Arnoldia Spotlight: Reading the Landscape as Historical Text
This is a members-only program. Not a member? Click here to join.
Before this landscape became an Arboretum, part of it belonged to a black landowner and farmer named Simeon Giles. A Harvard seminar called Slavery, the Environment, and Public History explored what we can learn about Giles and his family by reading the landscape today: which of the trees here were present at that time? What would Giles have cultivated here, and how might the lay of the land have impacted his livelihood? Harvard graduate student Riley Sutherland wrote an article in the summer feature of Arnoldia describing the course and what they learned, and she will be heading out into the landscape again along with Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Arnoldia Editor Matthew Battles to share what they learned about Giles, the history of this land, and the stories landscapes tell.
Accessibility: This program involves traversing moderate hills, uneven ground, and dirt paths.
Audience: This members-only program is geared towards adults.
Inclement weather policy: Participants will be notified via email at least one day in advance if a program needs to be cancelled due to inclement weather, and will be notified by phone if a program must be cancelled with less one day’s notice. Click here to view our full inclement weather policy. If you have questions about the status of a program, please email publicprograms@arnarb.harvard.edu (inbox monitored on weekdays) or call the Visitor Center desk between 10:00am and 4:00pm at (617) 384-5209.
