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    • A book cover with brown mushrooms and a headshot of the author

    Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless by Maria Pinto

    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.

    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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      A child is drawing on a piece of paper while an adult helps them.
      Little Explorers

      Rescheduled 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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

      Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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      • Rescheduled
      A coyote in a snowy forest

      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.

      Washington Street Gate
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        A group of people walking up a steep, snowy hill.

        Canceled Winter Wellness Walk

        Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This 90-minute walk is similar to a guided tour, but with a slightly faster pace and fewer stops, to keep your feet warm and your blood pumping!

        in front of the Hunnewell Building
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        • Canceled
        A child is drawing on a piece of paper while an adult helps them.
        Little Explorers

        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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

        Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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          A large, lush tree with spreading branches and roots stands at the center of a circular frame filled with leafy greenery, symbolizing life, growth, and interconnectedness.

          The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Ginkgoes and 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.

          Walter Street Gate
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            A leafless twig with shiny buds

            Winter Tree ID

            Winter can feel like one of the hardest times to identify trees, with most of their characteristic leaves and flowers gone for the season. But with help from experienced horticulturist and plant science teacher Nicole Forsyth, you can start identifying common winter trees from the woods and streets of Massachusetts based only on their bark, buds, twigs, and persistent fruit. This class will begin indoors with a presentation in the lecture hall, and then move outside for some identification practice in the landscape.

            Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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              A child is drawing on a piece of paper while an adult helps them.
              Little Explorers

              Canceled 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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

              Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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              • Canceled
              A red-winged blackbird in flight. The bird is black with red and yellow on its shoulders.

              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.

              in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                A book cover with unusual leaves next to two men standing outside

                Let’s Botanize by Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob Suissa

                Paying close attention to the plants around us can ease stress and create moments of joy and wonder, whether we’re walking through the woods, down the street, or just getting up close with our own houseplants. Let’s Botanize: 101 Ways to Connect with Plants is full of prompts and beautiful macrophotography that encourage readers to get outside and observe plants in close detail. Join authors Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob Suissa, both former Arboretum researchers, for a book launch consisting of a talk, book signings, and an optional walk in the landscape to try some of these prompts out for ourselves.

                Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                  A view of the skyline of Boston from the top of Peters Hill. The trees are bare and there is a lot of snow on the ground.

                  Peters Hill in Winter

                  Get a new perspective on some of the amazing trees on Peters Hill during this one-hour seasonal tour. In winter, leaves and blossoms fall away, exposing hidden features like bark, thorns, and roots. During this one-hour tour led by docent Paul Eldrenkamp, you’ll get a chance to explore a few of the interesting collections in the landscape, learn about the history of this part of the Arboretum, and get a winter time view of the Boston skyline from the second highest point in the city.

                  Peters Hill Gate
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                    • Several palms growing together

                    Rescheduled W.S. Merwin: A Talk and Poetry Reading

                    *Rescheduled from March 21* 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.

                    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                    • Rescheduled
                    An Eastern Kingbird is perched on a twig. The bird has a black head

                    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.

                    in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                      A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
                      Little Explorers

                      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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                      Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                        Close-up of bright yellow witch hazel flowers with narrow, ribbon-like petals on a branch, set against a clear blue sky.

                        Witch Hazel Walk

                        Did you know flowers can be found at the Arboretum even in the depths of winter? Witch-hazels bloom in vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows across the landscape, giving a beautiful pop of color amidst the winter greys and whites. Join us on a tour of this collection and be ready to step off the path to admire the native witch-hazels, as well as those from China and Japan.

                        in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                          Close-up of bright yellow witch hazel flowers with narrow, ribbon-like petals on a branch, set against a clear blue sky.

                          Witch Hazel Walk

                          Did you know flowers can be found at the Arboretum even in the depths of winter? Witch-hazels bloom in vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows across the landscape, giving a beautiful pop of color amidst the winter greys and whites. Join us on a tour of this collection and be ready to step off the path to admire the native witch-hazels, as well as those from China and Japan.

                          in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                            A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
                            Little Explorers

                            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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                            Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                              Close-up of bright yellow witch hazel flowers with narrow, ribbon-like petals on a branch, set against a clear blue sky.

                              Witch Hazel Walk

                              Did you know flowers can be found at the Arboretum even in the depths of winter? Witch-hazels bloom in vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows across the landscape, giving a beautiful pop of color amidst the winter greys and whites. Join us on a tour of this collection and be ready to step off the path to admire the native witch-hazels, as well as those from China and Japan.

                              in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                                A red-winged blackbird in flight. The bird is black with red and yellow on its shoulders.

