CLICK ON PROGRAM NAME TO REGISTER. All programs are eligible for member discounts (Pacesetters and above) unless noted with (*). Advance registration encouraged – events may be cancelled if minimums are not met.
Art in Nature Programs
WORLD SNAKE DAY 2026: ANIMAL ART- LIVE ANIMAL PAINTING
As part of our day celebrating the wonderful world of snakes, this class invites you to hone your creative skills by engaging in a studio-style-live-subject art adventure. With a flowerpot as our “canvas”, participants may study and paint the various animal models set up in the space –including live snakes. Led by snake enthusiast and MICA-trained scientific illustration artist Brittany Roger, this final event in our World Snake Day celebration will allow you to take home your own hand-made memento of the day.
Instructor: Brittany Roger, Irvine Naturalist and Manager of School Programs
Saturday, July 18th
4:00 – 6:00PM
Cost: $25/participant
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
NATURE EXPLORATION Programs
*LUNCH & LEARN: Layering Your Landscape- How Native Plants & “Benign Neglect” Enrich Our Lives
Lists of native plants are easy to find, but knowing how to combine and use them effectively in your own landscape can be much more challenging. In this engaging program, discover how thoughtfully “layering” native plants can transform your yard into a beautiful, vibrant, and wildlife-friendly space.
Learn how to select and combine native plants to enhance the beauty of your landscape while supporting pollinators, birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. We’ll explore how diverse plantings can create a more dynamic garden that requires less formality, less mulch, and less work, while bringing more enjoyment and connection to nature.
You’ll also gain practical tips for incorporating native plants into existing gardens, designing plant combinations that thrive together, and creating outdoor spaces that help us feel more a part of nature rather than apart from it.
Following the luncheon and presentation, Janet will be selling a selection of high-quality native plants from her nursery and will be available to answer questions, offer plant recommendations and share expert advice on incorporating native species into your landscape. You can also enjoy a guided walk through Irvine’s Woodland Garden.
Tickets include a catered lunch and animal encounter.
Presenter: Janet Davis, expert gardener, grower, and owner of Hill House Farm & Nursery
Thursday, May 14th
12:00 – 2:00PM
Cost: $30/members*; $40/non-members
Tickets required- REGISTER TODAY!
To reserve a table for 8, please contact Laura at 443-738-9215.
Speaker Bio: Janet Davis
Known as the “cheerleader” for native plants, Janet Davis operates Hill House Farm & Nursery, which grows and sells only U.S.A. native plants, primarily mid-Atlantic natives and select cultivars. She uses her expertise with native plants to offer landscape design and consultation services. Janet Davis received a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from Virginia Tech and has spent her entire working career growing something—fruit, veggie gardens, indoor plants, herbs and landscape plants, and her daughter, Olivia.
Irvine’s LUNCH & LEARN series is made possible by underwriting from Springwell Senior Living. We are grateful for their support.
*Discount for Pacesetter members and above. To reserve a table for 8, please contact Laura at 443-738-9215.
NATURE BY THE FIRE- CLEVER CAMOUFLAGE
Gather by the campfire with Naturalist, Ash, for a new monthly tradition at Irvine! Each month features a different seasonal nature theme, but every session promises the same cozy fun: roasting marshmallows, meeting one of Irvine’s animal ambassadors, and diving into hands-on nature-themed fun. Fireside chats are a relaxed, family-friendly way to enjoy the outdoors, one campfire at a time! Ideal for all ages.
Instructor: Ash Miller, Environmental Educator and Animal Care Coordinator
Friday, June 5th
5:30 – 6:30PM
Cost: $5/participant and FREE for members
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
Future dates include: July 3rd, August 14th
NATURE BY THE FIRE
Gather by the campfire with Naturalist, Ash, for a new monthly tradition at Irvine! Each month features a different seasonal nature theme, but every session promises the same cozy fun: roasting marshmallows, meeting one of Irvine’s animal ambassadors, and diving into hands-on nature-themed fun. Fireside chats are a relaxed, family-friendly way to enjoy the outdoors, one campfire at a time! Ideal for all ages.
Instructor: Ash Miller, Environmental Educator and Animal Care Coordinator
Friday, July 3rd
5:30 – 6:30PM
Cost: $5/participant and FREE for members
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
Future dates include: August 14th
WORLD SNAKE DAY: HERP HIKE (most rigorous, led by Brittany through property)
Enjoy and celebrate World Snake Day by “herping” at Irvine! This hike, from 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM, will be rigorous and fast-paced. Irvine Educator Brittany Roger will lead this group of experienced hikers throughout locations in Irvine’s 211 acre campus to seek out, at an hour of the day when snakes are most active, various species of these amazing creatures residing on our property. Herping is the art of hiking to search for hidden reptiles. Irvine is the home to seven different species of incredible snakes. Join our expert guides for an early morning hike in search of all seven! All ages welcome but must be able to hike at a swift pace and through areas that may be muddy, wet or overgrown. Please wear long sleeves or use a natural insect repellent to help deter ticks as well as shoes that you do not mind getting muddy.
