The Mighty Oak and Its Companions with Marilyn Singer and Jonathan Chesler

Saturday, April 11, 2026

For ages 4 – 10

Did you know that some species are so important that without them entire ecosystems would fall apart?

They’re called “keystone species.”  Some of them, such as starfish, wolves, sea otters, and beavers, are animals.  But, believe it or not, others are plants!

One keystone plant found all around the world and right here in Connecticut is the oak.

Award-winning children’s author Marilyn Singer became so fascinated with this fact that she wrote a picture book featuring poems and prose entitled Whose Tree Is This?  The Mighty Oak and Its Companions, illustrated by Julian Plum. Join Marilyn and Jonathan Chesler, owner of Four Springs Landscape and Garden, for a reading and discussion about what makes an oak an oak, why it’s a keystone species, and what creatures rely on it.

Books will be on sale afterwards.  And we’ll take a walk to visit some of White Memorial’s mighty oaks! 2:00 p.m., A. B. Ceder Room, FREE..Donations will be accepted to help defray the Conservation Center’s programming expenses.

Please register here: Mighty Oak Registration

About our presenters:

Marilyn Singer:

Winner of the 2015 National Council of Teachers of English award for Excellence in Poetry, Marilyn Singer has written more than 130 books in many genres, including novels, picture books, nonfiction, short stories, and, especially poetry.  She began writing poems in third grade and hasn’t stopped since.

She and her husband live in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT, with a standard poodle, a cat, and a dove.  They are enthusiastic bird-watchers, gardeners, and swing dancers.  Visit her web site:  www.marilynsinger.net.

Jonathan Chesler:

Trained in technical theater with an MFA from the University of Connecticut, Jonathan Chesler has transferred much of that knowledge to landscape design.  A 2013 UConn Master Gardener, he worked at several nurseries and landscaping businesses before starting his own company, Four Springs Landscape and Garden, in 2016.

He is currently the president of Mad Gardeners, an organization that promotes the science and art of gardening.  In his spare time, he’s an avid reader, a good baker, and he occasionally works in his own yard.