A brown-bag presentation on the beauty and utility of gems discovered in the firewood pile. “Even the simple act of gathering and splitting firewood is an invitation to look a little closer,” says presenter Eric Berg, Community Forestry and Sustainable Landscapes program leader for the Nebraska Forest Service.

This presentation will explore the role of wood in a tree’s growth, its importance and history and how to find and preserve gems you might find in the wood pile. “There are so many opportunities to find, create and utilize unique pieces of wood that would normally be burned. The more branches, lumps and bumps, the more the potential interest,” Berg says.

Participants are invited to bring lunch or dinner, if desired, and ideas or questions. For more information about the brown-bag series, call the Arboretum at 402-472-2971, email arboretum@unl.edu or visit arboretum.unl.edu/brown-bags.