Who had fun at Cooking Explosion Summer Camp? We did!

Dear Friends,

September can be a stressful time. Our carefree days spent lounging by the pool have been replaced with early morning school drop offs and hectic after school schedules. It is an adjustment for everyone. I even feel the stress of this time of year and my children are grown! This is one of the reasons why you should visit the Arboretum; the tranquil gardens and serene woodlands are very calming. A quick visit in between activities can do wonders and relieve the stress of a long day. We are fortunate to have this oasis in our community, please take advantage of it!

Until next time, 

Come Celebrate Fall with Us!

Sunday, October 15, 11 am - 3 pm

Join us for this fun, family-friendly autumn festival! The day’s activities will include:

• Games, crafts, activities, story trail and chalk maze
• Pumpkin patch and spooky trail (children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes!)
• Meet the goats grazing in our glacial bowl!
• Tenafly Nature Center presentation in the Amphitheater
• Wisner House Art Exhibition, “Nature on the Move: Rhythmic Abstractions" by Jesús Núñez
• Photo opportunities throughout the gardens
• Market and food vendors for fall treats…and more!
• NEW! Bring a pantry donation for GRACE Food Pantry of Summit! 

RRA Members and children under 3 are free; Non-members $10/person.

Member registration opens Tuesday, September 5 at 9 am; Non-Member registration opens Tuesday, September 12 at 9 am. Click here.

SPECIAL THANKS to our Title Sponsor...LEES PECK GROUP / Prominent Properties / Sotheby's!

Click on program titles for more information and to register.

Registration is required unless otherwise noted.

NEW! Deer Abatement 101

Saturday, September 9, 9 - 10:30 am

Onsite and Virtual

If you are a property owner struggling with deer pressure, you won’t want to miss this informative presentation which will highlight the fundamentals of deer abatement with proven results.

Forest Bathing

Sundays, September 10 and November 12; Saturday, October 14, 9:30 am - 12 pm

Spend the morning taking a meditative walk with Forest Therapy Guide, Rich Collins. These walks draw on the latest developments in the field of nature connection, and ancient traditions of mindfulness and wellness promotion.

FINAL Summer Concert!

One Fine Tapestry - A Carole King Tribute

Wednesday, September 13

Grounds open at 5 pm, concert begins at 6 pm

Join us in the garden for our final Sounds of a Summer Night concert. Grounds will open at 5 pm for concertgoers to picnic. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. Click here to register.

This concert series is made possible, in part, by a grant from The Summit Foundation.

NEW! Smartphone Nature Photography Workshop

Sunday, September 17, 3 - 4:30 pm

Led by photographer Lenny McDonald, this class will cover essential photography basics such as composition, settings, and identifying and capturing beautiful pollinators, plants, and insect subjects. 

SPECIAL GARDEN TOUR! Early Autumn Walkabout with John Beirne

Thursday, September 21, 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Enjoy a leisurely stroll throughout the early autumn gardens and meadows of Reeves-Reed Arboretum with John Beirne, Curatorial Director of Horticulture. We'll learn about some of our most beautiful and hard-working plants as they reach maturity and peak bloom, and look for some early hints of autumn color within our extensive collection of trees and shrubs.

NEW! Fall Awakening Workshop: Embracing the Healing Power of Nature

Sunday, September 24, 2 - 4 pm

This 2-hour workshop offers a guided lower chakra meditation, a powerful Reiki healing circle, and more. Participants will receive a candle infused with Reiki energy and crystals, specially crafted to balance your lower chakras.

Full Moon Hike

Thursday, September 28, 7 - 7:30 pm

Take some time to refresh with a relaxing stroll through the woodland trails under the moonlight. You’ll have the unique opportunity to take in the beauty and peace of the Arboretum at night as we learn about the full moon and other interesting nighttime facts.

NEW TOPICS! Fall in Love with Trees

Thursdays, 6:30 - 8 pm

Reeves-Reed Arboretum, together with the City of Summit’s Shade Tree Advisory Committee, presents three powerful programs, in our returning series Fall In Love With Trees. These programs are FREE and are offered onsite and virtually.

10/5 - Saving Our Beech Trees

10/19 - Eco-Action TikTok Viewing Party

11/2 - Trees in a Changing Climate: A Homeowner's Guide

Oktoberfest 2023!

Saturday, October 21, 2 - 6 pm

Registration is open for our annual Put the 'PUB' in Public Garden fundraiser featuring all you can eat and drink, lawn games, and live music. Join us in the 'biergarten' for this fun afternoon. Oktoberfest attire is highly encouraged! For adults 21+.

The Secret Tea Room

Cream Tea is most Wednesdays with seatings at 11:30 am and 1 pm.

Afternoon Tea is on select Sundays with seatings at 11:30 am, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm (Families).

