Boston Flora

Category: Meeting

  • Saturday, March 24, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm – 2018 Mass Land Conservation Conference

    The 2018 Mass Land Conservation Conference, Leading Locally in a Changing World, convened by the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, will take place Saturday, March 24, 2018 – 8am – 4pm at Worcester Technical High School, One Skyline Drive, Worcester, Massachusetts.

    General attendee registration is $60 before March 9, $80 after. Lunch is an additional $14. Register online at: http://www.cvent.com/d/8tq4j3/4W

    MLTC is pleased to announce keynote speaker Rand Wentworth. Rand Wentworth is the Louis Bacon Senior Fellow in Environmental Leadership, an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy and a member of the faculty for the Senior Executive Fellows at the Harvard Kennedy School. He also serves as president emeritus of the Land Trust Alliance, a national conservation organization based in Washington, DC which serves as the leader for 1,100 land trusts with 8,000 staff, 16,000 board members and 4.6 million members. He served as president from 2002-2016 and is widely recognized for expanding the pace and quality of land conservation in America.

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  • Friday & Saturday,March 16 & 17, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm – 6th Annual Massachusetts Urban Farming Conference

    The Annual Massachusetts Urban Farming Conference (UFC) is designed to advance the opportunities and address the barriers involved in cultivating a resilient and thriving Urban Farming sector. The UFC is a multi-sector stakeholder forum designed to share information regarding what is currently happening in Massachusetts. The UFC fosters solutions, sustainable networks and business relationships.

    The UFC brings together participants representing all aspects of Urban Farming including, but not limited to, farmers (including roof top, chicken, bees, etc.), land trust managers, policy makers, commercial buyers, foundations, investors and all others. The 6th Annual Massachusetts UFC, building on the success of our past events, is comprised of interactive panels, demonstration workshops, expert discussions on diverse and relevant topics with distinguished Conversation Leaders and fantastic networking opportunities. Presented by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and merck family fund.

    The Saturday keynote will be presented by Isis Salcines of Havana, Cuba, Director of Organoponico Vivero Alamar. The Organoponico Vivero Alamar (one of its sites is pictured below) is one of Havana, Cuba’s largest and oldest urban farms. Isis Salcines will share the organization’s experiences implementing agroecology, addressing food security, and discuss the social, economic and environmental impacts of the farm.

    The conference will take place at Bunker Hill Community College, 250 Rutherford Avenue in Boston, and the fees range from $50 – $150. For complete agenda and list of featured speakers, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-massachusetts-urban-farming-conference-tickets-38915811239

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  • Tuesday, March 6, 6:15 pm – 8:00 pm – Greenovate Boston’s Second Climate Ready South Boston Open House

    Climate Ready Boston is Mayor Marty Walsh’s ongoing initiative to help the City grow and prosper in the face of climate change. Protecting South Boston from sea level rise and coastal flooding is a priority. On March 6th, join Greenovate Boston for a community open house, where we will update you on our work and discuss options for ensuring a Climate Ready South Boston. The event will take place in the 5th Floor Conference Room of the Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress Street, beginning at 6:15 pm. RSVP at http://www.greenovateboston.org

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  • Thursday, March 15, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – 177th Annual Meeting of the Worcester County Horticultural Society

    The 177th Annual Meeting of the Worcester County Horticultural Society and Tower Hill Botanic Garden will be held at Tower Hill on Thursday, March 15, 4-6pm. Admission is free; pre-registration required. Members are welcome to bring guests. However, only Tower Hill members may vote at the Business Meeting.

    Please register at www.towerhillbg.org or by calling 508.869.6111 x102

    Business Meeting – 4pm – The 177th Annual Meeting of the Worcester County Horticultural Society will include a presentation of the Society’s business over the past year, a vote on candidates for the Board of Trustees, as well as any resolutions proposed. Amendments to the Bylaws will be presented for consideration and vote. Proposed changes may be viewed on the Annual Meeting page of our website  or be requested by calling the telephone number above. The Business Meeting will be followed by a presentation by Rodney Eason.

    Please join us for a reception in the Great Hall immediately following the presentation.

    RODNEY EASON – Rodney is the CEO of the Land & Garden Preserve which stretches from Northeast Harbor to Seal Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Prior to joining the Preserve in 2015, Rodney was director of horticulture at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden and display division leader at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Besides gardening and just an overall love of plants, his hobbies include bicycling, reading, and finding different ways to stay warm in the winter (he is a native Southerner). He and his wife, Carrie, feel extremely fortunate to be able to raise their two teens and two “tweens” in and around Acadia National Park.

