Burden winter activities begin Saturday

BATON ROUGE — As we approach the end of the calendar year, winter events are getting underway at Burden Museum & Gardens. Activities celebrate the season in festive and fun ways.
Holiday and winter events
Bring the children for StoryTime at Burden presented by the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and the Junior League of Baton Rouge. The first winter StoryTime is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Pavillion. Children can participate in storybook readings and arts and crafts.
This event is suited for children ages 3-8, but children of all ages are welcome. Admission is free, and registration is not required. The dates for other winter StoryTime events are Jan. 20 at Arbor Day and Feb. 10 at the Pavilion.
Ring in the season with A Rural Life Christmas at the LSU Rural Life Museum on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The event features a 19th century Louisiana celebration including musical groups, demonstrating artisans, storytellers and costumed re-enactors. A Rural Life Christmas will conclude with a bonfire and a special guest. Tickets are available at bontempstix.com.
On Dec. 9, from 7 to 9 a.m., nature enthusiasts can participate in Birding at Burden — a two-hour guided tour led by different birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden. Species such as northern mockingbirds, ruby-throated hummingbirds, seven different woodpeckers, waterfowl and wading birds, and a variety of resident migratory songbirds may be seen.
Admission is $10. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 15 guests. Registration is available at https://bit.ly/40R1AZ1.
On Jan. 20, the Botanic Garden partners with Baton Rouge Green to bring Arbor Day at Burden from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can participate in tree climbing with Bofinger’s Tree Service, a scavenger hunt, ax throwing with the Timber Tigers, shopping with local vendors and even a chance to meet Smokey Bear.
Visitors can also Plant their very own tree in the Burden Woods and track its growth using GPS coordinates. Newly planted trees help reforest the Burden Woods after previous hurricane seasons. Baton Rouge Green will host their annual tree giveaway in conjunction with Arbor Day.
The Icon Painting Workshop set Feb. 11 to 16, from 8 a.m. to 5p.m., will offer a thoughtful and meditative week-long retreat focusing on traditional painting techniques that date back 2,000 years.
The workshop is led by trained iconographers in the Ione Burden Conference Center. No artistic skill or previous painting experience is required, and all materials are provided by Friends of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. You can also bring your own brushes, Ott light or wet pallet if you prefer. Coffee and lunch are provided daily. Contact Diana Wells at dianawells1548@gmail.com for registration information.
The Baton Rouge Camellia Society will host the Camellia Show and Sale Feb. 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no admission for the show and sale and the public is invited.
Herb Day, set Feb. 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., is the perfect place to learn how to start an herb garden or refresh one you’ve already established. At Herb Day, there will be thousands of healthy herbs and All America Selections vegetable plants as well as local vendors and food trucks.
Herb Day will also feature an herbal tearoom and educational sessions on native medicinal plants, herbal container gardens and a historical and social overview of herbs. The event is an educational outdoor gardening event and plant sale hosted by the Baton Rouge unit of the Herb Society of America.
Continuing activities
The birding loops at Burden trail system consists of six loops that wind through Burden’s formal and informal gardens, grasslands, croplands, wetlands and forest. The loops are designed for both beginners and advanced bird enthusiasts. Kiosks about the birding loops can be found at the Rural Life Museum Visitors Center and the Ione Burden Conference Center.
Trees and Trails, a 3-mile system of pedestrian, recreational and educational trails in the Burden Woods, provides opportunities for hiking and interpretive and educational activities for youth and adults. The Mosaic Boardwalk at Black Swamp guides visitors through a hardwood swamp more than 200 years old. The trail system is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
The Children’s Garden offers a place to learn about gardening and nutrition. This model garden also provides a location for youth-related organizations and individual families to experience the outdoors, focusing on vegetable, herb and butterfly garden plantings.
The Rose Garden is a part of the American Garden Rose Selections program, a nationwide network of approved public gardens, and the American Rose Trials for Sustainability program, maintaining an inventory of 1,100 plants representing 150 varieties. Starting each April, the Rose Garden offers an exclusive preview of the coming year’s outstanding new varieties.
Windrush Gardens comprises majestic live oaks and ancient crape myrtles to create a shady canopy over azaleas and camellias, evoking a sense of tranquility and peace. Steele Burden, who was influenced by the gardens of Europe and the surviving gardens of 19th century Louisiana plantations, designed Windrush. The winding paths are ideal for strolling and enjoying the 25 acres of landscaped spaces.
About Burden Museum & Gardens
Located at 4560 Essen Lane just off Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge, Burden Museum & Gardens is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and includes the LSU Rural Life Museum, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and Windrush Gardens.
The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens is an expansive collection of specialty gardens, woodlands, wetlands and arboreta. Trees and Trails offer 3 miles of serene walking paths through the Burden Woods. The Rose Garden, Children’s Garden and All-America Selections Display Garden showcase the beauty of plants and flowers and provide educational experiences for gardeners of all ages. No admission is charged to tour the gardens.
The LSU Rural Life Museum focuses on the ways of life of rural Louisiana during the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum also provides educational and research resources that advance an understanding of the material and cultural heritage of the region. Adjacent to the Rural Life Museum, the historic Windrush Gardens comprises 5 acres of semi-formal gardens of the Burden family.
Admission to the Botanic Gardens and Trees and Trails is free of charge and open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Rural Life Museum is $10 for adults 12 to 61, $9 for seniors and $8 for children 6 to 11. Admission to Windrush Gardens is $3 per person. Both are free for kids under 6. The LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens are open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on major holidays.