Lecture Topics

My Current Lecture Topics

“Urban Nature : Human Nature” is about my book, Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide

“Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Ginkgo, but Were Afraid to Ask” is about my 35 years of work with the Ginkgo tree

“Tree Architecture and Adaptive Growth” focuses on the genetic and environmental factors that control the development of form in trees

“Pruning Trees: Where HortiCulture Meets Human Culture” presents the physiological and cultural aspects of tree pruning as practiced in different countries

“The Radicle Underground” is about the growth and development of tree root systems and their symbiotic associations with soil microbes

“Deeply Disturbed: The Emergent Forests of the Future” is about the impacts of climate change, urbanization and invasive species on Northeastern forests

“Aging, Rejuvenation and Resilience in Trees” is about how trees age and how some species can bounce back stronger than ever following traumatic injury

"A Hundred Years of Stewartia Research at Arnold Arboretum” describes the fascinating horitcultural and botanical history of the genus Stewartia (familiy Theaceae), which contains some of the most beautiful plants we can cultivate in temperte climates

“Street Trees: Only the Strong Survive” is about the trials and tribulations of life on the street from a tree’s perspective

“My Botanical Life with Hemlocks” traces my original research on hemlock trees (genus Tsuga) at the Arnold Arboretum over the past 40 years. It covers everything from the hsitory of Sargent’s weeping hemlock to spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid to the discovery of a new hemlock species in Korea.

“The History of the Lawn: From Pasture to Plastic” presents a brief history of lawns and discusses the social and ecological issues surrounding their use in modern landscapes.