People and Happenings
Council of Visitors Meeting
Special Garden Tour
People and Happenings
Above : Council of Visitors member Frank Reese moderates the keynote conversation by Dave Barnett and Ned Friedman .
Below : Pre-meeting tour led by Meg Winslow .
Council of Visitors Meeting
On October 2 , 2014 , Mount Auburn was pleased to host our third annual Council of Visitors meeting . Despite unseasonably rainy and cool weather , nearly 100 attendees joined us for this day of thoughtful conversation . After a pre-meeting tour highlighting the founders ’ vision for Mount Auburn led by Meg Winslow , Curator of Historical Collections , guests gathered in a tent on Bigelow Chapel lawn for lunch and an update on the State of the Institution by Tom Cooper , Chair of Mount Auburn ’ s Board of Trustees . They then enjoyed a spirited keynote conversation between President & CEO Dave Barnett and Ned Friedman , Director of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University , on the leadership roles that their institutions have played and will continue to play in the fields of horticulture , ecology , and historic landscape preservation .
Each attendee also participated in one of four afternoon breakout sessions , which included presentations by content experts and community leaders , a walk on the grounds , and group discussion of Mount Auburn ’ s future opportunities and challenges . Each group reported the results of their discussion , which will help inform Mount Auburn ’ s strategic planning process , during the meeting ’ s closing remarks . At the end of the day , guests enjoyed a special sneak peek at videos created by Roberto Mighty , Mount Auburn ’ s first Artist-in-Residence . We are grateful to all of the day ’ s presenters for sharing their expertise and to our Council of Visitors members for their participation and their support throughout the year .
Special Garden Tour
On June 5 , 2014 , Alan Emmet , a landscape historian and author of So Fine a Prospect : Historic New England Gardens , hosted twenty of the Friends of Mount Auburn ’ s 1831 Society members for a tour of the gardens at her home , Mole Hill , in Westford , Mass . This special tour was led by Claude Benoit , Mount Auburn ’ s former Director of Horticulture and the gardener at Mole Hill . While the tour began in a light rain , the sun cleared as the group walked the grounds . After the tour , Alan , a member of Mount Auburn ’ s Council of Visitors and the 1831 Society , graciously welcomed guests for a reception on the porch of her home .
Pat and John Jacoby , Ron Barbagallo , and Liz Goodfellow at Mole Hill
Winter 2015 | 17