Woodlands Garden

Volunteer Project
2025-07-16 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-09 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-02 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-06-25 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-06-18 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-06-11 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-06-04 09:00 - 11:00, 2025-05-28 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates | Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, 30030, United States
Come Volunteer!

More details on how to get involved here: https://www.woodlandsgarden.org/come-volunteer/

Singing Workshops: July Series
2025-07-10 18:15 - 20:00
Join Elise Witt for a singing workshop, Singing for Fun for Everyone! Singers of all levels of experience are welcome. Music reading is not a prerequisite. The cost for this 3-part series is a sliding scale of $45-90. Click here to register.
Arrive at 6:15pm for ab optional Quigong Warmup. The class will take place from 6:45-8:00pm.
Discover, explore, and expand your natural voice with Singing for FUN for EVERYONE. Singers learn songs that explore the vast expression of harmony from around the world. There are also lots of songs in English, including songs from the African American tradition, quirky rounds, food songs, Elise originals, and lots more! Singers of all levels of experience are welcome.
The singing workshop includes body and voice integration, calling in elements of Tai Chi, Yoga, and Alexander Technique, as well as dance, theater, and vocal improvisation to focus on breath and ease of movement.
All of the songs are broken down into easily learnable parts and become thrilling to sing in a group. Even people who think they “can’t carry a tune in a bucket” in no time find themselves part of an impromptu glorious chorus.

Creative Roots Artist Showcase
2025-06-28 14:00 - 17:00 | Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, 30030, United States
Connect with nature in a whole new way!

Join us for an inspiring artist showcase that celebrates the beauty, power, and importance of the natural world. This family-friendly event brings together local creatives whose work is rooted in nature through painting, sculpture, photography, and more.

Enjoy a unique indoor/outdoor experience featuring nature-inspired art, family activities, and access to scenic walking trails at the venue. Whether you’re an art lover, a nature enthusiast, or simply looking for a meaningful way to spend your day, this event will leave you refreshed, inspired, and more connected to the world around you.
If you’re a creator whose work is inspired by nature, we’d love to feature you. Reach out to Maleah.Giles@uga.edu to learn how to get involved.

CANCELLED: Children's Bookclub - Story & Playtime
2025-06-28 10:30 - 12:00
June’s storytime has been cancelled, we look forward to seeing you next month!
Join Woodlands Garden and Nature Play Studio every month for Selah’s Book Club! This month we will read the book on the poster, followed by fun activities. Recommended for elementary aged children and their families. Bring a blanket to sit upon. You and your children will enjoy story time featuring a special book. Enjoy a hands on activity and light refreshments. Explore the trails and meandering paths throughout the Garden!
April 26: Thank you, Omu!
May 24: Run Wild
July 26: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
August 23: A Walk in the Forest
September 27: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
October 25: Leaf Man
November 22: Because of an Acorn
December 27: Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution

Children's Bookclub: Storytime and Playtime
2025-06-28 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-24 10:30 - 12:00 | Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, 30030, United States
10:45am-12pm
Join Woodlands Garden and Nature Play Studio every month for Selah’s Book Club! This month we will read the book on the poster, followed by fun activities. Recommended for elementary aged children and their families. Bring a blanket to sit upon. You and your children will enjoy story time featuring a special book. Enjoy a hands on activity and light refreshments. Explore the trails and meandering paths throughout the Garden!
April 26: Thank you, Omu!
May 24: Run Wild
June 28: Jabari Jumps
Wednesday, July 23: Summer Reading Party with Bearings Bike Works

**July’s book club will not be hosted at Woodlands Garden** It will take place at Monday Night Garage’s Courtyard. Click here for more details.
July’s book club will take place on Wednesday, July 23 at 3 PM

August 23: A Walk in the Forest

Watercolor Painting Workshop
2025-06-22 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-05-18 14:00 - 17:00
Join us for watercolor painting classes with Jessica Lily, registration required. Come play with the magic of watercolors and join our community as we release expectations, and let the water do the work! Local artist Jessica Lily will guide the group through a step-by-step method.
No experience is necessary. This class is built to give beginners an easy process for a lovely, meditative painting. This class is also great for more intermediate and advanced painters, as we will all learn from each other and incorporate our own unique creativity into our paintings.
More details and required registration here – classes fill up so book now:
https://atlantawatercolorgroup.com/
• April 13: Blue Eyed Grass (sold out)
• May 18: Hummingbird (sold out)
• June 22: Frog
• July 20: Grasshopper
• August 24: Purple Spiderwort Flowers
• Sept 21: Building

