Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum is the only arboretum he designed, a National Historic Landmark, and a model for others around the world. Docent Bill Beizer, will identify the elements of the Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.
The International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) is launching an extended edition of the “Biodiversity on Campus” Photo Contest, and we warmly invite members of the Harvard community to take part.
The contest highlights biodiversity measures and nature-positive moments on university campuses. Participants submit one photograph and a few details that bring the image to life: together, images and additional information form powerful, engaging narratives that help us think — and act — together for a resilient future.
Submit your photo by February 28, 2026.
It’s time for our annual toiletries drive to support the Cambridge YWCA! Help support the drive by donating unused and unopened toiletries, cosmetics, and menstrual hygiene products. Donations will be accepted through Friday, February 6, 2026.
What is there to see at the Arboretum after all of the leaves have fallen and before spring flowers start to bloom? Bark! Shaggy bark, mottled bark, striped bark: the Arboretum has it all. Join Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor to see some beautiful bark highlights, learn how to identify some trees by their bark, and learn why that bark looks the way it does.
The City is hosting a drop-in Open House to review plans for the Quincy St - Western Kirkland St Safety Improvement Project, covering Quincy St between Cambridge St and Kirkland St and Kirkland St between Quincy St and Oxford St. Stop by at any time to learn about the proposed design, learn about the schedule and expected impacts, and share your feedback.
Sign up for the mailing list for updates. More information, including a map of the project sections, can be found on the project website.
Thursday, January 22, 2026 • 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy St
Ornithology—the science of birds—is experiencing a renaissance. Today, a new generation of tools is transforming how we study birds—from global citizen-science platforms such as eBird to satellite remote sensing and drone-based fieldwork. New Perspectives in Ornithology: 21st Century Dispatches across the World of Birds (Oxford University Press, 2026) reveals how these technologies are reshaping our understanding of bird life and the challenges birds face in a rapidly changing world. Volume editors Scott Edwards and Michael Reed will introduce the book’s key themes including bird ecology, evolution, behavior, citizen science, and conservation. Book contributors Jingmai O’Connor and Elizabeth Derryberry will then address how fossils are enhancing our understanding of bird evolution and how novel studies of bird songs are providing insights into how birds communicate and respond to environmental change.
The Climate Policy Summer Internship Program is run by the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability in collaboration with climate-focused legislative offices at the Massachusetts State House. The program places Harvard undergraduate and graduate students in legislative offices whose policy agendas address climate, environmental, or sustainability issues in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Apply for the Summer 2026 Climate Policy Summer Internship Program by Sunday February 22, 2026.
The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability and the Harvard Alumni Association invite you to the next installment of Harvard Voices on Climate Change, a virtual series showcasing Harvard faculty and fellows on different dimensions of the climate challenge. This session will explore the complex decisions behind where and how renewable energy projects get built. Featuring Charles Taylor, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and Andrew Mergen, Emmett Assistant Clinical Professor of Environmental Law at Harvard Law School, the conversation will examine the legal, environmental, and community considerations that shape clean energy development.
The Harvard Hand- Me-Down Collective
Kid’s Clothing, Kid’s Clothing, Toys, and Books
Tuesday, March 3rd 12PM – 1:30 PM
Smith Campus Center – Commons Room
Near Kome Sushi
Drop off what you no longer need and take home what you do.
Yes, it's free.
For questions email meg_curley@harvard.edu
Join us at our Freecycle in the SEC Atrium! Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse a fantastic selection of items brought by others. Find some secondhand items to gift this year. Popular items include books, clothes, and working household goods.
Join the Salata Institute at Mignone Center for Career Success for an evening that explores scientific creativity and tangible career opportunities in Denmark. Learn how you can build a meaningful career in a thriving, collaborative research ecosystem through Danish Technical University and Science Hub Denmark. Discover how your next research step could take you to the heart of Europe's green and bioscience transition. This session features Andreas Worberg, Head of the Center for Biosolutions at Danish Technical University, and Charles More, interdisciplinary thinker and founder of Imaginative Philosophy. Together, they will share perspectives on how cutting-edge bioscience, biomanufacturing, and creative scientific thinking translate into real-world climate and planetary health solutions. Speakers will highlight career pathways within Denmark’s collaborative research landscape, including opportunities supported by Science Hub Denmark, and discuss how researchers can move from early-stage inquiry to applied impact. Attendees will gain insight into how their next research step could place them at the heart of Europe’s green and bioscience transition—working across disciplines, sectors, and borders to address urgent climate challenges.
Meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks.
2:00–2:30 pm – The Case of the Immortal Chemicals
Speaker: Ethan Sontarp, Graduate Student with the Sunderland Group
There’s a mystery that needs to be solved: where does invisible pollution go when it is released into the environment? Scientists use chemical fingerprinting to do detective work, uncovering why certain man-made pollutants are so resistant to breaking down and where they like to go. By following this trail of clues, researchers can learn how to stop pollution from entering our food and drinking water. Join Harvard scientist Ethan Sontarp to discover how environmental detective work can help protect the world around us.
3:00-3:30 pm – Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA
Speaker: Daniel Tabin, PhD Student in the David Reich Lab
Writing has only been around for about 6,000 years. This means that the stories of people who lived before that time were never recorded for future generations. Thankfully, these stories are not lost forever. How can we learn about the adventures, relationships, and challenges of people who lived long before anyone ever put words on a page? Join Harvard scientist Daniel Tabin to discover how ancient DNA can help us piece together the lives of people who lived thousands of years ago—and hear about the remarkable stories he has helped bring back to light.
20-minute talk followed by 10-minute Q&A session. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Regular museum admission rates apply.
Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture