Daily Archives: December 10, 2024

October, 2025 – Roses and Rosè: A Portugal Garden Tour

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Sterling Tours and Pacific Horticulture invite you to join Escort, Linda McKendry and Garden Guide Amy Kupec Larue, on an enriching journey through Portugal in October, 2025. Gardens, agriculture, sustainability, and the unique world of cork conservation will take center stage. Portugal aims to be climate neutral by 2050 and to cover 80% of its electricity consumption with renewables by 2030. In 2023 the population of 10 million in Portugal ran for six consecutive days in a row on 100 % renewables. They met their needs with wind, solar and hydro energy. After our introduction to Porto, excursions will include Douro Valley, the charming town of Lousada, Braga, and Santar. Continuing to Lisbon, with visits to Setubal, Queluz, and Sintra. Focusing on cultural preservation, showcasing sustainable garden maintenance and design. Discover how cork oak forests are conserved and protected. Extending our visit to Madeira to explore Monte Palace Gardens and Quinta do Arco Rose Gardens, both exemplifying the dedication to preserving rare, flora and roses. Savor special hosted visits to private gardens and Quinta’s, sustainable prepared meals, locally produced wines, and insight into Portugal’s ecosystem. Admiring the beautiful green spaces, architecture, and all this gorgeous country has to offer, you cannot help but be mesmerized… For more details visit https://pacifichorticulture.org/tours/roses-and-rose-a-portugal-garden-tour-october-2025-with-pacific-horticulture/

The Robert F. and Jeanne R. Para Family Preserve

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The newly conserved Robert F. and Jeanne R. Para Family Preserve is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when we work together and plan for the future. This property is home to a variety of wildlife and important habitats including several ponds where osprey and bald eagles fish for their dinner, active beaver colonies creating dynamic wetland habitats, and sandy uplands that are perfect turtle nesting spots.

And making this parcel even more important – the property borders Cohasset Brook Reservoir, an important source of drinking water for the town of Southbridge.  It not only expands the region’s protected habitat, but also safeguards the drinking water supply for Southbridge residents.

Robert and Jeanne Para purchased this land in 1956 for their family of seven. They built a home and gardens for vegetables and planted fruit trees and blueberry bushes. They created a beautiful place for the family to grow, live, and play.  Once the children were grown and had families of their own, they shared their love of this land, nature, forestry, ponds, brooks and wildlife with their children and grandchildren. 

For the Para family, completing this project fulfills a special wish. As Nancy Whittemore, trustee of the Robert F. Para Family Trust, puts it: “It was my parents’ dream that this land be protected and left in its natural state.” We’re honored to help make that dream a reality. To learn more, visit the website for the Opacum Land Trust at www.opacumlt.org