Each year, Director William (Ned) Friedman and the Arnold Arboretum present the Director’s Series, featuring nationally recognized experts addressing an array of topics related to Earth’s biodiversity and evolutionary history, the environment, conservation biology, and key social issues associated with current science. Visit Past Director’s Series to see descriptions of past lectures.
In 2022, to celebrate the Arboretum’s sesquicentennial, the series explored the Magic and Meaning of a Garden of Trees. Over the course of four sessions, we traced the Arnold’s significance in the landscape architecture movement, value for the people of Boston, and leadership in creating global connections between plants and people. The first three sessions consisted of brief presentations and a moderated panel, and the fourth session was a talk from the Director. All sessions were free and offered both in person and livestreamed.
Birth: The Early History and Meaning of the Arnold Arboretum
April 11
Panelists:
- Dr. Ethan Carr, Director of the Master’s of Landscape Architecture Program, University of Massachusetts
- Dr. Rosetta Elkin, Academic Director of the Master’s of Landscape Architecture Program, Pratt Institute
- Lisa Pearson, Head of the Library and Archives, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Moderator: Dr. William (Ned) Friedman, Director, Arnold Arboretum
Life: The Arnold Arboretum as an Institution of Public Health
May 16
Panelists:
- Dr. Michelle Kondo, Research Social Scientist, UDSA-Forest Service
- Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, City of Boston
- Laurence Cotton, Consulting Producer, “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America,” PBS
- Moderator: Dr. William (Ned) Friedman, Director, Arnold Arboretum
Journeys: The Arnold Arboretum Meets the World’s Plants and Peoples
September 13
Panelists:
- Dr. Yota Batsaki, Executive Director, Dumbarton Oaks
- Dr. Michael Dosmann, Keeper of the Living Collections, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Andrew Gapinski, Director of Horticulture, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- Moderator: Dr. William (Ned) Friedman, Director, Arnold Arboretum
Obsessions: Fellow Organisms in the Arnold Arboretum
October 25
- Speaker: Dr. William (Ned) Friedman, Director, Arnold Arboretum