Adult Education
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The Arnold Arboretum's continuing adult education program offers one-day and multisession horticulture, botany, and landscape-related courses for the beginner, avid amateur, and professional.
Members please login before registering for a class to get the discounted rate.
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 | Classes without Quizzes: Getting to Know Darwin | Classes without Quizzes: Getting to Know Darwin
2 Sessions: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 and Tuesday, June 5, 2012
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: Weld Hill Research Building
Do you think you know who Charles Darwin was? The legend and sober-looking bearded scholar behind the most important paradigm shift in human history? In this two-session class, we will get to know Charles Darwin—the avid breeder of pigeons, lover of barnacles, devoted father and husband, gifted correspondent and tactician, and remarkable backyard scientist.
Alumni and friends of the Harvard community: $10 for both sessions
Non-alumni should call 617-495-1920
to register. | More info |
 | Calling All Birders! | Calling All Birders!
Bob Mayer, Arboretum Docent and Marc Devokaitis, Visitor Education Staff
Choose from 4 Saturdays. All walks will be from 8:00-9:30am.
This spring, two great birders offer four great walks. Catch a glimpse of migrating birds as they fly to breeding grounds. Good for all experience levels. Bring binoculars if you have them; some binoculars will be available to share. Choose one or sign up for more!
See map for Meeting Locations:
April 21: Arborway Gate
April 28: Bussey St. Gate
May 5: Arborway Gate
May 19: Peters Hill Gate
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | |
 | Philosophical Breakfast Club | The Philosophical Breakfast Club and the Invention of the “Scientist”
Laura J. Snyder, Associate Professor of Philosophy, St. John’s University
1 Session: Wednesday, May 9, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
In 1812, four remarkable men met at Cambridge University: Charles Babbage, John Herschel, Richard Jones and William Whewell. Recognizing that they shared a love of science (as well as good food and drink), they began to meet on Sunday mornings to talk about the state of science in Britain and the world at large. Inspired by the great seventeenth-century scientific reformer and political figure Francis Bacon, the Philosophical Breakfast Club plotted to bring about a scientific revolution—one which privileged an evidence-based, inductive method of discovery, and one which asserted the need for science to serve the public good. In her book, The Philosophical Breakfast Club, Laura Snyder follows the intertwined lives and works of these men over the next 60 years, and shows that by the end of their lives they had succeeded, even beyond their wildest dreams, in bringing about a scientific revolution. She will speak about one aspect of the revolution they wrought: the shift from the amateur natural philosopher to the professional scientist.
Fee Free member; $15 nonmember
Read a review. | |
 | Lilac Comprehensive with Jack Alexander | Lilac Comprehensive with Jack Alexander
Jack Alexander, Propagator and Lilac Specialist, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
1 Session: Date changed to Thursday, May 10, 4:00-6:00pm
Location: Meet at the Dana Greenhouses to walk to the Lilac Collection
Combining botany, lore, and personal opinions, lilac specialist Jack Alexander will present a sweeping overview of lilac care, culture, and history. You’ll learn when to prune your lilacs, how to rejuvenate them, and what their optimal growing conditions are. Jack will show examples of various growth and flower forms and point out examples of the best lilacs for fragrance, disease resistance, color, and length of flowering season as you walk in the Arboretum’s extensive lilac collection. Come with questions and a clipboard and paper for note-taking. Be prepared for rigorous walking since the Arboretum’s lilac collection is located on steep terrain. Meet at the Dana Greenhouses at 4:00 to walk to the lilacs with the instructor.
Fee $20 member, $25 nonmember | |
 | More Ticks in More Places | More Ticks in More Places: How the ever-changing ecology of tick-borne diseases in the Northeastern US affects you!
Thomas N. Mather, Ph.D., Director, The University of Rhode Island TickEncounter Resource Center
1 Session: Thu May 17, 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Occurrences of Lyme disease and related tick-transmitted illnesses are predicted to increase by 20% this year in New England. Learn simple measures for protecting yourself and your pets while enjoying the outdoors. Dr. Thomas Mather will discuss current trends in tick encounter risk as well as his efforts to help individuals and communities prevent tick bites and Lyme disease.
