Boston Flora

Month: July 2010

  • Wednesday, August 4, 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm – Bugged

    Martin Luttrell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette has posted the following announcement, which may be found in full at www.telegram.com:

    Shortly after earning her economics degree at George Washington University, Fitchburg native Emily V. Driscoll set her sights on science journalism, getting a master’s degree and setting to work as a documentary film maker.  And after producing a number of short-form documentaries as a member of a production company, she returned to Central Massachusetts to document the efforts to eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle.

    Bugged: The Race to Eradicate the Asian Longhorned Beetle, is the first science documentary Ms. Driscoll has directed. It will be shown in Worcester and Fitchburg next month.  Ms. Driscoll, 29, said she began interviewing sources for the project in September and finished editing the 24-minute piece in June.

    “I want to spread awareness of the Asian longhorned beetle in America, and the extraordinary efforts at eradication,” she said in a telephone interview from her home in New York City. “I want people to understand the gravity of the situation, and the efforts that go into containing it.”

    The Asian longhorned beetle destroys trees by boring holes through them, and some officials are concerned that they are endangering trees and forests throughout New England. The infestation area in and around Worcester now covers 74 square miles, where more than 25,600 trees have been cut down.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has put up $41.5 million to expand the eradication project this year, and officials with that government department have said they are optimistic that eradication should succeed over the next 10 years.

    Ms. Driscoll, who moved from Fitchburg to New York City while in elementary school, received her economics degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., in 2002, and her master’s degree in science journalism from New York University in 2007. She is now working toward a master’s in science documentary production at the Gallatin School, a school of individual study within NYU.   The film will be shown at the Worcester Public Library at 2 and 6 p.m. Aug. 4. Ms. Driscoll will not be present for those screenings, but will be on Aug. 6 in Fitchburg. That screening will take place at Riverfront Park, at a time to be announced.

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  • Thursday, July 29, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Ingredients

    INGREDIENTS is a feature-length documentary illustrating how passionate individuals around the country are working to revitalize the local food movement. Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, the film takes us across the U.S. from the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys to the urban food deserts of Harlem and to the kitchens of celebrated chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman and Greg Higgins. INGREDIENTS is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities. The film will be shown on Thursday, July 29, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard Street in Brookline.For more information, please visit: http://coolidge.org/greenscreens .  The ticket price is $9.75.

  • Sunday, August 15, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm – Survey of New England Ferns in Maine

    Don Lubin and Ray Abair of the New England Wild Flower Society have offered this workshop annually since 1999, but never before in Maine. They begin with a review of our fern flora, the 68 species that are native to New England. After an introductory discussion, they display photographs, drawings, and frond silhouettes. Field ID techniques are reviewed.  An outdoor field session follows with a  visit to many ferns on the Delta Institute property, located in Bowdoin, Maine, then Lycopodiella club-moss (below)  and other taxa at a nearby quarry. Geared to students with some experience and comfort in fern taxonomy. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens.  The class will be held Sunday, August 15, from 10 – 4:30, and will cost $72 for NEWFS members, and $85 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3603/3640299055_a07a0133df.jpg

  • Saturday, August 7, 12:15 pm – 2:00 pm – A Bug’s Life

    Join scientist Jessica Rykken in collecting and examining bugs native to the Boston Harbor Islands on Saturday, August 7, beginning at 12:15 am. This trip to Spectacle Island will leave from 1 Long Wharf, and is free.  Recommended for adults and for children ages 10 and up (and the non-squeamish). For more information, log on to www.bostonharborislands.org, or call 617-223-8108.  You may also email Rebecca Smerling at rsmerling@islandalliance.org.

    http://www.britannica.com/blogs//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/grasshopper.jpg

  • Sunday, August 8, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Charles Eliot and the Nickels-Sortwell Garden

    Landscape historian Marta McDowell talks about Charles W. Eliot II, one of the country’s pre-eminent landscape architects, who designed the Colonial Revival garden at Nickels-Sortwell House, on Sunday, August 8, from 3 – 4:30 at the Nickels-Sortwell House in Wiscasset, Maine.  For more information, call 207-882-7169, or log on to www.historicnewengland.org.  $5 Historic New England members, $10 non members – registration required. Co-sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council.

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xx0N7O1X5XQ/SyK23SW_9aI/AAAAAAAAAFw/3Fcd0NyQ3iU/s400/Nickels-Sortwell_House,_Wiscasset,_ME.jpg

  • Friday, August 13, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Totally Tomatoes!

