Event Name: Winter Tree Bark Identification
Event Date(s): Saturday, 2/7/2026, 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM, 3 hours, 30 minutes
Tickets Available: 24
Purchase Deadline: Saturday, 2/7/2026 10:30 AM


A Practical Guide to Identifying Trees in Winter 


Join Author and naturalist Michael Wojtech at New England Botanic Garden for a closer look at the fascinating world of bark. Discover why some trees have smooth bark while others are rugged or peeling and discover the secrets these variations reveal about tree life.


This class will include both an indoor lecture and guided outdoor walk through NEBGs trails to see the world of bark for yourself. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the outdoors.


Materials List
Participants should arrive to program with the following materials:
  • Notebook
  • Writing implements
  • Pencils and/or pencil crayons
  • Straight edge (ruled)
  • Reusable mug and/or water bottle for water. Tea will be provided.
Optional ID books
  • Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast by Michael Wojtech
  • Peterson Field Guides: Trees of the Northeast
  • National Audubon Society: Field Guide to Trees, Eastern Region
  • National Wildlife Foundation: Field Guide to Trees of North America
Copies of Michael's book, Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, will be available for purchase during class (~$30).


      EVENT INFORMATION   
  • Ticket Price: $55 NEBG Member Adult | $66 Non-Member Adult    
  • Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 2 PM
  • Location: New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston MA 01505
  • Meet at the Main Entrance Foyer.
Tickets included admission to the Garden for the day.
 
    About the Instructor: Michael Wojtech 
 
       
Michael Wojtech has been observing and inquiring about the natural world since he can remember, but it was not until he moved from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to earn his master’s degree in Conservation Biology at Antioch University New England that his infatuation with trees flourished. His coursework brought a welcomed, intense immersion into the natural history and ecology of the plants, critters, and other organisms in the new landscape, and in very short order he found a depth of belonging and connection to place that he had never before experienced.     
     

“Through developing my thesis and subsequent book, Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, my infatuation with trees grew, and I developed a deep sense of perception and appreciation that continues to grow and enrich my life.”       

        Learn more               

As a naturalist and educator, he strives to share the science and wonder of trees in an accessible and compelling way. He writes, photographs, illustrates, and presents programs about the structure, growth processes, and ecology of trees—including their bark, buds, leaves, roots, and wood—for audiences at all levels of experience.  

Michael is especially interested in the process of discovery and engagement. His greatest inspiration comes from the sense of wonder, awe, and recognition of beauty that arise during these investigations and from his desire to share these experiences with others.              

He lives and works in western Massachusetts with his two children, who exemplify the experience of awe and wonder, and he travels widely to present programs and workshops.       

     
   
       
         
 
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