Arnold Arboretum

Lilac Sunday Returning to Arnold Arboretum After Two-Year Hiatus

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The Arnold Arboretum came into existence on March 29, 1872, and is marking 150 years of preserving biodiversity and connecting plants and people. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Arnold Arboretum welcomes everyone to the first public-observance of its traditional Lilac Sunday event since 2019. In addition, Arnold Arboretum Director William (Ned) Friedman announces a slate of both virtual and in-person talks on sesquicentennial themes entitled The Magic and Meaning of a Garden of Trees. The spring season kicks off on May 1 with the reopening of the Arnold Arboretum Visitor Center in the Hunnewell Building, and accelerates with the approach of Lilac Sunday on May 8. A beloved tradition in Boston for well over a century, Lilac Sunday will return on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, after a two-year pause during the pandemic.

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Arnold Arboretum

Celebrate Arnold Arboretum’s Sesquicentennial on March 29

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The Arnold Arboretum will be celebrating it sesquicentennial with a special in-person and virtual event on March 29. The Arnold Arboretum was founded on Friday, March 29, 1872. Exactly 150 years later, the Arnold Arboretum is inviting you to hear Lisa Pearson, Head of the Arboretum Library and Archives, for a special sesquicentennial lecture. Pearson will discuss the earliest benefactors of the Arnold Arboretum, the events that led to the founding of the institution, and the busy first two decades during which the infrastructure and living collections were installed at the arboretum. This event will be at the Arboretum's Weld Hill Research Building (1300 Centre St., Roslindale) on Tuesday, March 29, 2 to 3 pm.

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Animals

The Arnold Arboretum’s Feeding Curiosity About Birds

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The Arnold Arboretum’s collections provide year round sustenance and habitat for a host of wildlife, including many bird species. The Arnold Arboretum's Public Programs department complements these natural resources by adding winter bird feeders. Visiting birds and birders alike have long enjoyed the feeding station at the Hunnewell Visitor Center. However, two new stations now feature in the landscape. Look for one atop Bussey Hill and the second along Conifer Path.

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Environment

Why Aren’t Arboretum Roads Salted?

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Each snowfall brings many visitors to the Arnold Arboretum, drawn to the landscape as a beautiful haven for skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, snowboarding, as well as walking and running. As soon as the snow begins to fall, our staff is mobilized to clear snow and keep our roads passable. On these snowy days, visitors occasionally ask why we don’t use deicing salts to clear interior Arboretum roads. The short answer is that concern for the long-term health of our plants and the soil they grow in requires employing different approaches than those used outside our gates. Salt Contamination and Plants
The rock salt used on city streets excels in removing snow and ice. However, resulting saltwater runoff can also harm plants, especially trees and shrubs.

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Arnold Arboretum

Volunteers Wanted for Arnold Arboretum Field Study Guides

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The Arnold Arboretum is training for the spring season of school programs at the arboretum, and they need volunteer field study guides. The school programs season begins March 29. The Arnold Arboretum is looking for outgoing and mature adults who can commit to two years of volunteering. You do not need to know about plants, but experience working with children is preferred. If you are interested, please complete an application by March 11 for an interview.

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Environment

Bikes Not Bombs Receives $130,000+ City Grant for Green and Mobility Jobs

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Bikes Not Bombs recently received a city grant to green jobs and mobility training.  The grant is for $138,232. “With the city of Boston’s funding, Bikes Not Bombs will give Boston youth the opportunity for apprenticeship, skill building, and career development. BNB uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change – and this funding will open the door for Black and marginalized Boston residents to achieve economic mobility, build relationships, and work towards a healthier Boston,” said Elijah Evans, Executive Director of Bikes Not Bombs via press release. Mayor Michelle Wu announced the recipients of Boston’s Catalyst Grants for Green Job and Mobility Training on Jan.

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Business

Boing! Wins 2021 Sustainable Business of the Year Award

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Boing! Toy Shop will be honored at this year's Sustainable Business Awards Celebration. Boing! tweeted about the exciting news that the independent toy store on Centre Street won the 2021 Sustainable Business of the Year Award in the Retail Business category. This is the 6th Annual Awards Celebration Sustainable Business Network of MA in partnership with NPR's award-winning host Robin Young.

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Environment

Photos: Magical Ice Formations at Jamaica Pond

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Local photographer and JP resident Shaheen Pooladvand was recently walking around Jamaica Pond and noticed these magical ice formations at the edge of the water. All photos courtesy of Shaheen Pooladvand. You can see more of Pooladvand's work on her Instagram.  

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Environment

Arnold Arboretum Restoring Wild Populations of New England Blazing Star

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The Arnold Arboretum is dominated by trees and other woody plants that by and large originated elsewhere— primarily from wild, temperate habitats around the globe. But staff have historically preserved areas of the Arboretum landscape where native understory plants are encouraged to grow spontaneously and by design, and in recent years we have begun collecting and reintroducing herbaceous species that were once common on our grounds. Like our accessioned trees, these plants may be immediately familiar and plentiful in the wild, or threatened and quite rare. One example of a species poised for a comeback in our landscape is New England blazing star, a plant reintroduced through a collaboration with Zoo New England. For the Arboretum, this species is significant to both history and conservation—the last confirmed wild population in all of Suffolk County was documented in our landscape almost 90 years ago.

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