Flowers are not the only things that blossom at the Arnold Arboretum—sometimes romance does too. Back in the fever dream of 2020, when standard first-date locales like coffee shops, bars, and cinemas were off limits, the vibrant Arnold Arboretum landscape set the stage for the very first in-person date of Caleb Evanter and Kerry Feltner. As a local, Caleb led the way, guiding Kerry along the winding paths as they enjoyed a socially-distanced adventure. Originally hailing from upstate New York and the daughter of a forester, Kerry was immediately enamored by the Arboretum’s beautiful trees and her dashing “tour guide.”
“I know the Arboretum well, so I had planned out a bunch of different routes depending on how the date was going,” Caleb reminisces with a smile. “At each fork in the road, I kept giving her options—the short way or the long way—and she kept picking the longer route. That’s how I knew the date was going well—we walked over four miles together!” Their long first stroll through the Arboretum’s evergreens and enduring oaks is enshrined by Caleb’s walking app, their steps plotted out and forming an infinity sign.
It would be just the first of many Arnold Arboretum walking dates. “We loved deepening our relationship on these walks—getting the chance to enjoy nature and each other—and coming here is still a constant for us,” Kerry shares. Since Caleb and Kerry got to know each other at the Arboretum, it seems only fitting that they got engaged in the grandeur of our conifer collection in summer 2025 and wed a few months later in the autumnal splendor of the Leventritt Garden. “It was the perfect place for our wedding,” Kerry says. “And given the inclement weather, it felt like we had the whole Arboretum to ourselves that day.”
The Evanters now live five minutes away and never tire of visiting the landscape. “You can come here on any day, to any section, and be amazed,” Caleb reflects. “We feel so lucky this place exists right here, and we’re so grateful this land was saved for public space—you can’t put a price on how much good happens here.” Kerry chimes in, “For us, it was falling in love, but every person has their own Arboretum story. If you value the Arboretum and the memories you have made here, you should consider giving back to it.”
Caleb and Kerry became members to recognize and express their gratitude for the Arboretum’s place in their love story. “We’ve gotten so much out of the Arboretum—the least we can do is give back,” Kerry shares. The Evanters have become increasingly active as members, attending both a Sip in the Scenery event in October and a Young Friends of the Arnold event in December. Kerry and Caleb appreciate how much more connected they feel since becoming members. “We feel like stewards now,” Kerry explains. “We love being more engaged in the community.”
The Evanters feel confident that their Arboretum story is still in its early chapters. “One day, we want to be one of those elderly couples that we often see, walking around and looking at the trees together,” Caleb reflects. The Arboretum will always matter to them as the place where their relationship first took root—and where they continue to grow, together and individually, now as proud Arboretum members. If you, too, would like to help the Arboretum thrive and enhance your own relationship with our landscape and nature, become a member today.