Boston Flora

Month: January 2014

  • Saturday, February 8, 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Tracking Winter Wildlife

    The Hubbardston Nature Club will hold a field trip on Saturday, February 8, from 12:30 – 4. Meet at Hubbardston Town Offices parking lot on Route 68 to carpool.

    Over 30 species of winter active mammals and birds leave telltale tracks in the snow, such as the many members of the weasel family-fisher, mink, weasels; far-ranging predators including bobcat; forest giants like moose; and an array of little ones from shrew to mouse. Tracking can establish which species are using conservation land for habitat, how and what winter active animals feed on, and which parts of protected lands are essential for wildlife survival. Tracking is adventure, nature study, mystery, and art all rolled into one. Join Tracker/Naturalist David Brown, Author of Trackards for North American Mammals; and Naturalist/Tracker Joe Choiniere as these two colleagues take a closer look at parts of Hubbardston State Forest and other conservation properties. Snowshoes helpful if snow is deep, but not necessary (call Joe at 508-633-5695 by February 5 to ask about borrowing a pair). Dress warmly in loose layers. Tracking involves both aerobic hiking and stopping for long periods of time to study wildlife sign. Contact the Club at hubbardstonnatureclub@yahoo.com for more information.

    http://www.mwpubco.com/images/titles/CompanionGuidetoTrackardsforwebsite.jpg

  • Saturday, February 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Peters Hill 360: Photographs by Meri Bond

    The images in Peters Hill 360 reveal Meri Bond’s deep relationship to the Peters Hill landscape at the Arnold Arboretum. Drawn to art after a career in business, Bond has devoted countless hours to photographing the Arboretum. In this show, containing personal favorites selected from thousands of images, individual trees become time travelers and views take on new dimensions with the passage of time. Revisiting the same trees again and again, Bond explores a fascination with light and shadow through the full circle of seasons. The Arnold Arboretum exhibit will run from February 8 – May 24, and the opening reception will be held in the Hunnewell Building on Saturday, February 15, from 1 – 3.

    http://harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_440x450/img/article/1213/JF14_73_002.jpg

  • Sunday, November 2 – Saturday, November 8 – Volunteer Gardening Trip to Ecuador

    Volunteer in a native tree nursery, work with kids in a school garden, and experience the culture and biome of highland Ecuador with the Tandana Foundation.

    When: Arrive in Quito on the night of Saturday, November 2; Leave Ecuador on the night of Saturday, November 8, and arrive back in the U.S. on Sunday, November 9, 2014.

    Where: In the Andean highlands outside of Otavalo, Ecuador. Lodging will be at La Posada del Quinde in Otavalo; a lovely inn with great food, free wi-fi service and friendly staff. Ecuador is a beautiful country on the equator in South America that is on the Eastern time zone and uses U.S. dollars. Spanish is the major language. Tandana will provide group coordinators who are fluent in Spanish. The weather should be in the 70’s during the day and quite cool at night.

    Why: To help 23 communities who have joined together and created an operating nursery to raise native trees to plant in their watersheds and protect their water supplies. We will be collecting seedlings, weeding, planting trees, etc. The nursery is run by a dedicated plant-lover, Matias Perugachi. You can see a video of him on the Tandana Foundation blog. We will also help children with their school garden and teach them a garden-related lesson. And, we will learn about another culture and biome.

    Cost: $1,200 double occupancy, $100 additional for single occupancy. Plus: airfare and personal expenses. The trip fee covers all the basic expenses (food, lodging, transportation, activities) from when you land at the Quito airport until we drop you off there.

    How to sign up: Please register by filling out our online registration form: http://www.tandanafoundation.org/registration_form.html.  Send a check made out to the Tandana Foundation for $1200 (double occupancy) or $1300 (single occupancy).  The mailing address is 2933 Lower Bellbrook Road, Spring Valley, OH 45370.

