Activities: Main Program Calendar

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Attractive and utilitarian – Tia Tumminello, from Husk Brooms, will teach you how to create your very own hens wing hand broom! Made with broom corn and nylon cord, these nifty fab-shaped brooms are great tools for cleaning large areas: desks, kitchen tables, stairs, fireplaces, or even radiators.

Broomcorn is the essential natural material for household cleaning because it’s delicate enough to catch hair and smaller debris while being strong enough to bend without breaking. Made intentionally with a long handle, these hand tools can easily be incorporated into daily use. Students will leave the workshop with one hand broom, crafted with the color cord of their choosing.

The hens wing design is a friendly style for beginners. Broom-making can be physically demanding and does require dexterity in both hands and feet. Participants should feel comfortable being barefoot or wear thin socks as it’s surprisingly easier to manipulate the foot bobbin.

Members $45 | Nonmembers $55  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Tia Tumminello is the founder of Husk Brooms in Pittsburgh, PA. She started her broom making journey in 2021 after admiring a Shaker handcrafted broom. Tia’s interest in the craft grew organically and by summer 2023, she launched Husk Brooms as a business. Her process for classes is to follow the leader style by showing students how each step goes and making the broom along with them. Classes are arranged in a circle so everyone can see the instructor and the process easily.

Program suitable for adults and children 16 years or older. Children under age 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Join Dorit Brauer to learn tools for optimizing health and achieving an in-depth understanding of the mind/body connection. Guided meditation is accompanied by a ‘sound bath’ – the relaxing sound of quartz crystal singing bowls – which induce alpha wave-level activity in the brain, balance hemispheres of the brain, and promote health and harmony.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $30  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Dorit Brauer is an award-winning artist and author. She is the founder of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. In 2016, she received the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award by Global Pittsburgh in recognition of her achievements and enriching the Pittsburgh region with her talent and tenacity since arriving in 1998. Read more about the Brauer Institute: The Brauer Institute of Holistic Medicine

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Celebrate Mother’s Day early with a fun tea party and floral crown creation workshop! Every participant will make their own matching floral crowns. Let the creativity flow using fresh flowers while you enjoy sips and sweets together. All flowers and materials are included.

Members $35  |  Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

Additional Child: Members $10  |  Nonmembers $20

About the Instructor

JoAnna Thomas is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. With a background in fine art & design, she began working as a florist in Chicago, where she managed her own floral shop. JoAnna has designed for many private events and special occasions, including her role as the principal designer for Blossom – Autumn Magic at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.

Details

All flowers and materials are included in ticket pricing. This program is suitable for children ages 5-12, accompanied by an adult.

Calling all adult Pittsburgh Botanic Garden members and volunteers! Join us at the Garden for a book club to discuss works on the wondrous and sometimes wacky world of plants, nature and the environment. Read the book ahead of time and come ready to share your point of view. Selections will vary and discussions are sure to be lively! Mingle with fellow members, discuss interesting ideas and form new friendships.

Become A Member

Free to members and volunteers, but pre-registration is required.

May 2024 Selection:

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

“A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakota family’s struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.”

Read More & Purchase Book >

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Community Acupuncture is a means to provide affordable acupuncture, in terms of both money and time. Join Kayla Simmons (MSAOM) and Jamie Schlier (MAc, LAc) for community acupuncture sessions every other Saturday at the Garden. Sessions are 30 minutes long and will take place between 10:00am – 12:00pm. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine solid filament needles into specific points of the body to treat various ailments. Now, you can experience relief and relaxation all at once at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden!

Members $30 | Nonmembers $40  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Kayla Simmons is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, massage therapist, and yoga instructor who uses a blend of these modalities in each treatment. She has been working with and studying the various human body systems for the last ten years with an emphasis on understanding how to bridge the mental, emotional, and physical bodies. In 2014, she completed her 200-hour Hatha yoga training with the Himalayan Institute and then immediately began a four-year graduate program in Asheville, NC to achieve her Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Jamie Schlier has an undergraduate degree with a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Acupuncture from the Won Institute of Graduate Studies. Jamie’s clinical interests include women’s health, sports medicine and performance optimization, autoimmune conditions, and pain management. She blends techniques from Acupuncture Physical Medicine, Kiiko Matsumoto Style, and Worsley Five-Element Acupuncture. As an acupuncturist, Jamie emphasizes the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Acupuncture needling, gua sha, moxibustion, and cupping are all tools she uses to guide the body, mind, and spirit towards inner harmony.

