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...
Families need nature at all times of the year! We’ll go on a StoryWalk to learn how a little bird can bring back the Sun! Then we will go inside and make a paper model of an Eastern chickadee.
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 creativity and let yourself be surprised by the diversity of forms on display in the winter landscape.
Join us for a winter foraging walk to learn what wild plants can be foraged and brewed into tea. Visit some of the Arboretum's tastiest winter plants, from sweet birch and sweet fern to sassafras and spicebush. You may even get to taste some of the teas yourself! Led by Manager of Adult Programming and Events Sarah Nechamen and Horticulturist Brendan Keegan.
Dusk in December is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Zoo New England's Matthew Kamm to hear about the owls' breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
What is a conifer, exactly? How is it different from an evergreen, or a gymnosperm? Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp as he leads us through the different types of conifers and how to identify them, the reasons behind their distinctive needle-like forms, and their rise and fall in evolutionary history.
Families need nature at all times of the year! We’ll collect sticks, cones, leaves, seeds, and all kinds of natural materials from the forest floor, and then we’ll make our Fairy Houses among the maples!
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.
Bussey Brook Meadow is left mostly untouched by human management and interference, creating a flourishing urban wild with wildflowers, wetland, and both native and introduced plants and animals. Join Dr. Peter Del Tredici to explore this unique space and learn about the history of the meadow, the plant patterns that appear there, and the long-term ecology of the site.
Use the freshly fallen leaves at the Arboretum to make beautiful art, just like the famed nature artist Andy Goldsworthy. This is a chance to play in the leaves and make something beautiful—even if it only lasts until the next gust of wind! This program is suitable for ages 5 and up.
Take in the sights and sounds of the arboretum under the light of a full moon. Facilitator Bob Linscott 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.
Nature has the power to evoke calm and beauty when we can step out of our hectic lives. This immersive experience in the Arnold Arboretum will invite participants to meander through the arboretum, stopping for several guided mindfulness practices to deepen their connection with the natural world. This will be a guided experience with some periods of silence. No experience with mindfulness or meditation necessary.
October is one of the most beautiful times of year at the Arboretum, with leaves changing color and all sorts of unique seeds and fruits appearing on the branches. Join docent Vicki Amalfitano for a theme tour to learn about all the changes that happen in the Arboretum's collections in the fall.
This immersive experience in the Arnold Arboretum is an opportunity to step out of our hectic lives. Participants will be invited to meander through the Arboretum, with occasional stops for guided mindfulness practices to deepen their connection with the natural world. No experience with mindfulness or meditation necessary.
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.
Families need nature at all times of the year! Construct a rainbow of fall colors from leaves and seeds we find as we walk from the main gate to the ponds along Meadow Road.
Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the eighth year, The Art of the Woodturner VIII will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodworked pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural. Demonstrations on the lathe in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. Demonstrations throughout both days on the Hunnewell lawn.
Join docent Rick Ward for a tour of Peters Hill, as part of the Arboretum's Second Sundays event. Learn about the history of this lesser-known corner of the landscape and the uniqueness of the plants that grow here, including white pines, dawn redwoods, bamboo, ginkgoes, larches, and a truly magnificent crabapple collection.
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!