Activity Schedule
Schedule as of 8/14/2024 – Check back for updates as final details roll in.
Live Music
All afternoon @ Heartland Bank Stage
Local band Six Feet Apart will be performing classic rock & roll tunes!
Davey Tree Seedling Center
All afternoon @ the north end of Whetstone Park near the pond
An entire area especially for kids featuring arborist trucks and demonstrations with Davey Tree Expert Company, arts and craft activities with Red Oak Community School, two Storytimes with Whetstone Library, and a children’s dance class from CoMo Dance at 4PM!
Just added: There is also a Time Out sensory room, a take a break space intended for those who need to calm down, regulate themselves, or take a moment away from overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells.
Electric Vehicle Show
Local EV owners with Drive Electric Columbus will be showing their all-electric vehicles and answering questions. One vehicle will be powering the concert with plenty of juice left to spare, no problem! That’s right, the band is playing all afternoon on a truck that was charged via solar panels!
Guided Nature Walks
Tree ID 1, 2, 3 – Knowing What to Look For @ Shelter House 1:15-2:00, 3:30-4:15, 4:15-5:00
Mort Schmidt
This walk will focus on the underlying principles of tree classification and identification. How does one distinguish between:
- Alternate or Opposite
- Simple or Compound
- Pinnate or Palmate
- Dioecious or Monoecious?
The difference isn’t obvious, and understanding these characteristics will simplify the process of identifying trees.
Mort received a B.S. and M.S. in Geology from The Ohio State University. He spent nine years as an oil geologist for Shell, and the remainder of his career as an environmental geologist. Mort enjoys teaching, and taught classes in petroleum pressure analysis, vapor intrusion, and at Columbus State Community College, introductory geology. Mr. Schmidt has no formal training as a forester or arborist, but his scientific background, love of nature and the outdoors, and his preceding three generations of woodworkers make trees a natural subject of interest. He’s led twice-weekly nature walks focusing on tree ID for the past four years, and is in his fourth year of writing the Tree of the Month column for the Simply Living website.
Adena Brook Creek Nature Hike @ Tour Meeting Point 2:30-3:30PM
Terry Seidel, The Nature Conservancy
Terry Seidel is the Director of Land Protection for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. Terry has 35 years of experience working in the field of conservation and has helped protect thousands of acres of high quality natural habitats throughout Ohio. Terry grew up near Whetstone park and spent countless hours as a child playing in and around Whetstone’s Adena Brook.
Ceremonial Tree Planting
Columbus City Arborists @ Shelter House 1:30-2:00
See how it’s done when the city arborists plant a tree in honor of ArborFest!
Story Time
Whetstone Library Staff @ Seedling Center 2-2:30 & 3-3:30PM
Join Whetstone Library staff for a very special storytime. We will celebrate the wonder of trees through stories, music, movement, and more!
Science Demonstrations
Learn all about our local ecosystems from exceptional ecology experts!
Macroinvertebrate Sampling Demonstration @ Olentangy River 3-4PM
Jenna Roller-Knapp, MAD Scientist Associates
Alex Roller-Knapp, Midwest Biodiversity Institute (MBI)
Teacher Bios:
Jenna obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and her Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources- Fisheries and Wildlife from The Ohio State University. Her research focused on wildlife in wetlands in Minnesota and Lake Erie coastal Ohio, particularly focused on fishes, invertebrates and water quality. Jenna has developed a profound passion in investigating, protecting, and restoring aquatic habitats and applies her expertise at MAD Scientist Associates by supporting and enhancing ecological surveys and restoration projects. Jenna holds several certifications for SCUBA diving, ODNR freshwater mussel surveys in Group 1 and 3 streams, EPA Macroinvertebrate Level 3 Qualified Data, and as a citizen Qualified habitat evaluation Index (cQHEI) trainer.
Alexander Roller-Knapp has been with MBI since 2009. He began as a field technician and is now the primary Macroinvertebrate Crew Leader. He is certified as a Level 3 Macroinvertebrate Qualified Data Collector with 15 years of field surveying experience. He leads work crews as well as assists with MBI training courses on sampling procedures and techniques. His interests include organizing community work days, fishing, salamander observation and anything outdoors. In 2017, he started an annual earth day river clean up that has removed over 21 tons of litter from the Olentangy and Scioto river banks. He has an associate degree in Environmental Science Safety and Health.
Seining Net Demonstration @ Adena Brook Creek or Olentangy River 1:30-2:15PM
Susann Moeller, Retired
Amy Tressler, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District
Teacher Bios:
Moeller, a retired professor of creative writing, humanities, and environmental studies, is founder of EPOC (Eco Poetry of Ohio Collective), a poetry salon dedicated to the advocacy and cross-pollination of those fields. She has published in many poetry journals and has several collections to her name (Mellen Press). She is editor of the eco-poetry anthology “Open Earth” (PM Books), serves as Secretary of the Board of OPA, and is a certified master gardener, urban farmer and Ohio naturalist.
