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.
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50 events found.
Events
Spooky Plants: The Garden that Bites Back
As we ramp up for the spooky season of Halloween, join the Manager of Adult Programming and Events for a walk focused on the most sinister plants in the Arboretum’s collections. Armed with spiky thorns, sticky latex, and chemical warfare, these sinister species defend themselves from hungry herbivores—and sometimes from humans who wander too close.
The Science of Fall Leaf Color
The Arboretum becomes a riot of color in the fall with leaves turning deep red, fiery orange, and bright yellow. Have you ever wondered why this happens every autumn? Outdoor Educator Ana Maria Caballero will take us through the science of fall leaf color, including an exploration of pigments and abscission, a hands-on experiment to reveal the array of pigments present in every leaf, and a walk in the landscape to take a closer look at leaves in all phases of color change.
Forest Bathing
Slow down and awaken your senses on a guided sensory experience in the Arnold Arboretum. Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, is a restorative sensory exploration that supports health and healing for all beings. From increased cerebral blood flow to stronger immune defenses, come discover for yourself what happens when we unplug, slow down and open our senses to notice more of our natural surroundings. All the prompts, invitations, sharing and ways of participating are optional and open to interpretation.
The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Ginkgoes & Conifers
Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared? A home for deities or tricksters? We will begin at the Walter Street Gate to visit the oldest ginkgoes at the Arboretum, then head up the Conifer Path and diverge to walk, rest, and reflect among various conifers, eventually ending by the yews near Bussey Brook and Hemlock Hill Road.
The Trees are Speaking by Lynda Mapes
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.
Little Explorers
Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
Conifer Collection Tour
The conifer collection at the Arnold Arboretum is a magical place to visit at any time of the year, as it is especially rich in history and diversity. Docent Cristina Squeff will lead participants through this collection explaining key identification features and sharing relevant stories about individual trees.
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!
Rescheduled Mushroom Hunt
Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join local mushroom enthusiast Maria Pinto to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn what mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and what the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.
Charles Sprague Sargent and the American Forest
Many are aware of Charles Sprague Sargent’s role as first director of the Arnold Arboretum, establishing it as the world-renowned institution it is today. Far fewer are familiar with the deep influence he had over how Americans have come to think about forests, forestry, and wilderness. Docent Paul Eldrenkamp will lead a tour that explores the history of the idea of the forest in America- and how Sargent helped shape that idea.
Sketching Trees with Erica Beade
Explore the amazing variety and beauty of trees at the Arnold Arboretum with pencil and paper. Taught by artist and educator Erica Beade, this walking program will focus on capturing the shapes and volume of trunks and branches as well as techniques for drawing foliage. All skill levels are welcome.
Bike Tour of the Arboretum
With a park as large as the Arboretum, a bike ride is one of the best ways to see the entire landscape in one trip. Join Director of Horticulture and Landscape (and personal bike enthusiast) Rodney Eason for a bike tour of the Arboretum: we will begin in front of the Hunnewell Building and ride all the way to Peters Hill, stopping to learn about various collections along the way. Rodney will share his expertise on the maples, hickories, mountain laurels, ginkgoes, paw paws, and more, before getting back on our bikes and pedaling to the next stop!
MassQ Ball: Color
MassQ Ball 2025: Color is an intergenerational, cross-cultural celebration of the arts and culture of Boston’s many communities of color. A co-production between multidisciplinary artist Daniel Callahan and Black arts organization Castle of our Skins, The MassQ Ball will feature a star-studded lineup of artists, performers, activists and culture bearers from a wide range of artistic traditions and backgrounds. Through sound, sculpture, movement and spoken word, MassQ Ball 2025: Color will showcase the beauty, diversity, and color of our commonwealth and wider world amidst the breath-taking backdrop of the Arboretum’s conifers.
Rescheduled Flower Arranging
*Rescheduled from August 31* Learn how to make stunning flower arrangements with Arboretum summer blooms. In this interactive workshop, you will learn best practices in plant arrangement and try your hand at creating your own, helped along by Arboretum staff and flower arrangement extraordinaires Scott Phillips and Regina Mission. Please bring a 2-quart mason jar or similarly sized wide-mouth vase: smaller vases run the risk of tipping under the weight of the flowers!
Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum
Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum is the only arboretum he designed, a National Historic Landmark, and a model for others around the world. Docent Bill Beizer, will identify the elements of the Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.
Little Explorers
Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
Autumn in the Arboretum
Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year at the Arboretum, with leaves changing color and all sorts of unique seeds and fruits appearing on the branches. Join docent Vicki Amalfitano for a tour to learn about all the changes that happen in the Arboretum’s collections in the fall.
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.
The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Ginkgoes & Conifers
Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared? A home for deities or tricksters? We will begin at the Walter Street Gate to visit the oldest ginkgoes at the Arboretum, then head up the Conifer Path and diverge to walk, rest, and reflect among various conifers, eventually ending by the yews near Bussey Brook and Hemlock Hill Road.
Oak Collection Tour
Oaks have been more closely associated with the development of human civilizations across the northern hemisphere than any other genus of tree. From the Royal Oak to the Charter Oak to the Emancipation Oak, from wine and whisky barrels to tall ships to the roof of Notre Dame, from King John to Shakespeare to Leonardo da Vinci, oaks have been inextricably entwined with the human experience. Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp as we learn more about the cultural history of oaks and explore what it is that makes them so useful, so distinct — and so essential.
Canceled Explorers Garden Tour
The Explorers Garden rests in a microclimate just below the summit of Bussey Hill. This nearly five-acre site provides ideal growing conditions for many species that have been challenging to grow in less protected areas of the Arboretum. As such, it has proven to be a perfect testing ground for plants collected in the expeditions of E. H. Wilson in the early 1900s to the NACPEC (North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium) expeditions of our own time. Join docent Marie Herbert for a guided tour to learn more about some of the plants showcased in this special collection and to hear stories of the plant exploration expeditions that brought them to the Arboretum.
Autumn in the Arboretum
Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year at the Arboretum, with leaves changing color and all sorts of unique seeds and fruits appearing on the branches. Join docent Vicki Amalfitano for a tour to learn about all the changes that happen in the Arboretum’s collections in the fall.
Conifer Collection Tour
The conifer collection at the Arnold Arboretum is a magical place to visit at any time of the year, as it is especially rich in history and diversity. Docent Cristina Squeff will lead participants through this collection explaining key identification features and sharing relevant stories about individual trees.
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!
Forest Bathing
Slow down and awaken your senses on a guided sensory experience in the Arnold Arboretum. Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, is a restorative sensory exploration that supports health and healing for all beings. From increased cerebral blood flow to stronger immune defenses, come discover for yourself what happens when we unplug, slow down and open our senses to notice more of our natural surroundings. All the prompts, invitations, sharing and ways of participating are optional and open to interpretation.
Maples Up Close
The maple collection in October is a rainbow of beautiful fall colors, and this diversity of color comes from the large diversity of species in this collection. Join Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor for a tour of this colorful collection and learn what makes a maple a maple, discover how to identify different species, and see some of the Arboretum’s most unique maple trees.
Paint Printing with Fallen Leaves: A Drop-In Program
Drop by the Arboretum to make some beautiful paint prints with fallen leaves. This is a walk-up program so no registration is necessary, just stop by any time between 2pm and 4pm!
Little Explorers
Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
The Art of the Woodturner
Woodturning is the art of fashioning wood into various forms and shapes by means of a lathe. Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the tenth year, The Art of the Woodturner will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodturned pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural.
Identifying Oaks and Maples
Most of us can point out an oak or a maple by their unique leaf shapes, but what about telling a black oak from a red oak, or a Norway maple from a sugar maple? Join herbalist Alex Klein for a class on identifying oak and maple species using leaf shape, bark, form, and other key identification features. The class will focus on species common to Massachusetts streets and forests, so that you will be prepared to identify the trees around you on your next walk in the woods or around town.
Sip in the Scenery
This October, Arnold Arboretum is inviting our valued members back into the landscape for our second Sip in the Scenery event! Members are welcome to enjoy our public event, The Art of the Woodturner in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall before or after joining us for an afternoon in the landscape. Enjoy lawn games, educational content tables on horticulture and Arboretum history, camaraderie, a food truck, a cash bar, and more, all set in the verdant beauty of our magnolia bowl (located just outside of the Hunnewell Visitor Center)!