Process

After a short intake, you will relax in a zero-gravity chair while experienced acupuncturists place needles in the ear, hands, or other easily accessible areas of the body. Sessions will last for 30 minutes. There will be 2-3 other sessions ongoing while you are relaxing.

Questions / Concerns

Feel free to contact Kayla Simmons beforehand with any questions or concerns at kayla@nourishandmovepgh.com or text (412) 206-9837. Read more about Nourish & Move Pittsburgh on nourishandmovepgh.com >

Please be sure to specify your appointment time and arrive at least 5 minutes early for your appointment to maintain proper scheduling. Only 1 person per 30-minute time slot, max of 3 people in the room at any time.

Spring means the return of innumerable plants emerging from winter dormancy and starting their seasonal journeys of growing, flowering and setting seed. Have you ever wondered how many of them are edible? Join author and historian, Brady Crytzer, for an exploration of the wild plants and herbs used by Native Americans and European settlers in Western Pennsylvania. After an informative lecture, we’ll venture out into the gardens and woodlands of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in search of wild edible plants.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $35  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

With seven books to his credit, Brady J. Crytzer is the winner of the 2023 Judge Robert K. Woltz History Award. A specialist in frontier history, Crytzer is a narrator and commentator on the hit cable series “Into the Wild Frontier” on NBC Peacock and “Outlaws and Lawmen” on FOX News. He has been featured on CSPAN and SiriusXM.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

One of the hottest trends in public horticulture is including attractive edible plants in annual plantings. Gone are the days when your fruits and vegetables were relegated to the back forty. Join us as Education & Exhibits Director, Dr. Mark Miller, examines best practices, pretty planting combinations, choosing beautiful edibles and companion planting, among other concepts.

Members $10 | Nonmembers $15  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Dr. Mark Miller is the Education & Exhibits Director at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. He earned his Ph.D. in Environment & Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and has over 40 years experience working as a landscape designer, tree crop specialist, educator, and director at botanical institutions and associations around the country.

Untangling Our Roots is a collaborative exhibition featuring the work of Peggi Habets and Lauren Braun. Join the artists for a deep dive into their artistic practice, sources of inspiration, and concepts examined throughout the exhibition. Peggi Habets and Lauren Braun’s exhibition features paintings, mixed-media collages, mobiles, and handmade objects. Read more about Untangling Our Roots >

This is a free, member-only program. Not a member? Click here to join today and enjoy members-only programs, discounted registrations, free admission, member newsletters, discounts, and more!

About the Artists

Peggi Habets lives and works as an artist in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Her deep love for the fluidity and spontaneity of watercolor has led her to paint and teach in the medium for over 15 years. Her figurative and cityscape paintings have been exhibited and collected internationally and she has received awards in many prestigious shows, including the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society International Juried Exhibitions. Read More

Lauren Braun is an artist, certified mindfulness facilitator and educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. She creates mixed media collages and mobiles that explore themes of play, meditation, and nature. Lauren is a teaching artist offering workshops in meditation and collage at Contemporary Craft and mobile art classes with Fine Art Miracles where she works with senior citizens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Read More

Cover photo courtesy of Nathan Shaulis / Porter Loves Photography (@porterloves)

Join Doug Oster from Gardening with Doug, and Dr. Mark Miller, Education & Exhibits Director, for a walk through the gardens and woodlands of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden to view and learn about the wondrous plants found here! This program’s focus will be on plants that shine in spring. There will be copious amounts of witty banter and plant-nerdy conversations. The tour will be followed by a delicious lunch featuring fresh, seasonal produce.

Also – it’s almost time to plant annuals, tropicals and much of your edible plants. Doug will wax lyrical about his favorite seasonal plants and produce – and will have some seeds/seedlings of lesser-known gems.