    Tentative itinerary:

    Saturday: arrive in the evening.
    Sunday: orientation and visit the world-famous Otavalo market.
    Monday: help in a minga, [community work party] planting trees in one of the communities. In the afternoon, participate in a traditional cooking class and learn about the plants cultivated by local families.

    Tuesday: collect seedlings for the tree nursery. In the afternoon, tour a rose plantation.

    Wednesday: work all day at the tree nursery, potting the seedlings we collected, weeding, and trimming roots.

    Thursday: work at the tree nursery most of the day, and then visit Cuicocha volcanic lake (photo below.)

    Friday: teach a lesson about plants to school children and help them work in their school garden. In the afternoon, visit a master weaver.

    Saturday: visit the high-altitude páramo to see another biome, have a celebratory dinner at a hacienda, then head back to Quito and fly out at night.

    http://latintrails.com/uploads/f0/d6/f0d6a927aecaa5f333389e4abc9dd440/lake-cuicocha.png

  • Sunday, February 16, 6:30 pm – Cultures of China, Festival of Spring

    “Cultures of China, Festival of Spring” made its Boston debut in 2009,winning critical acclaim throughout the community. In 2014, “Cultures of China, Festival of Spring” returns to the city in celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Horse with audiences in Boston and the New England area. This feast of traditional arts includes Chinese folk songs presented by famous singers Yang Hongji, Dong Wenhua, Cai Guoqing, Liu yanyan; Peking Opera performed by artists Yu Kuizhi, Li Shengsu; Chinese folk dances presented by the Nanjing Battlefront Culture Troupe and traditional Chinese instrument Huqin solo by Huqin performer Yang Jiqiang, etc. The event begins at 6:30 pm at John Hancock Hall, 180 Berkeley Street, Boston, and discount parking is available at the garage at 100 Clarendon. Tickets are available from $30 – $108, and you may buy them online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2014-cultures-of-china-festival-of-spring-2014-tickets-9863812930?ref=ebtn, or at the Asian Cultural Center, 1035 Cambridge Street, Suite 27, Cambridge, MA, the Boston Bookshop at 214 Lincoln Street, Boston, or at Sunshine Travel in Chinatown, 12 Tyler Street, Boston. Visit www.asiancc.net for more information.

    http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/201202/06/F201202061031522063017211.jpg

  • Wednesday, February 5, 7:00 pm – Wildness in Our Midst: The Middlesex Fells

    The Middlesex Fells Reservation has an impressive diversity of 30 different habitat types that spring from its unique geology, topography, hydrology, soil, and climate. These habitats support a rich biodiversity that is unusual for a metropolitan setting. Learn about the flora and how these local plant communities can enlighten the design of our own gardens.

    Dr. Bryan Hamlin is the lead author of a nine-year study of the Fells’ flora, and is President of the New England Botanical Club. Hear him speak on Wednesday, February 5 at 7 pm at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge. The lecture is free and open to the public.  Photo from www.amcboston.org.

    http://amcboston.org/walks/pics2/MiddlesexFells-Stoneham-SpotPond-4-7-02-JB.jpg

  • Saturday, February 8, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Dwarf Conifer and Juniper Collections via Snowshoes

    Join Jen Kettell on Saturday, February 8 at 12:30 pm for a tromp through the dwarf conifer and juniper collections of the Arnold Arboretum on snowshoe. She will help you identify common conifers, share the stories behind the plants, impart the history of the two collections, and describe the microclimate in this part of the Arnold Arboretum.

