Arboretum Reflections
A Conversation with Dan Hinkley
B y J e n n i f e r O t t
William Elson ’ s painting of the Stone Cottage at Washington Park Arboretum , featuring Dan ’ s dog , Emerson , and the rescued baby crow .
In the fall of 2020 , Jennifer Ott from HistoryLink . org interviewed plant explorer Dan Hinkley as part of the UW Botanic Gardens ’ ongoing Oral History Project . Following is an edited excerpt . In the opening section of the interview , Dan talks about coming from the Midwest in the early 1980s to do a Master of Science in horticulture at the University of Washington ’ s nascent Center for Urban Horticulture . Under the tutelage of Dr . John Wott , Dan spent two years studying the plants at Washington Park Arboretum , sorting out the taxonomy of its extensive maple collection . Dan describes this interfacing with the Arboretum as a “ life-changing experience .”
Fall 2021 v 19