Boston Flora

Month: March 2015

  • Thursday, March 19, Saturday, March 21, and Monday, March 23 – New England Wild Flower Society Volunteer Training Days

    The New England Wild Flower Society is looking for volunteers for the 2015 spring/summer season. Volunteering is an opportunity to enjoy nature, develop new skills, and make new friends.

    Volunteer opportunities range from guiding to gardening to office work and plant conservation. Currently, NEWFS is seeking dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to join the Garden Guide program, touring children and adults through Garden in the Woods. The Society is looking for friendly and outgoing volunteers who want to educate others on the beauty and importance of native plants.

    Garden Guides lead both scheduled and informal drop-in tours during the Garden’s open season, from April 12 to October 31. Adult Guides may lead just weekday tours or just weekend tours, or they may sign-up to do both. Children’s Guides lead tours only during the week. Guide Training is provided, and begins on March 19 for Children’s Garden Guides, on March 21 for Weekend Adult Garden Guides, and on March 23 for Weekday Adult Guides.

    Guides enjoy opportunities to learn, to grow as individuals, to share with others who have similar interests, to enjoy a beautiful setting, and to contribute to the cause of native plant conservation. Special programs are offered free to volunteers such as garden tours, lectures, workshops, and brown-bag lunches.

    If you are interested in becoming a Garden Guide, or have an interest in our other volunteer opportunities, please contact the Director of Public Programs, education@newenglandwild.org, 508-877-7630 ext. 3302.

  • Tuesdays, April 7 – April 28, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, and Saturdays, April 18 & 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Fundamentals of Landscape Design

    This Massachusetts Horticultural Society six session course in landscape design is directed to the do-it-yourself home gardeners who would like to design their own garden space. Mark Ahronian of Ahronian Landscaping and Design will lead you through all the steps of designing your chosen space. The goal is for participants to leave the class with a complete design of their own making.

    Course is $275 for Mass Hort members, $300 for non-members.  Course meets at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, on Tuesday evenings, April 5 – April 28 6:30-8:30pm, and two Saturday mornings, April 18 and April 25 10am-Noon.

    Registration is limited and pre-registration is required. Register online at http://www.masshort.org/eventdetail/94/422|427|430|433/fundamentals-of-landscape-design?filter_reset=1.

  • Friday, March 27, 12:20 pm – 1:10 pm – Red Foxes in the Arid Steppes of Mongolia: Ecology of a Declining Carnivore and Impacts of Landscape Change

    The University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences announces the Department of Environmental Conservation Spring 2015 Seminar Series, to be held Fridays from 12:20 – 1:10 in Holdsworth Hall Room 105.  On Friday, March 27 hear James Murdoch of University of Vermont discuss Red Foxes in the Arid Steppes of Mongolia: Ecology of a Declining Carnivore and Impacts of Landscape Change.  For more information contact Brett Butler at bbutler@eco.umass.edu.

  • Saturday, March 21, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Grafting Heirloom Apple Trees for the Home Garden

    Explore the art and science of grafting plants at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Saturday, March 21 from 10 – 1. Join grafting guru Adam Wheeler, from Connecticut’s Broken Arrow Nursery, for this hands-on workshop that explores the world of grafting with a focus on heirloom apples trees. Participants will be given a brief lecture that explores the methods and intricacies of this time-tested craft. Following the lecture, participants will practice this new-found skill by grafting several heirloom apple varieties to add to their home orchards.

    Adam Wheeler is the Propagation and New Plant Development Manager for Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, CT, a specialty nursery with a focus on woody plants. He teaches woody plant propagation workshops throughout New England.  BBG members $40, nonmembers $45.  Register online at http://www.berkshirebotanical.org/event/grafting-heirloom-apple-trees-for-the-home-garden/?instance_id=3278. Image from www.seedsavers.org.

  • Thursday, March 26, 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Preview at The Palm

    Please join the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy at The Palm Restaurant on Thursday, March 26, from 4 – 6:30 for a special preview of Janet Echelman’s Aerial Sculpture.  $100 per person, includes hors d’oeuvre, beer and wine.  Proceeds will benefit the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.

    Meet the Conservancy’s new public art curator, Lucas Cowan, who will present a sneak peek of world-renowned artist Janet Echelman’s aerial sculpture, designed for Boston’s Greenway and on display May 2015 – October 2015.

    RSVP by Tuesday, March 24 through our secure donation page, or call 617-603-7739.
    Visit www.rfkgc.org/events for more information. Image courtesy of Studio Echelman.

  • Monday, March 30, 6:00 pm – Boston Preservation Alliance Annual Meeting

    The Boston Preservation Alliance is proud to announce the guest speaker for its Annual Meeting, to be held Monday, March 30, beginning at 6 pm at District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue in Boston. Renowned photographer Peter Vanderwarker will share a collection of his amazing images of Boston’s unique places and spaces.

