Boston Flora

Tuesday, July 29, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Eastern – Ecosystem Response to Wildfire, Online

In New England, the survival of many ecosystems is predicated upon the occurrence of disturbances, such as wildland fire, that alter the environment. Without these events, habitats that are home to many endangered species can undergo changes that intrinsically threaten the survival of imperiled organisms. However, not every ecosystem will respond to fire in the same way—and not every fire will create the same impacts. This Native Plant Trust online course on July 29 will survey the ecological response of select fire prone habitats to being burned and assess the impacts of fires occurring at varying severity, frequency, and size on them.

*A recording of this class will be available to all registrants for one month after the class. $45, taught by Samuel Gilvarg. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/ecosystem-response-to-wildfire-ss2025/

Sunday, July 19, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Sturbridge-Brimfield Second Annual Open Garden Tour

Presented to you by the Sturbridge Gardeners Community in cooperation with Central Mass South Chamber of Commerce, the 2nd Annual Open Garden Tour in Sturbridge and Brimfield will take place July 19 from 10-4.

Take a stroll through the most inspiring gardens in the towns of Sturbridge-Brimfield —meet local growers, discover hidden gems, and celebrate the beauty of our community in bloom! This annual event celebrates the beauty, creativity, and community spirit of local gardeners across Sturbridge, Brimfield, and neighboring towns. Your ticket purchase directly supports the success of the event funding essential supplies and logistics. $20 – $25. Register at https://www.simpletix.com/e/2nd-annual-open-garden-tours-2025-sturbrid-tickets-219390 *

Following the tour, attend a reception at The Brimfield Winery. Join fellow garden enthusiasts for a relaxing evening of wine tasting and camaraderie at the Brimfield winery. It’s the perfect way to conclude your garden tour day! Wine tasting is $10 at the door.

*Program and maps will be available online with ticket purchase.

Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the beauty and tranquility of some of the local gardens in Sturbridge- Brimfield. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own garden, seeking expert advice, or simply wanting to enjoy a day surrounded by nature, the 2nd Annual Open Garden Tours 2025 is an event not to be missed!

Thank you for being part of this special event. Enjoy the tour, and may you find as much joy in exploring these gardens as we did in creating them.

Friday, October 17, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and MFA in a Day

Join Dr. Rocky Ruggiero for this extraordinary in-person event on October 17 where he will lead you through the extraordinary collection of Italian Renaissance art at the ISGM from 10:00 am – noon – WHILE IT IS CLOSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC! We shall have the entire museum to ourselves for most of our visit, and, in addition to works by Giotto, Raphael, Botticelli, Simone Martini and Titian, we shall enjoy works of art usually not accessible to groups by Piero della Francesca, Paolo Veronese and Fra Angelico. Experience the ISGM and one of the most important collections of Italian Renaissance art in the US like you never have before.

Lunch: Register for the bundle and join Dr. Rocky for a user-pay lunch at the New American Café at the MFA.

Dr. Rocky will then continue this in-person lecture tour from 2:30 – 4 with the great Italian Renaissance art treasures in the Museum of Fine Arts collection in Boston, MA, where he will examine works dating from the 14th through the 17th centuries by masters such as Duccio, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Titian, Rosso Fiorentino, Tintoretto, Canaletto and Tiepolo.

Rocky Ruggiero has been a professor of Art and Architectural History since 1999. He received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Arts degree from Syracuse University, where he was awarded a prestigious Florence Fellowship in 1996. He furthered his art historical studies at the University of Exeter, UK, where he received a Ph.D. in Art History and Visual Culture. In addition to lecturing for various American universities in Florence, Italy, including Syracuse, Kent State, Vanderbilt, and Boston College, Rocky has starred in various TV documentaries concerning the Italian Renaissance. He recently appeared as an expert witness for NBC News, as well as in the History Channel’s “Engineering an Empire: Da Vinci’s World” and “Museum Secrets: the Uffizi Gallery”, and the recent NatGeo/NOVA PBS program on Brunelleschi’s dome entitled “Great Cathedral Mystery.”

The bundle cost is $595, including admission. Register at www.rockyruggiero.com The group size is limited to 15 so early registration is highly recommended. Ask to be put on a wait list if necessary.

Thursday, July 17, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – The African Ancestors Garden, Online

Designed to honor the lives and legacies of the African diaspora, the African Ancestors Garden at the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, integrates cultural symbolism, native plants, and evocative spatial forms. This Garden Conservancy talk on July 17 by Walter Hood examines the creative process behind this living memorial, highlighting how history and memory are embedded within the design to foster reflection, healing, and connection. Through its layered narratives and immersive experience, the garden creates a contemplative space that bridges past and present while inspiring dialogue about identity, heritage, and community.

WALTER J. HOOD, a multidisciplinary designer from Charlotte, NC, is globally recognized for his contributions in art, landscape architecture, urbanism, and research. Founding Hood Design Studio in Oakland, CA, in 1992, he now leads as its creative director. His passion for landscape and urbanism emerges from its broad, democratic scope, allowing experiences beyond architectural constraints. Infusing African American cultural arts into his philosophy, he has established a unique voice, reshaping spaces to reflect contemporary needs without erasing their history. A professor at UC Berkeley and former Harvard educator, Walter penned Black Landscapes Matter and has received accolades such as the 2019 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2021 Architectural League’s President’s Medal award, and the 2024 Vincent Scully Prize.

