Touring the Massachusetts wildflower paradise Garden in the Woods

Volunteer Al Levin shows off the wildflowers and other native plants at Garden in the Woods.

In this video, Al Levin ’56, M.D. ’60, shows off his passion for “doll’s eyes,” “Indian soap,” and other botanical treasures of New England. Levin, a semiretired cardiologist, is featured in an article in the current issue of Harvard Magazine on alumni who volunteer as a kind of second career. For this Web Extra, he agreed to give readers a tour of Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he volunteers as a guide, happily providing colloquial and Latin plant names, information on species native and invasive, and more.

Related topics

You might also like

How AI Is Reshaping Supply Chains

Harvard Kennedy School lecturer on using AI to strengthen supply chains

This Astronomer is Sounding a Warning on ‘Space Junk’

As debris accumulates in low Earth orbit, the danger of destructive collisions continues to rise.

Understanding AI Vulnerabilities

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, so too will the tactics used to exploit them. 

Most popular

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Harvard art historian Jennifer Roberts teaches the value of immersive attention

Teaching students the value of deceleration and immersive attention

Explore More From Current Issue

People gather near the John Harvard Statue in front of University Hall surrounded by autumn trees.

A Changed Harvard Faces the Future

After a tense summer—and with no Trump settlement in sight—the University continues to adapt. 

Illustration of tiny doctors working inside a large nose against a turquoise background.

A Flu Vaccine That Actually Works

Next-gen vaccines delivered directly to the site of infection are far more effective than existing shots.