Joe Roman is a conservation biologist and researcher. In this lecture, he will examine how recent studies of animal ecology have changed our views of the role of marine vertebrates in ocean ecosystems through the lens of "postindustrial ecology"—a term he has coined for the transition from extractive industries to cultural and supporting services, such as ecotourism and recreational fishing.
The Arboretum is teeming with coyotes, hawks, deer, turkeys, and more. These animals can be elusive, but they leave behind tracks and other signs of their presence. Learn to identify these signs and what they can tell us about wildlife behavior with Certified Wildlife Tracker and Naturalist Hillary Lisowski.
Online or at Weld Hill Research Building, 1300 Centre St., Boston
Join Dr. Peter Del Tredici as he dives into the world of roots and fungi beneath the soil. How are tree roots structured, and how do they get water and nutrients from the soil into the tree itself? How do symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi promote the growth and survival of both individual plants and entire forests? Understanding the structure and function of a tree's root system will not only help the audience become better gardeners but will enhance their appreciation of how forests work.
Arnold Arboretum, Weld Hill Research Building, 1300 Centre Street, Boston
The Arnold Arboretum has been collecting plants from around the world for 150 years, but plant exploration today looks very different than it did in the 1800s. From changes in collecting practices to an evolving relationship between the Arboretum and its international partners, a lot has changed in the last century. Join Head of the Library and Archives Lisa Pearson and Keeper of the Living Collections Michael Dosmann to learn what these trips were like in the days of yore, and what they are like now.
Horticulturists use grafting to fuse together different plants, taking positive traits from each to create maximum disease resistance, drought tolerance, and more. Join Greenhouse Horticultural Technologist Chris Copeland on a walk around the landscape to find graft unions-- both those created by Arboretum staff and those that have occurred naturally. Then head inside to see Chris and his grafting tools in action as he dices and splices plants together using a variety of grafting techniques.
Join a docent tour through the Arboretum looking for the vibrant colors of the witch-hazel flowers. Learn about plants native to China and Japan, those from the Ozarks and Mississippi, and even one that was introduced right here at the Arnold Arboretum! Dress warmly and wear boots for a 75-minute tour on and off the paths.
Bring your Valentine on a docent -led tour through the Arboretum looking for the vibrant colors of the witch-hazel flowers. Learn about plants native to China and Japan, those from the Ozarks and Mississippi, and even one that was introduced right here at the Arnold Arboretum! Dress warmly and wear boots for a 75-minute tour on and off the paths.
Young trees need careful pruning in their first few years of life to avoid dropping limbs later on. Arborists Ben Kirby and AJ Tataronis will show you how to prevent poor branch unions, avoid competing leads, and correct other defects common in nursery-grown trees. We will start indoors at Weld Hill Lecture Hall and then head outside to see some pruning in action.
In the Arnold Arboretum, there is something blooming every month of the year—including February! Join Andrew Gapinski, Director of Horticulture, to explore the beauty of the Arboretum’s witch-hazel family collection and its captivating history of development, evaluation, and scientific study here at the Arboretum.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Did you know that many of the birds in the Northeastern United States spend the winter in Latin America socializing and eating among tropical trees and flowers? Explore the lives and behaviors of these birds in our Birds of the World gallery and learn about flowers from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico in the Blaschka Glass Flowers gallery. Try some hands-on activities led by Hear Me Out/Escúchame teens, see their newest mini exhibit, decorate a bird or flower mask, and brighten the dark season!
Join Dr. Faye Rosin, Director of Research Facilitation, for a tour of the Weld Hill Research Labs. The Weld Hill Research and Education Building is a state-of-the-art science laboratory and teaching facility that opened in 2011. On any given day researchers, faculty, and students use its laboratories, greenhouses, growth chambers, and classrooms to further the study of plant life on Earth.
Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum's canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join local mushroom enthusiast Maria Pinto to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn what 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.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Join renowned photographer Keith Ellenbogen as he takes the audience on an awe-inspiring underwater journey into a dynamic marine environment. Through the art of underwater photography and environmental storytelling, Ellenbogen will showcase stunning images from his recent expeditions that include apex predators such as great white sharks, ocean giants like humpback whales, and giant bait balls of migrating fish. Many of his images are featured in the new exhibition Swimming with Sharks at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Paleontology is about more than dinosaurs! Harvard paleontologists study amazing non-dinosaur fossils including early mammals, ancient invertebrates, whales, crabs, and more! Meet members of the Stephanie E. Pierce Lab for Vertebrate Paleontology and the Ortega-Hernández Lab for Invertebrate Paleontology to see their favorite fossils, learn about their research, and ask them your questions. See what new techniques and technologies are being used to study fossils, learn what fossils can teach us about evolution, and hear about current research projects. Join us to celebrate National...
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore amazing arthropods from an evolutionary perspective with a hands-on look at an impressive species! Utilizing sustainably sourced specimens, students will learn about arthropod development and anatomy by preparing and preserving specimens of their own. Each student will get to keep a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and their own finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, students can explore the museum’s arthropod gallery to take in all of the subtle nuances of Earth's invertebrate species.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore amazing arthropods from an evolutionary perspective with a hands-on look at an impressive species! Utilizing sustainably sourced specimens, students will learn about arthropod development and anatomy by preparing and preserving specimens of their own. Each student will get to keep a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and their own finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, students can explore the museum’s arthropod gallery to take in all of the subtle nuances of Earth's invertebrate species.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore amazing arthropods from an evolutionary perspective with a hands-on look at an impressive species! Utilizing sustainably sourced specimens, students will learn about arthropod development and anatomy by preparing and preserving specimens of their own. Each student will get to keep a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and their own finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, students can explore the museum’s arthropod gallery to take in all of the subtle nuances of Earth's invertebrate species.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Explore amazing arthropods from an evolutionary perspective with a hands-on look at an impressive species! Utilizing sustainably sourced specimens, students will learn about arthropod development and anatomy by preparing and preserving specimens of their own. Each student will get to keep a set of illustrated instructions, tools, and their own finished specimen to display at home. With newfound knowledge, students can explore the museum’s arthropod gallery to take in all of the subtle nuances of Earth's invertebrate species.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge
Join an exploration of plant diversity and an introduction to methods of plant preservation. Using plant cuttings brought from home, carefully observe and compare morphological characteristics, discuss why they may have been favored over evolutionary time, and learn how to press specimens for scientific study. Following the workshop, the group will tour the Harvard University Herbaria to learn about the importance of preserved specimens and to see how scientists use them for scientific research.
Virtual and In-Person – Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, Haller Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Sharks are some of the most fascinating, most ecologically important, most threatened, and most misunderstood animals on Earth. Join award-winning marine conservation biologist Dr. David Shiffman, author of the new book Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World's Most Misunderstood Predator, for a conversation about what's new and what's next in the world of shark science and conservation.
Presented by the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture and the Harvard Museum of Natural History