Note: You will receive the webinar link directly from Zoom. Participants in this webinar have the option to purchase a copy of the book, The African Ancestors Garden: History and Memory at the International African American Museum, receive complimentary admission to the webinar. Price ($50 Conservancy members, $60 nonmembers) includes book, free shipping, and webinar admission. Register at https://www.gardenconservancy.org/events/the-african-ancestors-garden-with-walter-hood-book-webinar Or you may choose to register for the webinar alone. If you’d like to purchase webinar admission only, please click here.

Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays Now Through September 26, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon – Guided Garden Tours at Strawbery Banke Museum

Visitors to Portsmouth, New Hampshire have the opportunity to learn about historic gardens at Strawbery Bank. Expert guides will take you on a journey through time in the historic gardens and landscapes and teach about the careful stewardship and maintenance that goes into preserving the living collection. Gain insights into traditional gardening techniques and how they have evolved, blending seamlessly with modern practices to ensure the gardens’ continued vitality and their ability to share the stories of the people who lived within them. The tours will take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays now through September 26 from 11 – noon, except for June 19, July 4, and September 1 & 4.

You must have a general museum admission ticket to take the guided garden tour. https://www.strawberybanke.org/guided-garden-tours

Thursday, July 23 – Cambridge Moth Ball

The 2025 Cambridge Moth Ball on July 23 will include costumes, art, activities, science, and, of course, moths and moth ID. Expect short presentations by local conservation organizations as well as moth traps and photography—all under the stars. Try your hand at taking some moth photos. Learn to ID a moth and submit your data to researchers.

Bring a chair, some bug spray, and a snack, and enjoy a summer night out under the stars. In Massachusetts, there are about 3,000 species of moths, compared to about 100 species of butterflies. But moths, like butterflies, are experiencing rapid population declines. Moths play a critical role in the health of the environment, as food for birds and mammals, and as pollinators of thousands of woodland tree and plant species.

If moth populations and diversity continue to decline, their loss would devastate bird and mammal populations as well as forest lifecycles. The consequences would include a rapid increase in global warming.

The more we know about moths, the more we can learn to protect them—and what each of us can do to protect them. As part of this event, we’ll be sharing data with several scientific databases for researchers. Registration is open at https://www.bostonbirdingfestival.org/posts/moth-ball-2025/

See you out there! WANT TO VOLUNTEER? Email us at hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org

Saturday, August 1 – Submission Deadline, Franklin Park Poster Design Competition

The City of Boston, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and the Franklin Park Coalition invite the public to participate in a Poster Design Competition celebrating the physical and cultural icons of Franklin Park, Boston’s largest open space.

Nestled in the heart of the City, Franklin Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1885, is a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike.

Historically, iconic destinations and landmarks in public parks have often been celebrated through collector-worthy poster series. Artists have captured the magic and beauty of beloved public spaces across the United States, from the stunning posters created through the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project in the 1930s to feature our national parks to the more recent series created in the mid 1990s for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is time for Franklin Park, a celebrated gem of Boston’s Emerald Necklace, to receive the same attention.

Submissions are due on August 1, 2025. Visit https://www.bslanow.org/postercompetition for complete rules.

Saturday, July 25 – Monday, August 3 – Ninth Annual Monarch Blitz

Mark your calendars for the Ninth Annual Monarch Blitz on July 25 – August 3 to support Monarch butterfly conservation. The Monarch Blitz invites people across North and Central America to go outdoors and share their sightings of Monarch butterflies, eggs, caterpillars. chrysalids, and milkweed plants. These observations help researchers identify and prioritize actions to better conserve our emblematic Monarch butterfly. Visit MonarchBlitz.org for more information.

Tuesday, July 29, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Regenerative Farm Tour, Talk, and Tasting

You’re invited to Island Grown Farm, 80 Stoney Hill Road in Vineyard Haven, Massachuestts, on July 29 from 3 – 5 for an inside look at our regenerative farming practices with Andrew Woodruff, Regenerative Agriculture Consultant, and Tim Connelly, Farm Director. After the tour, hear from our Co-Executive Directors, Noli Taylor and Caroline Pam, as they share more about IGI’s mission to build a regenerative and equitable food system. Then stay to enjoy a tasting featuring farm-grown food and great conversation.

Please be sure to wear comfortable shoes to walk in as it’s a working farm and can be dusty or wet. $25. Buy tickets at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/islandgrowninitiative/event/tour/

Now through Wednesday, October 1 – Great Thinkers Throughout the World & Ages

Three life-size bronze portrait busts — of Leonardo da Vinci, Confucius, and Hypatia of Alexandria — are now on view in the garden of the King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper Street in Marblehead, home to the Marblehead Arts Association. Created by the artist to honor the human capacity for thought, the series invites reflection on our innate ability to reason, imagine, and shape the world — just as these great thinkers once did. Their lives exemplify the profound personal and collective transformations made possible through deep inquiry. This exhibit, on view though October 1, is generously supported by Landry & Acari. For more information, visit https://www.studiojonathansherman.com/visit-the-sculpture-exhibit