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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 | Shrubs across the Seasons: May | Shrubs across the Seasons
Michael Dosmann, Curator of Living Collections
1 Session: Sunday, May 5, 10:00am–Noon
Location: Hunnewell Building
Walk the landscape with Michael Dosmann to learn about shrubs, both common and lesser-known species. Michael will focus on those that display outstanding characteristics in mid-spring. You’ll learn cultural requirements and see full-size specimens so you can determine which shrubs might suit your needs. Register for additional sessions in July and September.
Fee $20 member, $27 nonmember
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 | Attracting and Supporting Birds | Attracting and Supporting Birds
Nancy Rose, Editor, Arnoldia, Arnold Arboretum
1 Session: Tuesday, May 7, 6:30–8:00pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
It’s fun to put up feeders and houses for birds, but the best thing we can do for our feathered friends is to fill our yards with plants that will provide them with food, shelter, and nesting material. This is especially important as more and more habitat is lost to development. Nancy Rose will present plant species and landscape design features that will support the needs of a variety of bird species and draw them to your garden.
Fee $15 member, $20 nonmember
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 | Flowers Change | Flowers Change
Nancy Sableski, School Programs Manager
Thursday, May 9, 3:00-4:30pm
Location: Hunnewell building
Explore the structure and function of flowers as you stroll down Meadow Road with Nancy Sableski. You'll collect, observe, dissect, and draw--in the same way that elementary school students do when they come for a field study experience as part of our school programs.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | |
 | Ginkgo Fest: New Date | Ginkgo Fest:
A Symposium Celebrating Ginkgo biloba
Peter Crane, Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Professor of Botany, Yale University
William "Ned" Friedman, Director, Arnold Arboretum and Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
Peter Del Tredici, Senior Research Scientist, Arnold Arboretum and Adjunct Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University
1 Session: Saturday, May 11, 11:00am–3:30pm
Location: Weld Hill Research Building
Join three world renowned ginkgo experts for a celebration of all things ginkgo. The day will include lectures and a tour of the Arboretum’s Ginkgo biloba collection. In addition, items from the Arnold Arboretum's archives, some ginkgo bonsais, and other artifacts will be on display. So don your best ginkgo outfit (we know you have at least one article of clothing with a ginkgo leaf on it) and immerse yourself in the history and biology of this relict species. Lunch is included. We will have Peter Crane’s book, Ginkgo: The Tree that Time Forgot, available for purchase and signing. .
Fee $20 member, $40 nonmember
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 | Forest Tree Evolution, Growth, and Reaction to Cli | Written in the Genes: Forest Tree Evolution, Growth, and Reaction to Climate Change
Andrew Groover, Ph.D., Geneticist and Director, Institute of Forest Genetics, U.S. Forest Service
1 Session: Monday, May 13, 7:00–8:00pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Recent advances in genomics research are providing insights into the fascinating biology of forest trees. Using information from paleobotany and genome sequencing of the model tree Populus, Andrew Groover will explain the evolution of trees, including their origins and the processes underlying speciation. He will show how trees make wood at the molecular genetic level. Then he will use information from population genetics to infer migration of Populus species during past periods of climate change and what forest species’ migrations might look like in the future.
Free, but registration requested
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 | How Do Woodpeckers Avoid Brain Injury? | How Do Woodpeckers Avoid Brain Injury?
Lorna Gibson, Ph.D., Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1 Session: Thursday, May 16, 6:30–7:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Woodpeckers peck to forage for insects in trees, to build cavity nests and to "drum" to define their territory. On impact, their heads decelerate at about 15 times the rate that causes brain injury in humans. And they can peck up to 30 times each second. So, how is it possible that they avoid brain injury? Learn the answer at this talk by Lorna Gibson.
Fee $5 member, $10 nonmember
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 | Nature Photography Workshop | Nature Photography Workshop
Erik Gehring, Freelance Photographer and Multi-media Producer
1 Session: Saturday, May 18, 8:00–11:30AM; Rain date, Sunday, May 19
Location: Hunnewell Building
Deepen and improve your photographs of nature in this half-day workshop, a slide talk followed by hands-on experience in the Arnold Arboretum at one of the most beautiful times of year. You’ll start early to take advantage of morning light. Improve your use of composition, color, light, focus and depth of field. Bring your camera and manual and familiarize yourself with the operation of your camera prior to the workshop. Class meets at the Arboretum. Limit 10 students.
