Arnold Arboretum Program Catalog - Spring 2024

PROGRAMS & EVENTS

ADULT PROGRAMS

The Arboretum offers over 100 adult programs every year, from workshops on pruning, cyanotype, and chainsaw use, to Tree Mobs, meditations, and wildlife walks. All public programs are free: join us, and experience the Arboretum in a new way

Register for programs online at arboretum.harvard.edu/events

Programming subject to change, please visit our website for the most up-to-date information.

PROGRAM TOPIC KEY

Horticulture & Botany

Art Wildlife

Health & Wellness

MARCH

Mushroom Hunt

Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join a local mushroom enthusiast to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn the varieties of mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and how the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.

Instructor: Maria Pinto

March 2, 2:00 4:00pm

Nature Journaling

Bring your enthusiasm for the natural world and leave with a creative nature journal, inspired by the trees of the Arnold Arboretum. Nature journaling is all about expressing your curiosity and wonder through sketching, calligraphy, writing, or other forms of art-making. Tap into your curiosity and let yourself be surprised by the diversity of forms on display in the winter landscape. The emphasis of this workshop is on the creative process and having fun. All levels are welcome: neither botanical knowledge nor previous drawing experience is required. Please bring any art supplies you have and enjoy working with (e.g. watercolors, pen and ink, markers, pencils). Paper plus additional art supplies and tools will be provided. Weather permitting, we will spend some time outside in search of inspiration, so dress appropriately. The artmaking component of the workshop will be held indoors.

Instructor: Kristel Schoonderwoerd

March 9, 12:00 3:00pm

How to Re-Wild Your Lawn

In 2021, Arboretum staff started transforming a large swath of grass next to the Weld Hill Research Building into the thriving pollinator meadow that it is today. Join an Arboretum Horticulturist, the main caretaker for this space, to learn how to make this transformation with your own lawn. This primarily indoor class will cover how to remove your current turfgrass, select the right plants, plant your meadow, and keep it flourishing for years to come.

Instructor: Brendan Keegan

This program takes place at the Weld Hill Lecture Hall at 1300 Centre Street

March 10, 2:00 3:00pm

Conifer Walk

What is a conifer, exactly? How is it different from an evergreen, or a gymnosperm? Make your way through the conifer collection and learn the different types of conifers, how to identify them, the reasons behind their distinctive needle-like forms, and their rise and fall in evolutionary history.

Instructor: Paul Eldrenkamp

March 16, 2:00 3:30pm

Great Horned Owl Walk

Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Discover owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.

Instructor: Brendan Keegan

March 17, 6:00 7:00pm

MARCH

Chainsaw Safety for Women

Arboretum staff will lead a class on chainsaw maintenance and safety, designed specifically for women. Learn how to develop safe work habits, use proper PPE, maintain your chainsaw, and make effective cuts. The class will also cover the ergonomics of chainsaw use for women, so that you can wield a chainsaw without acute or repetitive strain injuries.

This class will start indoors with lecture and discussion, and then move out to the horticulture garage for some demonstrations of proper chainsaw use. Participants do not need to bring a chainsaw.

Instructors: Delia Mahoney and Maren Gunning

March 23, 10:30 12:30pm

Full Moon Walking Meditation

Take in the sights and sounds of the Arboretum under the light of a full moon. Your facilitator will lead the group through some mindfulness in nature practices as we meander along the paved road to our final nighttime viewing location on top of Bussey Hill.

Instructor: Bob Linscott

March 25, 7:30 8:30pm

Birding for Visually Impaired Participants

Join us for a bird walk designed for a blind or visually impaired audience. This program is co-led by Jerry Berrier, who is blind and has been birding by ear for over 50 years, and Brendan Keegan, an Arboretum Horticulturist and naturalist.

Together, Jerry and Brendan will reveal the birds of the Arboretum through detailed verbal descriptions and by teaching participants the art of birding by ear.

