Hunnewell Building

Thursday, November 3, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Sustainable Practices for Managed Landscapes

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Managing our environment responsibly is a challenge that requires us to make philosophical and behavioral changes. In his work over the past 25 years, Eric T. Fleisher has developed protocols to help our landscapes recover from the harmful impacts of industry and chemicals. He will describe the design and implementation of a sustainable landscape management program, using the highly trafficked public spaces at Battery Park City and the campus at Harvard University as models. Fleisher’s programs avoid the use of toxic chemicals and significantly reduce the use of nitrogen in the landscape. His techniques focus on encouraging natural nutrient cycling systems through proper soil management and plant care. This Arnold Arboretum lecture will be held in the Hunnewell Building on Thursday, November 3, with refreshments served at 6, and lecture at 6:30. Offered with the Boston Society of Landscape Architects
Free to Arnold Arboretum and BSLA members; $25 General Admission. Students: call 617-384-5277 to register for free.  You may register online as well, https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/info.aspx?EventID=1#November.

Saturday, November 5, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Trees and Gardens: Photography by Joseph Flack Weiler

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For 45 years, photographer Joseph Weiler has been capturing trees, both in the wild and in parks and gardens. The breathtaking black-and-white images in this Arnold Arboretum show, running from October 29 through December 18, are accompanied by detailed descriptions, and touch upon the many ways trees and the landscapes they inhabit affect and enrich the lives of the humans around them.  A reception with the artist will take place in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall on Saturday, November 5, from 1 – 3.  For more information, visit www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or call 617-384-5209.

Through October 23 – Artists in the Arboretum 2011

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In conjunction with Jamaica Plain Open Studios, The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is proud to present a juried exhibition of works inspired by the collections and landscape of the Arnold Arboretum, featuring the work of Susan Johnson Bergin, Kurtis Brown, Alexander Budnitz, Jennifer Burnham, Deb Coolidge, John Diehl, Bob Evans, Susan CB Hampton, Susan Hardy Brown, Betsey Henkels, Alexander Korman, John Maciejowski, John Merrill, Candice Amber Milionis, John Nunziato, Maggie Redfern, William H. Scully, Rebecca Skinner, Regina Valluzzi (her painting seen below),  Maureen Vezina and Christine Wirth.  The show is on view through October 23 in the Hunnewell Building lecture hall at 125 Arborway.  For more information, visit www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or call 617-384-5209.

Thursday, October 20, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Marvelous Maples

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Maples are a great group of plants when it comes to brilliant fall color in shades from gold to orange to fiery red. The Arnold Arboretum is a treasure trove of maples, from common North American species to rare and endangered Asian types. On this walking tour with Nancy Rose, editor of Arnoldia, on Thursday, October 20 from 1 – 2:30, we’ll look at a number of the Arboretum’s special maple accessions in all of their autumn glory.In case of inclement weather, contact 617.384.5209. Meet at the Hunnewell Building. This activity is free, but please sign up at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Saturday, October 1, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon, and Wednesdays, October 12 and 19, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – The Art of Photographing Trees

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Trees, because of branching breadth and trunk height, can be challenging subjects to photograph. In this Arnold Arboretum three part class, Erik Gehring will provide tips, tricks, and photographic theory in order to create unique and dramatic images of trees. In the first session on Saturday, October 1, from 9 – 12 at the Dana Greenhouse at the Arboretum, you will begin in the landscape, looking at some of the Arboretum’s specimens to consider composition and framing, how best to capture the organic nature of a tree, and thinking about what conditions will best complement the subject. Classroom time in the second and third sessions on Wednesday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 19, from 6:30 – 8:30 in the Hunnewell Building, will include lectures, discussions, and group critiques of your images and ideas. Between classes you will be expected to practice the techniques taught in class and photograph trees in a variety of conditions. Plan to bring your images to class on a thumb drive for critique. If you are a film photographer, please bring prints to class. The fee is $105 for Arboretum members, $140 for non-members, and you may register on line at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Monday, September 19, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – More Ticks in More Places: How the Ever-Changing Ecology of Tick-Borne Diseases in the Northeastern US Affects You

