Several palms growing together

W.S. Merwin was famed for his poetry, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice and named the United States Poet Laureate in 2010. But he was also a nature enthusiast with a deep concern for conservation. Merwin bought a plot of former agricultural land in Maui in 1977 and spent 40 years revitalizing the land, planting nearly 3,000 species of palm trees, and the estate is now recognized as one of the most important collections of palms in the world.

Join us for a talk and poetry reading celebrating Merwin’s legacy. Speakers will include Sonnet Coggins, Executive Director of the Merwin Conservancy that was set up to care for Merwin’s land after his death in 2019, and Matthew Battles, Arnoldia Editor and author of a feature article on Merwin for this season’s Arnoldia issue. After the talk and Q&A with the audience, we will move into a participatory poetry reading of Merwin’s works; attendees are welcome to take a turn reading or can simply sit back and listen.

Accessibility: This program takes place in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall, which is wheelchair accessible.

Audience: This program is geared towards adults.

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Date & Time

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Location

Hunnewell Lecture Hall

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Directions

By subway

Take the MBTA Orange Line to its southern end—Forest Hills. Exit through the door marked “Arnold Arboretum,” cross Washington Street, and walk up Arborway to the Arboretum’s Forest Hills Gate on your left. To reach the Arboretum’s Arborway Gate and the Hunnewell Building, continue along the sidewalk on the Arborway to the Arborway Gate (about 12 minutes), or go through the gate, bear right at the pond, and continue to the Hunnewell Building, which will be on your left. The Lecture Hall is located inside the Hunnewell Building.

By bus

Take the #39 bus to the South Street @ Bardwell Street stop in Jamaica Plain. Walk down South Street away from Bardwell Street, take a right on Custer Street, and walk down Custer Street until it ends. Turn right and walk about 300 feet down Arborway to the Arboretum’s Arborway Gate, which will be across the street. The Lecture Hall is located in the Hunnewell Building, just inside the gate on your right.

By car

There is public street parking on Arborway, including six designated accessible spots on either side of the gate. Parking on Arborway can sometimes fill up and you may need to walk a little ways from your parking spot to the gate. Please allow for extra time to account for this, especially during the spring and for large programs like lectures and performances.

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