Instructors: Jerry Berrier and Brendan Keegan

March 24, 9:00 10:30pm

Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety

Join us for an interactive workshop on chainsaw maintenance and safety. Designed for professionals and gardeners with some chainsaw experience, you will learn how to best maintain your chainsaw, make effective felling and tension cuts, use proper PPE, and develop safe work habits.

You are encouraged to bring your own chainsaw and PPE (eye protection, ear protection, and boots). Most of the workshop will involve instruction and demonstrations but you may get a chance to practice with your own chainsaw as well.

This workshop will begin indoors at the Dana Greenhouses Classroom, and then the group will take a van over to the Materials Yard to do some cuts and demonstrations.

Instructor: John Del Rosso

March 27, 12:00 4:00pm

Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum

Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum, the only arboretum he designed, is a National Historic Landmark and a model for others around the world. Your guide will identify the elements of the Arnold Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.

Instructor: Bill Beizer

March 30, 2:00 3:00pm

APRIL

Behind the Scenes: A Tour of the Dana Greenhouses

Seasonal, monthly behind-the-scenes Greenhouse program.

April 2, 1:00 1:45pm

Botanical Cyanotypes

Make beautiful seasonal cards and prints using the alternative photography method known as Cyanotype. Participants will collect leaves and seeds in the landscape and arrange them on special paper to create a deep blue print with bright, ghost-white silhouettes. This historic photography method, otherwise known as blueprints (sunprints), is one of the earliest forms of photography, and offers participants the ability to perform something that seems like magic.

Instructor: Tonya Lemos

April 6, 12:00 2:00pm

Spring Birding with Nature Man Mike

Embark on a birdwatching walk in the Arboretum’s landscape with birder and wildlife photographer Michael Bryant, AKA Nature Man Mike. This twohour walk is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced birders. Binoculars will be available to borrow on a first-come-first-serve basis, but you are encouraged to bring your own!

Instructor: Michael Bryant

April 13, 8:00 10:00am

Old and New: Herbarium Vouchers and the Plants They Came From

The Arboretum’s Herbarium contains over 100 thousand dried and preserved plants, and almost half were taken from the Arboretum’s own collections. These Herbarium specimens offer a blast from the past for these historic trees, and this unique program offers a chance to see both ends of the timeline: we will begin inside the Herbarium with a look at historical specimens from decades ago, and then head outside to see the trees they grew into.

Instructors: Devika Jaikumar and Marie Herbert

April 14, 2:00 3:30pm

Tour for Visually Impaired Participants

Join us for a tour of the Arboretum, designed for a blind or visually impaired audience. Tour seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent, as you experience the Arboretum through smell, touch, sound, and detailed verbal descriptions.

Accessibility: This tour will take place entirely on paved roads inside the Arboretum. The route is relatively flat and is accessible to wheelchairs and walkers. The tour will cover one mile or less, depending how quickly the group moves. Service animals are welcome.

Instructor: Katrina Scott

April 20, 11:00am 12:30pm

Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum

Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum, the only arboretum he designed, is a National Historic Landmark and a model for others around the world. Your guide will identify the elements of the Arnold Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.

Instructor: Bill Beizer

April 20, 2:00 3:00pm

Plant Foraging with Tyler Akabane

Did you know you can eat parts of the magnolia tree? What about stinging nettle? Join a local foraging expert for a plant foraging walk to look for wild edibles in the Arboretum landscape and learn how to identify and safely prepare a wide variety of wild edible plants. Instructor: Tyler Akabane

April 21, 2:00 4:00pm

APRIL

Full Moon Walking Meditation

Take in the sights and sounds of the Arboretum under the light of a full moon. Your facilitator will lead the group through some mindfulness in nature practices as we meander along the paved road to our final nighttime viewing location on top of Bussey Hill.

Instructor: Bob Linscott

April 23, 8:00 9:00pm

Birding with Bob Mayer

Birders, beginning and experienced, are invited to attend an easy walk starting from the Hunnewell Building. Come see the wide array of birds that make the Arboretum their year-round home, and those just passing through as spring migration begins.

