Birding at the Arboretum
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders. Bring binoculars if you have them!
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Wildlife
Events
The Buzz About Bats
As the sun sets, the bats come out! Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, for a Bat Walk in the Conifer Collection, using specialized microphones to listen for and identify bat species in the landscape.
Plankton Painting
In this experimental photography workshop led by local artist and scientist Jess Holz, participants create ‘paintings’ using microscopic plankton collected from the Arboretum’s ponds. Participants use a microscope in combination with software which creates video akin to timelapse photography- acting at the decisive moment, participants snap photos of the trails created by these microscopic creatures. Participants will learn basic identification of microscopic pond life while getting a fascinating glimpse into their dynamic behavior, such as the helical paths of flagellates and the water currents generated by rotifers as they feed.
Research Spotlight: Native Caterpillars and Invasive Plants
Can native caterpillars help control our non-native, invasive plants? That’s what researcher Michael LaScaleia is trying to figure out through his research at the Arboretum. Join us for a Research Spotlight program to learn about Michael’s research and search for some of these caterpillars in the landscape. This walk will include some boggy areas, so waterproof shoes are recommended!
The Buzz About Bats
As the sun sets, the bats come out! Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, for a Bat Walk in the Conifer Collection, using specialized microphones to listen for and identify bat species in the landscape.
All-Ages Insect Safari
Join us for an interactive look at all the tiny critters that crawl, fly, or slither through the Arboretum landscape. We will have sweep nets and bug boxes to catch bugs in Kent Field, digital microscopes to get a closer look, some fun bug crafts, and an entomologist to help us identify everything we find. This is an all-ages, interactive program: come prepared to move around and get up close with some bugs and insects!
Birding at the Arboretum
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders. Bring binoculars if you have them!
Caterpillar Lab
The Caterpillar Lab returns to the Arboretum for a full weekend packed with caterpillar displays, free-exploration programming, digital microscopes, and experienced educators on hand to give you insights into these amazing animals.
Caterpillar Lab
The Caterpillar Lab returns to the Arboretum for a full weekend packed with caterpillar displays, free-exploration programming, digital microscopes, and experienced educators on hand to give you insights into these amazing animals.
Birding with Nature Man Mike
Embark on a birdwatching walk in the Arboretum’s landscape with birder and wildlife photographer Michael Bryant, AKA Nature Man Mike. This two-hour walk is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced birders. Binoculars will be available to borrow on a first-come-first-serve basis, but you are encouraged to bring your own!
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk. We will cover a variety of habitats and focus on the changes that seasonal migration brings to our resident birds, so come back often to keep up with the seasons!
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk. We will cover a variety of habitats and focus on the changes that seasonal migration brings to our resident birds, so come back often to keep up with the seasons!
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Owl Observations
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk. We will cover a variety of habitats and focus on the changes that seasonal migration brings to our resident birds, so come back often to keep up with the seasons!
Owl Observations
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Owl Observations
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
Birding with Nature Man Mike
Embark on a birdwatching walk in the Arboretum’s landscape with birder and wildlife photographer Michael Bryant, AKA Nature Man Mike. This two-hour walk is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced birders. Binoculars will be available to borrow on a first-come-first-serve basis, but you are encouraged to bring your own!
Owl Observations
Dusk is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, to hear about the owls’ breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Canceled Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Canceled Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Keeping Up With the Coyotes
With mating season just getting started, February is one of the best times to see signs of the Arboretum’s resident coyote population. Join Horticulturist and wildlife enthusiast Brendan Keegan to look for coyote tracks and scat, check our trail cameras, and find out why all these coyotes are in Boston in the first place.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Soundscapes of the Arboretum: A Drop-in Event
Stop by the Hunnewell lawn to experience the sounds of the Arboretum in a new way. Work with a birder to learn how to identify birds from their unique calls, listen to the sounds of a tree or soil amplified through specially designed microphones, participate in a “listening launchpad” activity to find sounds around the Arboretum landscape, engage in conversation prompts about the sounds of the landscape, and enjoy a guided soundscape meditation.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Birds Up Close by Lorna Gibson
Have you ever wondered how a duck’s feathers repel water, or how the structure of a bird’s bones enables them to fly? Materials Science professor Lorna Gibson has spent years researching the physics and math of how birds work. Join her for a talk on her new book, Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores their Hidden Wonders and get a deep dive into the incredible world of birds.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Research Spotlight: Bio-Controls for Black Swallow-Wort
Black swallow-wort is a highly invasive vine in the U.S. and Canada, but in Europe it grows benignly, kept in check by a number of insect herbivores that only live in that part of the world. But what if we could bring one of those insects to New England? Could it control this highly invasive plant? Professor Lisa Tewksbury from the University of Rhode Island has released a number of Hypena opulenta moths in the Arboretum to see if it would control the black swallow-wort here, and now it’s time to return to that part of the landscape and see if the experiment has worked. Join Professor Tewksbury for a Research Spotlight to learn about her work and see if we can find evidence of Hypena opulenta larva on the black swallow-wort plants here.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Finding Fireflies
When the sun sets and darkness settles on the Arboretum for the night, every now and then the dark is interrupted by the flash of a firefly. Join Professor Adam South of Tufts University for an evening Firefly Walk to learn about the lives of the fireflies that live here, the mechanics of how they light up, and how these unique insects are being impacted by pesticides and light pollution.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Rescheduled Finding Fireflies
*Rescheduled from June 23* When the sun sets and darkness settles on the Arboretum for the night, every now and then the dark is interrupted by the flash of a firefly. Join Professor Adam South of Tufts University for an evening Firefly Walk to learn about the lives of the fireflies that live here, the mechanics of how they light up, and how these unique insects are being impacted by pesticides and light pollution.
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Canceled Tree Mob: Turtles with Zoo New England
*Cancelled due to air quality concerns.* Zoo New England is partnering with the Arboretum to run its annual turtle survey! For the past six summers, ZNE conservation biologists have ventured into the ponds of the Arboretum to survey the turtles, minnows, and other biodiversity present there. Join Zoo New England staff for a Tree Mob to meet and learn about the fascinating species that call the Arboretum ponds home.
Bees and Beyond: Pollinators at the Arboretum
Join pollinator expert Nicole Bell for a walk through the Arboretum’s meadows to find bees and other pollinators in their natural habitat. Bell will use a sweep net to find and catch bees in the landscape so participants can see them up close, while we talk about the most common bees found in Massachusetts, where they live and what they eat, and the importance of places like the Arboretum for pollinator conservation.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
All-Ages Insect Safari
Join us for an interactive look at all the tiny critters that crawl, fly, or slither through the Arboretum landscape. We will have sweep nets and bug boxes to catch bugs in Kent Field, digital microscopes to get a closer look, and entomologists to help us identify everything we find. This is an all-ages, interactive program: come prepared to move around and get up close with some bugs and insects!
Rescheduled All About Bats
*Rescheduled from August 14* As the sun sets, the bats come out! Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, for a Bat Walk in the Conifer Collection, using specialized microphones to listen for and identify bat species in the landscape.
Get Tickets
1 ticket left
Birding Walk
Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.
Birding at the Arboretum
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.