Amy has worked in Education/ Environmental Education for over 20 years and is currently an Environmental Education Specialist for Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. She serves on the Ohio Envirothon Committee and is a board member for the Leave No Child Inside Central Ohio Collaborative. Amy graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Wildlife Management and from the University of South Carolina with a MAT Elementary Education. She has worked as both a classroom teacher and nonformal educator, with environmental education and stewardship at the forefront of her teaching. Amy is a state certified teacher and is passionate about facilitating engaging learning experiences that encourage students to make meaningful connections between classroom content and the community /environment in which they live.
CoMo Dance Company @ ArborFest
CoMo Dance @ Heartland Bank Stage 2:15-2:30 and 3:30-3:45PM
The Columbus Modern Dance Company celebrates nature through the art of dance. Enjoy the company premiere of “Garden Party” by local choreographer Meghan Western. Take in the scenic surroundings of Whetstone Park as the dancers also present a series of short solos in the park.
Whetstone Prairie 20th Anniversary
Columbus Recreation and Parks @ Whetstone Prairie all afternoon
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the restoration of Whetstone Prairie with the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department! They will be giving tours of the prairie throughout the day and demonstrating how to identify native plants.
Wild Ones @ Whetstone Shelter House, 1:15-2:00 PM
A fascinating photo collection of work done 20 years ago by the Wild Ones to establish the prairie will be on display in the Shelter House all afternoon. See what the prairie looked like on 5 different work dates as the project unfolded, and don’t miss the presentation of the photos by the photographer Paul Brower.
Scavenger Hunt
Kids can follow clues, explore Whetstone Park, and fill out the ArborFest scavenger hunt courtesy of Red Oak Community School! Check it out at the Seedling Center!
PoeTree Readings
PoeTree @ Park of Roses Shelter House 3-4:30 PM
Six award winning Ohio Poets including our own Susann Moeller, will perform a reading in the round – Timber!
Susann Moeller, Founder of EcoPoetry of Ohio Collective and Eat Our Words as well as editor of the 3 Volumes of the EcoPoetry Anthology Open Earth, also serves as Vice President of the Ohio Poetry Association and Vice Chancellor of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. She is joined by Anna Soter, Kathleen Burgess, Charlene Fix, Rikki Santer, and Chuck Salmons whose accolades take up more space than we have room for. So, come meet them at the Shelter House and have a listen!
Yoga Class
Give Yoga @ Yoga Field 1:15-2:15PM
Join GIVE Yoga for an all levels nature focused outdoor yoga class from 1:15-2:15 PM with Angela Bompiani. Everyone is welcome. Please bring a yoga mat or a beach towel to practice on.
Yamuna Body Rolling Class
Renie Viola @ Yoga Field 2:30-3:30PM
A sustainable body is part of a sustainable lifestyle! Learn the basics of Yamuna, a body sustainability technique that empowers you to prevent and heal your own aches and pains. Iron out the kinks in your muscles and melt away the tension in your fascia. Learn how you can do it all on your own, anytime you want, to help you live a full and active life for decades. Appropriate for all physical ability levels.
Class is free but equipment is limited. Registration required:
https://bit.ly/ClassInTheGrassArborFest
Teacher Bio:
Renie is a movement educator that empowers people to move and age sustainably. Embodying the practices of Yamuna, Pilates, dance, and more, Renie has helped people heal their pain and restore their joy in movement for over 16 years in New York City, Houston, Columbus, and Costa Rica.
Classical Guitar at Park of Roses Tower Gazebo
Classical Guitar Canon, Bardic Music, and Originals @ Park of Roses Tower Gazebo 2:30 – 5PM
“Bard of Ghosts” is a collective of sound artists, electronic thought leaders, and multi-instrumentalists focused into one entity with 20 years of combined artistry.
“Bard of Ghosts” creates the sounds of memories: Mystical landscapes both past and future, brought into existence by voltage and trembling strings. May they fuse the Forests with silicon and digital dreams, be they good or evil.
OBLSK Biodegradable Sculpture
Exhibition @ Adena Brook Creek all afternoon
OBLSK is a team of artists, inventors, and designers who come together to create engaging interactive installations, finely crafted imagery, and powerful multi-sensory experiences. Our values around environmental sustainability and social equality are central to our projects.
Our areas of expertise include large-scale projection mapping, interactive and experiential design, and light sculpture. We collaborate with clients ready to pioneer new ways of engaging their audience; creative-minded organizations interested in developing their brand using art and technology.
