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Join us on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 at 7:00 pm in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, 1685 W 13th Ave, Eugene OR 97402, to listen to Peter Del Tredici, retired botanist for Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. Peter will be presenting "Urban Nature : Human Nature".Urban ecosystems are the ultimate manifestation of the dynamic interaction between humans and nature—between our desire for neat, orderly landscapes on the one hand and our fear of messy ecological chaos on the other. This presentation will focus on the plants—both native and non-native—that grow without cultivation in cities and their remarkable ability to flourish in spite of stressful environmental conditions. Cities—along with the plants and animals they support—can be considered "novel" ecosystems that not only reflect a tumultuous past but also preview our unpredictable future.
The spontaneous vegetation that inhabits our cities is as cosmopolitan as its human population and, quite frankly, better adapted to their changing environmental conditions than the native species that once grew there. Like it or not, these novel ecosystems have become the new normal and people need to recognize that they not only help make our cities more livable but also help clean up the mess we have made of the planet. Learning how to manage them to increase their aesthetic and ecological value is both a challenge and an opportunity for gardeners and professional horticulturists.
Dr. Peter Del Tredici is a botanist specializing in the growth and development of trees. He retired from the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in 2014 after working there as a plant propagator, editor or Arnoldia, Director of Living Collections and Senior Research Scientist for 35 years. He taught in the Landscape Architecture Department at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for 24 years and the Urban Planning Department at MIT for three years.
He has published over a hundred scientific articles on a wide variety of subjects including: the taxonomy and cultivation of hemlocks and Stewartias; the history of plant introductions from Japan and China; the ecology and evolution of the Ginkgo tree; and the morphology of basal sprouting (resilience) in trees. Since 2004, his research has focused on urban ecology and climate change, and in 2010 he published the widely acclaimed, “Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide” (Cornell U. Press, 2010; 2nd ed. 2020). In 2013, he was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society in recognition of his contributions to “the science and practice of horticulture.”
Program Location: The in-person meetings and speaker programs take place at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 1685 W 13th Ave, Eugene OR 97402.
Entrance is on the east side of the building and there is ample parking in the parking lots, which can be accessed from both Chambers St or W 13th Ave, with additional parking in the adjacent Looking Glass Center parking lot. Please do not park under their covered entry way. Overflow parking is also available in the first 20 spaces on the east and south side of Redeemer Fellowship Church just across Chambers St to the west. For location and parking information see our website at: https://www.thehardyplantgroup.org/contact
Meetings begin at 7:00 PM, but the doors open at 6:30 PM for botanical sample browsing, refreshments, and socializing. We meet the second Tuesday of the month, September through November, and January through May. The public is invited to attend our meetings. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.
This program will also be broadcast live via a Zoom webinar, if you are unable to attend in person, to all members of WVHPG. If you are not a member and would like to view this webinar please see our "About" page on our website to learn how to join. https://www.thehardyplantgroup.org/about
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, 1685 W 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97402-3743, United States
