Upcoming Events

4th Wednesday of each month, April - October, 2025
12:10 - 1:00 p.m.
Register Here

Join Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum for lunchtime guided tours on the the fourth Wednesday of each month, April through October, exploring conservation, ecology, and sustainability. These will be walking tours around campus and will always begin at the Beal Pond.

Schedule:

• April 23 - Spring Ephemerals; Carolyn Miller, Arboretum & Invasive Species Coordinator
• May 28 - Plant identification for everyone; Alan Prather, Director
• June 25 - Plants in the eyes of pollinators; Jennifer Apland, MSU Herbarium Collections Coordinator
• July 23 - Botany by Bethany; Bethany Troy, Botanical Lead & Head Horticulturist
• August 27 - A Feast for the Senses; Katie Fry, Collections Manager
• September 24 - Arboreal Amble; Frank Telewski, Former Director
• October 22 - Riverbank restoration and clean-up; Carolyn Miller, Arboretum & Invasive Species Coordinator

Select Wednesdays July 9 - September 17. 2025
12:15 - 1:00 p.m.

Dates:

• Summer Session 1: July 9, 16, and 30
• Summer Session 2: August 6, 13, and 20
• Fall Session: September 3, 10, and 17

Join us for Move in the Garden, a free outdoor wellness program held throughout the summer with University Health and Wellbeing! This class combines stretching, bodyweight strengthening, flow movements, and relaxation- designed to improve flexibility, strength, and mobility for all fitness levels. No experience is required—just bring your energy and a desire to refresh both body and mind in a peaceful garden atmosphere. Remember to bring a yoga mat or beach towel and water.

Sessions meet on Wednesdays from 12:15 – 1:00pm, under the ginkgo tree. In the event of rain, classes will meet in the MSU Library Beal Room. 

This program is a collaboration between Beal Botanical Garden, University Health and Wellbeing, and MSU Libraries.

September 4, 2025
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Main Library, 2 West, DSL 360 Room

Artist and researcher Hailey Becker (Art, Art History and Design and Forestry) will give a brief talk about her series of art installations marking the removal of trees on campus with beams of light and recount her journey to display and document the work in the Digital Scholarship Lab (DSL), including a short 360 video and an interactive campus tour of the installations. After the talk and opportunity to view the work in the DSL, the artist will take attendees on the interactive campus tour to see how areas of campus have changed over time and how these changes affect our sense of place and relationship to the environment. Light refreshments will be provided.

September 5, 2025
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Register Here

If you love dancing, music, and nature, then you want to join MSU Museum for Harvest Moon Silent Disco. Set in the serene beauty of Beal Botanical Garden, come dance the night away while breathing in the gorgeous nature around you. Throw on a set of wireless headphones, choose your favorite channel, discover new plants, and learn something new about nature. Whether you are vibing alone, with a friend, or a partner, enjoy soaking in the beautiful atmosphere and reset. Wander the garden paths, enjoy seasonal snacks, and explore activities designed to bring you back to your center and unwind. Music, movement, and moonlight—this is your moment to start the school year feeling fully rooted.

Tickets are free, but limited! Make sure you register!

Mondays in September, 2025
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Join us in the garden this September to create multiple masterpieces while mastering peace. Drop in when you can between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. No registration required, but supplies are limited to first come, first served.

Dates:
September 8 - Create Beal Affirmation Labels
September 15 - Create Your Own Botanical Blueprint
September 22 - Painting in the Garden
September 29 - Sip and Spill Some Tea

September 11, 2025
12:10 - 1:00 p.m.
Register Here

Join Collections Manager Katie Fry for a lunchtime tour exploring plant resiliency and their potential to mitigate climate change. This tour will include ways Beal Botanical Garden and MSU are contributing and practices to be more sustainable. Meet at the garden pond.

September 12, 2025
4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Get ready to celebrate rewilding at BealFest: Wild at Heart!

Join us for a day packed with activities and performances centered on rewilding our campus and community with environmental stewardship and native plants. Discover exciting ways to reconnect with nature and learn how you can help our local ecosystems thrive!

Check back for updates!

September 26, 2025
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Climate Change Theater Action (CCTA) is a biannual 5-minute play festival that connects plays written by professional international playwrights with local climate activism; 2025 is the ten-year anniversary of festival and is themed “The Time Is Now."

The event will combine performances of CCTA plays with presentations from climate researchers and environmental activist organizations and feature interactive explorations and guided conversations connected to the garden space. There is an additional event as part of this festival at the Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center in Laingsburg, MI on September 27. Learn more here.

Friday, October 3, 2025
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
$50 per person
Register Here

Join us in the garden at golden hour for a one-of-a-kind celebration of our campus oasis. Toast the wonderful accomplishments made so far as we share our vision for the future during this elevated garden party. All proceeds will support our Beal Scholars program.

October 9, 2025
12:10 - 1:00 p.m.
Register Here

Join Botanical Steward and Horticulturist Mackenzie Hiatt for an autumnal garden tour engaging all five senses and embracing seasonal changes. Meet at the garden pond.