Offsite Tour: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 North Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI
Enrollment for this tour is limited to 12 attendees. A waitlist will be available.
Fee: $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers
Plus a $10 entrance fee
Note: Parking is an additional $4 for two hours, Payable at desk or kiosk.
Tour of the Great Lakes Garden at Matthaei Botanical Garden
Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum are transformative forces for social and ecological resilience through the waters and lands we steward. Their programs and spaces are living labs for promoting healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems through active care and cultivation of the gardens, fields, natural habitats, and dynamic systems that sustain our world. This Elderwise guided tour of the Great Lakes Garden at Matthaei Botanical Gardens will provide a glimpse into the unique plant communities of the Great Lakes region, with a special focus on the relationships among plants, animals, land, and water. Visitors will view demonstration garden spaces such as the alvar, which features plants adapted to extreme ranges in temperatures, wind, and sparse soil on top of limestone. We will tour the tall-grass prairie garden to explore the relationships between pollinators and seed dispersers, and learn how big bluestem and prairie dock plants have roots that can withstand rapid, hot, prairie fires. We will also explore the human impacts on these natural areas, and consider actions people can take to protect them. Dress in layers, as this guided tour will occur entirely outdoors, in bright sunlight as well as shade. Comfortable but sturdy footwear is recommended. 
The tour will be led by Matthaei-Nichols Professional Docent Staff. Driving and parking directions will be sent to class registrants a few days before the tour.