The Quercus (oak) collection comprises more than 1,000 individuals and has representatives from over 40 different species, with unique cultivars just waiting for your attention. This collection has specimens from the late 1800's and early 1900's, notable trees along the Peters Hill circuit road planted by the Arboretum's first director Charles Sargent, and at the Peters Hill summit, a Quercus coccinea(scarlet oak) planted in September 2001 to commemorate 9/11. Our current director, Ned Friedman has penned words and photographed the collection, read from...

Read more about Collections Up Close: The Arboretum Oaks

Artist's Talk, Saturday, September 29, 11am-11:45am

Join us for a talk by photographer, Jim Harrison. Harrison worked for the Arboretum in 2008, photographing the landscape through four full seasons. After that year, he returned, worked at this own pace, and expanded his perspective. For him, the Arboretum became a living, ever changing laboratory in which to explore the simple but fundamental act of observation. His current exhibition is a visual tour of the Arboretum's wonderful, often hidden collections. They are seen through the expert eye and sensitive... Read more about Continuation: Seasons at the Arboretum

Maria Finkelmeier and the Kadence Ensemble will perform Flow Through, Finkelmeier’s 15 minute composition for large ensemble to be played in an outdoor setting. Featuring thirty performers (brass players, singers, and percussionists), the work is inspired by the fluidity and importance of water to living organisms. Flow Through reflects the power of this compound, that brings awe, serenity, catastrophe, and breath to our planet. The musicians will mingle their music with artist Fujiko Nakaya’s fog sculpture...

Read more about Flow Through

The Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design (COGdesign) is pleased to showcase final designs for their eight 2017-18 projects. This year’s projects range from community gardens in Chelsea and Mission Hill to parks, plazas and stormwater management plans for transitional housing, after school programs, and community groups in five additional Boston neighborhoods, and in Framingham. Following the showcase, Dan Adams and Marie Law Adams of Landing Studio will present their design solution for Charlesgate, a complex project to restore ecological infrastructure performance, urban...

Read more about COGdesign Project Showcase and Charlesgate Presentation

See website calendar for dates.
Location: Bonsai and Penjing Collection (Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection)

Come and experience a very unique opportunity in the Arnold Arboretum's Bonsai and Penjing Collection of dwarfed potted plants. With an Arboretum volunteer, you will be able to go inside the pavilion, hear about the... Read more about Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion Open House

Location: Hunnewell Building and Lawn

Sunday, September 9, 10:00-11:00am (ages 3-8)

Saturday, September 15, 2:00-4:00pm (ages 8 and up)

Saturday, October 6, 10:00-11:00am (ages 3-8)

Sunday, October 28, 2:00-4:00pm (ages 8 and up) 

Discover the Fog with kids in four family drop in activities. At the Arnold Arboretum's own Fog x Hill, you can join us as...

Read more about Fog x Kids: Family Drop In's

Location: Hunnewell Building and Lawn

Sunday, September 9, 10:00-11:00am (ages 3-8)

Saturday, September 15, 2:00-4:00pm (ages 8 and up)

Saturday, October 6, 10:00-11:00am (ages 3-8)

Sunday, October 28, 2:00-4:00pm (ages 8 and up) 

Discover the Fog with kids in four family drop in activities. At the Arnold Arboretum's own Fog x Hill, you can join us as...

Read more about Fog x Kids: Family Drop In's

Objective: This workshop will introduce methods for gaining control of e-mail and managing it according to Harvard records policies as well as provide tips on how to organize your e-mail.

Length: 1 ½ hours

Who should attend: All employees who want to effectively manage their e-mail.

What you will learn

• Methods of controlling e-mail
• The application of the General Records Schedule to e-mail
• Examples of types of e-mails with...

Read more about E-mail Management

Objective: This workshop will present the step-by-step process of sending records to off-site storage at the Records Center. We cover everything from how to assemble and pack a box to how to complete the deposit paperwork.

Length: 1 ½ hours

Who should attend: Employees who have not yet sent records to storage as well as anyone in charge of packing and depositing boxes who would like a refresher course.

What you will learn

• How to identify records eligible...

Read more about Out of Sight: Off-site Records Storage

Objective: Have you ever wondered, "How long do I need to keep my office records? Can I throw them away when I am done with them?" This workshop provides tools and advice to help you determine how long to keep your records and what to do when you no longer need to hold onto them. Whether you feel like you’re drowning in information or you're concerned that you're keeping records too long or not long enough, this workshop is for you.

Length: 1 ½ hours

Who should attend: All employees who want to...

Read more about Trash or Treasure: Guidance on Retaining Your Office Records

Journey with your family into the world of the microscopic with Harvard researcher Scott Chimileski and museum educator Amy Gunzelmann. Learn about how we use technology to visualize the tiny world of microbes, unseen with the naked eye! Try out modern microscopes, build simple microscopes, and use a macro lens to capture images with your smartphone. All activities are designed to be fun and interactive experiences for elementary age students and their families to participate in together.

Fees: $15 members/$25 nonmembers, per person includes admission...

Read more about Invisible Life: Exploring the World through Microscopes

Learn to capture birds with colored pencils in this hands-on workshop. Explore basic avian anatomy and observational drawing techniques, then dive into some techniques for working with colored pencils to build up rich colors and plumage textures. All skill levels are welcome.

Instructor: Erica Beade

Fees: $35 members/$45 nonmembers.

Advance registration required.

On July 12, 1969, Ruth Davis, a young American volunteer at Dr. Jane Goodall’s research site in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, left camp to follow a chimpanzee into the forest. Six days later, her body was found floating at the base of a high waterfall. What happened? Drawing on his recent book, The Ghosts of Gombe, Dale Peterson will delve into the full story of day-to-day life at Gombe during the months preceding Ruth’s death. These months were marked by stress, excitement, social conflicts, cultural alignments, and the friendships that developed among three of...

Read more about The Ghosts of Gombe

Welcome the winter season with a polar-themed evening. Go behind the scenes in the Museum of Comparative Zoology to view animals that are well adapted to living in a cold climate. Explore this theme further in the HMNH galleries with educators and hands-on activities, while enjoying seasonal treats. Don’t forget to stop by The Shop at HMNH to do some holiday shopping and to take advantage of the special 25% member discount.

Reservations Open October 29

Not a member? Join today so you can...

Read more about Member Night at the Harvard Museum of Natural History

As a devastating famine gripped India and Pakistan in 1966, a cargo of hybrid wheat seeds from Mexico arrived one fateful day on India’s coast. The seeds were first planted across the Punjab region using new agricultural methods, including intensive fertilizers and irrigation. The crop’s high yield surprised farmers and helped save many from hunger that year. Gabriela Soto Laveaga will talk about the origins of these hybrid seeds, their role in the Green Revolution, and the unexpected technological, environmental, and social impacts they had on both Mexico and India.

...

Read more about Origins of the Green Revolution: Hybrid Seeds, Hunger, and Mexico-India Cooperation