Free, but registration requested
Sponsored by
Boston Natural Areas Network; Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center; Brookline Parks & Open Space; Emerald Necklace Conservancy; Franklin Park Coalition; Friends of the Blue Hills; New England Mountain Bike Association; Olmsted National Historic Site, NPS ; and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
| Register |
 | Putting the Cone in Conifer | Putting the Cone in Conifer
Nancy Rose, Editor,Arnoldia
Thursday May 17, 1:00-2:30pm
Location: Bussey Street Gate
Conifers are a diverse group of plants, but they have one thing in common: cones. On this walking tour of the Arboretum’s conifer collection we’ll take a close-up look at these surprisingly beautiful, seed-bearing structures. We’ll also discuss the landscape attributes of the conifers we visit, plus some easy identification tips.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | Register |
 | Plant Conservation | Plant Conservation
Abby Hird, Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Friday, May 18; 3:00-4:00pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Like animals, many plants in once-wild places are extinct, endangered, or severely threatened by climate change, invasive species, and habitat destruction. On International Plant Conservation Day, take a stroll with Abby Hird, a researcher for BGCI U.S., to see some of the nearly 3,500 plants collected from wild places that are now growing at the Arboretum, and find out how these plants are being used for conservation and restoration efforts today.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | Register |
 | Nature Photography Workshop | Nature Photography Workshop
Erik Gehring, Freelance Photographer and Multi-media Producer
1 Session: Sat May 19, 8:00–11:30AM;
Location: Dana Greenhouse
Improve your photographs of nature in this half-day workshop–a talk followed by hands-on experience. The class takes place at the Arnold Arboretum at one of the most beautiful times of year. Learn about composition, color, light, depth of field and focus. Bring your camera and manual and familiarize yourself with the operation of your camera prior to the workshop.
Fee $70
Offered with the Eliot School of Fine & Applied Art | Register |
 | Defining Gardens: A Global View | Defining Gardens: A Global View
Mary Coyne , Professor Emerita, Wellesley College
1 Session: Monday, May 21, 2:00pm tea; 2:30-4:00pm program
Location: Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Visitor Center
From meadows and forests to desert or barren glacial till, how do cultures in different environments satisfy their need for gardens? Is the focus on planned order or wild nature, on plants or manmade structures? Are there favorite plants or flowers? How do the residents interact with their gardens? We are the beneficiaries of Professor Emerita Mary Coyne's extensive travels to many lands and gardens. With her as our guide, we'll armchair-wander to the Arctic, Europe, Asia, South and North America and Africa to take a peek at gardens old and new.
Fee $10 member, $15 nonmember | Register |
 | Go Botany! | Go Botany!
Elizabeth Farnsworth, Senior Research Ecologist with the New England
Wild Flower Society
1 Session: Tue May 22, 6:00-7:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
New
England Wild Flower Society's Go Botany web tool is a fun way to learn about
plants in the city and beyond. Elizabeth Farnsworth will guide you through this
innovative technology to learn how to identify more than 1200 of the most common
native and naturalized plant species in New England. Bring your laptop computer
or tablet and start identifying our fabulous flora! Part of National Urban Biodiversity Week.
Free, but registration requested
| Register |
 | Chasing Venus: Race to Measure the Heavens | Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens
Andrea Wulf, Historian
1 Session: Wed May 30, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Weld Hill Research Building
In her new book, Chasing Venus, Andrea Wulf tells the extraordinary story of the first global scientific collaboration, set amid warring armies, hurricanes, scientific endeavors, and personal tragedy. On June 6, 1761 and June 3, 1769, the planet Venus passed between Earth and Sun – each time visible as a small black dot against the burning face of the Sun for six hours. Transits of Venus always arrive in pairs – eight years apart – but then it takes more than a century before they are seen again. In the 1760s the world’s scientific community was electrified because the transit would allow them for the first time to calculate the distance between the planets in our solar system. This would require triangulated data to be compiled from various exact points around the globe – all taken simultaneously during the short period of the actual Transit. Join us for an intriguing glimpse at the spirit of the Enlightenment and the collaborative race to measure the heavens. Chasing Venus will be published in May 2012 in conjunction of the Transit of Venus on June 5/6, 2012.
Read a review from The Boston Globe.
