Daily Archives: January 19, 2022

Wednesday, January 26, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Lost on the Freedom Trail: The National Park Service and Urban Renewal in Postwar Boston, Online

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Boston National Historical Park is one of America’s most popular heritage destinations, drawing in millions of visitors annually. Tourists flock there to see the site of the Boston Massacre, to relive Paul Revere’s midnight ride, and to board Old Ironsides—all of these bound together by the iconic Freedom Trail, which traces the city’s revolutionary saga. Seth C. Bruggeman of Temple University discusses the Freedom Trail’s role for tourism, how it was devised to lure affluent white Americans into downtown revival schemes, its success hinging on a narrow vision of the city’s history run through with old stories about heroic white men. When Congress pressured the National Park Service to create this historical park for the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, these ideas seeped into its organizational logic, precluding the possibility that history might prevail over gentrification and profit. Professor Bruggeman will present his book on January 26 online through the Massachusetts Historical Society, and then be joined by experts with knowledge of the Freedom Trail today and in the past. Free. Register to attend online

Wednesday, February 9, 7:00 pm – Freshwater Mussels, Online

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Ayla Skorupa will speak on the topic of Freshwater Mussels on Zoom on February 9 at 7 pm. The talk is sponsored by the Athol Bird & Nature Club. Why is brook floater rare? Synthesizing potential threats to a freshwater mussel’s persistance. Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vVEzmvJIS2qR1KUOBeVQ2A  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Ayla’s undergraduate education was in Marine Biology at Roger Williams University. After graduating with a B.Sc. she focused on research with plankton which led to an appointment as a Masters assistant at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks with Dr. Russell Hopcroft. She started studying under Dr. Allison Roy at the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass, Amherst in Spring 2017.

Her research interests focus on fresh water mussel, Unionidae, conservation. This includes the artificial propagation of rare or endangered species and determining what makes their ideal habitat.

Friday, January 21, 9:00 am – 10:00 am EST- Shaw House: Berkshire’s Hidden Gem, Online

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In this January 21 Berkshire Gardens Trust talk, Sarah Somerville will talk about the history of Shaw House, an Elizabethan manor house, told through the development and changes in its gardens. Built from the profits of the cloth trade in 1581, the house has enjoyed visits from royalty, including Elizabeth I and Charles I, as well as being the setting for Civil War battles and accommodation for soldiers during World Wars. The gardens were once as grand as the building itself, with aromatic shrubs surrounded by painted statues and sparkling fountains.   

Now, following over £6 million of conservation and restoration, the House is a visitor attraction and conference center. Many of its secrets were not revealed until restoration and Sarah will have great pleasure to share them with us.

​While completing her degree in Museum and Gallery Studies, Sarah Somerville first worked as a tour guide at Highclere Castle, used as the setting for the filming of Downton Abbey. She later joined the Public Opening and Events department, remaining at the Castle for over seven years before moving to Shaw House in 2019.  In 2021, Sarah published the first guide book for Shaw House and hopes that her enthusiasm increases awareness of this important historic home and garden.

​Booking: Book online by clicking HERE. The tickets are £5. We will send you a Zoom link for the lecture a few days before the 21st January. The lecture will last approximately 1 hour, followed by questions. The lecture will be recorded with the link available for a week to those people who have booked for the event. 

Queries: Please contact Janet by email at bgtmembership@gmail.com.