Members $45  |  Nonmembers $55

About the Instructor

Doug Oster is a writer, radio and television host, and Emmy-winning producer. He currently hosts The Organic Gardener Radio Show every Sunday morning at 7am on KDKA Radio, and writes feature articles for Pittsburgh Earth Day’s Green Voice e-newsletter.

Dr. Mark Miller is the Education & Exhibits Director at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. He earned his Ph.D. in Environment & Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and has over 40 years experience working as a landscape designer, tree crop specialist, educator, and director at botanical institutions and associations around the country.

Please be sure you have signed in to receive member registration discount.

Explore the ancient tool of walking a labyrinth for healing, wholeness and meditation. This practice dates back as early as 400 BCE. In this program, participants will learn to connect to the strength of your ancestors, one step at a time. You will also learn to release difficult fates and family trauma, then step into your power. Through this practice, you will embrace inner peace, harmony, clarity and love which comes to you through the generations, then let that love flow!

Members $25 | Nonmembers $30

About the Instructor

Dorit Brauer provides the education and the tools that you need to live your best life by optimizing your health and achieving an in-depth understanding between body, mind and spirit. She offers a comprehensive approach including Guided Imagery Meditation and Trans-Generational Healing, dedicated to unlocking your highest potential so that you can experience a life of equilibrium, fulfillment, and good health. Dorit started her career in the US at the UPMC’s Center for Integrative Medicine and she developed meditation and stress reduction programs for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and many other corporate sites.

This program is suitable for adults, or children age 14-17 accompanied by adults. Please be sure you have signed in to receive member registration discount.

Join naturalist April Claus as she introduces you to things that creep and slither at the Garden. This hands-on interactive program introduces you to the more common reptiles and amphibians of Pennsylvania. Learn how to identify frogs and toads by their call, examine touchable models and learn how to identify venomous snakes living in the area. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with live snakes, toads, turtles and salamanders! Bring your boots and be ready to get dirty in search of different habitats for “herptiles.”

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

April Claus is an environmental educator and naturalist. After completing her degree at Allegheny College, she received a M.S. in Biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she was field director of the Pennsylvania Herpetological Atlas Project. In 2000, she founded Interactive Environmental Programs to introduce Pennsylvanians to their lesser-known flora and fauna. In 2006, April received the Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year Award by the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE). She has been featured on WQED, received an award from the PA Environmental Council, and started several environmental science programs in schools around Pittsburgh. April currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Environmental Science and Sustainability Department at Allegheny College.

Program suitable for children ages 7 years and older. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Take a look into the future of the Garden! Pittsburgh Botanic Garden has been developing a new site master plan to guide future projects as the Garden continues to grow for years to come. The next phase of this project involves gathering feedback from members about their needs and to ensure these plans reflect the visitor’s experience. If you are interested in learning about this developing site master plan project and offering feedback, this workshop is for you.

This is a free, member-only workshop. Not a member? Click here to join today and enjoy members-only programs, discounted registrations, free admission, member newsletters, discounts, and more!

Community Acupuncture is a means to provide affordable acupuncture, in terms of both money and time. Join Kayla Simmons (MSAOM) and Jamie Schlier (MAc, LAc) for community acupuncture sessions every other Saturday at the Garden. Sessions are 30 minutes long and will take place between 10:00am – 12:00pm. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine solid filament needles into specific points of the body to treat various ailments. Now, you can experience relief and relaxation all at once at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden!

Members $30 | Nonmembers $40  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Kayla Simmons is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, massage therapist, and yoga instructor who uses a blend of these modalities in each treatment. She has been working with and studying the various human body systems for the last ten years with an emphasis on understanding how to bridge the mental, emotional, and physical bodies. In 2014, she completed her 200-hour Hatha yoga training with the Himalayan Institute and then immediately began a four-year graduate program in Asheville, NC to achieve her Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Jamie Schlier has an undergraduate degree with a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Acupuncture from the Won Institute of Graduate Studies. Jamie’s clinical interests include women’s health, sports medicine and performance optimization, autoimmune conditions, and pain management. She blends techniques from Acupuncture Physical Medicine, Kiiko Matsumoto Style, and Worsley Five-Element Acupuncture. As an acupuncturist, Jamie emphasizes the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Acupuncture needling, gua sha, moxibustion, and cupping are all tools she uses to guide the body, mind, and spirit towards inner harmony.

