180 Years of Trees and Innovation at UCC

UCC Arboretum will host a special event to mark Science Week on Thursday 13th November. This evening event will bring together speakers from the UCC Arboretum who will explore the historic, cultural and scientific importance of the collection and its accreditation as well as a unique musical performance from Mr Murphy Lamb, a Kentucky-born concert producer, luthier and multi-instrumentalist (currently an MA Anthropology student at UCC). Murphy crafts songs, shared cultural experiences, and bespoke musical instruments that speak to our inseparable ties to the natural environment.

For 180 years, University College Cork has nurtured an arboretum that is both a living archive and laboratory. Planted at the foundation of the university in 1845, these trees chart a history of global exploration, scientific curiosity, and cultural exchange. Today, the collection links past and present: a heritage landscape where oak and sequoia stand as symbols of resilience, and where students and researchers explore innovation, climate, ecology, and sustainability. Beyond science, the arboretum shapes campus culture, inspiring art, storytelling, and community. It remains a rooted yet evolving symbol of UCC’s commitment to knowledge, culture, innovation, and the natural world.

This event takes place on 13th November 2025; 7pm - 8.30pm; The Shtepps, The Hub Building, UCC. T12 YF78

(cover image: National Library of Ireland/ The Lawrence Collection)