Approximately 620,000 soldiers lost their lives during the Civil War and this enormous death toll drastically affected how Americans viewed death and commemoration. President Faust will discuss the realities of death during and following the war including burying, honoring and commemorating the dead and the resulting rise of the undertaking profession, national cemeteries for the Union dead and the creation of private cemeteries in the South to honor the "Lost Cause." Copies of This Republic of Suffering will be available for purchase.

Following the lecture President Faust will sign books during a wine and cheese reception. Learn more about Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust and her latest book, This Republic of Suffering.

We are quickly approaching the maximum capacity for this program. Please register soon to ensure a space at this special event! Please call 617- 607-1981 or register online. $10 per person for members of the Friends and $20 for non-members.

Particularly well-adapted to withstand atmospheric pollution, drought, root compaction and urban soils, the London Plane Tree provides good shade for city streets and sidewalks not just in its namesake of London, but in New York, Paris, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Melbourne and along Memorial Drive near the Charles River here in Cambridge.

The botanical name for this tree, Platanus × acerifolia, comes from the Greek platys, meaning "broad," describing the open crown of the tree (as well as its individual leaves) and acerifolia, refering to the large, distinctively maple-like appearance of the the leaves.

A distinctive sight set amongst the gray winter landscape, the light red-brown, tan, cream and olive-green calico or camouflage-like pattern of the London Plane Tree's mottled bark is revealed as it continually renews itself by peeling off in large plates.

Growing at a medium rate, the London Plane Tree can reach a 100 feet. Although the tree has a pyramidal shape in youth, it often develops large branches that can spread out 80 feet or more in maturity.

Multiple round seed balls, usually borne in pairs, approximately 1" in diameter and composed of tightly compacted fruitlets, hang from stalks on the London Plane tree throughout the winter and can be seen broken open on the ground near the base of the tree in February and March.

Learn more about Mount Auburn's horticultural collections.

As the snow-covered ground gives way to the earliest signs of spring, we will observe and learn how to identify some of the most interesting trees and shrubs at Mount Auburn by their bud, twig and bark characteristics. Hot refreshments and an indoor quiz will bring the walk to a warm conclusion.

Please register< /a> online for this program and other events at the Cemetery.

In case of severe weather, alternative date is Thursday, March 20th.

Visitors have been coming to Mount Auburn Cemetery since 1831. We now invite you to help us celebrate the Grand Opening of our new Visitors Center at Story Chapel: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM on Saturday, May 3rd & Sunday, May 4th.

Join us during the first weekend of May to explore the new exhibits, see the introductory video and enjoy special activities and tours highlighting Mount Auburn's many facets.

Guided walking tours, demonstrations, and self-guided activities will be held throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday. In addition to tours celebrating Mount Auburn's history, art, architecture and notable figures, there will be horticultural tours and activities in celebration of Arbor Day, as well as demonstrations and activities as part of National Preservation Month (May).

A complete schedule of events will be available in April. For more details visit www.mountauburn.org or call our special programs line, 617-607-1995.

We will meet on the second Thursday of each month at 10 AM in Story Chapel to discuss the month's selection. Coffee and tea will be served. FREE.

Thursday, March 13: We will discuss John May's novel Poe & Fanny. This work of historical fiction focuses on the friendship between 19th-century literary figures Edgar Allen Poe and Fanny Osgood. Poet Fanny Osgood is one of the many notable figures now buried at Mount Auburn portrayed in this work.

Please register< /a> online for this program and other events at the Cemetery.

Many of us home gardeners can't wait to sit down on a cold winter's night with our plant catalogs and dream about getting our hands dirty as we plant new perennials.

As you read this e-newsletter, some lucky folks are scouting right now for trees and shrubs at nurseries throughout New England and even into the midwest to find the perfect specimens for Birch Gardens.

Landscape architects and horticulturists are refining the Birch Gardens planting plan as images of these plants are reviewed, approved or rejected. Is the branching too low on this Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)? Are there too many stems on this Shadblow (Amelanchier grandiflora)? As these questions are answered, specific trees are being tagged for a future home at Mount Auburn - including the London Plane Tree (Platanus × acerifolia) highlighted above, Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) and River Birch (Betula nigra). When April comes, we'll be ready to plant!

For more information, please email: info@mountauburn.org.