Process

After a short intake, you will relax in a zero-gravity chair while experienced acupuncturists place needles in the ear, hands, or other easily accessible areas of the body. Sessions will last for 30 minutes. There will be 2-3 other sessions ongoing while you are relaxing.

Questions / Concerns

Feel free to contact Kayla Simmons beforehand with any questions or concerns at kayla@nourishandmovepgh.com or text (412) 206-9837. Read more about Nourish & Move Pittsburgh on nourishandmovepgh.com >

Please be sure to specify your appointment time and arrive at least 5 minutes early for your appointment to maintain proper scheduling. Only 1 person per 30-minute time slot, max of 3 people in the room at any time.

Community Acupuncture is a means to provide affordable acupuncture, in terms of both money and time. Join Kayla Simmons (MSAOM), Jamie Schlier (MAc, LAc) and Melody Ry (OMP) for community acupuncture sessions every other Saturday at the Garden. Sessions are 30 minutes long and will take place between 10:00am – 12:00pm. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine solid filament needles into specific points of the body to treat various ailments. Now, you can experience relief and relaxation all at once at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden!

Members $30 | Nonmembers $40  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Kayla Simmons is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, massage therapist, and yoga instructor who uses a blend of these modalities in each treatment. She has been working with and studying the various human body systems for the last ten years with an emphasis on understanding how to bridge the mental, emotional, and physical bodies. In 2014, she completed her 200-hour Hatha yoga training with the Himalayan Institute and then immediately began a four-year graduate program in Asheville, NC to achieve her Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Jamie Schlier has an undergraduate degree with a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Acupuncture from the Won Institute of Graduate Studies. Jamie’s clinical interests include women’s health, sports medicine and performance optimization, autoimmune conditions, and pain management. She blends techniques from Acupuncture Physical Medicine, Kiiko Matsumoto Style, and Worsley Five-Element Acupuncture. As an acupuncturist, Jamie emphasizes the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Acupuncture needling, gua sha, moxibustion, and cupping are all tools she uses to guide the body, mind, and spirit towards inner harmony.

Process

After a short intake, you will relax in a zero-gravity chair while experienced acupuncturists place needles in the ear, hands, or other easily accessible areas of the body. Sessions will last for 30 minutes. There will be 2-3 other sessions ongoing while you are relaxing.

Questions / Concerns

Feel free to contact Kayla Simmons beforehand with any questions or concerns at kayla@nourishandmovepgh.com or text (412) 206-9837. Read more about Nourish & Move Pittsburgh on nourishandmovepgh.com >

Please be sure to specify your appointment time and arrive at least 5 minutes early for your appointment to maintain proper scheduling. Only 1 person per 30-minute time slot, max of 3 people in the room at any time.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Tickets

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden members may purchase member presale tickets starting Monday, April 22. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, May 1.

Members: Please sign in to receive your member presale tickets. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden members receive a $20 discount. Quantities are limited by membership level: Individual (1), Dual (2), Family & Above (4)

Meet the Musicians:

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Current exhibiting artist, Lauren Braun, will lead a mindful walk at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Throughout the time together, you will be given invitations to enliven the senses as we walk, observe, and discuss what we discover, connecting with ourselves, each other and nature. The intention is for you to leave the workshop feeling a sense of grounding and relaxation. Please bring sturdy shoes to walk outside. Plan to arrive a few minutes early, allowing time to park in the lot and meet in the Welcome Center. Dogs on leashes are welcome to join.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $35

About the Instructor

Lauren Braun is a visual artist, educator and certified mindfulness facilitator based in Pittsburgh, PA. Her work explores themes of nature and materials in mixed media collage, drawing and painting, and ceramics.

Lauren offers creativity and mindfulness workshop experiences for a variety of individuals and groups and works as a mobile teaching artist with Fine Art Miracles providing art classes for senior citizens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Lauren earned a master’s degree in fine art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, Boston and a BFA in Art Photography from Syracuse University. She is a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and her work is included in the collections of the PA Convention Center in Philadelphia and PNC Bank.

