Each month we offer a variety of programs to inspire, teach and engage. All Connecticut College Arboretum programs are open to the public and many of our programs are free or available at a discounted rate with membership and for current Connecticut College students. Some programs require registration to confirm your spot. Email arbor@conncoll.edu if you need assistance.
Connecticut College is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy community.
FEATURED PROGRAM:
Connecticut’s three leading organizations in arboriculture and urban forestry, in partnership with the Connecticut College Arboretum, will co-host a one-day conference at Connecticut College in New London. Join the Connecticut Tree Protective Association, the Tree Wardens’ Association of Connecticut, and the Connecticut Urban Forest Council on March 18, 2026, as we celebrate these partnerships and explore the many ways trees bring us together. Presentations will be of interest to urban foresters, arborists, tree wardens, community volunteers and advocates, tree enthusiasts, landscape architects, nursery professionals, students, city planners, and engineers.
REGISTRATION
Event page, details, directions, and registration are available through the CTPA website
Branching Out Together - CTPA (Connecticut Tree Protective Association)
TICKET PRICING:
Early Bird Pricing Ends March 1st (after March 1st each ticket category will increase by $15.00)
Member of CTPA, TWAC, or the Conn College Arboretum: $60
Non-Member: $75
Student: $30
Community-Based Organization*: $30
*This ticket is only available for participants involved in community-based organizations, such as Tree Commissions, Boards, Non-Profits, Faith Based Organizations, Park Friends’ Groups, Land Trusts, and others working in urban forestry or adjacent sectors. Please do not register for this ticket level if you are a municipal employee or have the ability to pay the member or non-member rate. The reduced cost of this ticket is supported by our sponsors and is intentionally kept low to encourage a broad attendance.
AGENDA
The agenda is available here.
Ecological Pruning with Anna Fialkoff
Saturday, March 21
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
COST: $35
Registration Required
LOCATION:
Join Anna Fialkoff, horticulturist at Connecticut College Arboretum, for a workshop on ecological pruning during the dormant season. With leaves down and the bones of the garden revealed, winter is a great time to evaluate and prune woody plants for their structure, form, health, and vigor. Plus, hibernating creatures and frozen ground make ideal timing for tromping around garden beds with minimal disturbance.
During this two-hour workshop at Fort Williams Park, Anna will demonstrate best pruning techniques and provide an overview of basic pruning principles, while emphasizing how to enhance wildlife habitat. Participants will get hands-on experience with selecting tools, making proper cuts, and assessing trees and shrubs for pruning goals.
Anna Fialkoff joined Connecticut College Arboretum as its Horticulturist in 2023. Under her supervision, horticulture staff and student landscape assistants steward the Arboretum’s collections and natural areas, including a 30-acre Native Plant Collection. Previously as the Ecological Programs Manager for Wild Seed Project, Anna led the creation of the organization’s annual publication, worked with local partners on demonstration plantings and taught educational programs. Anna got her start in ecological horticulture in 2010 as an apprentice for Native Plant Trust and later became Senior Horticulturist at the organization’s botanical garden in Massachusetts. Anna holds a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic and an MS in Ecological Design from The Conway School.
This program is organized by the Wild Seed Project.
Vernal Pools Walk
Saturday, March 28
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
COST: $10 -or- FREE for members
Registration Required.
Each spring, as snow melts and temperatures rise, vernal pools come to life! Many amphibian species (such as the salamander pictured above) rely on vernal pools for breeding, and unique plants and insects can be found in these seasonal wetlands as well. Join the CT Audubon Society to search the vernal pools that dot the Connecticut College Arboretum and look in the other wetland habitats on the property for amphibians, birds, insects, and more!
This program is held in partnership with the Connecticut Audubon Society
The Life and Work of James Sweeney
Friday, April 3
5:30 p.m.
