Urban Wilds at the Arnold Arboretum

Take a tour of two urban wilds at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, guided by Senior Research Scientist Emeritus, Peter Del Tredici. Graduate student Ben Goulet-Scott produced this virtual field trip for a history course "Re-Wilding Harvard", co-taught by Harvard Professors Joyce Chaplin (James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, FAS) and David Moreno Mateos (Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, GSD). Students in the course research the ecological history of the greater Boston area as well as historical and cultural definitions of wilderness and landscape, framed by a project to "re-wild" a section of Harvard's campus.

In this video, Dr. Del Tredici sheds light on the recent history of two Arnold Arboretum landscapes—Weld Hill and Bussey Brook Meadow—which are managed as urban wilds, while sharing his insightful perspective on an ecology that is inclusive of humans and human activity. The production of the video was made possible by the Harvard Office of Undergraduate Education, which has supported efforts across Harvard to help courses transition to a remote learning format.