                                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.

                                in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                                  White shelf mushrooms growing on a tree trunk

                                  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.

                                  Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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                                    A book next to a photo of a wildfire

                                    ‘Asunder’ and the California Wildfires

                                    The devastating wildfires in California over the past several years have left the landscape starkly and in many cases permanently changed. Billie Mandle, Photography professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Karen Haas, Curator of Photography at the MFA, come together to talk about Billie’s new photography book ‘Asunder,’ made up of stark and haunting photos of the aftermath of the 2020 Glass Fire in Northern California. They will be joined by Director of the Harvard Forest Jonathan Thompson who will share his research on how the wildfires have changed the very makeup of California forests, from mature trees to landscapes dominated by chaparral.

                                    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                                      • A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
                                      Little Explorers

                                      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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                                      Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                                        Two young women, one holding a violin, and magnolia flowers

                                        Magnolias in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

                                        Gather at the magnolias for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating this beautiful collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the magnolias, their cultural and historical impact, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed for the Arboretum’s magnolia collection itself. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

                                        Hunnewell Lawn
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                                          An Eastern Kingbird is perched on a twig. The bird has a black head

                                          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.

                                          in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                                            Chinese Path, Explorers Garden

                                            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.

                                            Centre Street Gate
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                                              A Taiko drummer, cherry blossoms, and Japanese calligraphy

                                              Cherry Blossom Celebration

                                              Come celebrate Japanese culture amongst the Arboretum’s beautiful cherry blossoms with taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance, Japanese games and calligraphy, family activities, and the inside scoop on the Arboretum’s own cherry collection.

                                              Bradley Rosaceous Collection
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                                                A red-winged blackbird in flight. The bird is black with red and yellow on its shoulders.

                                                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.

                                                in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                                                  A spectrogram, a yellow and black bird, and mics attached to a tree

                                                  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.

                                                  Hunnewell Lawn
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                                                    Portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted.

                                                    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.

                                                    Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
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                                                      A sketch of a fiddlehead fern

                                                      Patterns in Plants: Spirals, Branching, and More

                                                      Discover the patterns that shape the plant world in this hands-on art program, from spirals that follow the fibonacci sequence to branching that creates infinite fractals. After a brief crash course on the math and science behind these patterns with instructor Rachel Mirus, you will move into creative, art-based activities to explore these patterns further and start creating some of your own.

                                                      in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                                                        Spectacular flowering in spring

                                                        Early Spring Blooms Tour

                                                        At the end of April, flowers are just starting to emerge from the trees and shrubs of the Arboretum: cherry trees, dogwood, redbuds, and magnolias are all blooming this time of year. Join Arboretum docent Paul Eldrenkamp to see, smell, and learn about these early spring blooms!

                                                        in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                                                          Two young women, one with a violin, and a photo of cherry blossoms

                                                          Cherry Blossoms in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

                                                          Gather at the cherry blossoms for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating this beautiful collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the cherries, their cultural and historical impact, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed for the Arboretum’s cherry collection itself. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

                                                          Bradley Rosaceous Collection
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                                                            Jacek Smolicki listening to tree sounds.

                                                            Rescheduled Nature Amplified: The Secret Sounds of Trees

                                                            *Rescheduled from April 19 due to rain.* If our ears were 100 times more powerful than they are, we would be able to hear the sounds produced by trees themselves: water moving through the trunks and branches, the creak of the wood in the wind, and small critters moving around in the wood or the canopy. We would even be able to hear how plants receive and respond to sound waves produced by other beings. Our ears are not this powerful, but artist, researcher, and Harvard Graduate School of Design fellow Jacek Smolicki has created microphones and recording systems that are.

                                                            Join Jacek for an indoor introduction to his specialized microphone technology, then move outside for a walk to try out the microphones around the landscape and listen to the amplified sounds they create.

                                                            Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                                                            A group of children and adults sit on blankets in a grassy park area, listening to a woman reading a book. Some children have their hands raised. Trees and a parking area are visible in the background.
                                                            Little Explorers

                                                            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/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                                                            Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                                                              Aerial photograph of flowering crabapples

                                                              Crabapples Up Close

                                                              The Arnold is considered the “Mother Arboretum” for the modern crabapple, with over 50 species and 91 cultivars represented throughout the landscape. Join Assistant Curator of Living Collections Miles Sax and Horticulturist Lindsay Davies for a tour of the flowering crabapples on Peters Hill as they reach peak bloom in late April and May, and learn about the history and conservation of this fascinating collection.

                                                              Peters Hill Gate
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