Boston Flora

Month: January 2014

  • Friday, February 7, 6:45 pm – The Role of Seed Banks in Plant Conservation

    The February lecture sponsored by the New England Botanical Club will take place Friday, February 7, beginning at 6:45 at Harvard University in the Haller Lecture Hall (Room 102), Geological Museum, 24 Oxford Street (door to the right of the Harvard Museum of Natural History entrance,) and will feature Dr. Tristram Seidler, Herbarium Curator at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, speaking on The Role of Seed Banks in Plant Conservation. Dr. Seidler was a post doctoral fellow at Imperial College, England, and his work has been sponsored by the Food and Health Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the William F. Milton Fund. For more information visit www.rhodora.org.

    http://www.newfs.org/images/grow/Tristram%20Seidler%20seed%20collection_Debra%20Strick.JPG/image_preview

  • Saturday, January 25, 5:00 am – 5:00 pm – Superbowl of Birding

    Winter is a wonderful time to bird in northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire. In celebration of this season, the Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport,  is hosting the Superbowl of Birding XI on Saturday, January 25, 2014 – 5am to 5pm (Snow date: Sunday, January 26).

    Superbowls I-X were great successes with teams from as far away as Delaware and Pennsylvania participating. The challenge is renewed this year, with prizes awarded in ten categories!

    This is a unique competition to find the greatest number of species and to earn the greatest number of points based on the rarity of the birds recorded. The Nikon Joppa Cup is awarded to the team that collects the most points by the end of the specified 12-hour birding day. Strategy and planning are essential in order to win this competition.

    The event consists of activities targeted for all levels of birders. Expert birders can compete for a number of awards, including the Nikon Joppa Cup, Essex County Award, or Rockingham County Award. Teams with young birders 18 years old or younger can vie for the Seekers Award. The Fledgling Award encourages young families to participate. Nikon is the lead sponsor, and complete information may be found at http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/joppa-flats/news-events/superbowl-of-birding.

    http://www.massaudubon.org/var/ezdemo_site/storage/images/site_ma/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/joppa-flats/joppa-flats-gallery/superbowl-of-birding/160958-1-eng-US/superbowl-of-birding_gallerymedium.jpg

  • Saturday, January 25, 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm – Frogs, Mussels, Crayfish and Other Critters: Biodiversity of Lakes and Ponds in Massachusetts

    Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Aquatic Ecologist, Peter Hazelton, will speak on Frogs, Mussels, Crayfish and Other Critters: Biodiversity of Lakes and Ponds in Massachusetts, at a meeting of the Massachusetts Congress of Lake and Pond Associations (COLAP) from 1:45-2:45 pm on Saturday, January 25. The COLAP meeting will take place at Worcester State University and is open to the public. MASS COLAP is a non-profit organization.  Its membership consists of private lake and pond associations, publicly appointed lake committees, students and professional organizations. For more information contact Carol Hildreth at hildrethcr4@gmail.com.

    http://macolap.org//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/zm-pstengal_Zebra-musselsCredit-P.-Stengal-e1329791359106.jpg

  • Saturday, January 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Annual Duck Walk with the Waltham Land Trust

    Come to the popular Duck Walk and see beautiful waterfowl along the Charles River.  Tag along on this very popular walk along the Charles River to see dabbling and diving birds, visiting from Canada. In the past we have seen mergansers (hooded and common), ring necks, golden eyes, grebes, and others, even a bald eagle! Bring your binoculars, cameras, and bird books. Dress warmly–we only cancel if there is very heavy snow falling.  Meet in the back corner of River Street Shaw’s parking lot by footbridge.  For more information visit http://walthamlandtrust.org/calendar-events/annual-duck-walk/event_view?None&month:int=1&year:int=2014&orig_query=None

    http://walthamlandtrust.org/resources/picture-gallery/wood-ducks/woodduck.jpg

  • Saturday, January 18, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Eagles in Winter

    On Saturday, January 18, from 10 – 1, the Northfield Mountain Center will sponsor a free program at the Quabbin Reservoir Visitor Center in Belchertown. Join them for an adventure focusing on eagles in winter. Where do they go and why? What challenges do they face prior to returning to their nests in late winter? This program will take place at Quabbin Reservoir, one of the most popular wintering areas in the state for bald eagles. Visit the Enfield Lookout to search for eagles as well as other wildlife with Jim Lafley and Northfield’s Kim Noyes. A short walk in search of animal tracks and sign will warm us up before heading indoors. Dale Monette, Program Coordinator for the Massachusetts’ Department of Conservation and Recreation at Quabbin, has been involved with the restoration program since its beginning thirty years ago. Join Dale for a presentation on Massachusetts’ successful eagle restoration program and the fascinating life history of the bald eagle.  Bring lunch, binoculars (a spotting scope if you have one) and dress warmly. Call 1-800-859-2960 to register, or for more information. Photo of Enfield Lookout from www.masslive.com.

