Phillips Auditorium, Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge
Born from vast clouds of gas and dust, stars embark on a fascinating life cycle, evolving from brilliant birth to fiery demise. As these stellar furnaces forge elements, they seed the cosmos with stardust, the very essence from which we arise. Our connection to the stars is profound—we are all made of stardust, a testament to the universal magic woven into the fabric of our existence.
Embark on an evening with two captivating talks delving into the mesmerizing world of stars. Following discussions, elevate your experience with rooftop stargazing using powerful telescopes,...
Robert Verchick is a legal scholar in climate change and disaster policy who designed climate-resilience programs in the Obama administration. In this lecture, Verchick will explore how we can harness the power of government, science, and local wisdom to rescue the oceans from climate breakdown. Verchick has written more than 60 articles and four books, including the award-winning Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World. His podcast, Connect the Dots, is in its seventh season. Contact events@radcliffe....
Online or at Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
The birds that populate the Arnold Arboretum rarely have to go far to find water. In the deserts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, it's a different story, and the sandgrouse that lives in these arid environments has developed a fascinating adaptation to stay hydrated: these birds have a unique ability to absorb and hold water inside of their feathers. The chicks can't yet fly the long distance from their nests to the watering hole, so adult males make the long journey with the lifesaving water secreted away in their feathers. But how do their feathers hold water so efficiently? Dr...
A presentation from 2023–2024 Radcliffe-Salata Climate Justice Fellow Jennie C. Stephens.
At Radcliffe, Stephens is completing her book manuscript, provisionally titled Climate Justice University: Another Education Is Possible (Johns Hopkins University Press, forthcoming), which reimagines how higher education could accelerate transformative social innovation toward a more just, healthy, and stable fossil fuel–free future. The book proposes a paradigm shift to leverage the untapped potential of institutions of higher education to advance systemic social change to reduce...
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.
Oaks are one of the most recognizable trees in New England, and one of the most ecologically important. Join Horticulturist Ryan Devlin for a Tree Mob on the Arboretum's oak collection on Peters Hill and get a closer look at this common but fascinating genus. Learn about oak reproduction, different oak species, mast years, and more through this short landscape talk.
Come by the Arnold Arboretum for our series of Second Sundays community events, celebrating Peters Hill and the neighborhoods surrounding it. Enjoy family activities, play lawn games, talk to a horticulturist or a scientist, sample local apples, take a tour, and more!
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
What treasures are found in the Harvard University paleontology collections? Meet Harvard paleontologists to find out! See their favorite fossils, learn about their research, and ask them your questions.
Learn about local fossils and where to find them, see what new techniques and technologies are being used to study fossils, and hear about current research projects. Join us to celebrate National Fossil Day with short talks and table-top presentations for all ages.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Learn about the history and art of specimen embalming, starting with the early work of Dutch anatomist Frederik Ruysch. Then prepare your own rat specimen in a glass jar using non-formalin preservative. You will leave with a tool set and your rat specimen which you will transfer safely into alcohol after three weeks, following the instructions provided. This class involves needles and syringes. PPE provided.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore impressive insects by preparing and preserving a sustainably sourced caucasus beetle of your own. You will receive a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and your finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, explore the arthropod gallery to take in the subtle nuances of Earth’s invertebrate species.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore impressive insects by preparing and preserving a sustainably sourced giant soldier ant of your own. You will receive a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and your finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, explore the arthropod gallery to take in all the subtle nuances of Earth’s invertebrate species.
This is a fun and engaging activity that can be enjoyed by anyone. Students under 12 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone who can work with them, at no additional charge. If the chaperone wishes to complete their own project, a second...
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore impressive insects by preparing and preserving a sustainably sourced blue morpho butterfly of your own. You will receive a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and your finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, explore the arthropod gallery to take in the subtle nuances of Earth’s invertebrate species.
This is a fun and engaging activity that can be enjoyed by anyone. Students under 12 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone who can work with them, at no additional charge. If the chaperone wishes to complete their own project, a second...
Families need nature at all times of the year! We will look for seeds that fly, seeds that float, seeds that get buried away, and seeds that travel through an animal’s stomach. If you were a seed, which one would you want to be?
Free and open to all, most suitable for children ages four through ten.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Celebrate the vibrant culture and natural history of El Salvador. Enjoy captivating folk dances by Grupo Torogoz and try hands-on activities including corn grinding and painting with cochineal insects. Go on a scavenger hunt and discover the rich heritage of animals, minerals, and artifacts from the region. Join an archaeologist for a live-streamed tour of Joya de Cerén, the Pompeii of Latin America. Take a break with Spanish Story Time, enjoy traditional Salvadoran cuisine (available for purchase), and enter a raffle to win a museum gift basket.
The Arboretum is known for its towering trees, but if you look closer you will see asters and goldenrods springing up amongst the oaks and the maples. What is the role of these spontaneous plants at the Arboretum and how do staff encourage them through horticultural practices like no-mow areas? Join Horticulturist Ryan Devlin for a walking tour to get answers to these questions and more.
Almost all of the plants in the Arboretum begin their lives in the Dana Greenhouses. Join greenhouse staff for a behind-the-scenes look of the greenhouse growing process, from seed to sprout to seedling to tree.
Families need nature at all times of the year! Following a StoryWalk® path, we’ll visit a nearby forest on Arboretum grounds and look under logs for the tiniest animals of the forest floor. Most suitable for children ages four through ten.
The Caterpillar Lab is moving in, and while the exhibit will be full of their munching critters and offer lots to explore, the real story is the one going on outside where these creatures are living out their strange lives in the wild.
Join Director of the Caterpillar Lab Sam Jaffe on a walk around the property exploring for native caterpillars and other insects. Learn how the Caterpillar Lab finds all of their caterpillars, learn about host plants and parasitoids, and get all of the caterpillar-finding secrets from one of the foremost caterpillar hunters in the world! This...
The Caterpillar Lab is returning to the Arboretum! This immersive, interactive exhibit will feature hundreds of native caterpillars at every stage in their life cycles. Visitors will be able to learn from the experts as they explore the displays. The Lab offers something for every age group, and will give new insight into the world around us.
Peters Hill, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston
Bring your family and friends to Peters Hill for an afternoon of free tours, crafts, family activities, and more! Did we mention free ice cream and bubbles? Free activities open to all ages include:
Tours of Peters Hill offered in both English and Spanish
Plant information tents featuring wildflowers and plant defenses, fascinating Arboretum plant highlights, know-how of Arboretum experts, and a rich assortment of cuttings to view up close
Ice cream, art activities, lawn games, StoryWalks®, and more!...