The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a museum of trees teaching the world about plants.

I am inspired by the absolute passion that every staff member and our volunteers possess to make this place as beautiful and as accessible to the public as possible. There are multiple entry points to conservation, education, and research—our mission—but the Arnold Arboretum as a place and its people are the conduits that make our mission come alive.

I view myself as an explorer of questions that remain unanswered or poorly understood, striving to help understand the natural world. The Arnold Arboretum showcases the beauty of nature and offers world-class research facilities to explore the source of the biodiversity on display. It’s much more than a beautiful place to walk—it’s a place for everyone and a valuable natural resource in the city.

The Arboretum holds 16,000 plants but there is also cutting edge research, children’s outdoor education training, art exhibits and installations, interns learning about horticulture, plant collecting trips, international exchanges, and much more. In short, the Arboretum is more than meets the eye: the more you look, the more you see.

I love the work I do, benefiting the scientific community and the public in so many ways with the plants and data we share. The Arboretum is always striving to improve the way we share our knowledge to make the world a better place. From the very beginning our founders understood the value of documentation. Each plant we grow has incredible value, and every piece of data we attach increases that value. In essence, the Arboretum is living laboratory of plants with many stories yet to be told and be inspired by.

The Arboretum makes connections between people and trees, which is so important in an urban environment. I have the privilege of climbing and working directly with these trees. I love being part of this community and helping to maintain this beautiful collection.

What inspires me about the Arboretum is that each plant in the landscape has a story to tell: where it came from or where the species is native, the individual who harvested the seed in the field to grow it, how it was propagated—information that makes the plant unique. All of these narratives weave together to tell the 150-year account of the Arboretum.

Any walk or bike ride through the landscape is physically and spiritually restorative, all year round. I love teaching horticultural interns and students about our archives, Harvard’s shared online resources, and the importance of diversity and equal opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).

Every tour brings a surprise, even after 36 years! It might be the sun catching the “Ruby Glow” witch hazel in February or the smell of toasted marshmallows from trodden katsura leaves in the fall. A squirrel running up a visitor’s trouser leg was perhaps the biggest surprise of them all.