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OAK Drop-off Program

Welcome to OAK (Outdoor Adventure Kids)

For over 30 years, The North Carolina Arboretum has been a premier destination for environmental education in the Southern Appalachians. Whether you’re a curious beginner or an experienced naturalist, our programs provide inspiring ways to deepen your understanding of the natural world.

Program Requirements:

  • Follow our Health and Safety Protocols
  • Dress appropriately for a program spent fully outdoors
  • Participants must be aged 6-13Note:If your child does not meet our age
    requirements, but you are still interested in signing them up for OAK programming, please contact us at youtheducation@ncarboretum.org

Winter and Spring 2026 OAK Programming

Registration for all Winter and Spring sessions is open!
The dates for each session can be seen below.
Click the button below to register!

Winter Session: Jan. 16 – Feb. 13 (5 weeks)
Price: $292 non-member | $262 member

Spring Session 1: Feb. 27 – Apr. 3 (6 weeks)
Price: $348 non-member | $315 member

Spring Session 2: Apr. 17th – May 15th (5 weeks)
Price: $292 non-member | $262 member

General Schedule: OAK programming is held on Fridays,
from 12:30pm – 4:30pm.

*The prices listed  reflect the base program price in addition to Eventbrite fees. See here for a breakdown of prices.

Forms:

Medical and Liability Form (PDF Version)

Medical and Liability Form (Digital Version)

Family Agreement Form

Register Here

OAK Cancellation Policy

Eventbrite service fees and processing fees are non-refundable. If you choose to issue a refund more than 30 days prior to the program start date, you will be refunded the full ticket price; however, Eventbrite will keep the service and processing fees. If you cancel your purchase(s) 30-11 days prior to the program start date, half the total fee is refundable. If cancellation occurs 10-0 days prior to the start date, none of the total fee is refundable.

Health and Safety Protocols

OAK is committed to ensuring the safety of all participants by following current health guidelines from the Center of Disease Control, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services, the Buncombe County Department of Health, and the City of Asheville. We may update our policies on health screenings, face coverings, social distancing, and other safety measures as needed. Participants are required to adhere to all safety protocols currently in place, and following any updated guidelines; failure to comply could result in dismissal from the program

For additional information please email youtheducation@ncarboretum.org, or contact OAK Coordinator, Rich Preyer, at rpreyer@ncarboretum.org. You can also contact Ben Bafaloukos at 828-567-3165 for help with registration.