Historic New England is honored to announce, as inaugural recipients of The Historic New England Medal, Elizabeth B. Johnson and Elizabeth H. Owens, for their leadership in preservation and longtime support of Historic New England. Celebrate them at the presentation of the medal at the Historic New England Benefit Gala on March 12 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston. Established as Historic New England’s most prestigious annual award, The Historic New England Medal is bestowed upon individuals whose philanthropic and civic leadership and generosity have made a significant impact on saving and sharing our history and advancing the importance of historic preservation. To purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or place a personal message in the Tribute Book, visit www.historicnewengland.org
After yesterday’s amusing mismatch, we show a beautiful pair now gracing a Marlborough Street door. The bows match and are in the same place on each wreath. The decorations are perfectly balanced. Lots of extra greens enhance the basic balsam. Our members really do excel at this, even under the most trying circumstances. Without access to our easels, which make working much easier, these wreaths are a triumph.
The Winter Solstice is the day on which the midday sun is at its lowest point in the sky and it arrives this year on Tuesday, December 21. The solstices mark key turning points in the year and have been celebrated by many cultures throughout history. The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year. Join Boot Boutwell at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester in celebrating The Winter Solstice at Wright-Locke Farm on December 21 at 2:30 – 4. We’ll begin indoors with some solstice poetry, science and lore and then go for a walk around the farm and into the woods beyond to celebrate the solstice season, learn a little about plants in their winter form and to enjoy the beauty of nature as winter approaches. The program will end around an outdoor fire with a cup of hot cocoa or cider. $30 per person. Children 10 years and up are welcome if accompanied by a registered adult. Register at https://www.wlfarm.org/adult-education-programs/
This Harvard Alumni Travel trip on June 26 – July 2 is the perfect opportunity to explore Scotland’s Northern Isles on foot and discover their wealth of geological, archaeological, and natural sites in a glorious setting. Their rocks tell the whole story, spanning almost three billion years. Orkney is a place of open skies, rounded hills, beautiful beaches, and well-kept farms. Beneath many of today’s modern farms are the remains of Viking farms and, beneath that, layers of occupation stretching even further back in time. Shetland is an archipelago of islands 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland. It enjoys almost 24 hours of daylight during the summer, which brings a quality of light that is quite unlike anywhere else in Scotland. Both archipelagos also have an amazing wealth of archaeological sites and nature lovers are drawn because of the abundance of wild flowers, birds, and marine wildlife. The study leader will be Daniel Lord Small, the Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of History. Proposed lecture themes include Orkney and Shetland in Deep History, New Light on the Neolithic, and The Viking Age. As the global situation regarding COVID-19 continues to develop, so do University precautions and protocols. Harvard is currently allowing fully vaccinated faculty and staff to travel within the United States and to international destinations rated Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 for COVID-19 by the U.S. (CDC).
While many scheduled trip destinations currently may be Level 4, the CDC ratings remain influx, changing daily. Since group travel is planned far in advance, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to confirm your study leader’s participation before cancellation fees begin for your program, but we remain hopeful the destinations offered will fall within the bounds of University protocols to send faculty. This trip is Activity Level 4. Participants should be reasonably fit and hikes will be up to six miles per day, sometimes uphill with up to 800 feet of ascent, and over uneven ground. Terrain will be varied: open and rough moorland, hill, and coastal cliff tops. There are no high mountains but the tops of hills will have sub-Arctic climate—and even the low level walks will be exposed to weather from the Atlantic and the North Sea. Some hikes are in remote places with no public conveniences available. Lunches will be packed on most days and will be eaten outside during hikes. Complete information is available at www.alumni.harvard.edu
Below is an example of Why We Decorate. A local building, identity clothed in secrecy for the protection of the residents, is having a moment this year which we felt we had to share. We do invite your comments, however, with suggested captions. Just email info@bostonflora.com. Our suspicion is that two unit owners each offered to decorate. Or a building superintendent went into storage and pulled out whatever was on hand. In the most generous interpretation, twin eight year olds each got to choose a wreath for the door. As for the tropical leaves in the planters, we doubt they will last through the first freeze. I’m sure the Back Bay will be most grateful when we are able to return to selling and decorating wreaths. Tomorrow we will showcase an elegant pair done this year by one of our members for her own building.
The Board of Directors of The Esplanade Association are thrilled to announce that for the second year in a row, the Prudential Center will light up in honor of the Esplanade Association as part of the Prudential Center, Boston’s Annual 31 Nights of Lightprogram. On Thursday, December 16 at 5pm, the Esplanade Association will flip the switch to light the top of the Prudential Center green in honor of the Esplanade’s essential 64 acres of green space and picturesque tree canopy made possible by the work of all during the 20th Anniversary year. They encourage you to visit the Esplanade to view the Prudential Center beam green on the evening of December 16 and enjoy a scenic winter stroll along our beautiful riverfront park. Share your photos across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using #31NightsEsplanade or #31NOL.
Pull up a chair and enjoy an incredible photographic essay on Nan Quick’s four year process designing and executing a raised terrace garden at her home in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Former Garden Club of the Back Bay President Margaret Pokorny, who lives in Jaffrey and has seen the garden in person, says that Nan also designs and fabricates much of the garden furniture you see in the pictures. The link to the essay is www.nanquick.com
Without the ability to gather in Boston for Wreath Week, many members stayed put in their homes or vacation homes outside Back Bay, where there are more materials to forage. The wreath below was made in the Berkshires, with locally gathered greens, cones and branches, and a few items, no doubt, from the nursery. The bow, with its black and white checked lining, was one of our favorites from past seasons.
Join Ecological Landscape Alliance on February 23 & 24, 2022 for the 28th Conference & Eco-Marketplace – all online. We’ll energize your practice and prepare you for spring with two full days of research and field-tested expertise, as well as innovative case studies on a wide range of topics.
In our online conference space, you can pick and choose from presentations in multiple tracks. Move easily from presentation to presentation with a couple of clicks, and if you miss a presentation, you’ll have access to recordings after the conference.
The conference platform also lets you connect with exhibitors in their own conference spaces and network with colleagues and friends in rooms designated for that purpose. A short initial orientation and continuously available technical assistance help support a positive conference experience.
The Trustees are celebrating the Winter Solstice on December 17, 18, and 19 at a number of different venues. Appleton Farms in Hamilton and Ipswich is the site of a Winter Solstice Family Fun, and Fruitlands Solstice Stroll in Harvard features a candlelit walk followed by hot chocolate and s’mores around the outdoor firepit. The deCordova Museum presents a solstice clay candle lanterns workshop. Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich is where you’ll get to participate in a Winter Solstice Hike. Powisset Farm in Dover will hold a Winter Solstice Supper, and for those near Governor Hutchinson’s Field in Milton, enjoy a fire dance performance at Solstice Illumination Night. Chestnut Hill Farm in Southborough holds a Solstice Celebration. This is just a sampling, Fees and times vary, so to check them all out visit www.thetrustees.org for details.
