Guided by members of The Morton Arboretum’s scientific research team, this seasonal stroll will give you the chance to view the spring blooms with an engaging story of the seasonal changes that trees go through each year. You’ll hear about
- what factors affect when trees bloom,
- what discoveries scientists are making about these changes, and
- what the timing of spring buds, leaves, and blooms can tell us about the bigger picture of our climate and local environment.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Brendon Reidy and Lucien Fitzpatrick
Health and Safety: Program participants must abide by the Arboretum’s health and safety guidelines. Guidelines are subject to change, so please check back frequently.
Age:16 and older
N098
Instructors
Brendon Reidy, phenology research coordinator, The Morton Arboretum
Brendon Reidy has been working in the forest ecology lab at The Morton Arboretum since spring 2018. In his role as the phenology research coordinator, he works to improve communication and coordination of volunteers for the Arboretum’s phenology monitoring program. Prior to joining the Arboretum staff, he worked for the Downers Grove Park District as a naturalist and as the volunteer coordinator for the Lyman Woods and William F. Sherman Interpretive Center. He received his degree from Northeastern Illinois University and completed internships at the Field Museum and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. As a naturalist and outreach specialist, Reidy has a broad and varied skill set that comes in handy for helping develop educational and volunteer engagement programming.
Lucien Fitzpatrick, forest ecology lab research assistant, The Morton Arboretum
Lucien Fitzpatrick is the research assistant for the forest ecology lab working under Dr. Christy Rollinson. His work focuses on understanding how forests respond to climate variability and change. He and the forest ecology lab manage a large active group of volunteers that observe the phenology of hundreds of taxa in the Arboretum’s living collections in collaboration with the USA National Phenology Network. He uses those observations to make predictive models of the timing of spring budburst and fall color change, investigating the factors that lead to these events and how that timing is shifting because of climate change.
What to Know
This program meets outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.
Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes and plan to walk more than a mile on uneven terrain.
Program Schedule
Section A: Friday, April 28, 2023, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Section B: Saturday, May 6, 2023, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Four Seasons Garden in front of the Thornhill Education Center
