For this winter's Stone Soup Speakers Series, we will focus inward to reacquaint our followers with the history, landscape, and program vision that led to our renaming this year as the Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum. Through storytelling and photos, we hope to engage participants in a conversation that increases people's understanding and attachment to this beautiful and unique cultural landscape nestled in the Blue Hills. The Stone Soup Speakers Series is normally a convivial gathering around homemade soup, but this year will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

The February Stone Soup session on Feb. 24 at 6:30 pm will explore the cultural landscape that existed before Mary May "Polly" Binney Wakefield developed her arboretum over a 50-year period. Much of this information was gained by researchers through a series of photographs, maps, archeological evidence and archival papers. Debbie Merriam will discuss the evolution of the landscape and Polly's life-long work to transform it into the formal gardens and nurseries we see today. To receive the zoom link for the Feb. 24th session, please register here or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .