In spring, ephemeral wildflowers cover the woodlands in an explosion of colors. In this virtual workshop, participants will learn how to identify these plants, where they grow, how their life cycles work, and what plants they most often grow with.
Through online study, live online class via Zoom, and in person exploration in the spring woods, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of the beauty and diversity of woodland plants and their role and importance in a functioning woodland ecosystem.
This class is intended for learners who have had a previous introduction to plant ID. Self-paced components can be completed wherever you have access to a computer, at your own pace. A live web conference takes place in Central time, followed by an in person session on the ground of the Arboretum. Online assignments will be due before the live session.
This program includes self-paced online components, a live online session with the instructor, and an in-person session at The Morton Arboretum.
Instructor: Chris Benda, botanist
Continuing Education: This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program. Learn more about N-ACT.
Age: 16 and older
Course number: W212
Instructor
Chris Benda, botanist
Chris Benda is a botanist and past president of the Illinois Native Plant Society (2015–2016). He works as a researcher at Southern Illinois University, where he coordinates the Plants of Concern Southern Illinois Program and teaches The Flora of Southern Illinois. Besides working at SIU, he conducts botanical fieldwork around the world, teaches a variety of classes at The Morton Arboretum, and leads nature tours for Camp Ondessonk. He has research appointments with the University of Illinois and Argonne National Laboratory, and he is an accomplished photographer and author of several publications about natural areas in Illinois. Learn more about his work at Illinois Botanizer.
What to Know
This program includes an online component you will complete on your own, a live online class with the instructor via Zoom, and an in person session at The Morton Arboretum.
Please provide a unique email address for each registrant at registration. Registrants will receive an email with instructions on how to access Treelearning, the Arboretum’s online learning portal. Access begins at noon on the class start date, and lasts for 60 days.
Complete self-paced activities, such as e-learning modules, reading material, short videos, interactive activities, and quizzes to check your understanding. The self-paced activities do not need to be completed in one sitting. Your instructor will not be online with you.
Complete the online component before the live online session and the field session. The self-guided online portion will take approximately 3 hours. It does not need to be completed in one sitting, but you must complete it before your live classes.
The live web conference will take place using Zoom. A link will be provided to all registrants by email. Registrants should click on the link to join the live online sessions at the scheduled date and time. The live web conference will be recorded and made available to registered participants for the duration of the class.
For the in person session at the Arboretum, participants should plan to meet in the classroom and spend a significant portion of class outdoors. Dress for being outside in the weather for more than an hour and wear sturdy, comfortable walking shoes. Plan to be standing or walking for more than an hour on dirt, grass, or wood chipped paths and trails.
This class fulfills a requirement for the Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program. Learn more about N-ACT.
Program Schedule
This program includes self-paced online components and two live online sessions.
Thursday, April 4, 2024, noon:
Access self-paced online components on TreeLearning
Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.:
Attend live online Zoom session
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:
Meet in person at the Thornhill Education Center
