in science, and
- explore Indigenous perspectives on conservation and land management.
- Build a framework for understanding the relationship between humans and nature, long understood by Indigenous peoples, and provide ways to apply this understanding to the way you work, recreate, and relate to the natural world.
Session 1: The Basics of Indigenous and Western Science
Session 2: The Language of Science
Session 3: Rethinking Our Relationship with Land Management
This program is online and self-guided.
Instructors: Billie Warren, founder, Jibek Mbwakawen; Kaya DeerInWater, community garden manager, Citizen Band Potawatomi; Franklin Barker, language coordinator, Gun Lake Tribe; Gabrielle VanSteenberg, geographer
Age: 18 and older
Course number: N112-OD
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Adult: $55
Member: $45
Educator: $22.50