    Bring your own snowshoes, a travel mug for hot cocoa after the hike, and dress warmly! This tour is not suitable for cross-country skis. Sunglasses are recommended. Space is limited. Photo from www.ruralintelligence.com. $25 for Arnold Arboretum members, $35 for nonmembers. Sign up by calling 617-384-5277, or visit https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1172&. DayPlannerDate=2/8/2014.

    http://www.ruralintelligence.com/images/kids/Mud_Creek_snowshoeing_440.jpg

  • Wednesday, March 12 – Sunday, March 16 – Boston Flower & Garden Show – Romance in the Garden

    Distinguished garden writers, renowned landscape professionals, master gardeners, local chefs and the Boston Flower & Garden Show’s talented exhibitors will share their expertise at the 2014 Boston Flower & Garden Show in a full program of daily lectures, how-to demos, floral arranging workshops, children’s activities and cooking demonstrations.  The show will take place Wednesday through Sunday, March 12 – 16, at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

    From America’s fascination with the English Garden to “how to” tips on saving money (and the Earth) by using local flowers in your wedding bouquet, many of the show’s programs will take their inspiration from this year’s theme, Romance in the Garden. And some of the sessions will cover topics we know our visitors just can’t get enough of: vegetable gardening, peonies, bonsai, roses, Ikebana, and ornamental grasses.

    Special thanks to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Landscape Institute at Boston Architectural College, which have taken on the presentation of five lectures each. The Boston Flower & Garden Show is proud of its affiliation with these fine horticultural organizations and we look forward to presenting a showcase of their expertise. For a full schedule of activities, hours, and exhibitors, visit www.bostonflowershow.com. Image from www.diginwithkym.tumbler.com.

    http://25.media.tumblr.com/76639f542596fb9fddef09ded4eb4013/tumblr_mhxpadM4p71qhnodzo1_500.jpg

  • Saturday, February 8, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – From Cacao to Chocolate with Taza

    On Saturday, February 8, from 1 – 3 at Appleton Farms in Ipswich, join Taza Chocolate and Appleton Farms as they lead you through the journey from cacao bean to delicious chocolate bar. Suhayl Ramirez, Events and Outreach Coordinator for Taza Chocolate, will start your journey at the Mayan and Aztec origins of Theobroma Cacao and bring you right to the American craft chocolate being ground by stone right in Somerville, Massachusetts. All the while, participants will learn about and taste many different facets of chocolate, from the bean to the bar. Participants will help prepare and enjoy their very own traditional taza de chocolate (sumptuous Mexican hot chocolate) to complete their chocolate experience. Chef Jennifer Knight will demo a chocolate treat to pair with the Mexican hot chocolate.

    This event is part of the Appleton Cooks! program of the Trustees of Reservations.  TOR members $40, nonmembers $45.  To register, visit http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/northeast-ma/ac-cacao-chocolate-taza.html or call 978-356-5728, x 12.

    http://www.bakepedia.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Taza-disc.jpg

  • Saturday, February 1, 2:00 pm – Discovering Thoreau the Geologist

    Henry David Thoreau’s contributions to botany are well documented. Far less known was his passion for the physical sciences, especially geology. Robert Thorson’s new book, Walden’s Shore, is the first-ever book to focus on Thoreau the geoscientist, from his studies of local rocks and minerals to his interpretation of how Walden Pond and the Concord landscape were created.  Dr. Thorson, Professor of Geology at University of Connecticut will speak on Discovering Thoreau the Geologist at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Oxford Street, Cambridge, on Saturday, February 1, at 2 pm, and will sign copies of his book.

    Regular museum admission rates apply. Free event parking in the 52 Oxford Street Garage.  For more information visit www.hmnh.harvard.edu.

    http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51I-MBCkkHL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

  • Saturday, February 1, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Earth Rocks! A Family Festival

    Explore our amazing planet from the inside out at the Harvard Museum of Natural History on Saturday, February 1, from 9 – 4! Discover how volcanoes and other earth processes help us understand Earth’s structure. Examine rocks, minerals, fossils, and meteorites from the museum’s collections. Meet Harvard paleontologist Anjan Bhullar, interact with members of the Boston Mineral Club, and learn about Harvard research. Look back in time and peer deep inside the earth with demonstrations, presentations, and hands-on activities for all ages. Regular museum admission rates apply. Free event parking is available in the 52 Oxford Street Garage the day of the event. For more information visit www.hmnh.harvard.edu.

    http://news.harvard.edu/gazette//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/040813_EPS_033_605.jpg