The growing chaos, conflict, and division in our world often feels overwhelming. As a combat veteran who enlisted after 9/11, I scarcely recognize the country I once risked my life to defend. But in recent months, I’ve found a potent antidote to despair in my volunteer work at Hoyt Arboretum. Discovering the Joy of Volunteering … Read more
I firmly believe that trees are more than landmarks; each one carries its own significance on earth. As a certified tree hugger, I grew up surrounded by tropical trees and had no trouble identifying them from a young age. But when I walked the trails of Hoyt Arboretum for the first-time last November, I was … Read more
On a rainy spring morning in 2022, a bus full of elementary school students crossed the Fremont Bridge for the first time. Some of them screamed—not from fear, but from wonder. They had never crossed a river before. A few thought it was the ocean. For Natalie Camelio, a teacher at Scott Elementary, moments like … Read more
Hi, I am a Pacific Banana Slug. Scientists call me Ariolimax columbianus and say that I am the second largest slug in the world, growing to nearly 10 inches long. I am native to the Pacific Northwest region and love dark, cool and wet forest floors like the densely forested portions of Hoyt Arboretum. I … Read more
Few have given back to their hometowns the way that Ed Kushner has. “20 years is a long time to stick with something.” Ed says, “I never worked for the same employer for that amount of time, and the only outdoor activities that I did for more than 20 years were gardening and bicycling.” And … Read more