Museums & Collections | October 20, 2015

Cold-weather activities at the Arnold Arboretum

Things to do and see when it's cold out

by Nell Porter-Brown

From The November-December 2015 Issue

Photograph courtesy of the Arnold Arboretum

Winter is the best time to get out and see New England’s trees in all their naked glory. The Arnold Arboretum, open year-round, offers just such forays with “Fall Into Health” (November 21), a brisk walk along lesser-known paths, and a “Winter Wellness Walk” (December 13), when the landscape is, perhaps, at its boniest. Those preferring an unguided jaunt followed by a stint inside to view nature on paper and canvas might enjoy Drawing Trees, Painting the Landscape: Frank M. Rines (1892-1962), on display through February 14. Lectures and classes are also on tap. Writer, designer, and historian Kathryn Aalto reveals the magic, at least in the mind of A.A. Milne, of England’s Ashdown Forest in “The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: The Forest That Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood” (the topic of her new book) on November 15. And on December 8, MIT physics professor Frank Wilczek explores “A Beautiful Question: Finding Nature’s Deep Design.” Check the arboretum’s website for full details.

Published in the November-December 2015 print issue under the headline “The Arboretum’s Winterland,” in the Harvard Squared section.

You might also like

A vase of yellow flowers on a table next to an orange and a glass.

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

Smiling woman stands beside a large skull in a display cabinet.

From competing in youth gymnastics to studying tetrapods, the Harvard curator has always chased her curiosity.

A photograph of the inside of the From Iran exhibit at the Harvard Peabody Museum

Tk tk Iran

Artist Azadeh Akhlaghi reconstructs moments of Iranian political upheaval in a series of meticulously staged images.

Most popular

Stone building with tall columns, steps leading up, and a flag atop under a cloudy sky.

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

Arched doorway with a decorative window above, labeled "University Hall," surrounded by stone.

The division is launching a new fundraising effort to support 50 additional students.

Illustration of a man plugging his ears on the roof of his house as floodwaters engulf the building

Why Some Citizens Reject Science

Bridging the gulf to science deniers

Explore More From Current Issue

Decorative wrought iron gate framed by leafy branches, captured in sepia tones.

Former Indiana University president Thomas Ehrlich looks back on curriculum, co-education, and other major trends.

Portrait of a man in a denim shirt beside a blue book cover for "Gretal and the Great War" featuring an illustration of a leg holding an army helmet..

Arts & Culture

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.

Colorful word cloud with various emotions and ideas related to learning and reflection.

Research

But it can’t replace human connection.