Join the Athol Bird & Nature Club at 7 pm on October 11 at the Millers River Environmental Center to hear Jim Morelly speak of his extraordinary adventures. What started out as casual hiking in Quabbin turned into a passion. Hiking thousands of miles in the Quabbin Reservoir Reservation, carrying a camera, has presented unique wildlife experiences. Nature can be wonderful, and it can also be hard. Join Jim as he shares some of his most memorable stories. He has had a passion for nature since childhood. Now retired, he spends many days afield hiking, photographing, tracking, and setting camera traps. For more information visit http://www.atholbirdclub.org
The October meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held at The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Avenue, on October 18 at 2 pm. This is a members only meeting, but if you’d like to join the Club, visit their website at https://bostonflora.com/store to take advantage of the full year of activities planned for 2023 – 2024.
The MFA Boston was the first museum in the country to host Art in Bloom — a magnificent pairing of flowers and art. The Art in Bloom Roadshow brings the Art in Bloom experience to you with an informative PowerPoint presentation of the art and flower arrangements that wows visitors.
The PowerPoint will be presented by an engaging MFA art guide who has been trained by the museum. It is followed by a live floral demonstration by an MFA trained Associate. The floral arrangement is inspired by an art object from the MFA’s collection.
The Art in Bloom Roadshow offers a compelling “guided tour” and an up-close look at the stunning flowers and art that make Art in Bloom the busiest weekend of the year at the MFA Boston. If you have any questions about GCBB programs, feel free to contact Program Committee co-chairs, Jackie Blombach or Christine Hirshland.
Heirloom Gardening is John Forti’s newest presentation. This PowerPoint program shares inspiration from our long history of heirloom preservation, garden craft and homestead lifeways. Artisanal lifestyles that are helping us to rebuild vibrant local agricultural economies and celebrate sustainable cottage industries that are contributing to our new, homegrown American arts & crafts movement and backyard environmentalism. This Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club program on September 19 at 1 pm at The Old Mill in West Tisbury allows for a look at how you can make a difference in your own backyard and community. The presentation draws from his book of traditional plants and skills for the modern world. Illustrated with period images and contemporary woodcuts.
BIO: John Forti is an award-winning heirloom specialist, garden historian, ethnobotanist, garden writer, and local foods advocate. He is executive director of Bedrock Gardens, an artist-inspired public sculpture garden and landscape in Lee, New Hampshire, and the recipient of a national 2020 Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs. John was formerly the Director of Horticulture for Plimoth Plantation and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and is involved with Slow Food USA, the national chapter of Slow Food, a global organization and international grassroots movement connecting food producers and consumers to champion local agriculture, farmers markets, and traditional, regional cuisine. http://www.jforti.com/ The Heirloom Gardener – John Forti on Facebook John Forti- The Heirloom Gardener Book- Amazon FREE to GC Members / Open to non-members – cost TBD at a later date West Tisbury members and VP to provide snacks & refreshments
Join the Athol Bird & Nature Club and the North Quabbin Garden Club on Thursday, September 21 at 7 pm at the Millers River Environmental Center in Athol to hear Dave Small as he explores the transformation of his yard from a boring suburban lot dominated by lawn to a rich habitat for our native wildlife. Removing invasive species, planting native plants, and providing water, food, and cover for a variety of wildlife species and people resulted in a space that has become a wonderful place to hang out with family and friends. For more information visit http://www.atholbirdclub.org
The Annual Meeting of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay will be held on Monday, September 18 at 7 pm at Fisher College. A reception will follow the business part of the meeting. For more information visit www.nabbonline.org
The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay Annual Meeting will take place Monday, September 18 at 7 pm at Fisher College. A reception will follow the business part of the meeting. For complete information visit https://nabbonline.org/
Sometimes called “the father of the English flower garden”, William Robinson (1838 – 1935), an Irish gardener, journalist, and publisher, had a profound impact on late Victorian taste and ideas through promoting a new movement in garden aesthetics. As editor of many popular and influential weekly garden magazines and journals, and as author of best-selling books, notably The English Flower Garden and The Wild Garden, he challenged the formality of High Victorian patterned gardening and popularized more natural planting of hardy perennials, shrubs, and climbers, in line with the honest simplicity and vernacular styles of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Join the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Trust for a three day annual conference in Letterkenny, County Donegal, October 5 – 7. Online booking is now open, with an early booking incentive extended to Thursday, August 31. For more information visit www.nihgt.org
The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club will hold its Annual Meeting at The Old Mill in West Tisbury on Tuesday, August 15 at 1 pm. The speaker will be Liz Durkee of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. She will present a program on Climate Change and the Natural Environment. Climate change is stressing the natural environment, from coastal erosion to biodiversity loss. The best way to adapt is to work with nature, not against it. We’ll look at the impacts, what’s being done to address climate change, and investigate positive actions you can take to help make the Island as climate change resilient as possible.
Liz hopes attendees will gain an understanding of how climate change is affecting the island’s natural environment and inspiration to take positive action to address the impacts.
Liz is the climate change planner at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. She spent summer vacations on the Island growing up and moved here full-time in 1983. She was the conservation agent for the Town of Oak Bluffs for twenty-two years before being hired as the Commission’s first climate change planner in 2021. As the conservation agent she became concerned about sea level rise and that led her to months of off-duty research to understand how climate change would specifically affect the Vineyard. The result was 9 fifteen-part series in the Vineyard Gazette way back in 2011, called Climate Change on Martha’s Vineyard. Last year the Commission released the Island’s first Climate Action Plan, The Vineyard Way: Connected to Our Past, Committed to Our Future. https://thevineyardway.org/plan-development
FREE to MVGC Members / Open to non-members @ $10.00 pp
New England’s largest conference about our collective roles in creating livable and resilient communities will take place November 2 and 3 at the VETS, Providence, Rhode Island, and livestream. The annual Historic New England Summit presents two days of exciting conversations that explore how 21st-century challenges and opportunities are transforming the fields of historic preservation, architecture, urban planning, conservation, arts and culture, museum studies, collections management, public history, and education. The program includes keynote presentations by regional and national leaders, panel discussions, provocations, networking opportunities, and more.
The 2023 Historic New England Summit is your opportunity to gain inspiration from and connect with cutting-edge thought leaders in preservation, arts and culture, social history, education, advocacy, and municipal government. Join the continuing conversation on some of today’s most complex and pressing challenges in these fields and beyond. Share your ideas, collaborate on solutions, and discover new perspectives to strengthen the livability and vitality of our communities.
One of this year’s themes is Sustainability and Climate Change. What is the role of cultural and preservation organizations in driving climate action? What strategies and commitments are essential to achieving net-zero and zero-waste sustainability targets? What innovative strategies are being deployed to protect collections from pervasive, destructive pests?
On the National Register of Historic Places, The VETS is ideally located in downtown Providence on the revitalized Avenue of the Arts across from the Rhode Island State House. It is acclaimed for its unique combination of size and intimacy. The theater celebrates flawless acoustics, a breathtaking proscenium stage, and exquisite interior.
Complete details and registration may be found at https://summit.historicnewengland.org/register/ Early bird pricing is available through July 16. Online 2-Day member price $55, nonmember $68. After July 17, $90 & $110.
