Tim Boland is the former Executive Director of the Polly Hill Arboretum, located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in West Tisbury, Massachusetts. He holds an undergraduate
degree in Horticulture and a master's in Botany, Plant Ecology, and Systematics from
Michigan State University.
Tim specializes in oaks from all over the world. He is involved in various plant conservation projects to preserve threatened oaks in North America, Europe, and Asia. He is a member of the Board of the International Oak Society (IOS) and chair of the Oak Conservation and Research Committee. He helped develop a special fund that has thus far supported 28 research projects worldwide where oak species are vulnerable to
extinction.
Throughout Tim’s career, he has bridged the gap between botany and horticulture and loves teaching aspiring students about the beauty, mystery, and utility of plants. Tim retired this year after twenty-four years leading the development of new infrastructure and programs at the Polly Hill Arboretum. Tim has his own firm, Conservation Design, and teaches a variety of topics based on his long career as a horticulturist and botanist.
