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Arnold Arboretum

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Dr. Gibson and a sandgrouse

The Fascinating Feathers of the Sandgrouse

Arnold Arboretum

The birds that populate the Arnold Arboretum rarely have to go far to find water. In the deserts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, it's a different story, and the sandgrouse that lives in these arid environments has developed a fascinating adaptation to stay hydrated: these birds have a unique ability to absorb and hold water inside of their feathers. But how do their feathers hold water so efficiently? Dr. Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, has found the answer. Join Dr. Gibson for a lecture to learn about these fascinating birds and the science behind them.

Collage of nature journals

Nature Journaling: A Creative Exploration of the Winter Landscape

Arnold Arboretum

Bring your enthusiasm for the natural world and leave with a creative nature journal, inspired by the trees of the Arnold Arboretum. Nature journaling is all about expressing your curiosity and wonder through sketching, calligraphy, writing, or other forms of art-making. Tap into your creativity and let yourself be surprised by the diversity of forms on display in the winter landscape.

teapot and tea cup

Foraging Walk: Tea Time at the Arboretum

Arnold Arboretum

Join us for a winter foraging walk to learn what wild plants can be foraged and brewed into tea. Visit some of the Arboretum's tastiest winter plants, from sweet birch and sweet fern to sassafras and spicebush. You may even get to taste some of the teas yourself!

Conifer

Conifer Walk

Arnold Arboretum

What is a conifer, exactly? How is it different from an evergreen, or a gymnosperm? Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp as he leads us through the different types of conifers and how to identify them, the reasons behind their distinctive needle-like forms, and their rise and fall in evolutionary history.

Cyanotypes

Workshop: Botanical Cyanotype

Arnold Arboretum

Make beautiful seasonal cards and prints using the alternative photography method known as Cyanotype. Participants will collect leaves and seeds in the landscape and arrange them on special paper to create a deep blue print with bright, ghost-white silhouettes. This historic photography method offers participants the ability to perform something that seems like magic.

Owl

Great Horned Owl Walk

Arnold Arboretum

Dusk in November is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Horticulturist Brendan Keegan to hear about the owls' breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.