The old-growth forests of Oregon and Washington play a vital role in the ecosystems there, supporting a wide diversity of life and sequestering carbon in enormous, long-living trees. The east coast, by contrast, has been logged and clear cut for generations and has precious little old-growth forest left. Join environmental journalist and Bullard Fellow at Harvard Forest, Lynda Mapes, for a talk about her book “The Trees are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests.” In this thought-provoking new book, Mapes interviews scientists, loggers, and Indigenous activists to answer deep questions about the importance of old-growth forests, the conflicting desires around how to manage them, and how we can protect these forests into the future.

How do trees, bamboo, marsh grass stems and cattail leaves stand so tall? Join Materials Science Professor Lorna Gibson for a fascinating talk exploring how the internal structure of plants gives them remarkable strength and stability—allowing them to withstand howling winds and even support their own massive weight.

Join us to celebrate the life, groundbreaking scientific work, and legacy of Hu Xiansu (Hu Hsen-Hsu) on the 100th anniversary of his doctoral degree from Harvard. This online event will feature Arnold Arboretum Director William (Ned) Friedman, Chief Scientist at the China National Botanical Garden (North Garden) Jinshuang Ma, Professor of Sociology at Beijing Normal University Hu Xiaojiang (granddaughter of Hu Xiansu), and other speakers discussing Hu’s life and influence.

Join us for a talk by popular Mushroom Hunt instructor Maria Pinto on her new book, Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless: What Fungi Taught Me about Nourishment, Poison, Ecology, Hidden Histories, Zombies, and Black Survival. Maria weaves together memoir, mycology, and cultural history to illuminate the deep and surprising ways fungi connect with human life. With vivid storytelling and a fiercely original voice, she explores fungi not just as biological wonders but as tools of survival, subversion, and spiritual sustenance—especially for those living at the margins.

Join plant biologist and author Beronda Montgomery for a discussion of her new book, “When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy.” Montgomery explores the way that eight trees and shrubs testify to the experience of black Americans, from sycamores that acted as landmarks for those trying to escape slavery, to pecan propagation spearheaded by an enslaved African woman, to the traditional medicinal uses of willow bark in black communities. Montgomery takes us through black American history with trees and shrubs as our guides.

Introduced diseases are sweeping across New England Forests, from the deadly beech leaf disease to the new laurel wilt threatening sassafras and spicebush shrubs. Join UMass Extension Plant Pathologist Nicholas J. Brazee for a talk on these diseases, how they are impacting New England forests, and what researchers and management teams are doing about it.