I was mesmerized by the docent education at the Arnold Arboretum. I so much appreciated our instructor who addressed the exclusive nature of science with wonderful humor. I appreciated the beautiful art work on the walls, and I was amazed how that actually influenced how I look at the details of the forest. A most captivating moment that I cherish to this day was standing under the Metasequoia glyptostroboides. The docent group gathered around underneath the tree. I noticed a complete transformation of the eyes of these human beings. At this very profound moment, I realized the power of standing on the earth next to the life giving energy of the tree. Upon my arrival in Portland, Oregon, I brought the spirit of the Arnold Arboretum to this region, and led tours in their outside museum here. I was fascinated to learn that in the autumn of 1952, the Hoyt’s Arboretum’s Dawn Redwood became the first in the Western hemisphere to produce cones in about 6 million years. The seed from this very tree was sent from the Arnold Arboretum (and to every other state), after the discovery of the “extinct” species in China.