Attend a few guided hikes at Hoyt Arboretum and if you’re like me, you might notice that some of the Chinese trees in the collections seem like they belong in an Indiana Jones movie. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Living Fossils “This rare tree grew from a seed smuggled out of China…” (Cathaya … Read more
Follow the birdsong far enough down a trail at Hoyt Arboretum and you might stumble onto something unexpected: a musician at a picnic table, headphones on, surrounded by a small synthesizer, a tangle of colorful cables, a tree guide, and a book of Buddhist teachings. He isn’t performing. He’s listening—to the wind, the light, the … Read more
One of my favorite things about Hoyt Arboretum is the unexpected adventures you encounter on every trail. Each hike, class, or volunteer activity offers a delightful detour from the ordinary. There’s always something wonderful waiting to be discovered. The Call to Adventure Nursery and Planting Specialist, Brett Rousseau, recently asked if I’d like to help … Read more
Spring at Hoyt Arboretum arrives quietly at first—soft light, tender new leaves, and the earliest hints of colourful blooms returning to the landscape. After months of cold, stillness, and uncertainty, the season reminds us that life always finds a way. Each bud, each unfolding leaf, carries its own small message of hope: that growth continues, … Read more
On a recent visit to the Dorena Genetic Resource Center near Cottage Grove, Hoyt Arboretum staff stepped into one of the country’s leading quantitative resistance research facilities and saw, firsthand, how science is helping forests keep pace with fast-moving threats. What’s happening at Dorena isn’t abstract. It’s hands-on, large-scale, and urgent. What Is Quantitative Resistance? … Read more