  • Saturday, March 3, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm – Local Environmental Action Conference 2018

    Registration is open for the Toxics Action Center’s Local Environmental Action 2018. Register now for the opportunity to join community leaders, environmental advocates and activists from across New England for an exciting day of skills training, networking, and inspiration. Whether you have been to every conference or are attending for the first time, be sure not to miss this amazing opportunity to connect and grow our grassroots movement.

    Join community leaders, environmental justice advocates and activists from across the region to build skills, discuss new ideas, and be inspired for the work ahead. Co sponsored by Clean Water Action, Sierra Club Massachusetts, Irving House at Harvard, Environmental Massachusetts, 350 Mass for a Better Future, the League of Women Voters, Northeastern University, CRECE, Elders Climate Action, MassPirg, New England Wind, Protect, Mothers Out Front, and the National Wildlife Federation.

    Keynote speakers are Loretta Ross and the Reverend Mariama White-Hammond. Loretta Ross started her career in the women’s movement in the 1970s, working at the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, NOW, the National Black Women’s Health Project, and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, among other social justice organizations. She is one of the co-creators of the Reproductive Justice framework and has lectured extensively on human rights, racism, appropriate whiteness, Calling In the Calling Out Culture, and violence against women. Her most recent publication is Reproductive Justice: An Introduction co-written with Rickie Solinger and published in 2017. She was the Co-Director of the 2004 March for Women’s Lives with 1.15 million participants. Rev. Mariama White-Hammond serves on the ministerial staff at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church where she is the Minister for Ecological Justice and the Interim Youth Pastor. She is committed to engaging the faith community, and particularly Black church, on climate change and ecological justice issues. Rev. Mariama challenges the Christian church to be responsive to issues like street violence, mass incarceration, climate change, AIDS, food security, and human rights. From 2001-2014, Rev. Mariama was the Executive Director of Project HIP-HOP (Highways Into the Past – History, Organizing and Power), where she used the arts as a tool to raise awareness about social issues and help young people to find their voice and share their ideas with the world. She speaks throughout the country and serves on both local and national boards and committees like the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, Clean Water Action and Green the Church. In addition to her work at Bethel AME Church, Rev. Mariama is also a fellow with the Green Justice Coalition, a collaborative of people-of-color-led environmental groups. She was the MC for both the Boston Women’s March and Boston People’s Climate Mobilization.
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    This is a fragrance free event, to be held at Northeastern University. Thanks for bringing your own water bottle and coffee mug. Have questions about the event? Email us at info@toxicsaction.org. The complete list of 16 workshops may be found at http://www.localenvironmentalaction.org/workshops1.html. Individual tickets $55, student tickets $25, tickets for members of co-sponsoring groups $35.

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  • Sunday, March 4, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – NOFA/RI Winter Conference

    Join Northeast Organic Farming Association of Rhode Island on Sunday, March 4 from 8:30 – 4:30 at Hope & Main, 691 Main Street in Warren, Rhode Island for a full day of workshops with speakers locally known and nationally recognized. There will be a potluck lunch.

    Featured in the award-wining documentary, A Small Good Thing, Jennifer and Pete Salinetti (pictured below) have been farming together for over 16 years and have created a thriving farm and CSA business in the Berkshires. Woven Roots Farm focuses on bio-intensive growing using no-till and environmentally sound farming practices. For the past 15 years, Jen has taught classes and has lead garden education programs throughout New England and has been actively involved in the local food movement within the Berkshires. She is currently developing an education center at their homestead in Tyringham. Jen holds a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Herbal Studies and Pete has has a degree in horticulture.The Salinettis grow more than 75 crops, “all the usual stuff,” plus a considerable amount grown to extend their season. In recent years they have not been using tillage to grow their vegetables. Jen feels that by not disturbing the soil they have a considerable positive impact on carbon sequestration on their land. They have experienced and found a significant increase in quality and yields which has enabled them to create a viable business on a small amount land.

    Also featured is Ben Hewitt of Lazy Mill Hill Farm, speaking on The Family Cow and The Nourishing Homestead. Born and raised in northern Vermont, in a two-room cabin situated on a 165-acres, Ben knows about a thing or two about homesteading. He now lives in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom with his wife and two sons, where they run a small-scale, diversified hill farm. Their focus is producing nutrient dense foods from vibrant, mineralized soils for their family and the immediate community. He’s a freelance writer and author. He is currently working on his sixth book.