Fee $70
Offered with the Eliot School of Fine & Applied Art | |
 | Learning from Leaves | Learning from Leaves
David Valbracht, Artist, and Maggie Redfern, Visitor Education Assistant
Sunday, May 19, 2:00-3:30pm
Location: Arborway Gate
Gain a different perspective on the Arboretum's systematic organization of plants with landscape architect and botanical artist David Valbracht, joined by Maggie Redfern, Visitor Education Assistant. Experience the inspiration behind David's show, Learning from Leaves, as you walk in the landscape.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | Register |
 | The Physical Fitness of Leaves | The Physical Fitness of Leaves
Steven Vogel, Ph.D., Research Professor, Duke University
1 Session: Thursday, May 30, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Every organism must contend with its immediate physical environment, a world that both limits what organisms can do and offers innumerable opportunities for evolving ways to challenge those limits. Steven Vogel, author of The Life of a Leaf, will explain these interactions, using the leaf as example. In exploring the leaf’s world, Vogel simultaneously explores our own. He’ll answer questions about how objects get much hotter than air when in sunlight and far cooler when beneath a clear night sky; how air movement matters even when we can’t feel it; how objects such as trees avoid damage from storms; and ways leaves acquire the essential resources for growth and reproduction. Join us to learn about some of the extraordinary designs that enable a leaf to adapt to its physical world.
Fee $10 member, $15 nonmember
| 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: Saturday, June 1, 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 | Register |
 | Flash Night: Learning to Socialize with Fireflies | Flash Night: Learning to Socialize with Fireflies
Sara Lewis, Ph.D., Professor of Evolutionary nd Behavioral Ecology, Tufts University
1 Session: Wednesday, June 5, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Come learn to eavesdrop on and even converse with common New England fireflies. Anyone who's ever been mesmerized by the luminous flashes of these tiny insects will enjoy this evening talk and walk led by Sara Lewis, who has been studying the natural history and behavior of fireflies for more than 20 years. Wear shoes appropriate for walking in damp, muddy areas and bring along a headlamp or small flashlight.
Fee $10 member, $15 nonmember
| Register |
 | Woody Vines for the Garden | Woody Vines for the Garden
Jen Kettell, Horticultural Technologist
1 Session: Tuesday, June 11 6:00–8:00pm
Location: Leventritt Garden, meet at 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 |
 | A Sensory Stroll | A Sensory Stroll
Kevin Schofield, Arboretum Docent
Sunday, June 16, 3:00-4:30pm
Location: Arborway Gate
Discover a world of wonder as you experience the fragrant and tactile aspects of woody plants at the Arnold Arboretum. Tour a world beyond the visual, focusing on your sense of smell and touch. This tour is suitable for blind or low vision visitors. Participants are welcome to bring sighted companions. This tour is free; however, attendance is limited, and pre-registration is required.
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | Register |
 | Ericaceae Family Focus | Ericaceae Family Focus
Carol Govan, Botanist
1 Session: Tuesday, June 18, 9:30am–12:30pm
Location: New England Wild Flower Society's Garden in the Woods
Many different members of the Ericaceae, or heath family, thrive in New England’s acidic soils. Class begins with images and a description of the attributes of this family, including a demonstration of Go Botany to see the various genera. We will then walk outdoors to visit Garden in the Wood’s collection of azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, cranberries, leatherleaf, dog hobble, and more, also looking for evidence of nectar thieves and buzz pollination.
Fee $40 member, $48 nonmember
Offered with the New England Wild Flower Society
| 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): Friday, June 21, or Saturday, June 22, 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. Register early for this popular event.
Fee $20 per person through June 10; $25 per person after June 10 | Register |
 | Reveal the Hidden Forest: Fungi at the Arboretum | Reveal the Hidden Forest: Fungi at the Arboretum
Susan Goldhor, Biologist and President, Boston Mycological Club (BMC);
Joel Kershner, Arboretum Field Studies Guide and BMC member
Saturday, June 29, 2:30-4:00pm
Location: Bussey Street Gate
Turn your attention to the fascinating world of fungi at the Arboretum. Discover and identify some of the fungi that interact in complex ways with other organisms under the soil, within leaves, on bark and rocks. Rain date: June 30
In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. | Register |
 | Introduction to Plant Families | Introduction to Plant Families: Rosaceae, Liliaceae, Violaceae, Ericaceae
Carol Govan, Botanist
3 Sessions: Saturdays, July 13, 20, 27, 10:00am–2:00pm
Location: New England Wild Flower Society's Garden in the Woods
Rosaceae, Liliaceae, Violaceae, Ericaceae. . . Expand your understanding of New England’s wild plants by learning interesting clues about their family relationships. Use microscopes and walk the Garden in the Woods to study live plants and find diagnostic characteristics. We examine woody and herbaceous plants belonging to several families to observe their similarities and differences. Learn basic formulas for plant structure and how to apply these to other families encountered. Handouts will be provided before class begins so novices can become familiar with basic botanical terminology included in Go Botany and Newcombs Field Guide to Wildflowers, which will help you enjoy looking at plant structure. Bring lunch and a hand lens to class.
