Lori Litchman, Author; Teacher; Poet

Welcome the new year with some self-care! We’ll start with a grounding meditation and then take a short mindful meander around the Morris to observe winter beauty. Then, we’ll head inside where it’s warm and cozy for a poetry writing workshop focusing on winter-themed poems. Mindfulness in nature and reading/writing poetry have many potential health benefits including stress reduction and increased cognitive health.

We’ll read several poems for inspiration and then set out to write some poems based on our observations. Participants will have some time to share their poems with the group (optional!). No background or previous experience writing poetry is necessary! 

Journals will be provided for each participant! (But, feel free to bring your own if you’d prefer.)  Please bring something to write with and dress for the weather.

Lori Litchman is an outdoor writer and poet. She has an MFA in creative writing and is the author of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Philadelphia. She’s a former high school English teacher who is passionate about helping others tap into their creative selves. She has trained at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health to be a Mindful Outdoor Leader. 

Saturday, January 10
1:00 —3:00 pm

Members: $30 | Non-Members: $35

Al Paris, Professional Chef/Restaurateur

These demonstration classes will cover the creation of a meal focused on products from Erdenheim Farm. Each class will include a discussion about how the food is raised or grown on the farm, followed by a cooking demonstration by Chef Al Paris, and finish with a chance to eat and savor the creation. Chef Al Paris has owned and created the culture and cuisine of 13 award-winning restaurants—most recently Paris Bistro in Chestnut Hill. He believes that all cooks can create their own distinct cuisine through the clarity of their vision and the use of the freshest seasonal ingredients.

The class meets at the Sheep Barn parking lot at Erdenheim Farm (5051 Flourtown Road, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444).

A different seasonal menu is offered, and typically changes monthly. Please sign up for each session separately.   Registration and menus located below.

NEW MENUS FOR SPRING 2026 added below!!

MENU: Warm, buttery, homemade buns. Smashed fried potato salad including farm greens and sweet onion vinaigrette. Pomegranate leg of lamb with rainbow chard and garnet yam polenta. For dessert Chef will make a coconut cream tart and quick cherry jam. The meal features Erdenheim Farm lamb, eggs, and greens.

Saturday, January 24
12:00 - 3:00 pm 

Members: $115 | Non-members: $125 

MENU: The class will start with classic cheddar scones. Chef will also make a beet salad with pickled eggs, goat cheese and microgreens. The main course will include beef tenderloin Guinness pies. For dessert Chef will serve fresh lemon fritters with star anise apple raisin compote. The meal features Erdenheim Farm beef, eggs, and microgreens. 

Saturday, February 28
12:00-3:00 pm 

Members: $130 / Non-members: $140

Growing Minds at Morris Arboretum & Gardens is a program series for kids and families that inspires a sense of wonder about the natural world within the beautiful setting of the Morris. The classes represented in this section offer children and their caregivers the opportunity to connect meaningfully with nature through a wide variety of creative and educational programs.

 Parents and caregivers are asked to stay with children for classes.

LISA ZAHREN, Mindful Dance Instructor

The invitation is to keep moving, warm ourselves from the inside out.  Each week we will combine elements of Open Floor Dance, Nia Technique and mindfulness practices as we explore the hidden gems of The Morris in winter. We will begin indoors to warm up before hiking to a location in the Arboretum to dance and move with the quiet of the season. Several scientific studies have shown that getting exposure to natural light on winter mornings helps improve mental health and sleep. (Read more HERE)
 
These classes are appropriate for all abilities and fitness levels, no experience necessary, just a willingness to explore on a winter adventure. This will be a hybrid indoor/outdoor class so please dress appropriately and in layers. In the case of very cold weather or precipitation, we will spend more time indoors. We will meet at the Welcome Center.

Lisa has been teaching embodied movement and dance since 2011, including in therapeutic settings. She is a certified teacher of Nia Technique and Open Floor Dance Practice. 

We are offering three sessions this Winter. Sign up for one or all three below!  

(Session 1 - December has been cancelled)

LISA ZAHREN, Mindful Dance Instructor

3 Wednesdays: January 7, 14, 21
10:15 - 11:30 am

Members: $70 | Non-members: $80

**Single-session walk-ins always welcome on fair-weather days $30. Exact change cash payment is required; please arrive 10-15 minutes early. (no member discount)

LISA ZAHREN, Mindful Dance Instructor

3 Wednesdays: January 28, February 4, 11
10:15 - 11:30 am

Members: $70 | Non-members: $80

**Single-session walk-ins always welcome on fair-weather days $30. Exact change cash payment is required; please arrive 10-15 minutes early. (no member discount)

Maura Manzo, Yoga and Meditation Teacher 

Honor the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. with a reflective, heart-centered morning in nature. Join Maura Manzo for a guided mindful walk through the peaceful paths of Morris, followed by a loving kindness meditation that cultivates compassion for ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. 

