Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU

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Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, a woodland sanctuary on the James Madison University campus The Edith J. The arboretum is here for you!
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Carrier Arboretum invites the public to step into a world of natural beauty and serenity. Visitors can walk winding woodland trails landscaped with Virginia native plants and enhanced with botanical gardens and wide expanses of lawns. The arboretum offers a wide range of seasonally appropriate educational and cultural events on site throughout the year. Come appreciate the beauty of nature, protec

ted and captured amidst the hustle and activity of the thriving city of Harrisonburg and the pulse of campus life at James Madison University. Learn about environmental preservation and study one of our most valuable resources: plants and trees. Be a doer and volunteer or be a dreamer and spread a blanket on our lawns and relax or be any kind of visitor in between. Follow us on both Twitter and Instagram

08/10/2026

Join us tomorrow evening, Aug. 11, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Arboretum's Pavilion for Sound Bathing!

Using gongs, crystal and Tibetan bowls, voice, drums, shakers, and chimes, Connie Magee will take you on a sound journey that will relax and de-stress you and bring your whole being back into a state of harmony on all levels; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Learn more and register at: tinyurl.com/SoundBathEJCA

08/04/2026

Join us tomorrow at 10 a.m. for Storytime in the Understory.

Our guest reader will be Randy Ours, Children's Librarian for the Massanutten Regional Library.

This event if for our preschool visitors and is located in the seating area of the Arboretum's Family Garden.

Come join us. It's free and no registration is required!

07/31/2026

Meet a real, live ambassador bat on Friday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m. at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center!

Join Leslie Sturges of the Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia to learn about Rocktown's local bats. Learn bat facts, explore why green spaces like the Arboretum are so special for our bat population, and meet a real live ambassador bat!

Following this program will be our bat emergence monitoring program "Evening with Bats" to see what our wild bats are up to around the Pond.

This is a FREE! event. For more information and to register, visit:

https://tinyurl.com/MeetaBat

07/27/2026

There’s about to be more to explore in the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum!

A grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust will support efforts to support reforestation (including the planting of 1,500 native trees and several hundred native shrubs), habitat restoration and watershed education tied to its ongoing expansion from 63 to more than 110 acres on JMU’s East Campus.

While many members of the JMU and the surrounding community enjoy walking through the Arboretum, it also functions as a living laboratory where students engage in research, restoration and career-connected learning.

Read more: bit.ly/JMUArboretumGrant

07/20/2026

Meet with representatives from Appalachian Conservation Corps this Wednesday, July 22, for “Conservation in Your Community: How Appalachian Conservation Corps Extends the Legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps,” with Bailey McInturff, recruitment and enrollment for the ACC.

This special talk will be the Arboretum’s last Brown Bag lecture of the season, taking place at the Frances Plecker Education Center from noon-1 p.m.

Appalachian Conservation Corps is an organization designed to provide experiential learning and professional development opportunities in environmental conservation while also working to maintain and conserve our public lands. During the lecture, you will learn about the history and mission of ACC, and investigate how we can honor and extend the legacy of the CCC over 90 years after its creation.

Come join us! Register for FREE! at:
tinyurl.com/BrownBag2026

07/16/2026

Meet with representatives from Appalachian Conservation Corps on Wednesday, July 22, for “Conservation in Your Community: How Appalachian Conservation Corps Extends the Legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps,” with Bailey McInturff, recruitment and enrollment for the ACC.

This special talk will be the Arboretum’s last Brown Bag lecture of the season, taking place at the Frances Plecker Education Center from noon-1 p.m.

Appalachian Conservation Corps is an organization designed to provide experiential learning and professional development opportunities in environmental conservation while also working to maintain and conserve our public lands. During the lecture, you will learn about the history and mission of ACC, and investigate how we can honor and extend the legacy of the CCC over 90 years after its creation.

Come join us! Register for FREE! at:
tinyurl.com/BrownBag2026

07/15/2026

Don't let the season pass you by! Meet at the Arboretum's Ernst Terrace (next to the Frances Plecker Education Center) this Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. for a Stroll Into Summer Gratitude Walk.

Enjoy the lazy days of Summer and be guided with Positive Psychology prompts to help you slow down, be mindful, and strengthen your gratitude skills in community and connection. You can bring a journal/pen if you like or share with others as we see the summer seasonal happenings at the beautiful Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at JMU. This walk is free and usually about 30 minutes-1 hour with stops along the way.

Register for FREE! at https://tinyurl.com/StrollSummer

07/14/2026

Join us this Friday, July 17, at 7 p.m. at the Arboretum's Frances Plecker Education Center for a special Evening with Bats with Dr. Lindsay Caesar. She will speak about "Invisible Allies: Exploring the Role of Skin Microbes in Bat Health."

Lindsay grew up on Mag Mell Farm in the Appalachian mountains of South Carolina, a recognized United Plant Savers botanical sanctuary. There, she spent her time living among wild medicinal plants and learning to brew tinctures and teas alongside her mother. That early curiosity led her to earn a Ph.D. in Medicinal Biochemistry to study nature's chemistry. At JMU, her lab group explores how living organisms produce their own natural antibiotics, with a major focus on the skin microbes protecting wild bats from deadly fungal pathogens.

Register for this FREE event at:

tinyurl.com/batsjmu

07/13/2026

Join us this Wednesday, July 15, from noon-1 p.m. at the Arboretum’s Frances Plecker Education Center for “Conservation Photography: Riverine and Backyard Biodiversity in Rockingham County” with Steven David Johns, conservation photographer and Professor of Visual and Communication Arts at EMU.

“In this multimedia talk, I’ll focus on my work photographing biodiversity close to home: across the street on the Shenandoah River and even closer to home at our backyard pollinator garden and frog pond just outside of Broadway, VA (this project is the cover story for current of edition of National Wildlife Magazine),” says Steven. “I’ll discuss how these long-term photo projects have contributed to the educational and advocacy work of conservation organizations.”

This talk is part of the Arboretum’s Brown Bag Lecture Series. Register for FREE at tinyurl.com/BrownBag2026.

Also, please note: there will be a road closure on the Port Republic Road side of University Blvd. Monday, July 12-Friday, July 24. All Arboretum parking lots will remain open and accessible, but plan your route with this closure in mind.

07/07/2026

Reminder: Tomorrow evening, July 8, is your next opportunity to experience Sound Bathing with Connie Magee.

We'll meet under the Arboretum's covered Pavilion from 6:30-7:45 p.m. for a deep healing and relaxation experience with pure sound frequencies.

Learn more and sign up at:
tinyurl.com/SoundBathEJCA

Address

780 University Boulevard
Harrisonburg, VA
22807

Telephone

(540) 568-3194

Website

https://www.jmu.edu/arboretum/index.shtml

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