This program is suitable for adults 18 years or older. Please be sure you have signed in to receive member registration discount.

Create your very own magical fairy garden to take home! Take a look in the nooks and crannies of the Garden to try to spot some magical garden fairies. Enjoy stories about fairies, make your own wand and set of wings, and eat a fairy-themed snack as you create your own fairy garden.

Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, participants will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Connecting with nature is essential to child development, sparking creativity and imagination – and Summer is a sizzlingly fun time for discovery in nature. Join Sarah Levinthal, Youth Educator, in talking about nature during the showy season and then heading outdoors in search of adventure. Examine the bounty of the Garden in bloom! Your visit will include time in the Garden’s different habitats, a story reading and time for free play.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Get a taste of what it takes to grow your own pizza! During this camp, children will learn about the many plants needed to create a pizza, including the crust, toppings, sauces and seasonings. Use all of your senses (taste, touch, feel) to plant your own pizza garden to take home. Thorough discussion of the plants involved will provide growing instructions in a fun introduction to growing your own food.

Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, participants will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Join Dorit Brauer to learn tools for optimizing health and achieving an in-depth understanding of the mind/body connection. Guided meditation is accompanied by a ‘sound bath’ – the relaxing sound of quartz crystal singing bowls – which induce alpha wave-level activity in the brain, balance hemispheres of the brain, and promote health and harmony.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $30  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Dorit Brauer is an award-winning artist and author. She is the founder of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. In 2016, she received the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award by Global Pittsburgh in recognition of her achievements and enriching the Pittsburgh region with her talent and tenacity since arriving in 1998. Read more about the Brauer Institute: The Brauer Institute of Holistic Medicine

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Create your very own magical fairy garden to take home! Take a look in the nooks and crannies of the Garden to try to spot some magical garden fairies. Enjoy stories about fairies, make your own wand and set of wings, and eat a fairy-themed snack as you create your own fairy garden.

Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, participants will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Celebrate National Pollinator Week by learning all about our local pollinators, the plants they visit, what they do for us and how to support them! Campers will enjoy 3 days of adventuring through the Margaret Lawrence Simon Dogwood Meadow, the Garden’s apiary with working European honeybee hives, Hillside Pollinator Garden, arts and crafts, and time for free play.

Members $120 | Nonmembers $140  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 3-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch each day.

It’s National Pollinator Week! If you’re concerned about pollinators – and who shouldn’t be?! – one of the best and easiest actions you can take to assist them is to provide a space for them in your own garden. Join us as Education & Exhibits Director, Dr. Mark Miller, examines the essential elements and features that pollinators need to not only survive but thrive. Plants that grow well in western Pennsylvania and provide food, shelter and/or egg-laying for pollinators will be featured. The lecture will be followed by a plant walk in the Hillside Pollinator Garden.

Members $10  |  Nonmembers $15

About the Instructor

Dr. Mark Miller is the Education & Exhibits Director at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. He earned his Ph.D. in Environment & Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and has over 40 years experience working as a landscape designer, tree crop specialist, educator, and director at botanical institutions and associations around the country.

Please be sure you have signed in to receive member registration discount.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Enjoy 3 days of fun exploration of the various habitats at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden! Ecosystems investigated include the Lotus Pond, Margaret Lawrence Simon Dogwood Meadow, Allegheny Plateau Woodland, and Carbon Cycle (an earth art exhibit in a formerly strip mined area). Campers will engage in pond study, bird watching, insect collecting, tree measuring, nature immersion and free play.

Members $120 | Nonmembers $140  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 3-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, participants will be outside exploring and playing most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch each day.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Celebrate International Mud Day at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden! International Mud Day strives to bring children from all over the world together through the ground by allowing them to play in the mud. Families all over the world celebrate International Mud Day by getting really muddy and observing nature, the outdoors, and mess. Dress for mess and bring a towel. Accompanying adults may watch from a clean distance or participate in the muddy wonderfulness.

This program is included with the price of regular daily admission, free for Garden members!