Presentation: Climate Change Mitigation
2025-06-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, 30030, United States
Join Emily Clarke, Woodlands Summer Intern, as she shares a thought provoking presentation entitled Climate Change Mitigation.
Overview of Presentation: Human activity increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to a warming atmosphere and planet, causing many consequences for people and wildlife alike. To decrease emissions, new technologies are in development and may be utilized soon as climate mitigation strategies. Carbon management is one strategy being considered by industries in the U.S. Southeast and will be discussed in this presentation.
Bio: Emily Clarke enjoys working in sustainability and conservation, especially when she can be outdoors. Past positions with AmeriCorps and the National Wildlife Federation have enabled her to explore the wetlands of south Louisiana and mountains in Colorado. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Global Environmental Health at Emory with a focus on Climate and Health.

Music in the Garden
2025-06-15 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-08 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-01 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-25 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Pavilion, 932 Scott Blvd, Decatur, GA, 30030-1302, United States
Music in the Garden at Woodlands takes place in the screened-in Pavilion. Performances are free to the public and take place rain or shine. Events take place on numerous Sundays in the spring and fall between 2-4 pm; other music events occur as announced. Our performers are local musicians who donate their time and talents! Be in touch with questions (404-373-2222 or director@woodlandsgarden.org).
***Please keep in mind that off-site parking may be required for Music in the Garden. Off-site parking options can be found here. Contact director@woodlandsgarden.org with questions.
2025 SCHEDULE (More details about the musicians are here: https://www.woodlandsgarden.org/music-in-the-garden/)

4/27: Mockingbird’s Wing5/4: Charles Absher, Ron Hipp, Cameron Kane and David Leonard5/18: John Cable, Cyndi Craven and George Eckard5/25: Redwine Jam and Harm’s Way6/1: The Nearly Normal String Band6/18: Eason and Gibson
The Music in the Garden Fall program kicks off Sept. 28. See the 2025 schedule link above for more details.

Qigong/Dao Yin Class: Mindful Movement Series
2025-05-31 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-05-24 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-05-17 09:00 - 10:00
Join us in the gentle movements of Dao Yin and Qigong amidst the serene beauty of Woodlands Garden. These ancient practices are designed to reduce stress and connect with nature, offering a peaceful way to nurture both mind and body. This class is part of the Mindful Movement Spring Wellness Series at Woodland Gardens.
Over the course of 8 weeks, we will gather in the screened-in Pavilion at Woodlands Garden, where we’ll practice Qigong and Dao Yin. These practices emphasize intentional breathing, balance, and gentle movements—both standing and on the ground—to help cultivate flexibility and harmony. As foundational practices for Tai Chi, they offer an excellent introduction to this transformative discipline. Weather permitting, we’ll also enjoy walking the grounds using forest bathing techniques, guided by Neil’s deep knowledge of trees.
The fee for the session is $30 for Coop members and Woodlands’ Volunteers and Donors, otherwise a $60 donation from the curious public is requested. Proceeds will be evenly donated to Woodlands Garden and the Tai Chi 4 LIFE Coop. Woodlands Garden is dedicated to preserving a woodland sanctuary that educates and inspires the community to connect with the natural world. The Tai Chi 4 LIFE Coop is a self-care cooperative that brings together teachers and students to offer practical methods for reducing stress through Tai Chi, Qigong, and other healing arts, enhancing overall health and well-being. Register using this link.
Neil, a skilled instructor in Tai Chi, Wild Goose Qigong, Tree Gong, Four Season Qigong, Five Element Medical Qigong, and Dao Yin, has taught Qigong at the Decatur Recreation Center and is a founding member of the Tai Chi 4 LIFE Coop. In addition to his teaching, Neil works as a consulting arborist, combining his love for nature with his expertise in mind-body wellness.