This gentle, all-levels experience invites you to slow down, connect with the natural world, and reflect on themes of nonviolence, kindness and unity. Through the combined practices of mindful walking and meditation, you’ll leave feeling grounded, inspired, and more deeply attuned to the values that Dr. King celebrated. 

Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and bring an open heart to this reflective MLK Day gathering. 

Maura Manzo is the founder and director of Camaraderie, Ambler. Her teaching integrates traditional yoga, body‑mind healing practices and community‑centered wisdom to support personal and collective well‑being.   Camaraderie will be donating all proceeds to Weavers Way Co-op’s Food for All Program.

 
Monday, January 19 
3:00 – 4:00 pm 

Members: $30 / Non-members: $35

LEE ARMILLEI, Principal, Landscape Designer, APLD

Welcome to the world of ecological design, where environment and art intersect. Get your creative juices flowing as you combine design process & design principles with the ecology you’ve learned in prior certificate courses. Students will design a predetermined site to create a beautiful and immersive space, supportive of people and the planet.

This intensive two-day workshop starts with the basics of understanding the client, analyzing the site and drafting plans, and builds as students shape the landscape using design principles and ecological themes. Students will then develop a site-specific plant palette and apply it to foundation plantings, natural areas, and the spaces in between. Through a combination of lecture, studio-time, and homework, students will gain real time practice and feedback, learning to make informed decisions in ecological design. Although the class will be working on a predetermined site, each design is sure to be unique!

This course is open to the public; with priority registration offered to individuals enrolled in Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture.  Completion of this course counts toward the requirements of the certificate program. This course has been submitted to carry 10 CEUs with LA CES, ISA, PLNA, and the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts. 

2 FRIDAYS, January 23, 30
10:00 am – 3:30 pm

Members: $250 | Non-members: $260

Please go to our Certificate Program in Ecological Horticulture section to register for this course.

John Janick, Owner, Good Host Plants 

Join John Janick for an in-depth program on how to design and grow a thriving native plant garden that supports biodiversity and beauty year round. Moving past the “why” and into the “how,” this 201-level workshop will guide participants through the key steps of creating a successful native planting—from choosing the right plants for different site conditions to preparing your soil and managing expectations for the first few years of growth. Learn about top-performing native species for sun, shade, wet, and dry areas, and gain practical tips for long-term maintenance and success. Whether you’re starting from scratch or enhancing an existing garden, you’ll leave with the knowledge and confidence to create a resilient landscape that benefits both people and wildlife.  

This program will take place via Zoom; a link will be sent to all registrants in advance of the program. This class has been submitted for 1.5 CEUs and is an approved elective in the Ecological Horticulture Certificate Program.  

Thursday, March 12  
7:00 – 8:30 pm 

Members: $30 / Non-members: $35

Samantha Nestory, Engagement Manager and Naturalist, Stoneleigh: a natural garden 

Insects rely on plants for a variety of things, such as food, shelter, breeding habitat, and much more. For our native insects, native plant species are of particular importance as they often fill unique needs that other plants cannot. Join us as we learn how insects and native plants interact and support each other in our own backyards. 

After an indoor lecture, we will move out into Stoneleigh’s gardens to explore the plants and their pollinators in the landscape. 

This program will take place at Stoneleigh, a former private estate located in Villanova that is now one of the newest public gardens in the Philadelphia region. Its extraordinary trees, sweeping vistas, and intimate garden spaces reflect more than a century of loving care by three different families. In its new role, Stoneleigh is an intriguing blend of historical landscapes overlayed with beautiful new gardens designed to support and nurture our local ecology. Stoneleigh’s Engagement Manager Samantha Nestory holds ecology and entomology degrees from the University of Delaware and is passionate about ecological gardening, native plants, and insect conservation. 

This course has been submitted to carry 2 LA CES and ISA CEUs and is an approved elective in the Morris Arboretum & Garden’s Certificate in Ecological Horticulture.  

Thursday, May 7 
10:30 am – 12:30 pm 

Members: $40 / Non-members: $45

Trevor Schulte, Azalea Meadow Horticulturist, Morris Arboretum & Gardens  

Most people are familiar with the innumerable benefits of living trees, but even after their death, trees provide vital habitat, shelter, and food for wildlife. And beyond their ecological benefits, stumps, branches, and other parts of felled trees can be beautiful garden elements, too! Join Morris Horticulturist Trevor Schulte to learn how dead and dying trees still teem with life, and how deadwood branches and other parts of felled trees are used at the Morris in our garden designs. After a brief indoor presentation, we will walk through the garden with Trevor. We will visit the Morris Stumpery, view some of the snags that the Morris has left standing for the benefit of wildlife, and look at some of the deadwood elements in various garden displays throughout the grounds.  

This course has been submitted for 1.5 CEUs and is an approved elective in the Certificate Program for Ecological Horticulture.  

Thursday, June 18 
1:30 – 3:00 pm 

Members: $25 / Non-members: $30