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The Arnold Arboretum will host a lecture on Monday, September 19, from 6:30 – 8 in the Hunnewell Building, 125 The Arborway, by Thomas N. Mather, Ph.D., Director of The University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Resource Center. Occurrences of Lyme disease and related tick-transmitted illnesses (babesiosis, anaplasmosis (formerly human granulocytic ehrlichiosis or HGE) have reached near-epidemic proportions in some areas of New England. In Massachusetts, however, there was a statewide decrease of 35.6% in reported cases of Lyme disease from 2009 to 2010 according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Don’t be fooled though into thinking ticks and disease are going away, because 2011 has been an exceptionally ‘ticky’ year so far. 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. Fee: Free for Arnold Arboretum members, $15 nonmembers.  Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Wednesday, August 10, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Insect Science: Collecting & Preserving

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Insects provide a wealth of information about the environment in which they are found. In this Arnold Arboretum Insect Science class on Wednesday, August 10, from 5:30 – 7:30 in the Hunnewell Building, 125 The Arborway, you will tune in to insects in the landscape, learn about their life stages, and see how paying attention to their actions and population numbers can guide horticultural maintenance. Sue Pfeiffer, Horticultural Technologist, who has helped collect insects to assist integrated pest management efforts as well as visiting entomologists at the Arnold Arboretum, will give a brief overview of insect anatomy, their life cycles, and describe the major insect families and their identifying characteristics. She will demonstrate how to assess a population as well as various methods of attracting, capturing, and collecting insects. She’ll also show how to preserve and display some of these complex and delicate beauties. Note: this is not a class on integrated pest management. Fee $20 member, $27 nonmember.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Monday, June 27, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Mother Nature’s Child: Growing Outside in the Media Age

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The film, Mother Nature’s Child, explores nature’s powerful role in children’s health and development through the experience of toddlers, children in middle childhood, and adolescents. Mother Nature’s Child asks the questions: Why do children need unstructured time outside? What is the place of risk-taking in healthy child development? How is play a form of learning? The June 27  Arnold Arboretum screening in the Hunnewell Building will be followed by an informal discussion. (The film runs 57 minutes.) To learn more about the film, visit www.mothernaturesmovie.com.  Free, but registration is encouraged at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – In the Groves: A Summer Solstice Journey

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Transport yourself to a different time and place with this enchanting evening of tree lore and summer-solstice legends. Storyteller Diane Edgecomb and Celtic harpist Margot Chamberlain 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, starts at the Hunnewell Building and continues along tree-lined paths with story and music. The evening culminates with the haunting Czech legend “The Wild Woman of the Birch Grove” told amid the birches of Bussey Hill at sunset. Appropriate for adults and for children 12 years and above. Bring a cushion to sit on if you wish. Registrants will walk approximately two miles on and off trails. The performance takes place rain or shine. In the event of rain, it will be held in the Hunnewell Building lecture hall. You may choose from two sessions, the first taking place Friday, June 24, and the second on Saturday, June 25, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Fee $20 per person; space is limited. To register, visit www.arboretum.harvard.edu.  Painting of The Birch Grove (Birkenwald), circa 1900, by Ludwig Dill, courtesy of the Frye Art Museum.

Saturday, June 25, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Bark Ecology and ID: Get to Know Your Trees

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Identifying tree species can be challenging when the traits typically used to describe them—leaves, buds, and twigs—are not clearly visible or, in the case of leaves, not even present. Join Michael Wojtech on Saturday, June 25, from 9 – 1 in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain for an exploration of bark, the tree characteristic that is always visible in every season. A copy of his new book, Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, is included with the class fee. You will learn how to differentiate six different bark types, how to use the book’s identification keys, and begin to discover why such a variety of bark characteristics has evolved—Why do some species have smooth bark, while on others it is thick and broken? Why does bark peel? After a classroom session we will practice identifying native tree species on the grounds of the Arboretum. Open to naturalists at all levels of experience.  $55 Arnold Arboretum members, $70 for nonmembers.  To register, visit http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1026&DayPlannerDate=6/25/2011.