"The question is not what you look at, but how you look and whether you see." —Thoreau

What is a tree? Ask a gardener, a scientist, an artist, an economist, or a child, and each will give a different answer. Join evolutionary ecologist Dr. Marjorie Weber for a wander through the Arb that uses trees to practice the art and science of paying attention. Along the way, we'll visit some of the trees that have been"adopted" this Fall by students in Dr. Weber's "Insights from Trees: Science, Art, and Observation" class. Over the semester, students in the class return to their tree week after week to sketch, measure, and question,  practicing the art of observation across different perspectives and interdisciplinary lenses. On the walk, we'll look at trees in the Arb through several lenses: a naturalist's eye for identification and life history, a scientist's curiosity about how trees live and interact with other species, a poet's practice of art as a way of seeing, and the cultural and historical stories we tell about trees. Come ready to slow down, look closely, and leave with new ways of seeing the trees in your own neighborhood. All ages and experience levels welcome. Meet at the Nichols Arboretum Reader Center.

Bio: Dr. Marjorie Weber (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan, where she runs a research lab studying the biodiversity of plants and the animals that live on them. She teaches the "Insights from Trees: Science, Art, and Observation in a Noisy World" course at the University of Michigan Biological Station and on campus.