    http://media.masslive.com/photogallery/photo/8242449-standard.jpg

  • Tuesday, February 4, 10:30 am – The Pollinator Garden

    Following the rhythm of the seasons, celebrated landscape designer Kim Smith presents a stunning slide show and lecture demonstrating how to create a welcoming haven for bees, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife with Kim Smith, author and filmmaker. The program will take place in Room 204 of Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Acton, on Tuesday, February 4 beginning at 10:30 am, and is free, sponsored by the Acton Garden Club.  Photo below by Kim Smith.

    http://kimsmithdesigns.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/6-hw-great-spangled-fritillary-c2a9kim-smith-2012-copy.jpg?w=960

  • Wednesday, January 29, 7:00 pm – Symphony of the Soil

    Join The Arnold Arboretum on Wednesday, January 29 at 7 pm to explore the complexity and mystery of the miraculous substance, soil. Drawing from ancient knowledge and cutting edge science and filmed on four continents sharing the voices of some of the world’s most esteemed soil scientists, farmers and activists, the film Symphony of the Soil, by Deborah Koons Garcia, portrays soil as a protagonist in our planetary story. By understanding the elaborate relationships between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, including humans, we come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource. Soil is alive, and its health and survival are intricately connected to that of all life. The free program will take place in the Cahners Theater, Museum of Science, Boston, and will feature a panel consisting of Thomas J. Akin, Conservation Agronomist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service;  Serita D. Frey, PhD, Professor of Soil Microbial Ecology, University of New Hampshire and Research Faculty, The Harvard Forest ; Jim Ward, Farmer and Owner, Ward’s Berry Farm, Sharon, Massachusetts.  Registration for this program begins on Wednesday, January 15 at 9:00 am at www.mos.org.  Presented with the Museum of Science. This program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute.

    http://thecompostess.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/symphsoil.jpg

  • Saturday, February 1, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Botany in Art: A Botanical Tour of the Worcester Art Museum

    Judith Sumner, Ph.D, botanist, author, and past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker, will conduct a Tower Hill Botanical Garden tour entitled Botany in Art: A Botanical Tour of the Worcester Art Museum, on Saturday, February 1, from 10 – 12. Meet at the Worcester Art Museum for a gallery tour with a different twist. Explore the collection for botanical images, from the bonsai and lingzhi fungus of the Chinese jade collection to the stylized fruit depicted in the highly regarded Antioch mosaics. Paintings also reveal subtle botanical symbolism, such as the wildflowers that appear in the Renaissance religious art. Investigate floral paintings and tulipomania, idealized landscapes of the 19th century, and John Singer Sargent’s painting of Lady Warwick ( a Socialist who later abandoned society and founded a women’s horticultural college).   Co-sponsored with New England Wild Flower Society. $24 for members of THBG or NEWFS, $29 for non members.  Register by clicking here.

    http://www.worcesterart.org/Images/Exhibitions/Photos/brush.jpg

  • Friday, February 7, 9:00 am – Garden Writers Association Region 1 Meeting

    Garden Writers Association members, Region 1, will meet during New England Grows on Friday, February 7 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on Summer Street, receiving complimentary registration for all three days of the trade show. Guest speaker: Kevin Sprague of Studio Two in Lenox, Massachusetts, will speak on Making the Web Work for You. Participation is by pre-registration only. For information about New England Grows, visit their website at www.newenglandgrows.org. For information about GWA, call 806-832-1870, or visit www.gardenwriters.org. Cost, before January 17, is $40 for GWA members, $55 for nonmembers. After January 17, the price is $50 for GWA members and $65 for nonmembers.

    http://www.gardenwriters.org/images/filler/overview.jpg

  • Wednesday, February 5 -Friday, February 7 – New England Grows

    Since its inception in 1993, New England Grows has become the most well attended green industry event in the Northeast.  New England Grows, running February 5 – 7 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, is known for its world-class educational seminars, and an exposition that showcases the most cutting-edge products and services available.

    Proceeds from New England Grows go directly back to the industry to support the work of these and other green industry organizations, including yearly research grants to the region’s cooperative extension programs. Funds from the show also support related community-based programs, such as the Boston Schoolyard Initiative. The show’s format and educational content is continually updated to meet current industry needs and bring inspirational thinking to participants.  Visit website, www.newenglandgrows.org to register, or for more information.  Cost, through January 15, $49 per person.  After January 15 the cost rises to $69 per person.

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