    Rich, juicy summer tomatoes are perfect in entrees, sandwiches, and side dishes alike. Take advantage of the bounty of summer with terrific seasonal recipes using beefsteak, Roma, and cherry tomatoes. Prepare homemade marinara sauce, Provencal tomato tart,  oven-roasted tomatoes, fresh Italian salsa cruda,  Mexican salsa, and tomato-basil vinaigrette, while enjoying wines that go with the meals. Also, make several sandwiches, including marinated tomatoes and feta cheese on a French baguette. The $38 tuition ($20 for BCAE members) is in addition to a $16 materials fee for food. The class will take place at the Boston Center for Adult Education, 122 Arlington Street, and is scheduled for Friday, August 13,  from 6 – 9 pm.  To register on line, log on to www.bcae.org.

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s0c-2Iti0DY/SPVLPJpdBxI/AAAAAAAAA_g/NkWM-C5A_eE/s400/Oven+Roasted+Tomato+Sauce+2.jpg

  • Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, August 10, 11 and 12, 7:00 pm – Plenty

    If vegetarian cooking conjures up images of tofu and paltry meat substitutions, Plenty will change those thoughts. Written by Yotam Ottolenghi, one of the UK’s most celebrated chefs, Plenty is based upon Ottolenghi’s weekly Guardian newspaper column “The New Vegetarian” and offers inspired, modern, flavorful and satisfying recipes.  While not a vegetarian (something that shocked many readers), Ottolenghi is the chef of an enormously popular restaurant in north London and is revered for his Mediterranean flavors and skillful, inventive way with ingredients.  Stir, at 102 Waltham Street in Boston, will hold three separate cookbook class sessions on August 10 – 12, beginning at 7 pm, and each participant will receive a copy of the book.  $155.  To reserve, call 617-423-STIR, or log on to www.stirboston.com.

  • Saturday, August 7, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Exciting Introductions or Stealth Invaders?

    There is a lot of concern today about invasive plants, but many were intentionally introduced because of their horticultural value. How do we define invasive and how did these plants get into our landscape? See examples in the Arnold Arboretum landscape and gain a better understanding of this issue. Led by Docent Marty Amdur on Saturday, August 7, from 1 – 2:30 pm, this program is free. No registration required.  For more information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Sunday, August 8, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – An Intimate Garden Tour: The Garden of Louis Raymond

    Blithewold invites you beyond the garden gate to tour this charming local property on Sunday, August 8, from 2 – 4 pm. As part of a small and informal group, discover the Garden of Louis Raymond’s story and distinct collection of plants. See the landscape through the eyes of the owner and come away with new ideas and a fresh perspective. Each Intimate Garden Tour is unique, but all afford the opportunity to explore and ask questions.

    Garden designer Louis Raymond has been at work on his own gardens, in Hopkinton, RI for thirteen years. The property is only an acre and a half, but appears much larger because it is almost five hundred feet deep and comparatively narrow. The 18th Century house is right out at the road, typical for its era, which handily leaves the majority of the property free for the gardens. They are Louis’s wild experiment, where he is free of the need for the realistic levels of practicality, economy, and functionality that typify his projects for his clients.

    At home, untold hundreds of plants — tender and hardy, easy and challenging — fill the vast mixed borders and crowd around the dining terrace. Complex espaliers and hedges-to-be divide up the property, while bluestone and grass create a network of long pathways that bring it all somewhat closer to hand. It’s the project of a lifetime!

    Check out how his garden has been doing at www.renaissancegardening.com/gar_louis.html
    and at his blog, www.DirtOnTheKeys.blogspot.com.

    *In the case of heavy rain, participants will be notified of cancellations by phone. If you do not hear from us a few hours before the program start, the program will run as scheduled.

    Directions to the site will be mailed a few weeks prior to the tour. Light refreshments will be available. Registration is limited and required in advance.$30 Blithewold members, $35 non-members. For more information call 401-253-2707, or email jmurphyedu@blithewold.org.

    http://www.rgardening.com/art/ph_landscape1.jpg

  • Saturday, August 7, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Massachusetts Marketplace Festival

    Join the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for the Annual Massachusetts Marketplace Festival on Saturday, August 7, from 10 to 4, at Elm Bank Horticulture Center.  The event will feature the finest products from the region’s fields, farms, gardens and kitchens, with over 60 vendors offering new and locally produced food products, crafts, garden ornaments and gifts.  There will also be a plant sale and garden tours.  Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for MassHort members, and $2 for children under 12.  Tickets are available on site the day of the event.  Massachusetts Marketplace Festival is produced by MassHort with in-kind support from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Massachusetts Specialty Food Association.  For more information, log on to www.masshort.org, or call  617-933-4981.

    http://www.fisherbrookfarm.com/files/fbf-jam-photo.jpg