Daily Archives: August 25, 2017

Sunday, October 1, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – 11th Annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride

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Experience the beauty and spirit of the Buzzards Bay region in autumn at the 11th Annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride on Sunday, October 1 from 8 – 5. Choose from three celebrated 100, 75, and 35-mile cycling routes that wind through farmland, coastal villages, cityscapes, cranberry bogs, and the back roads of Cape Cod to end with a waterfront finish line party in beautiful Woods Hole. All riders are fully supported with friendly volunteers, local food and beverages all day, and SAG wagons with ace traveling bike mechanics and First Aid. $50 registration fee includes five water stops, a hearty food truck lunch at scenic Eastover Farm, a dinner buffet with beer, wine and live music, and awards and prizes for top fundraisers and best team uniforms. Each cyclist is required to raise a minimum of $300 to support the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s work to protect the local environment. Team participation welcome and encouraged! Join to “Bike for Clean Water” in October. Register today: www.savebuzzardsbay.org /ride

Saturday, September 9, 10:00 am – 12:15 pm – Getting to Know Your Neighbors: A Field Walk through Native Plant Communities in Waltham

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Have you ever opened a nursery catalogue and been overwhelmed by the vast selection of species? Or been frustrated that ‘part-sun, well-drained’ explains so little about where a plant might like to grow? One of the many advantages to working with a native plant palette is that we are surrounded by opportunities to get to know these plants in context, where they grow in “remnant” ecosystems all around us. In Waltham, these remnants are largely secondary growth woodlands and wetlands— habitat that grew back after extensive clearing for agriculture in the 19th century and that was then preserved as part of large estates or institutional properties. These landscapes offer a wealth of botanical knowledge to be gleaned by the keen observer. Meredith Gallogly will lead us on a walk through remnant ecosystems in Waltham on Saturday, September 9, beginning at 10 am, and will identify the local flora (both native and non-native) that we encounter. She will also highlight the growth habits and preferred conditions of certain species, and discuss how these plants might be used in a garden setting. We will finish with a review of available resources and great tips for botanical identification, to empower you to expand your botanical knowledge.

Meredith Gallogly is the Program Coordinator at Grow Native Massachusetts. Her plant identification skills have inspired the monikers of “staff botanist” and “native plant geek.” Much of this knowledge comes from her explorations of metro-Boston area parks and reservations. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Smith College.

Grow Native members $28, nonmembers $38. Meeting place will be sent to registrants. For more information, visit http://grownativemass.org/programs/workshops, or call 781-790-8921.