Details

Please dress for a mess and bring a towel and/or change of clothes. There will be an area to rinse off and an area to change clothes. Children, 17 years old and under, must be accompanied by an adult over age 18. This is not a drop-off program. Accompanying adults may watch from a distance, or participate in the muddy fun!

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Experience a bit of what it was like to live in 1790’s Western Pennsylvania! Learn about the indigenous people who lived in this area, how they survived and used plants in their everyday lives. A tour of the 1790’s Walker-Ewing-Glass Log House will inform you about daily life for early American settlers. After a few chores like weeding the garden, doing laundry and fetching water, we’ll enjoy a screen-free day by playing games and making crafts that were popular 230 years ago.

Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Connecting with nature is essential to child development, sparking creativity and imagination – and Summer is a sizzlingly fun time for discovery in nature. Join Sarah Levinthal, Youth Educator, in talking about nature during the showy season and then heading outdoors in search of adventure. Examine the bounty of the Garden in bloom! Your visit will include time in the Garden’s different habitats, a story reading and time for free play.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Enjoy a 4-day camp of fun exploration of the various habitats at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden that support beneficial bugs. Campers will explore the Garden’s summer exhibit, David Rogers’ Big Bugs + Pollinators, featuring ten supersized sculptures of insects, spiders and birds and look for real life specimens. Through lessons, activities, crafts and explorations of habitats, children will learn the value of bugs, how they help humans and how humans can support them. Bring a bag lunch every day and dress for the weather as we will be outside exploring most of the time!

Members $165 | Nonmembers $185  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 4-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Join Dorit Brauer to learn tools for optimizing health and achieving an in-depth understanding of the mind/body connection. Guided meditation is accompanied by a ‘sound bath’ – the relaxing sound of quartz crystal singing bowls – which induce alpha wave-level activity in the brain, balance hemispheres of the brain, and promote health and harmony.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $30  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Dorit Brauer is an award-winning artist and author. She is the founder of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. In 2016, she received the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award by Global Pittsburgh in recognition of her achievements and enriching the Pittsburgh region with her talent and tenacity since arriving in 1998. Read more about the Brauer Institute: The Brauer Institute of Holistic Medicine

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Calling all adult Pittsburgh Botanic Garden members and volunteers! Join us at the Garden for a book club to discuss works on the wondrous and sometimes wacky world of plants, nature and the environment. Read the book ahead of time and come ready to share your point of view. Selections will vary and discussions are sure to be lively! Mingle with fellow members, discuss interesting ideas and form new friendships.

Become A Member

Free to members and volunteers, but pre-registration is required.

July 2024 Selection:

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

A moving, beautifully written, and delicately constructed story of love, division, transcendence, history, and eco-consciousness.

Read More & Purchase Book >

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Herbalism was an essential component of life on the 18th century frontier of Pennsylvania. The forest was abundant with beneficial plants and fungi, and these staples proved to have strong medicinal properties. These herbal remedies have been used for centuries, and most of their components are available in our own backyards. Join local author and historian Brady Crytzer for a course on 18th century frontier herbalism. Topics covered include common recipes, remedies, and tips for starting your own home medicinal herb garden. Take home bundles of common – and not-so-common – herbs.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $35  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Brady J. Crytzer teaches history at Robert Morris University. He is the recipient of the Donald S. Kelly and Donna J. McKee Awards for outstanding scholarship in the discipline of history. A specialist in imperialism in North America, he is the author of a number of books, including Fort Pitt: A Frontier History, Guyasata and the Fall of Indian America, and War in the Peaceable Kingdom: The Kittaning Raid of 1756. He is also the host of Dispatches: The Podcast of the Journal of the American Revolution. (Listen Here)

This program will take place rain or shine. Please dress appropriately for weather conditions.

Experience a whole new way to explore Pittsburgh Botanic Garden through geocaching! If geocaching is new to you, this camp will introduce you to this easy and fun use of technology in finding hidden items. We will seek out the geocaches at the Garden and will provide the tools and techniques needed to go geocaching wherever you find yourself in the world. Campers will learn how to use GPS receivers and a compass, as well as the geocaching app that can be used on smartphones.