Checklist of birds that have been seen in the Arnold Arboretum.

Instructor: Bob Mayer

April 27, 8:00 10:00am

Arbor Day Tree Planting

Find out how tree planting works at the Arnold Arboretum and watch as Arboretum staff plant a very special tree. From collecting the seed, to growing the tree in our greenhouses, to finally planting the tree and taking care of it throughout its young life, a lot of work goes into tree planting. Arboretum staff will talk through the process as we celebrate Arbor Day by planting one of our own beautiful trees.

Instructors: Rowan Payne-Meyer and Peter Dias

April 26, 1:00 2:00pm

Native Plants for Ecological Landscaping

April is National Native Plant Month, and the Arboretum is teeming with native plants: redbuds, azaleas, oaks, maples, even herbaceous plants like cattails. Join one of our Horticulturists for a walk to see the Arboretum’s native plants, explore their value to the ecosystem, and learn which woody natives to pick for landscaping your own yard or garden.

Instructor: Brendan Keegan

April 27, 2:00 3:00pm

Early Spring Blooms

In mid-April, flowers are just starting to emerge from the trees and shrubs of the Arboretum. Join an Arboretum docent to see, smell, and learn about these early spring blooms!

Instructor: Paul Eldrenkamp

This tour may involve walking over woodchips, gravel, and other uneven terrain.

April 28, 2:00—3:30pm

April Tree Mobs

Tree Mobs are interactions with scientists or other specialists at the Arnold Arboretum, and provide another pathway to enjoy and learn in the landscape. Experts share little-known facts about our living plant collection, its relevance today, and its importance to future generations. A Tree Mob is semi-spontaneous, often scheduled only a day or two before taking place.

Winter Hazel and Magnolia are the feature trees for April. Keep an eye on our events page or sign up for our mailing list to be notified when a Tree Mob is taking place!

MAY

Mushroom Hunt

Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join a local mushroom enthusiast to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn the varieties of mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and how the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.

Instructor: Maria Pinto

May 4, 10:00am 12:00pm

Behind the Scenes: A Tour of the Dana Greenhouses

Birding with Bob Mayer

Birders, beginning and experienced, are invited to attend an easy walk starting from the South Stree and Peter’s Hill entrances. Come see the wide array of birds that make the Arboretum their year-round home, and those just passing through as spring migration begins.

Checklist of birds that have been seen in the Arnold Arboretum.

Instructor: Bob Mayer

May 4 (South Street Gate), 8:00 10:00am

May 18 (Peter’s Hill Gate), 8:00 10:00am

Meditation Mondays

Unwind with this weekly evening meditation under the shade of the lindens. The group will be guided through 30 minutes of mindfulness and meditation designed to help you de-stress and connect with the natural world.

Instructor: Bob Linscott

This program takes place near the Linden Trees

May 6, 13, and 20, 6:30 7:00pm

S easonal, monthly behind-the-scenes Greenhouse program.

May 7, 1:00 1:45pm

Lilac Tours

Lilacs are blooming in the Arboretum throughout the month of May, not only on Lilac Sunday! Join our enthusiastic docents on a 45-minute amble up the hill from the ponds to see the lilacs, enjoy their scents, and hear stories of the many different lilacs in our collection.

Accessibility: This walk will take place on paved roads and includes one long, moderately steep hill.

Location details: This program begins at the Ponds, which is a 10 minute walk from Arborway Gate or a 5 minute walk from Forest Hills Gate.

May 5, 1:00 1:45pm, 2:00 2:45pm, and 3:00 3:45pm

May 6, 7, 8, and 9, 6:00 6:45pm

May 7, 9, and 10, 11:00 11:45am

May 11, 10:00 10:45am, 11:00 11:45am, and 12:00—12:45pm

May 13 and 14, 11:00 11:45am

Crabapples Up Close

The Arnold Arboretum is considered the “Mother Arboretum” for the modern crabapple, with over 50 species and 91 cultivars represented throughout the landscape. Join Assistant Curator of Living Collections, Miles Sax, for a tour of the flowering crabapples on Peters Hill as they reach peak bloom during the month of May, and learn about the history and conservation of this fascinating collection.

