In an on-going year long fundraising campaign to support The Friends of the Public Garden, Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill and radio's Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds will co-host an exciting author event featuring Naturalist David Allen Sibley. The event takes place on Thursday, June 17^th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the Ebersole Suite of the Liberty Hotel.

David Allen Sibley, the preeminent bird-guide author and illustrator, considered by many worldwide to be the John Audubon of our day, now applies his formidable skills of identification and illustrations to the trees of North America.

The Sibley Guide to Trees is an astonishingly elegant guide to a complex subject.  With more than 4,100 meticulous, exquisitely detailed paintings, the Guide highlights the often subtle similarities and distinctions between more than 600 tree species – native trees as well as many introduced species.  More than 500 maps show the complete range, both natural and cultivated, for nearly all species.  Sibley adds an important new contribution to our understanding of the natural world reflecting for many deep concerns with habitat preservation and environmental health.  Sibley has produced a guide of great substance that is arranged in a logical, accessible and easy to use format.

Mr. Sibley’s appearance coincides with the final legacy project undertaken by the Friends of the Public Garden to inventory every single tree in the Boston Common, Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.  Together with friends, volunteers and the Parks Department, they will track the health, maintenance history and ongoing care needs of every tree.  This initiative will kick off in June with professionals training volunteers to examine the trees to see if there are any signs of infestation of the Asian long horned beetle that has caused serious damage elsewhere and requires regular monitoring to protect these parks from harm.