University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums launching new monthly Tree Tour series starting Friday

IOWA CITY — The University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums (UIPM) will debut Tree Tours, a new educational program series. The first event in the series will occur from noon to 1 p.m. on Earth Day, this Friday, followed by monthly events at the same time through October. This program is free and open to all campus and community guests; registration is not required.

Tree Tours will take place on and near the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City, at the heart of the University of Iowa campus. Starting outside the Museum of Natural History (Macbride Hall), guests will embark on guided strolls featuring ecological diversity, symbolism, history and lore of notable tree species on campus. Program themes will center around discovery, restoration, mindfulness and movement.

As an accredited arboretum since 2021, and a designated Tree Campus Higher Education location, The University of Iowa displays an exceptional variety of trees and woody plant species including more than 8,000 trees representing 300-plus species of historic and rare trees. Tree Tours offer an opportunity to explore and connect, inspiring in visitors of all ages an understanding and a sense of wonder, discovery, respect, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds.

Conceptualized, researched, and hosted by the Pentacrest Museums with support of liveWell and UI Landscape Services, Tree Tours is a response to a need for reconnection with nature, allowing time away from work-life to recharge during a safe, fun, educational, outdoor experience. Date listings and information can be found at the Pentacrest Museums website under the Programs tab.