Fee $10 member, $20 nonmember
Offered by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Historical Society
The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is holding a special Observatory Night for viewing the Venus transit. Learn more. | Register |
 | Identifying the 25 Most Common Trees in Boston | Identifying the 25 Most Common Trees in Boston
Kyle Port, Manager of Plant Records, Arnold Arboretum
1 Session: Sun Jun 3, 9:00am–1:00pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
In just a few hours you can learn to identify 90 percent of the trees growing in Boston, both native and nonnative. Beginning in the classroom, you will briefly review the characteristics of the 25 most common trees and learn the botanical terminology necessary to describe them. You will then walk the grounds of the Arboretum to look at mature specimens of these trees.
Fee $45 member, $60 nonmember | Sold Out |
 | Artist Talk by Gordon Morrison | Artist Talk by Gordon Morrison
Wednesday, June 27, 7:00-8:30
Location: Hunnewell Building
From Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide to The Curious Naturalist magazine, from the Garden in the Woods in Framingham to the Missouri Botanical Gardens tropical rainforest exhibit, Gordon Morrison has been reflecting and illuminating the natural world for over four decades. This retrospective focuses largely on his botanical work, highlighting the best of the thousands of illustrations he has done for education and conservation organizations. Free, registration requested.
Note: The Hunnewell Building lecture hall is often used for meetings and classes. Please call 617.384.5209 for exhibition availability, and refer to Hunnewell Visitor Center hours.
This activity is free | Register |
 | Woody Vines for the Garden | Woody Vines for the Garden
Jen Kettell, Horticultural Technologist
1 Session: Class has been postponed from Tue Jun 12 to Tue Jun 19, 6:00–8:00pm
Location: Dana Greenhouse Classroom
Effective landscape design includes creative development of vertical space, and vines should be considered from the outset. While touring the Leventritt Garden of Shrubs and Vines, horticulturist Jen Kettell will introduce you to an array of woody vines. She will explain their various growth habits and attachment mechanisms which determine how they are best used in the garden. Focusing on floral, foliar, and fruiting characteristics, she’ll recommend vines for a variety of situations.
Fee $20 member, $25 nonmember | Register |
 | In the Groves: A Summer Solstice Journey | In the Groves: A Summer Solstice Journey
Diane Edgecomb, Storyteller, and Margot Chamberlain, Celtic Harpist
2 Sessions (select one): Fri Jun 15 6:30–8:30pm or Sat Jun 16, 6:30–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Join us for an enchanting evening of tree lore and summer-solstice legends. Diane and Margot spin tales of the human connection with trees and the deep meaning we have assigned to them through the ages. This unique performance, designed specifically for the Arnold Arboretum, travels through the Arboretum with story and music. Each story is told under a different tree or among a unique collection of Arboretum plants. The program begins under a grand Cedar of Lebanon, moves into the rosaceous collection, to the oaks of Bussey Hill, then onward to Hemlock Hill, culminating with the haunting Czech legend “The Wild Woman of the Birch Grove” told amid the birches at sunset. Appropriate for adults and for children twelve years and above. Bring a cushion to sit on if you wish. Registrants will walk approximately two miles on and off trails on uneven terrain. The performance takes place rain or shine. In the event of rain, it will be held in the Hunnewell Building lecture hall.
Fee $20 per person; space is limited | Register |
 | Artist Talk by Susan Hardy Brown | Artist Talk by Susan Hardy Brown
Thursday, September 13, 7:00-8:30
Location: Hunnewell Building
Utilizing materials gathered from 25 years as herbarium preparator at the Arnold Arboretum, Susan Hardy Brown presents art that reveals and transforms the ephemera associated with her daily work. Painting with encaustic medium (beeswax and resin) enables her to preserve and layer the various elements of specimen collection: international newspapers pages used to press plants in the field, extraneous labels, seeds and plant parts. Her paintings renew these found materials giving a unique perspective into the realm of herbarium collections.
Free, registration requested.
Note: The Hunnewell Building lecture hall is often used for meetings and classes. Please call 617.384.5209 for exhibition availability, and refer to Hunnewell Visitor Center hours.
This activity is free | Register |
 | Very Fine Vines | Very Fine Vines
Nancy Rose, Editor,Arnoldia
Thursday September 13, 1:00-2:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Whether twining, clinging, or scrambling, vines know how to get around. Take a walk through the Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden to learn more about how vines grow and climb. See vines with the best ornamental features, as well as those that provide tasty fruit. You’ll also learn about a few vines that you won’t want to plant!.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | Register |
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