Instructor: Miles Sax

May 16, 6:30 7:30pm

The Botany of Booze

The Arboretum is full of plants that can be used to make alcohol. We have the classics like grapes, hops, and juniper, as well as ingredients for more obscure liquors and liqueurs like sweet birch, bamboo, spruce, and sassafras. Join Manager of Adult Programming and Events for a walk to explore these plants and the spirits they create.

Instructor: Sarah Nechamen

May 21, 6:00 7:30pm

Forest Bathing

Slow down and awaken your senses on a guided therapeutic experience in the Arnold Arboretum. Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, is a restorative sensory exploration and part of a global effort to tend to the stressful conditions of living in modern industrialized civilization. All the prompts, invitations, sharing and ways of participating are optional and open to interpretation.

Instructor Tam Willey (they/them) is a certified forest therapy guide, trainer, mentor and teacher with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and is the founder of “Toadstool Walks,” a guiding practice based in Boston, Massachusetts.

The group will walk slowly off the main pathways on uneven terrain.

Instructor: Tam Willey

May 26, 10:00am 12:00pm

Foraging for Edible Weeds

Some of the easiest wild edible plants to find are the ones we pull out of our gardens all the time: weeds! Lambsquarters, chickweed, purslane, wood sorrel, and more-- all edible and all extremely common, both in our backyards and in urban wilds across the city. And the Arboretum’s Bussey Brook Meadow is the perfect habitat for these weedy plants, so join the Manager of Adult Education and Events, for a walk through the meadow to learn how to find, identify, and prepare these edible weeds.

Instructor: Sarah Nechamen

This program begins at the Washington Street Gate.

May 29, 6:00 7:00pm

Morning Fitness Walks

Join a docent for a brisk early morning walk along the inside perimeter of the Arboretum. This walk will be fast-paced, energetic, and will involve walking over hills and rough terrain. Note that this is not a traditional tour: you may hear some information about individual trees and history, but the main goal is to get outside and get some exercise! Bring good walking shoes, water, and walking poles if desired.

Instructor: Lisa Gaquin

May 29, 8:00 9:30am

TOURS

Behind the Scenes: A Tour of the Dana Greenhouses

Almost all of the plants in the Arboretum begin their lives in the Dana Greenhouses. Meet greenhouse staff for a behind-the-scenes look at the greenhouse growing process, from seed to sprout to seedling to tree.

Note that this tour is not wheelchair accessible due to narrow passageways within the greenhouses.

Monthly April through October on the First Tuesday, 1:00 1:45pm

Docent-Led Tours

Join us for a 90-minute tour through the Arboretum! View seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.

No pre-registration required.

Meet in front of Hunnewell Building. Twice daily at 10:30am and 1:00pm starting April 13

Lilac Tours

Lilacs are blooming in the Arboretum throughout the month of May, not only on Lilac Sunday! Join our enthusiastic docents on a 45-minute amble up the hill from the ponds to see the Lilacs Up Close, enjoy their scents, and hear stories of the many different lilacs in our collection.

Location details: This program begins at the Ponds, which is a 10 minute walk from Arborway Gate or a 5 minute walk from Forest Hills Gate. Parking is available on Arborway between Arborway Gate and Forest Hills Gate, but make sure you find a spot before Forest Hills Gate, or you will need to drive down a ways before you can turn around.

Accessibility: This walk will take place on paved roads and includes one long, moderately steep hill.