Trees that Shaped Civilization
Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp for a visit to five groups of trees that each played a particularly significant role in shaping five very different civilizations: Eastern White Pine, Cedar of Lebanon, Western Red Cedar, Oaks, and the five sacred trees of the Kiso Forest in Japan.
The Art of the Woodturner
Woodturning is the art of fashioning wood into various forms and shapes by means of a lathe. Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the tenth year, The Art of the Woodturner will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodturned pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural.
Make Nature Art Like Andy Goldsworthy
Use the freshly fallen leaves at the Arboretum to make beautiful art, just like the famed nature artist Andy Goldsworthy. This is a chance to play in the leaves and make something beautiful– even if it only lasts until the next gust of wind!
Writing in the Company of Trees
In our perilous times, trees offer examples of resilience and precariousness, growth and generosity. How do we invite them into our writing? Join Matthew Battles, editor of Arnoldia, the Arboretum’s quarterly magazine, for an immersive workshop to practice writing under, about, and in collaboration with trees.
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!
Rescheduled Seed Propagation at the Arboretum
*Rescheduled from October 5 due to construction.* Many of us assume that growing plants from seed is as simple as opening a seed packet and sticking them in the dirt, but many of the trees and shrubs in the Arboretum’s collections require a complicated process of stratification, maceration, and dormancy breaking before they will sprout. Join Arboretum Propagator Sarah Shank for a workshop on growing these plants from seed and get a chance to try your own hand at germinating seed from Arboretum trees and shrubs.
Little Explorers
Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
Canceled Chainsaw Safety and Maintenance
*Cancelled* Join Head Arborist John Del Rosso for a class on chainsaw safety and maintenance. Designed for professionals and gardeners with some chainsaw experience, you will learn how to best maintain your chainsaw, make effective felling cuts and tension cuts, use proper PPE, and develop safe work habits.
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.
The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Ginkgoes & Conifers
Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared? A home for deities or tricksters? We will begin at the Walter Street Gate to visit the oldest ginkgoes at the Arboretum, then head up the Conifer Path and diverge to walk, rest, and reflect among various conifers, eventually ending by the yews near Bussey Brook and Hemlock Hill Road.
Research Spotlight: Climate Change and Root Exudates
Climate change is impacting every part of the plants at the Arboretum, from the buds down to the roots. Join researcher Nikhil Chari to learn how elevated temperatures and carbon dioxide are impacting tree roots, and the carbon they send back out into the soil. Nikhil will demonstrate how he takes root samples and soil cores, discuss his research on carbon cycling, and compare the root morphology of different plants in the landscape.
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Mushroom Hunt
Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join local mushroom enthusiast Maria Pinto to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn what mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and what the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.
Tree Mob: The Oldest Tree in the Arboretum
Long before this landscape had ever dreamed of becoming an Arboretum, a white oak grew quietly on the slopes of Peters Hill. Years passed and Arboretum staff eventually incorporated this very old tree into our official collections, making it possibly the oldest accessioned tree in the landscape. Join Assistant Curator Miles Sax for a Tree Mob to learn about this oak, what the landscape looked like before it was an Arboretum, the science of tree age, and how the Arboretum manages those trees that we never chose to plant but which are a treasured part of our collections nonetheless.
Built to Withstand: How Plants Resist Wind and Weight
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.
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.
Little Explorers
Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme. The weekly themes are inspired by what is happening seasonally at the Arboretum.
Conifer Collection Tour
The conifer collection at the Arnold Arboretum is a magical place to visit at any time of the year, as it is especially rich in history and diversity. Docent Cristina Squeff will lead participants through this collection explaining key identification features and sharing relevant stories about individual trees.
Reading the Forested Landscape
The forest is a constantly changing landscape where tree species dominate and then fade away, to be replaced by other species in the ongoing process of succession. Join Horticulturist Brendan Keegan to see these dynamics at play on Hemlock Hill: learn about forest species structures, succession dynamics, and how the topography of the earth itself affects the species living there.