    After the presentation and a short business meeting, our members will be invited to a reception. This is the perfect occasion to network with others who are passionate about the city’s character, meet other Alliance members, the Board and staff, and discuss the upcoming year and the preservation challenges and opportunities.

    This event will be for members only, so now is the time to join or renew your membership with the Alliance and be a part of Boston’s leading advocacy nonprofit for historic preservation. Consider your membership as your ticket purchase to see amazing imagery from across Boston.

    To RSVP for this event, please email admin@bostonpreservation.org.

  • Wednesday, March 18, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Container Gardening 101

    Urban farming is taking off in some of the most densely populated places around Greater Boston in interesting, unexpected ways. From raised beds, to pots, to milk crates and everything in between, learn the ins and outs of successfully growing vegetables and fruits in small spaces and unconventional containers.

    Join Green City Gardens on Wednesday, March 18, from 6:30 – 8 at 600 Windsor Place in Somerville to learn everything you need to know about growing food in containers to get the most from whatever space you have available.

    Topics covered:

    Types of containers
    Growing indoors and outdoors
    Crop selection for success
    How to build your own
    Troubleshooting

    Course materials provided. Seating is limited to 20 people. Image below from www.nicehousedesign.com.

    Workshop Fee: $40 per person when purchased in advance. $45 day of. Register online at http://growmycitygreen.com/urban-farming-services/education/courses/workshops/

  • Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Organic Pest Management

    Too often, a gardener’s response to insect pests or diseases is eradication, when all that’s really necessary is a little patience. Native plant gardens contribute to local ecosystems in myriad ways, but we limit their value when we apply pesticides. Learn how the horticulturists at Garden in the Woods use organic practices to manage plant health care in the Garden and how you can do the same at home, in this class led by Mark Richardson on Wednesday, March 25 from 6 – 9. Fee is $40 for members of the New England Wild Flower Society, $48 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/organic-pest-management.

  • Wednesday, March 25, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – FED UP

    Traditional wisdom prescribes a relatively simple course for weight loss: eat less and exercise more. But what if the modern food industry has learned to manipulate the prescription? FED UP takes on industrial food giants and the products causing millions of Americans to become obese, diabetic, and difficult to treat.

    Join Mark Hyman, a physician featured in the film, for a screening and discussion of the defining public health issue of our time, at the Museum of Science on Wednesday, March 25 from 7 – 9 in the Cahners Theater.

    Free but advance registration begins at 9:00 am, Wednesday, March 11 (Monday, March 9 for Museum members).

    This program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Additional funding provided by the Richard S. Morse Fund. For more information visit http://www.mos.org/public-events/fed-up

  • Tuesday, March 24, 9:00 am – 10:30 am – Boston Methane Leak Tutorial

    Please join Case Associates on Tuesday, March 24th from 9-10:30 am at Muriel Finegold’s home at 72 Mount Vernon Street in Boston to learn about the methane leak problem in Boston.

    We will have two fabulous experts explain the problem and together we will discuss possible solutions. Feel free to invite others you think might be interested and please RSVP to Ana Maria Camargo at ania.camargo@gmail.com, or telephone her at 617-227-1711 so we know how many people are coming.

    Methane Leak Issue:
    Natural gas pipes buried under the streets can begin to leak as they age. The natural gas that seeps out is potentially dangerous, kills trees, wastes the ratepayers’ money, releases volatile organic compounds hazardous to human health and is a potent greenhouse gas.

    The Boston Globe recently reported that: “the amount of methane leaking from natural gas pipelines, storage facilities, and other sources in the Boston area is as much as three times greater than previously estimated — a loss that contributes to the region’s high energy costs and adds potent greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The leaks would be enough to heat as many as 200,000 homes a year and are valued at $90 million a year, the Harvard study authors said.”

    Our speakers:

    Audrey Schulman, HEET Co-founder and President

    HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) is a Cambridge-based non-profit organization with a mission to catalyze community engagement and develop hands-on educational opportunities to advance energy efficiency skills and clean energy knowledge to achieve climate stability and create resilient communities. In 2014, Heet organized the “Squeaky Leaks” project to map natural gas leaks along public streets in Cambridge and Somerville. HEET recruited Bob Ackley of Gas Safety USA, a professional with 30 years experience, to do the mapping. Ackley drove down every street in Cambridge and Somerville with a GPS- enabled high precision methane analyzer (natural gas is 95% methane), recording any elevated levels of atmospheric methane. The data was mapped to Google Earth. They found 780 leaks with released methane that damages the climate more than the combined emissions of all the cars driven in the two cities.
    Joel Wool, Clean Energy Campaign Organizer for Clean Water Action
    Joel joined Clean Water Action in 2011 to support work on clean energy. He now serves as a campaign organizer focusing on energy efficiency, natural gas infrastructure and coal phase-out. An alumnus of AmeriCorps and the JOIN for Justice Fellowship, Joel believes strongly in amplifying the voices of communities. Joel worked on Mayor Walsh’s campaign for mayor advising him on sustainability issues.