Members $60 | Nonmembers $70  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 1-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Celebrate our local pollinators at Blossom: The Pollinator Party! Experience the sweet summer scents of our gardens and woodlands as you visit the pollinators’ favorite spaces. To add to the excitement, this year’s Blossom takes place during David Rogers’ Big Bugs + Pollinators exhibit.

Join the Flutter and lend your name to the festivities in a special way! Commit to Blossom: The Pollinator Party at the Swallowtail or sponsorship level (Hummingbird, Hive & Honey, Nibbles & Nectar, or Queen Bee) by April 12 and you will help make this year’s garden party the event everyone is buzzing about! All Swallowtail patrons and sponsors will be included on the invitation and receive special recognition during the event.

Date & Time

Thursday, July 18, 2024  |  6:00 – 10:00pm

Attire

Make a statement in your pollinator-themed, garden chic attire! This event is held outdoors and you will be walking a short distance through the Garden.

Tickets

$350  Firefly (Available April 23)

$500  Swallowtail

$5,000  Hummingbird

$10,000  Hive & Honey – Dessert

$15,000  Nibbles & Nectar – Reception

$25,000  The Queen Bee – Presenting

How will proceeds be used?

Proceeds from Blossom will provide essential support for Pittsburgh Botanic Garden to maintain plant collections, offer educational programs, and continue to serve as a valuable community asset.

Not able to attend? If you’re unable to attend, a donation may be made at checkout or contact Gretchen Ecoff to discuss ways to support the Garden.

If you have any questions about Blossom: The Pollinator Party, please email Gretchen Ecoff at gecoff@pittsburghbotanicgarden.org or call (412)444-4464 ext. 242.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Enjoy a 4-day camp of fun exploration of the various habitats at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden that support beneficial bugs. Campers will explore the Garden’s summer exhibit, David Rogers’ Big Bugs + Pollinators, featuring ten supersized sculptures of insects, spiders and birds and look for real life specimens. Through lessons, activities, crafts and explorations of habitats, children will learn the value of bugs, how they help humans and how humans can support them. Bring a bag lunch every day and dress for the weather as we will be outside exploring most of the time!

Members $165 | Nonmembers $185  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 4-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

This unique 2-day camp encourages creativity, artistic expression, problem solving and critical thinking in a fun hands-on experience. Scientific experimentation with natural materials throughout the Garden and indoors will focus on design and engineering. Working as teams, campers will build their communication skills while employing their imaginations to solve intriguing challenges. Bring a bag lunch each day and dress for the weather as we will be outside exploring most of the time.

Members $85 | Nonmembers $95  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 2-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

This unique 2-day camp encourages creativity, artistic expression, problem solving and critical thinking in a fun hands-on experience. Scientific experimentation with natural materials throughout the Garden and indoors will focus on design and engineering. Working as teams, campers will build their communication skills while employing their imaginations to solve intriguing challenges. Bring a bag lunch each day and dress for the weather as we will be outside exploring most of the time.

Members $85 | Nonmembers $95  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 2-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Enjoy a 4-day camp full of fun exploration of the various habitats at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Ecosystems that will be investigated include the Lotus Pond (aquatic), the Margaret Lawrence Simon Dogwood Meadow, Allegheny Plateau Woodlands and Carbon Cycle: An Earth Art Exhibit (an earth art exhibition in a formerly strip-mined area). Campers will try their hand in pond dipping, bird watching, insect collecting, tree identification, nature journaling and free play. Bring a bag lunch every day. Dress for the weather as we will be outside exploring most of the time! 

Members $165 | Nonmembers $185  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructors

Sarah Levinthal is a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist with an education background. She has been leading camps, field trips and preschool programs at the Garden for over a year. Outside of teaching, she loves hiking and spending time with her three children.

Colleen Mutschler is a Youth Educator at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Colleen taught elementary school for 33 years before joining the Garden’s Education team. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to try new recipes for her husband and 2 children and exploring new areas around Pittsburgh.

Gina Walter is the Garden’s Education Coordinator and has a background in landscape architecture and horticultural therapy. Gina loves showing children the wonders of nature. In her free time, Gina enjoys caring for her indoor plants and exploring outside with her dog.

