The arboretum is a destination for friends to meet in nature for informal picnicking and walking, brushing up on our tree i.d., and learning about new plants. We found spaces to meet off the marked paths and made them our home-base for the day. From there we could venture up to the top of a hill for a city view, or over to the Leventritt garden to see what was in bloom. I am always intrigued by what goes on behind the scenes and would like to have more opportunities to understand and learn about the ongoing operations and research efforts.