COST: FREE
LOCATION: New London City Hall, Council Chambers, 3rd Floor
This program is hosted by New London Landmarks
Architect James Sweeney designed many prominent buildings in New London and its vicinity at the turn of the twentieth century but is relatively unknown today. Join us inside Sweeney’s most well-known building for a presentation by Arboretum Director, Maggie Redfern to learn about his enduring structures, those lost and others threatened with demolition.
Plein-Air Painting Workshop with Katie Fogg
Tuesday, April 28
[Rain Date: Tuesday, May 26]
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
COST: $70 members/$80 non-members
Materials provided.
Registration Required.
Join us for an afternoon of painting in nature at the Connecticut College Arboretum with local artist Katie Fogg. Working outdoors, we will explore simple painting techniques while observing the landscape, light, and color around us.
Website: www.katiefogg.com
Instagram: @katiefogg
Orchids for Beginners
Wednesday, April 29
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
COST: $10 members/$15 non-members
Registration Required.
Spring Bird Walk— Goodwin Natural Area
Saturday, May 23
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
COST: $10 -or- FREE for Ct College Arboretum or CT Audubon Society members
Space is limited. Registration Required.
The Connecticut College Arboretum provides an urban oasis for migrating songbirds with its diverse habitats. We’ll walk through the Goodwin Natural Area to look for the songbirds singing from the forests, swallows foraging over the pond and wetlands, and more. The walk will be approximately 1-1.5 miles on level dirt and grassy terrain.
This program is held in partnership with the Connecticut Audubon Society
In Our Gallery
March
John H. Sargent Nature Photography Exhibit
Free and open to the public.
An exhibit of nature photography by John H. Sargent is on display in the Connecticut College Arboretum Gallery through the end of March.
About the Artist and the Exhibit
John H. Sargent has been living and working as an artist in Southeastern Connecticut for more than thirty-five years and is a keen observer of the birds and plants that inhabit the lands, waters and skies of the region. Though his primary artistic pursuit is landscape painting, he is also interested in nature photography. The photos in this exhibit were all taken in the Connecticut College Arboretum’s Native Plant Collection, Goodwin Natural Area, and Mamacoke Natural Area.
John has worked in many mediums, including digital photography, traditional Chinese painting, acrylic, oil, watercolor painting and nature printing. He was an art teacher at the Williams School in New London from 1983 until 2006. From 2006 until 2012 he was an Artist in Residence at the ISAAC School, a charter school middle school in New London. Currently he works out of his home studio in Quaker Hill mostly creating paintings for display in the workplaces of non-profit organizations. To learn more about John’s artwork please visit his website at http://www.johnhsargent.com
The Connecticut College Arboretum Gallery is located in the Arboretum Center for Education & Research (ACER) building at 33 Gallows Lane New London CT 06320.
The gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For information about exhibiting your artwork in the Connecticut College Arboretum gallery space, please email arbor@conncoll.edu. The Connecticut College Arboretum gallery space displays nature-related art. Any medium type will be considered.
FREE Guided Tours
Tours start at 10 a.m. on the first and second Sunday of each month from May thru October.
Our free guided tours are open to the public and pre-registration is not required.
Native Plant Collection (1st Sunday of the month)
Tours of the Native Plant Collection meet at the entrance gate to the Native Plant Collection located on Williams Street across from the Williams Street entrance to the Connecticut College main campus.
2026 tour dates: May 3, June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6, October 4
Caroline Black Garden (2nd Sunday of the month)
Tours of the Caroline Black Garden meet at the entrance to the Caroline Black Garden located on behind the Vinal Cottage across Mohegan Avenue from the main entrance to the Connecticut College campus. Access to the parking area behind Vinal Cottage is located at 4 Winchester Avenue.
2026 tour dates: May 10, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 13, October 11
Campus Tree Collection (3rd Sunday on select months)
Learn about the incredible variety of native and landscape specimen trees planted throughout the main campus of Connecticut College. Tours of the Campus Tree Collection meet at the New London Hall Greenhouse (by the blue sculpture).
2026 tour dates: May 17, June 21, October 18
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