Book a wedding with us in our conservatory or in one of our beautiful outside gardens ..read more

Receive monthly newsletters, event information, and more ..read more

Book a wedding with us in our conservatory or in one of our beautiful outside gardens ..read more

Receive monthly newsletters, event information, and more ..read more

Doug Conley Perhaps you’ve considered gardening purely a pastime for the warmer months—carefully planting your garden in the spring, working soil under the summer sun, and harvesting in the fall. What about the hushed winter season though—the under-appreciated time of year that wraps the landscape in a snowy blanket, seemingly bringing nature to a standstill? “Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the Spring and ends in the Fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream.” This quote from Josephine Nuese reminds us that gardening, far from ..read more

Matthaei Botanical Gardens will feature two linked exhibitions created by undergraduate student and former MBGNA DEIJA researcher Mahalina Dimacali. These exhibitions, Rooting Reciprocity and Kina n’da-nowendaaganag / All My Relations, are the culmination of 3 years of research and engaged scholarship to create a framework for botanical gardens rooted in community needs and co-liberatory practice. Mahalina Dimacali is a community and cultural organizer whose research explores the intersections of critical museum studies, Indigenous studies, and ethnobotany. Since 2017, her focus has been on ..read more

We’re excited to bring back Every Day Outdoors for 2024! Every Day Outdoors was created several years ago as a way to inspire the MBGNA community to spend time outdoors all year long. At MBGNA, we know how great it feels to spend time outside and studies show that being out in nature is good for our health and happiness. This is especially true in the cold Michigan winter when we might need that extra push to step outside and brave the chill. Ready to join in? You’ll find our newly updated inspiration sheet ready to download here, full of ideas to help you make the most of every day outdoors ..read more

Dear MBGNA Community, Reflecting on an eventful year at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA), I am filled with gratitude and enthusiasm for what lies ahead. Our mission – to act as a transformative force for social and ecological resilience – was put into action this year as we faced unprecedented challenges and unexpected victories. One of this year’s most captivating moments has been the return of beavers to Matthaei after over a century. These industrious creatures, now back after a 200-year absence, symbolize the resilience inherent in our work and stand as living proo ..read more

Matthaei Botanical Gardens is hosting free guided nature walks on select Wednesdays and Sundays.  These walks are FREE, no registration is required. MBG Wonder Walks are designed for all ages to inspire curiosity and learning from each other through activities that model curiosity and honor nature. If we have a sizeable mixed-age group, we may separate into two sets to offer the same content at different levels of engagement. Wednesday walks begin at 5:30 pm.  Sunday walks begin at 1:00 pm. We recommend gathering inside the lobby of Matthaei Botanical Gardens about 10 minutes befor ..read more

Image: E. Netherlands What is the significance of the Northern Lights for you and your tribe? For me, from the Anishinaabe perspective, the northern lights, Waasnoode, is a sacred act that we see that represents the word “waas” which is light and then part of it, “noode”, so it’s to me it’s like representing the heart light of Mother Earth. And it’s representative of those teachings that everything is lowered from the Spirit. So that heart light from the Earth would be part of that spiritual acknowledgment that we make between those sky beings and the air, the Earth, the water, the people, t ..read more