While many members of the Arnold Arboretum live in the greater Boston area, nearly one in five live out of state, as our community spans 42 states, 14 countries, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico! Among our members who admire the Arboretum from afar are the Bodner family of northern New Mexico and southern Arizona—Richard, his son Gus, and his daughter Gita. Enthusiastic students of trees and supporters of education, conservation, and community, the Bodners trace their appreciation of the Arboretum back more than sixty years to when Gus and Gita’s late mother, Virginia, first visited our landscape as a Radcliffe College (’64) student. They have each become supporters since, both individually and as a family.
Though their last visit to the Arboretum landscape was in 1991, they have visited many times as Harvard alumni, often bringing others to share the experience. As Richard writes, “magnificent trees and wonderful places evoke the urge to share with those with whom we feel strong personal connections, kinship, and community. Whether experienced individually or together, such connections become part of a shared identity, linked to the larger community of others so moved.”
“Having planted the seeds of our Arboretum connections in the 1960s, Virginia’s spirit has informed our appreciation of natural beauty and its stewardship ever since,” Richard adds. Her influence crosses generations, from her children to countless young life scientists, colleagues, partners, friends, and neighbors of all ages. She was even named “Conservation Teacher of the Year” in 1992 by New Mexico’s Soil and Water Conservation Agencies, citing her many community-transforming projects.
Having experienced the joys of outdoor discovery by teaching hands-on science in the field with students in Hawaii and New Mexico, Gus especially appreciates the Arboretum’s programs for local schoolchildren, such as our Arboretum Young Scientists (AYS) summer program for Boston Public School middle school students. AYS fosters personal and academic growth for students who often lack tangible experience with the natural world, let alone summer outdoor learning or the individualized attention afforded by small class sizes.
“At a family meeting on deploying our annual gifts,” Richard notes, “Gus recommended adding to our Arboretum support. As senior ecologist for The Nature Conservancy in southern Arizona, Gita heartily agreed, citing the Arboretum’s contributions to conservation and science. As a late-blooming gardener, Richard voiced his appreciation of our member publication, Arnoldia, “for its design, readability and useful information, e.g., comparing root-ball treatments when removing trees from containers.”
As a student of nature-tuned writing, Richard himself brought the conservation message to many audiences during his 25 years on the humanities Chautauqua trail, having worn Basho’s hat, Aldo Leopold’s shirt, and Ansel Adams’ silly grin. He notes that, “like the Japanese poet, wildlife-promoting forester, and master photographer, biographically diverse Arboretum members likely share core values and attitudes, especially a strongly felt sense of stewardship.”
The Arboretum obviously holds a special place in the hearts of the whole family, connecting the Bodners with an Arboretum community that spans the globe. “And it crosses time,” Richard adds, “as it connects heritage and future,” citing a poem by a late neighbor a half century his elder, who asked, “Can apple trees grown old forget the touch/ of kindly, labor-calloused hands that loved them once so much?’”
“Such lines reflect the inspirational power of trees,” Richard observes, “quietly evoking a sense of kinship, along with the urge to nurture, share, protect, and understand more deeply.” The high country land under the family’s management ranges from a legacy fruit orchard planted more than a century ago to a far older ponderosa-oak forest recently scourged by a record-setting wildfire.
Like other members, the Bodners appreciate the ways the Arboretum involves future generations in our mission, from our horticulture and research internship programs to field trips for Boston schoolchildren to outdoor family activities open to all. Our care for living collections inspires visitors and gardeners near and far. “Summing up,” Richard reports, “we love just about everything you do, and the spirit with which you seem to do it!”
Several membership benefits—including our quarterly magazine of trees, Arnoldia, mentioned by Richard above—are engaging and useful no matter how far members live from the Arboretum. Many of our member programs are livestreamed, so members can participate remotely (with some time zone math!) or catch the recording on their own later. Additionally, as part of the American Horticultural Society’s reciprocal gardens program, our members enjoy free or discounted admission at more than 380 botanical gardens and arboreta across North America.
Being a member supports our conservation work, educational programs for all ages, and horticultural excellence. Whether you live near or far, if you too care about conservation, greenspace, and inspiring future generations, please consider joining our membership community today to help the Arboretum make a difference around the world.