Joy of Birdwatching Talk
2025-05-29 11:00 - 12:30
Joy of Birdwatching – This talk is free! No registration required.
Birds have fascinated humankind for centuries. Ancient texts, and journals kept by emperors have
vivid descriptions of birds and their behavior. Aristotle and the Roman Emperor Fedrick II have
authored books describing the Avian Species.This talk is a gentle introduction to the hobby of Bird Watching, also referred to as Birding. This talk
targets first-time birders, or those who like to learn more about the avian species. Topics covered in
this talk will include what it takes to be a birder, startling facts about birds, why we care about birds,
studies in mental health benefits associated with this hobby, an overview of bird anatomy, bird song,
and bird conservation. We will finish our discussion with a review of both apps and resources which
help us to practice mindfulness and learn at the same time.
Bio for Amurthur Ramamurthy
Ramamurthy, who goes my Ram was trained as a Scientist and served the first thirty years of his
career in the Chemical, as well as Automotive Industries. For little over a decade Ram spent time with
Amazon Corporation teaching, and training managers and shop floor associates in continuous
improvement methods.
Ram is now retired but serves as a Research Volunteer at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory at Oak
Harbor, OH. My current focus is to provide statistical analysis for Bird Banding Data.
In 1978 while completing his Graduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, a
visiting professor from Georgetown University, USA encouraged Ram to start a hobby in addition to
focus on research in the laboratory. After collaborating with an ornithologist at a Tiger Reserve in
India, Ram chose to start birdwatching as a hobby.
After moving to the US in 1980, he spent the next few years learning bird identification mostly using
field guides. Over the past forty years, Ram’s journey in his spare time has focused on several areas
related to birds. Ram has taken several courses offered by Cornell Ornithology laboratory, on-line
courses on Ornithology from India. Currently Ram is enrolled in a Basic Ornithology Course
conducted by NPTEL (India Government’s online educational platform) India.
Ram has visited various birding festivals in the US, travelled to, UK, Poland, Costa Rica, Southern
Africa, Ecuador, Peru and extensively in India to observe birds in these diverse habitats. Ram
routinely visits National Parks which further offer opportunities to bird while hiking trails. He has
currently seen over 2300 birds.
Ram has co-directed a Young Bird Camp (December 2023) in Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research (IISER), Tirupati, India. A similar camp is being planned for December 2025 in IISER
Tirupati, India.
In June 2025, Ram is teaching a Masterclass on Bioacoustics at a Young Birder Camp in Portal, AZ.
At the Young Birder Camp in Portal, AZ, Ram will be offering a Master Class on Bioacoustics.
Participants will learn how, why, and when birds sing. They will learn the basics of Biodiversity, and
the role of Bioacoustics in the study of birds. This Master Class would discuss techniques and ethics
for recording bird sound, display, and analysis sonograms. Participants will have an opportunity to
record bird sounds during field trips, followed by hands on learning the use of Raven, Software
specifically designed for Bioacoustics. Using Raven Pro Software, participants will extract key
parameters which are unique to a given bird.
Ram is a frequent speaker at The Canton Public Library (Canton, MI) and Canton, Canton Summit in
the Park, Club 55+, and Washtenaw Bird and Nature Alliance, Ann Arbor, advocating for birds, and
citizen science. His seminar topics have included various destinations birding, Joy of Birdwatching
and Bird Migration. In addition to speaking about Birds, Ram is scheduled to give five talks on
National Parks at the Canton Summit during the later part of this year.

Weekend Volunteer Project
2025-05-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA, 30030, United States
Come volunteer!

More details and how to sign up here: https://www.woodlandsgarden.org/come-volunteer/

Private Event Rental Pavilion
2025-05-11 16:30 - 19:30 | Pavilion, 932 Scott Blvd, Decatur, GA, 30030-1302, United States
The Pavilion is being used for a Private Event, but the rest of the Garden remains accessible to walk in visitors. Restrooms not available to walk in visitors.

Crochet Class
2025-05-11 12:00 - 13:30
Join us for Crochet with McKenzie of Nature Play Studio!
Register for one class or the whole series using this link!
All skill levels from beginner to advanced are welcomed. We recommend a minimum age of 10 years old but you know your child best.
Our focus will be: chains, foundation, single, and double. We’ll work towards making Granny Squares. We’ll try triple chaining if there’s time. You’ll learn crochet terms and abbreviations to help you read a pattern.
Join us for all four classes or sign up for the dates that work best for you.
Dates: Sundays on April 13, April 27, May 4, and May 11.
Class size: 10 participants
Time: 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA 30030
Registration Options:

$50 for all 4 classes + supplies
$20/Person for One Class + Supplies
$10/Additional Supply Kit Per Person (a supply kit for youth ages 10+ accompanying an adult in the class)
$10/Class Only: Option if you already have the suggested supplies.

Recommended Supplies (included with this registration option):
H8 (5mm) crochet hook
2 Skeins Worsted Weight (4 medium) yarn, different colors Tapestry Needle
Stitch Marker (bread tag or safety pin work well) Measuring Tape
Tote Bag
Scissors, thread snips, or nail clippers
Practice at home: Our Favorite Crochet Stitches by Daisy Crafts