May 5, 1:00 1:45pm, 2:00 2:45pm, and 3:00 3:45pm

May 6, 7, 8, and 9, 6:00 6:45pm

May 7, 9, and 10, 11:00 11:45am

May 11, 10:00 10:45am, 11:00 11:45am, and 12:00—12:45pm

May 13 and 14, 11:00 11:45am

EVENTS & EXHIBITS

Lilac Sunday

Experience the springtime bloom of our renowned collection of over 400 lilacs. Visit for tours with Arboretum experts, hands-on children’s programming, and more. Picnicking in the Arboretum landscape is permitted on this day only. Located primarily on the edge of Bussey Hill Road in the heart of the landscape, the lilac collection at the Arnold Arboretum is among the premier collections of these plants in North America. Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum (many of which can also be enjoyed at this time), only the lilac is singled out each year for a daylong celebration.

Sunday May 12, 2024 10:00am 3:00pm

The Many Moods of the Arboretum

by Fran Gardino

This exhibit features photo art captured in the Arnold Arboretum in the past decade. Most images are panoramas shot in a sequence of still images, stitched together and edited digitally, and printed on archival canvas.

OPENING RECEPTION February 24, 2024, 1:00 3:00pm

This exhibition will be on view in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall through June 9.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

WELCOME TO THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM.

Our 281-acre landscape features over 15,000 accessioned plants. We are open daily and free for all to explore. Whether you are coming for a stroll, on the lookout for wildlife, or interested in learning the stories and science behind our plants, we offer something for everyone. If you’re visiting with kids, check out a variety of self-guided family activities.

Not sure where to start? Our Visitor Center staff is here to help.

Learn about our plants and collections.

Print a map of the Arboretum.

Get directions to the Arboretum.

Accessibility

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University welcomes people of all abilities and is committed to facilitating a safe and engaging experience for all who visit.

To learn more or for accessibility-related questions, please visit the accessibility page on our website or contact our Visitor Engagement team.

SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Here is just a small sampling of what is happening this season in the Arnold Arboretum.

Early stachyurus (Stachyurus praecox)

Cherries (Prunus)

Crabapple cultivar (Malus ‘Mary Potter’)

Magnolia (Magnolia)

Forsythia cultivar (Forsythia ‘Meadowlark’)

Lilacs (Syringa)

VISITING WITH KIDS

STORY WALKS

Books in the landscape! Walk from page to page, learning about seasons, plants, and animals from a children’s book.

WONDER SPOTS

Explore the landscape through seasonal investigations about the natural world. Learn about plants and animals in locations throughout the Arboretum.

DISCOVERY PACKS

Be part of the Explorer’s Club and go on an adventure in the Arb! Living Museum, Science Lab, and Be an Engineer backpacks can be borrowed from the Visitor Center.

WILDLIFE BINGO

Stop by the visitor center for a bingo card or print one out at home. See if you can spot some of the Arboretum’s wild residents!

Before We Stood Tall: From Small Seed to Mighty Tree by Jessica Kulekjian and Madeline Kloepper

The Snow Man by Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter

Math in Nature: Sorting through Spring by Lizann Flatt and Ashley Barron

Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector by Janice Harrington and Theodore Taylor III

Outdoor Educator Recommended Books

Open every day. Free every day. For 152 years, funded by our community of supporters.

MEMBERSHIP KEEPS THE ARBORETUM VIBRANT

FEATURED MEMBER BENEFIT

2024 Arbor Day Seedling

Each spring, the Arboretum promotes the cultivation of woody plants in our region through the Arbor Day Seedling Program. This benefit is extended with thanks to members at the Arbor Day ($150) level and above. This spring we are pleased to offer eligible members the ‘Arnold Promise’ witch-hazel.

Learn more about the Arbor Day Seedling here.

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a public-private partnership that stewards one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of temperate woody plants in a free and open landscape in Boston. This urban oasis and “museum of trees” is funded by members and individual donors, like you. Enews

Connect with the Arnold Arboretum and its plants, programs, and events in all seasons.

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LOOKING AHEAD Summer 2024

Finding Fireflies June 6 13, and 20

Mushroom Hunt July 6

Arboretum Story Slam July 19

Writing in the Company of Trees August 3

Ants with Attitude August 14

Summer Flower Arranging August 25

View the Full Programs Calendar: arboretum.harvard.edu/events