SPECIAL EVENTS:

Bombay Tea Room, Sunday, October 8

Chai Workshop with Manasi , Saturday, November 18

Free Saturday Garden Tours

Saturdays now through October 7, 10:30 am and 1:30 pm

Tours last approximately 45 minutes and begin at the Visitors Center. No reservations are required and tours are on a first-come, first-served basis for individuals to learn about the season's highlights. No groups. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. PLEASE NOTE: On days of excessive heat, tours may be cancelled.

These programs are full but you can be added to the waitlist.

Fall Bus Trip & Tour: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Wednesday, September 20

Goat Yoga in the Garden, Sunday, September 24, 10 am

Please email Doreen here.

RECURRING FALL CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS

Click here and check our website for program details.

• Homeschool Adventures is back! – Fridays beginning 9/8
• Oaks & Acorns – Wednesdays beginning 9/13
• Arboretum Afternoons – Thursdays beginning 9/14
• NEW! Little Wonders – Mondays 9/18, 10/2, 10/16, 10/23
• Let’s Get Growing – Saturdays 9/16, 9/23, 10/7, 10/28, 11/4
• Kids Can Cook – Wednesdays & Thursdays 9/27, 10/25, 12/6, 12/7

Friday Fun with Bold Arts!

Fridays beginning September 22, 4 - 5:30 pm, K-5th grade

Join BOLD Arts for a creative dance and music experience inspired by nature and the beautiful surroundings at Reeves-Reed Arboretum. This 7-week program will culminate in an exciting performance created by the children. Don’t miss out on this creative after-school experience for boys and girls. Register early as space is limited!

Discovery Weekends

Saturdays & Sundays, 9 am - 3 pm, through November 12

Drop by the Stackhouse Education Center for this self-guided program for families with children ages 3+. No registration required. Borrow one of our magnifying glasses, grab an interactive activity guide, and head out onto the grounds to see what wonders big and small await. There will be a surprise or two, a clue to follow, a rhyme or riddle to solve, and always a fun nature exploration activity. Each week is a new discovery!

Stackhouse Education Library

Our browsing library of nature-inspired children's books will be re-opening this fall. Details coming soon!

FINAL WEEKS! EFFLORESCENCE

Recycled Paper Art by Kelly Moeykens

Through Sunday, September 17

All artwork is for sale and Kelly Moeykens will generously donate 30% of sales back to the Arboretum.  Click here for more information about the artist and this exhibition.

Registration is required for all volunteer opportunities.

 Click on the titles below for more information.

For questions or to register, email Trish Cassin here.

Help us Renovate our Hoophouse!

Sundays, 2 - 4 pm

If you enjoy renovations help us transform our hoophouse into a working greenhouse! Tasks will include leveling the floor, wheelbarrowing gravel, digging a trench for a new electric line, installing new end walls, fans, and more!

Set-Up Our Spooky Trail

Saturday, October 7, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

If you love Halloween then this is the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! We will be decorating our wildflower trail with spooky stuff just in time for our Celebrate Fall Festival. This is a fun activity for high school teens!

Volunteer at our CELEBRATE FALL Festival

Sunday, October 15, 10:30 am - 3:30pm

Assist with set-up, games, crafts, activities and more! We welcome volunteers ages 14+ (we can provide community service hours if requested.) Volunteers must register in advance and spots fill quickly! 

Ground Force (ages 14+, 12-13 w/an adult)

Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 am - 12 pm

Join our staff outdoors to maintain and enhance the beauty of our grounds.

Woodland Restoration (ages 14+, 12-13 w/an adult)

Fridays, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Help restore existing trails, plant native trees, remove invasives, and more!

THE GOATS ARE COMING!

Our grazing friends will be back at the Arboretum in October helping us clear away a year's worth of wildflower growth, invasive vines, and weeds. This environmentally friendly vegetation removal will allow for the annual restoration and replanting of the Daffodil Bowl. Your generous donation of $25 will help sponsor a goat this fall. Click here to help send a goat to the Arboretum! 

NOTE: When finalizing your donation on our check-out page, please indicate in the Participant's Box that this donation is for the goats so you can receive your "Certificate of Good Goatsmanship"! 

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

@reevesreedarboretum

Programs and events at RRA are made possible, in part, by support from:

Lois Schneider Realtor; Bartlett Tree Experts; Infantini Landscaping; The Oldendorp Group; E.J. Grassmann Trust; Mary Reinhart Stackhouse Foundation; The Summit Foundation; Hyde & Watson Foundation; Union Foundation; Garden Clubs of America; Summit Garden Club; Junior League of Summit; NJ Historic Trust; Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust; Overlook Foundation; Investors Foundation; DEP/Green Acres Grant Program; Union County Board of County Commissioners, a division of the Department of State, through a grant administered by the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Department of Parks & Community Renewal.