Nancy Sableski, Manager of Children's Education
Sunday, December 15, 2:00-3:30pm [Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Building and Landscape]
Families need nature at all times of the year! Meet inside the main gate at the Visitor Center. We’ll make paper chickadees and go on a StoryWalk to learn how a little bird can bring back the Sun! Free and open to all, most suitable for children ages four through ten. In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209.
Andrew Gapinski, Head of Horticulture, Arnold Arboretum
Saturday, December 14, 9:30am–Noon
[Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Building and Landscape]
Put down the hedge shears! Through both classroom instruction and hands-on field training, this class will include what’s, whys, and how’s of proper pruning approaches and techniques. Andrew Gapinski will focus on small ornamental trees, young shade trees, and shrubs with general approaches towards maintaining a plant’s natural form and encouraging health and vigor. Note: Pruning for fruit production will not be covered in this offering. Dress for indoor and outdoor learning.
Robert Spengler III, PhD, Director of the Paleoethnobotany Laboratories, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
Wednesday, December 4, 7:00–8:30pm
[Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Building]
From almonds and apples to tea and rice, many foods that we consume today have histories that can be traced out of prehistoric Central Asia along the tracks of the Silk Road to kitchens in Europe, America, China, and elsewhere in East Asia. The exchange of goods, ideas, cultural practices, and genes along these ancient routes extends back five thousand years, and organized trade along the Silk Road dates to at least Han Dynasty China in the second century BC. Robert Spengler presents a broad array of archaeological, botanical, and historical evidence, narrating the story of the origins and spread of agriculture across Inner Asia and into Europe and East Asia. Through the preserved remains of plants found in archaeological sites, he identifies the regions where our most familiar crops were domesticated and follows their routes as people carried them around the world, shaping the course of human history. $5; free for students
Create a piece of Arnold Arboretum history…enter our contest to design the 2020 Lilac Sunday t-shirt! The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University invites artists of all ages to submit logo designs for the Lilac Sunday 2020 T-shirt. Lilac-themed t-shirts have been a tradition for many years, and continue to be a highly anticipated and popular memento of this event. Find details at http://bit.ly/lilac-t-shirt-contest
Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit the Arboretum. Explore the less-traveled paths of the Arboretum on informative walks designed for enjoyment, health, and learning about this special landscape. Pause to hear about interesting plants and unique collections. Sign up for one or both! Please dress appropriately and bring water.
Forest Bathing is inspired by Shinrin-yoku, a prominent feature of preventative medicine and healing in Japan. From increased cerebral blood flow to stronger immune defenses, there has been extensive research demonstrating what can happen when we relax, unplug and open our senses to the natural world in community. This slow-paced guided therapeutic experience promotes wellness through a series of gentle sensory-opening invitations that welcome us to notice more of our natural surroundings. By deepening our connection with the natural world and each other, we open ourselves up to the healing medicine of the forest. Forest Bathing is part of a global effort to tend to the stressful conditions of living in modern industrialized civilization. Fee $35
Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5209
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.304.9313.
Tiffany Enzenbacher, Manager of Plant Production, Arnold Arboretum
Enhance your garden! Join Manager of Plant Production Tiffany Enzenbacher to learn how to propagate woody plants from fall cuttings. Students will collect and stick cuttings of several taxa (Ilex and Rhododendron to name a few), and will take their propagules home. After rooting, small plants may be ready to transplant as early as next year. Post-class nurturing will be required.
Conor Guidarelli, Horticulturist, Arnold Arboretum
[Arnold Arboretum, Weld Hill Building and Landscape]
Horticulturist Conor Guidarelli manages the Arnold Arboretum’s organic materials recycling area and has recently improved the production and quality of the resulting compost. Conor will discuss the components of compost and the nutrients that can be returned to a site when compost is applied. He will explain the mix of brown to green materials, moisture, and aeration. Class participants will start in the classroom and then travel to the Arboretum’s materials yard to see compost in various stages of development. Fee $30
Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.
Nancy Sableski, Manager of Children's Education
Families need nature at all times of the year! Meet inside the main gate at the Visitor Center. We’ll learn how Arboretum animals get ready for winter. Go on a StoryWalk, get a tattoo, and make a winter home for your favorite animal! Free and open to all, most suitable for children ages four through ten.
Join our exhibiting artist, Betsey Henkels, for a reception in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall on Saturday, October 26, 1:00-3:00pm. Exhibit runs October 25, 2019 – February 2, 2020
Betsey Henkels uses the camera to explore the world in two ways–first by noticing and appreciating objects that she might otherwise overlook, and second, by transforming ordinary scenes into prints that are compelling and unexpected. Henkels spent many hours in the Arboretum, photographing tree canopies, bark, and above ground roots in infrared. Infrared is magical and mysterious. The photographer shoots images without knowing exactly what will show up in the print.
