Discover Nature Programs

Through a partnership with the Louisiana Master Naturalist of Greater Baton Rouge (LMNGBR) we are proud to offer exciting new Discover Nature programs featuring local and national experts who are in touch with nature and are eager to share their experiences. All programs will be held in the Imo Brown Complex in the Beverly Brown Coates Auditorium at Hilltop Arboretum. Discover Nature programs are free for Members Magnolia Level ($250) and above. 

 

“Pressed & Preserved: A Two-Part Flower Pressing Workshop” 
Featuring: Connie McLeod
Tuesday, July 29 and August 12, 6-8pm
Cost: Hilltop, LMNGBR members and students $60, Non-members $75
Program is limited to 15 participants

Join us for a hands-on, two-part workshop celebrating the art of flower pressing! 

In Part One, we'’ll forage the Hilltop Meadow for seasonal blooms and foliage and learn how to assemble a flower press to preserve your gathered finds. Connie will inspire us with a presentation on the process behind her botanical art creations, some of which will be available for purchase. 

Note: Part One must have dry weather. If rain is predicted, date may be rescheduled.  

In Part Two, we’ll reunite to transform our pressed flowers and foliage into beautiful botanical works of art. Hands-on demonstrations and materials will be provided, no experience necessary. Attendees will walk away with two framed pieces- perfect for displaying or gifting!  

Connie McLeod is a Baton Rouge native and received her BA from LSU. She recently retired from a career as an Art Director. She has taken her love of design, and turned her small garden into her oasis, full of color and texture. She started pressing the garden flora and turning the flowers, petals, and leaves into art. She calls herself a botanical artist and can often be found in her friends’ gardens foraging their plants. She is a Master Gardener and a Master Naturalist.

Sip & Flutter: An Evening with Butterflies and Moths
Featuring Janine Kharey and Teri Rome
Tuesday, August 26, 6:00-8:00pm
Cost: Hilltop, LMNGBR members and students $15, Non-members $20 

Spend a summer evening surrounded by nature’s most delicate wonders at Sip & Flutter, a unique program celebrating butterflies, moths, and the plants that support them. Begin your evening with a stroll through Hilltop Arboretum’s flourishing pollinator garden, a haven for winged visitors, while enjoying a glass of wine or a refreshing botanical mocktail.

Then, join naturalists Janine Kharey and Teri Rome for an engaging talk on the fascinating lives of butterflies and moths—from their vital roles in ecosystems to the surprising ways they interact with our gardens and landscapes. Whether you’re a nature lover, gardener, or simply curious, this evening will leave you inspired and enchanted.

Wine, wings, and wonder—what could be better?

Janine Kharey is a dedicated educator, multimedia artist, Master Naturalist, Master Gardener, and the visionary founder of Wild Ones Greater Baton Rouge. Her lifelong passion for nature is vividly expressed through her role as curator of a 400 species native plant habitat and haven for butterflies and pollinators in suburban East Baton Rouge. Janine’s commitment to conservation extends beyond her garden and backyard nursery where she grows plants for habitat gardens. She has created and expanded a native plant seed repository focusing on plants with local genetics, especially wild plants used by Lepidoptera as host plants. Her work has preserved unsung but essential species, sharing seeds with growers and expanding awareness of their ecological value.

A Certified Master Gardener, Master Naturalist, and long-time Hilltop board member and volunteer, Teri Rome has an avid interest in gardening, specifically for pollinators and native flora. She has planted her own yard to attract pollinators and birds, observing from her porch, a plethora of butterflies and moths, eagles, blue herons, blue birds, great herons, owls, and other wildlife. Teri enjoys sharing and teaching new gardeners about the benefits Hilltop has to offer to volunteers and anyone interested in learning more about gardening. 

 

For more information about this event, please contact us at LSU Hilltop Arboretum at 225-767-6916, visit www.lsu.edu/hilltop, or email info@friendsofhilltop.org.

Program Details

Pressed and Preserved is a 2-part program.
Tuesday, July 29 & August 12, 6-8pm
Hilltop, LMNGBR members, and students $60, non-members $75

Registration for Pressed & Preserved

Sip & Flutter: An Evening with Butterflies and Moths
Tuesday, August 26, 6-8pm
Hilltop, LMNGBR members, and students $15, non-members $20

Registration for Sip & Flutter

Questions? Contact Hilltop by email info@friendsofhilltop.org or call 225-767-6916.