upcoming events

February 6th, 2026 | 6:30-8:30 pm

A Poets' Panel | Guardians of Wonder: Writing What We Must Not Lose - Botanical Garden of the Piedmont

Bolick Center, Charlottesville, VA

Join Charlotte Matthews for an upcoming event and book signing in partnership with the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont.

The natural world is constantly changing, and we’re calling on individuals to protect and steward its resources, sustain the environment, and engage deeply with the more-than-human-world. Regionally and nationally known poets Charlotte Matthews, Lesley Wheeler, Kiki Petrosino, Paul Guest, and Hayden Saunier will share a poem, discuss their work, and offer how writing engages them with the natural world.

This event is generously sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and will offer a provocative discussion—inviting us to consider our role in protecting the world we inhabit. This event is free, but space is limited.

To register for this upcoming event, please visit: A Poets' Panel | Guardians of Wonder: Writing What We Must Not Lose - Botanical Garden of the Piedmont

November 7th, 2025 | 5:30-7:30 pm

Book World Meets Wine World

Revalation Vineyards, Madison, VA

Join Charlotte Matthews at a benefit for the Literacy Council of Madison County. Matthews will discuss the inspiration and themes behind her collection of essays, Everything in its Brilliance.

The presentation will start at 6:00 pm. Come and enjoy the company of other book lovers at 5:30.

November 1st, 2025 | 12:00-1:15 pm

Fall Festival Poetry Workshop: Botanical Lines

Botanical Garden of the Piedmont, Charlottesville, VA

Come and practice quieting the mind to sharpen awareness of and curiosity about the natural world. In this workshop you will re-see what surrounds you and be inspired to weave that into a narrative poem. Our mantra will be Mary Oliver’s assertion: To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.

October 19th, 2025 | 3:00-4:15 pm

Poetry Workshop: “Poems and Reflections from the Quarry.”

Quarry Gardens, Schuyler, VA

Matthews invites us to slow down and listen deeply to the natural world. This workshop will explore the quiet marvels of nature: its capacity to astonish when we radically pay attention. Surrounded by the majesty of the Quarry Gardens, Matthews will also reflect on Rachel Carson’s enduring legacy and her prescience of today’s environmental challenges. Matthews will remind us that poetry is not merely a form of expression—it is a way of being in the world. In a time when distraction is constant and ecological urgency grows, this talk will offer a space to reconnect with the rhythms and wisdom of the earth. We will end this 75-minute workshop by composing a community poem.