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 $20 member, $30 nonmember

Register at my.... Read more about Compost Compendium

You are invited inside our Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion to hear volunteers talk about the care, history, and unique stories of these dwarfed potted plants. The Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion is available for viewing from the outside daily from 8:00am-3:45pm.

For cancellations due to weather, please call 617 384-5209

Free

Did you know that almost all of the plants in the Arboretum begin their lives in the Dana Greenhouses? Get a behind-the-scenes look of the greenhouse growing process, from seed to sprout to seedling to tree. Meet at the Bonsai and Penjing Collection above the Leventritt Shrub & Vine Garden. There is a 15 person maximum.

Free, registration requested and limited

Register online at...

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Location: Peters Hill - Ginkgo Collection (near Mendum St. Gate) 

Celebrate plant diversity, natural history, and the work of public gardens by spotlighting plants and their families. Join us for tours, family activities and festivities in the ginkgo collection on Peters Hill. Most people can identify a ginkgo leaf – but what do you really know about the tree itself? Come learn more about this “living fossil” and explore a collection that reflects the greatest known genetic diversity of wild-collected ginkgos in North America.

This is a drop in activity. The event...

Read more about Collections Up Close - Ginkgo Collection

Considering its size and location New England has a relatively rich flora of ferns and fern allies (clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts). While it is possible to see almost all these species somewhere in the state of Massachusetts, several can be found at the Arnold Arboretum. Fern specialist Jacob Suissa will teach the anatomy, reproduction, and key identifying characters that will help you to identify the ferns and fern allies of the Arboretum and New England. Participants will begin indoors at the Arboretum’s Weld Hill Research Building with a lecture and then move outdoors to Hemlock... Read more about Identifying Ferns of the Arnold Arboretum

Join the Arnold Arboretum's Brendan Keegan for an easy walk looking for June birds. All skill levels, especially beginners, are encouraged to join. Bring binoculars, and a few binoculars will be available to share.See our website for directions and a checklist of birds. Parking is along the Arborway or Bussey Street, or take the T to Forest Hills and walk. Meet inside the Gates.

In case of inclement weather,...

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The ancient Egyptian language did not have one specific word to denote blue. The color, rich with symbolic value, was obtained through exacting processes throughout Egyptian history. The manufacture of the world’s first synthetic pigment, Egyptian blue, as well as the ceramic/glass hybrid Egyptian faience, became iconic elements of Egyptian art. Much like the imported lapis lazuli, these materials would have been available only to Egypt’s elite. Light blue fabric, dyed from the plant woad, is all that the average workman would have been able to access.

In this workshop, Laura...

Read more about Materials Lab Workshop: Egyptian Blue

Erica Lawton, staff assistant in the Division of European and American Art, will give this gallery talk.

Our galleries are full of stories—this series of drop-in talks gives visitors a chance to hear the best ones! The talks highlight new works on view, take a fresh look at old favorites, investigate artists’ materials and techniques, and reveal the latest discoveries by curators, conservators, fellows, visiting artists, technologists, and other contributors.

Free with museums admission. Gallery talks are limited to 15 people and tickets are required. Ten minutes...

Read more about Gallery Talk: Poetry, Painting, and the Plastic Arts

Join us for an architectural tour of the Harvard Art Museums, led by Peter Atkinson, director of facilities planning and management. You will learn about the history of our building at 32 Quincy Street, which is registered on the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as the concepts behind and execution of our eight-year renovation and expansion project, including sustainability features and restoration efforts.

Note that this tour will last 60 minutes.

Free with museums’ admission. This tour is limited to 15 people and tickets are required. Ten minutes...

Read more about Tour: The Architectural History of the Harvard Art Museums

In partnership with the Center for Wellness and Health Promotion, Harvard Common Spaces offers free Tai Chi by Harvard's Master Yon Lee every Tuesday, 5pm-6pm from May through September.

Meet in Harvard Yard on the Memorial Church Lawn on Tuesdays weekly from 5-6pm, steady rain cancels. There will be no classes on May 21 or 28 due to Commencement. 

All Common Spaces wellness programs and fitness activities are free; no sign-ups are required. For a complete list of wellness programs, please visit...

Read more about Tai Chi in Harvard Yard

As summer returns, so too does the Farmers’ Market at Harvard, which runs on Tuesday from mid-June through November (Noon-6pm). For the 2019 season, the Market will run June 11 through November 26. Vendor applications for the 2019 Market will be online February 1st. 

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The Market was founded in 2005, and operates on The Plaza outside Harvard’s Science Center (near the corner of Oxford and Kirkland Streets). The Farmers’ Market at Harvard...

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As every office worker knows, sitting for long periods can result in stiffness and discomfort. The gentle stretches and postures taught in this program are designed to increase flexibility at the joints – thereby improving one's range of motion – and also aid in relaxing the hips and lower portions of the body to increase one's ability to sit with ease. Because this practice blends movement in the body with the breath, it is an ideal extension of mindfulness practice.

No previous knowledge of yoga is necessary. This class does not require special...

Read more about Mindful Movement: Yoga for the Office

As every office worker knows, sitting for long periods can result in stiffness and discomfort. The gentle stretches and postures taught in this program are designed to increase flexibility at the joints – thereby improving one's range of motion – and also aid in relaxing the hips and lower portions of the body to increase one's ability to sit with ease. Because this practice blends movement in the body with the breath, it is an ideal extension of mindfulness practice.

No previous knowledge of yoga is necessary. This class does not require special...

Read more about Mindful Movement: Yoga for the Office

As every office worker knows, sitting for long periods can result in stiffness and discomfort. The gentle stretches and postures taught in this program are designed to increase flexibility at the joints – thereby improving one's range of motion – and also aid in relaxing the hips and lower portions of the body to increase one's ability to sit with ease. Because this practice blends movement in the body with the breath, it is an ideal extension of mindfulness practice.

No previous knowledge of yoga is necessary. This class does not require special clothing or equipment.

... Read more about Mindful Movement: Yoga for the Office