Fee $180 member, $216 nonmember
Offered with the New England Wild Flower Society
| Register |
 | Shrubs across the Seasons: July | Shrubs across the Seasons: July
Michael Dosmann, Curator of Living Collections
1 Session: Wednesday, July 10, 6:30–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Walk the landscape with Michael Dosmann to learn about shrubs, both common and lesser-known species. Michael will focus on those that display outstanding characteristics in summer. You’ll learn cultural requirements and see full-size specimens so you can determine which shrubs might suit your needs. See additional session in September.
Fee $20 member, $27 nonmember
| Register |
 | Art Talk: The Arboretum-BTU School Partnership | Art Talk: A Closer Look at the Arboretum-BTU School Partnership
Ana Maria Caballero, Arboretum School Science Specialist
1 Session: Wednesday, July 17, 6:00-7:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
Learn about the unique partnership between the Arnold Arboretum and the Boston Teachers Union School to enhance science learning for students from Kindergarten through fifith grade. Gain a deeper appreciation for the work behind the art exhibition, "Through a Child's Eyes," on display through September 1. Both teachers from the BTU School and Arboretum children's educators will present at this special talk.
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. | Register |
 | Shrubs across the Seasons: September | Shrubs across the Seasons: September
Michael Dosmann, Curator of Living Collections
1 Session: Sunday, September 29, 10:00am–Noon
Location: Hunnewell Building
Walk the landscape with Michael Dosmann to learn about shrubs, both common and lesser-known species. Michael will focus on those that display outstanding characteristics in early autumn. You’ll learn cultural requirements and see full-size specimens so you can determine which shrubs might suit your needs.
Fee $20 member, $27 nonmember
| Register |
 | Plants: The First Three Billion Years | Plants, The First Three Billion Years: A Reflection on the Nature of Evolutionary History
William "Ned" Friedman, Director, Arnold Arboretum and Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
1 Session: Monday, January 14, 7:00–8:30pm [HB]
Location: Hunnewell Building
Plant biodiversity. How did it all begin? And what are some of the key evolutionary twists and turns that have deposited us into a world teaming with photosynthetic life? Join us as we explore how lunch for a unicellular organism inadvertently laid the groundwork for the first plants, and how they then went on to produce exquisitely beautiful multicellular photosynthetic lineages dozens of times, only one of which made it out of the water and onto land 475 million years ago. And finally, we will reflect on what might have been (and what might be) if one or two of these twists and turns had gone differently in evolutionary history.
Free, but registration requested | |
 | Biodiversity 2013: Crisis and Opportunity | Biodiversity 2013: Crisis and Opportunity
James Hanken, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Curator in Herpetology, and Director, Museum of Comparative Zoology; and Professor of Biology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
1 Session: Monday, February 25, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
The state of biodiversity in 2013 presents a tremendous paradox. Biodiversity science is more productive today than ever before; the rate of new species discovery, for example, is higher than it’s ever been. At the same time, the rate of species extinction is increasing dramatically due to human-mediated environmental degradation on a global scale. This crisis for the future of biological diversity offers unparalleled challenges and opportunities for the professional scientific community, which is responding with new approaches and a heightened sense of urgency, with increasing focus both on conservation of species and their habitats and on the major drivers of extinction.
Free, but registration requested | |
 | Plastic: A Toxic Love Story | Plastic: A Toxic Love Story
Susan Freinkel, Science Writer and Journalist
1 Session: Monday, March 11, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
As coal fueled the industrial revolution, one could say that plastic built the modern world. But a century into our love affair with plastic, we’re starting to realize it’s not such a healthy one. Plastics draw on dwindling fossil fuels, leach harmful chemicals, litter landscapes, and destroy marine life. And yet each year we use and consume more; we’ve produced as much plastic in the past decade as we did in the entire twentieth century. Journalist Susan Freinkel will speak about our dependence on this material, guiding us through history, science and the global economy to assess the real impact of plastic in our lives. She’ll present a new way of thinking about a substance that has become the defining medium—and metaphor—of our age. Her book, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, will be available for purchase and signing.
Free, but registration requested | |
 | The New You: Biological Views of Individuality | The New You: How Symbiosis Studies Have Undercut Biological Views of Individuality
Scott Gilbert, Howard A. Schneiderman Professor of Biology, Swarthmore College
1 Session: Monday, April 8, 7:00–8:30pm
Location: Hunnewell Building
What defines an individual? Can an animal be construed an individual if its anatomy, physiology, development, and even its immune systems depend on symbiotic microorganisms? What becomes of the genetic and evolutionary individual when inherited symbionts provide selectable variation for the host? Animal plus symbiont equals… what? Super-animal? Team? Holobiont? Have we been lumping and sorting erroneously only to learn through advances in biotechnology that individuals are really communities or, perhaps, relationships? Join us for a mind-bending presentation that may leave you reassessing your place in the biosphere.
Free, but registration requested | |
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