Camp Details

This is a 4-day, drop-off day camp. Please dress appropriately for the weather, kids will be outside exploring most of the time. Each participant will need to bring their own lunch.

Join Dorit Brauer to learn tools for optimizing health and achieving an in-depth understanding of the mind/body connection. Guided meditation is accompanied by a ‘sound bath’ – the relaxing sound of quartz crystal singing bowls – which induce alpha wave-level activity in the brain, balance hemispheres of the brain, and promote health and harmony.

Members $25 | Nonmembers $30  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Dorit Brauer is an award-winning artist and author. She is the founder of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. In 2016, she received the Immigrant Entrepreneur Award by Global Pittsburgh in recognition of her achievements and enriching the Pittsburgh region with her talent and tenacity since arriving in 1998. Read more about the Brauer Institute: The Brauer Institute of Holistic Medicine

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Connecting with nature is essential to child development, sparking creativity and imagination – and Summer is a sizzlingly fun time for discovery in nature. Join Sarah Levinthal, Youth Educator, in talking about nature during the showy season and then heading outdoors in search of adventure. Examine the bounty of the Garden in bloom! Your visit will include time in the Garden’s different habitats, a story reading and time for free play.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Improve flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection with certified instructors from Yoga H’Om. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s peaceful garden and woodland spaces provide an excellent environment to focus and immerse yourself in this practice. Yoga is mostly held at the Lotus Pond, but may move to Weisbrod Learning Pavilion or Peirce Education Rooms based on weather conditions.

Members $15 | Nonmembers $20

About the Instructors

Yoga H’Om has been providing classic Hatha yoga to students of all abilities in the Western suburbs of Pittsburgh since 2002. In their classes, you will be respected and allowed to grow at your own pace. You will also be encouraged and challenged to go beyond your perceived limitations and discover your true inner self and potential.

Please bring your own yoga mat for this session. Yoga at the Garden is suitable for adults, or youth ages 16+ if accompanied by an adult. This class is open to beginners or participants of all levels of yoga experience.

Join us and experience nature’s power to soothe, refresh, and open your heart. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing in English) is a slow, sensory-based walk in the woods, during which we focus on the sights, sounds, smells, feels and tastes of nature. This is neither a naturalist exploration nor a fitness trek; this walk is about soaking in the health benefits of spending relaxed time in nature. It’s also about tending and mending our relationships with nature, ourselves, and others. There are no requirements – just come as you are.

Members $35 | Nonmembers $45  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Doug Jones received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, he worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”

Program suitable for adults (18+) and children age 16 years and older, if accompanied by an adult.

Tai Chi and Qigong (“chee-kung”) are ancient Chinese wellness practices rooted in the Daoist philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Through movement and stillness you will explore how the patterns and rhythms of the universe resonate within you. Learn how mindful use of breath, grounding, and gentle, fluid movement can nourish your sense of wholeness, vitality and serenity. Let the beauty and calm of the garden move you! Feel the support of the earth below and the open sky above to replenish your energy, find balance, and joy. Classes are taught standing with some seating provided. No equipment is needed. Wear comfortable everyday clothes. Please wear flat, flexible shoes attached at the heel.

Members $20 | Nonmembers $25  (Please sign in to receive member discount)

About the Instructor

Gurney Bolster (she/her) has an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and has been studying dance, tai chi and western approaches to mind-body integration since 1977. For 18 years she was an adjunct professor in the contemporary dance departments of Concordia University and the University of Quebec in Montreal, teaching dancers and dance teachers to understand and respect the body, to move safely and effectively, how to avoid injury, and how to heal more quickly after injury or illness. She has worked with people of all ages and abilities to help them enjoy their natural power, grace and expression in movement.

Gurney formed Tai Chi for Health Pittsburgh upon moving here in 2005. She has taught tai chi for Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Highmark, CCAC Life Enrichment and the Allegheny County Public Health Department. She teaches her own classes online and in-person at numerous locations in the area. For more information visit taichiforhealthpittsburgh.com.

No experience or equipment necessary. Please wear flat, comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for weather conditions. This program will be held outside, weather permitting, and may be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.