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.
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
Basic Tree Identification
Saturday, October 3, 2026 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. OR Saturday October 17, 2026 9:20 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | 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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Adult: $39
Member: $32
250 Years of American Woodlore
Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Educator Discount Coupon Code Available
Explore the history of how trees have shaped American life and culture with arborist, educator, and woodlore expert Levi O’Brien.
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Explore the history of how trees have shaped American life and culture with arborist, educator, and woodlore expert Levi O’Brien. Through stories, discussion, and close observation, learn how the physical and aesthetic characteristics of tree species, their wood, and their many uses have influenced people and communities.
In this single-session program, learn about the traditions and folklore connected to America’s trees, from the role of locust and pine trees in naval battles to the ways roller skating helped transform the textile industry.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Levi O’Brien, arborist and educator, Levi O’Brien Tree School
Age: 18 and older
Course number: N025
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Adult: $32
Member: $25
Educator Coupon Code for 50% off: EDTEACH50
Creating Pigments with Invasive Species
Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Educator Discount Coupon Code Available
Learn how to transform common invasive plant species, including European buckthorn and honeysuckle, into natural inks and watercolors while exploring the science and ecology behind these plants.
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Learn how to transform common invasive plant species, including European buckthorn and honeysuckle, into natural inks and watercolors while exploring the science and ecology behind these plants.
Through hands-on activities, you’ll experiment with handmade inks, discover how modifiers influence color, create your own watercolor paints to take home, and gain practical guidance for identifying and effectively removing invasive species from the landscape.
All experience levels are welcome.
All supplies are included in the cost of registration.
This program takes place in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Mara Baker, Professor of Art, College of DuPage
Age: 16 and older
Course number: A071
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Adult: $160
Member: $136
Educator Coupon Code for 50% off: EDTEACH50
Winter Solstice Guided Hike
Saturday, December 19, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Educator Discount Coupon Code Available
Hear solstice stories, learn how plants and animals survive the cold winter months, identify signs of life on the trails and consider your role in nature on this hike,
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The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, when the path of the sun in the sky is farthest south in the Northern Hemisphere. After the solstice, the days get longer, so the day is celebrated in many cultures as a time of rebirth.
During this guided walk, you will:
Hear solstice stories
Learn how plants and animals survive the cold winter months
Identify signs of life along the trails
Consider our human role as being a part of nature rather than apart from it
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.Instructor: Education program guides, The Morton Arboretum
Age: 16 and older
Course number: N066
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Adult: $24
Member: $17
Educator Coupon Code for 50% off: EDTEACH50
Forest Therapy Walks
Dates vary throughout December | Educator Discount Coupon Code Available
Awaken your senses and reconnect with nature during these mindful walks with a certified forest therapy guide. On the walk, experience guided, gentle invitations to open the senses, cultivate presence, and invite healing interactions between people and the natural world.
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Experience the healing and wellness-promoting effects of shinrin-yoku, the practice of bathing the senses in the atmosphere of the forest.
Awaken your senses and reconnect with nature during these mindful walks with a certified forest therapy guide. No two walks are the same; visit different locations at The Morton Arboretum and enjoy a variety of awareness-raising exercises.
On the walk, experience a series of guided, gentle invitations to open the senses, cultivate presence, and invite healing interactions between people and the natural world. To finish, enjoy a closing ceremony with tea made from plants foraged from the forest.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructors: Kristy Belton, certified forest therapy guide, Prairie Pathways; Beth Bengtson, certified forest therapy guide; Jeni Gabrenya, certified forest therapy guide; Retta Hennessy, certified forest therapy guide, The Morton Arboretum; Jessica Rodriguez, certified forest therapy guide, Reciprocal Forest Bathing; Jane Wandless, certified forest therapy guide and administrative coordinator, Chicago Region Trees Initiative, The Morton Arboretum
Age: 16 and older
Course Number: WELL008 / WELL016
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Adult: $24
Member: $17
Educator Coupon Code for 50% off: EDTEACH50