Daily Archives: May 31, 2016

Saturday, June 18, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Eco-Tour: Recreation Lake Shore Restoration at Lake Massapoag

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Like many New England towns, Sharon, MA has its own recreational jewel, a small lake where children learn to swim and sail, enthusiasts fish, and kayakers and canoeists paddle. In heavy use since Colonial times, Lake Massapoag had developed worn and depleted areas along its shoreline, especially at the town park where dumping of beach sand and cutting of typical lakeside vegetation created their own problems.

What are some of the ways a lakeside recreation area can be ecologically restored while maintaining recreational uses? Join landscape architect, Amanda Sloan, on June 18 from 10 – 12 to learn more about how she met the challenges of this lakeside park. Enjoy the beautiful fall colors and learn about techniques for restoring shore plants, stopping erosion, controlling storm water, meeting ADA accessibility, addressing the challenge of Canada geese, and more.  Image from www.sustainablesharon.org.

For more than 22 years, Amanda Sloan, RLA, ASLA, has worked to bring beauty as well as function to the design of parks and trails throughout New England. Amanda combines her background in natural science, community design, and art on projects such as school and playground gardens, lakeside parks, recreation sites, rain gardens, and home landscapes. Amanda is currently a landscape architect with BETA Group where she specializes in rain garden design and native plants. $22 for Ecological Landscape Alliance members, $32 for nonmembers.  See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/recreational-lake-shore-restoration-lake-massapoag/#sthash.2YIRFpqs.dpuf

Sunday, June 12 – Spiders Alive!

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The Museum of Science’s newest temporary exhibition, Spiders Alive!, opens on June 12 and invites you to explore the rich diversity of spiders and examine their anatomy, evolutionary history, and signature traits through live creatures, intriguing videos, and larger-than-life models! Encounter an array of species — from the goliath bird eater to the desert hairy scorpion — and learn how scientists aim to protect global spider populations. You’ll also gain insight into spiders’ key characteristics, where they are found, how they are adapted to their environment, the roles they play in their ecosystems, and how scientists study these amazing arachnids.

Spiders Alive! is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org). The exhibit opens June 12 in the Green Wing, Level Two. Free with Museum admission.