Instructor: Brittany Roger, Irvine Naturalist and Manager of School Programs
Saturday, July 18th
6:00 – 7:00AM
Cost: $10/participant (babies and infants in self-worn carriers are free)
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
WORLD SNAKE DAY: HERP HIKE (moderate, through the wetlands)
Enjoy and celebrate World Snake Day by “herping” at Irvine! This hike, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM will be moderately paced. Irvine Educators will lead this group of relatively experienced hikers through Irvine’s wetlands to seek out, at an hour of the day when snakes are most active, various species of these amazing creatures residing on our property. Herping is the art of hiking to search for hidden reptiles. Irvine is the home to seven different species of incredible snakes. Join our expert guides for an early morning hike in search of all seven!
Instructor: Irvine Environmental Educators
Saturday, July 18th
7:00 – 8:00AM
Cost: $10/participant (babies and infants in self-worn carriers are free)
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
WORLD SNAKE DAY: HERP HIKE (beginner friendly, through headwaters, understory & woodland garden trails)
Enjoy and celebrate World Snake Day by “herping” at Irvine! This hike, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM will be paced for the novice level of hiking. Irvine Educators will lead this group of hikers gently through a few of Irvine’s trails to seek out, at an hour of the day when snakes are most active, various species of these amazing creatures residing on our property. Herping is the art of hiking to search for hidden reptiles. Irvine is the home to seven different species of incredible snakes. Join our expert guides for an early morning hike in search of all seven!
Instructor: Irvine Environmental Educators
Saturday, July 18th
8:00 – 9:00AM
Cost: $10/participant (babies and infants in self-worn carriers are free)
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
WORLD SNAKE DAY: Snakes Around the World Presentation
Celebrate World Snake Day by meeting different snakes from around the world! Brittany Roger, Irvine’s own snake enthusiast and expert extraordinaire, will give an interactive presentation covering the incredible diversity and superpowers of snakes. Come and see up close the many ways snakes behave in the world–some climb, some dig, and some use their camouflage skills to be masters of disguise. This presentation will include an opportunity to meet a number of different species of snakes from around the world as well as a demonstration outlining steps to take to set up a habitat for those who would like to have a corn snake as a pet.
Instructor: Brittany Roger, Irvine Naturalist and Manager of School Programs
Saturday, July 18th
12:00 – 2:00PM
Cost: $15/participant (children under 2 are free)
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
NATURE BY THE FIRE
Gather by the campfire with Naturalist, Ash, for a new monthly tradition at Irvine! Each month features a different seasonal nature theme, but every session promises the same cozy fun: roasting marshmallows, meeting one of Irvine’s animal ambassadors, and diving into hands-on nature-themed fun. Fireside chats are a relaxed, family-friendly way to enjoy the outdoors, one campfire at a time! Ideal for all ages.
Instructor: Ash Miller, Environmental Educator and Animal Care Coordinator
Friday, August 14th
5:30 – 6:30PM
Cost: $5/participant and FREE for members
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
Health and wellness Programs
Nature Worx: Soak in Nature’s Serenity
Nature Worx goes outside to go inside! Join Nature Worx for a 90-minute guided saunter in the woods. You will be guided through sensory awareness, nature observation, reflection and mindful movement. These saunters help participants slow down, reduce stress, and access their inner calm. This innovative, internationally recognized non-profit delivers nature-based experiential programs designed to help participants slow down, reduce stress, and access inner calm—while fully basking in the beauty and restorative power of the outdoors. Ideal for adults.
Nature Worx programs are grounded in mindfulness, evidence-based practices, and the belief that nature is a powerful source of healing, growth, and personal transformation. Come see for yourself–and experience nature in a way you never have before.
Instructor: Nature Worx guides
Sunday, April 19th
10:00 – 11:30 AM
Cost: Suggested cost per person $20. Sliding scale (pay what you can) available
Advance registration encouraged – event will be cancelled if minimum not met.
WORLD TAI CHI DAY – 7th Year at Irvine- led by Mary Pinkard and team
“One World… One Breath”. This is the motto of World Tai Chi Day– a global event with the sole purpose of promoting personal and global health and healing. People in hundreds of cities, in over 80 nations, on 6 continents, will take part in the celebration of Tai Chi. Locally, World Tai Chi Day will take place at Irvine’s Wedding Point, overlooking the Bluebird Meadow. The Mary Pinkard Qigong team will lead participants in a celebration of Tai Chi and Qigong, engaging in various breathing and moving meditations set to calming music, from these two 4,000-year-old practices. This event is ideal for ages 18+. No prior experience needed.
Instructors: Mary Pinkard, NQA Level II Instructor
Saturday, April 25th
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Cost: $15/participant
Pre-registration available, walkups welcome.