    Ryan Bouchard and Emily Schmidt of RI Mushroom Hunting Foundation will give a talk on Spring Mushroom Season. Ryan Bouchard and Emily Schmidt created the Mushroom Hunting Foundation, to educate people about safely hunting for wild mushrooms. It is a nonprofit organization that aims to make mushroom hunting better understood and well-known as part of our culture. Ryan is the author of Gourmet Mushrooms of Rhode Island, the first book and calendar about mushroom hunting in the Ocean State. Look for a new 2019 edition titled Gourmet Mushrooms of the Northeast.

    Learn about Growing Medicinal Herbs from Mary Blue of Farmacy Herbs. Since 2001, Mary has taught classes on herbalism at local businesses, hospitals, universities, conferences and to special interest groups and non profits. Her programs were so popular that Mary started developing the Farmacy’s Herbal Education and Training Program. Her programs focus on herbal medicine, health justice and nutritional healing. Mary holds a teaching associate position at the Brown University Medical School, teaching Western Herbalism to the Integrative Resident Program.

    Chuck Currie of Freedom Food Farm will discuss Onions & Garlic Grown Organically. Chuck studied biochemistry and chemistry before taking a sustainable agriculture course, visiting a small farm run by someone not much older than him, and instantly realizing he had wanted to be a farmer his entire life. After many years of farming in Vermont, Chuck moved back to Southeastern Massachusetts with the goal of providing equal access to good food in more urban communities, and to be closer to family and friends. He started Freedom Food Farm in 2012.

    Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge of Many Hands Organic Farm will speak on Practical No-Till Carbon Farming. Julie, the Executive Director of NOFA Mass, and Jack, editor of NOFA’s “The Natural Farmer”, are in a unique position as educators and advocates of carbon farming as their farm is one of many to demonstrate that building soil makes both economic and ecological sense for farmers. Over the years, Julie has experimented with various tillage practices and can offer many insights to the challenges of moving to a no-tillage operation. Julie and Jack run a 70-person CSA, raise and sell pasture-raised eggs, broiler chickens, turkeys, beef, and pork, and operate a non-profit, Many Hands Sustainability Center.

    Rick Hermonont presents Tools for a Profitable Livestock Business. After operating a dairy farm for over 30 years, Rick converted the farm to diversified agricultural including turkeys, chicken, pork, beef, misc. cash crops and agri-tourism. For over 20 years, Rick has held sessions to train those interested in records keeping, budgeting, business planning, financial and feasibility analysis, succession planning, business benchmarking and more. Rick is a Farm Business Consultant with Farm Credit East. He holds a BS in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut.

    Finally, Dan Bensenoff, a father, farmer, forager, and fermentation freak, will give a talk entitled Garden Like a Farmer. Before working with NOFA/Mass, he worked as a vegetable grower for 4 years.

    Register at http://nofari.org/events/winter-conference/#.WohhS4JG06d. NOFA member price $50, nonmember $60.

  • Thursday, March 22, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – 2018 Emerald Necklace Conservancy Annual Meeting

    Join the Emerald Necklace Conservancy on Thursday, March 22 at the Landmark Center, 8th floor, 401 Park Drive, in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Hosted by Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek, the Annual Meeting, Parks as Infrastructure for Living, will feature a series of succinct presentations from area thought leaders on the multifaceted role of parks in the urban setting. Topics and speakers include:

    Water
    Pallavi Kalia Mande, Charles River Watershed Association

    Infrastructure
    Dan Adams & Marie Law Adams, LANDING STUDIO

    Access
    Peter Costa & Alyson Fletcher, Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates

    Art
    Jen Mergel, Public Art Curator

    RSVP at https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/events/annualmeeting/ by March 15! Doors open at 5:30, and at 6 pm the series of seven minute presentations will begin. At 7, there will be a reception and conversation. Come to the from entrance of the Landmark Center (the old Sears Building for those who remember that far back). Parking is $15 with event validation. Host Sponsor is Samuels & Associates, and FOCUS Real Estate also is a sponsor of this event.

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  • Friday, March 2, 6:45 pm – The Evolution of Conifer Cones Across Time and Space

    Dr. Andrew Leslie, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University, will speak to the New England Botanical Club on Friday, March 2 at 6:45 in the Haller Lecture Hall, Room 102, Geological Museum, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. His topic is The Evolution of Conifer Cones Across Time and Space. At the broadest level, Dr. Leslie is interested in understanding the drivers of morphological diversification in organisms. He primarily approaches this topic using seed plants as a study group, focusing on relationships between form and function in reproductive structures and asking how these interactions generate evolutionary patterns over million-year time scales. Properly answering these questions requires an understanding of the broader ecological, geological, and climatic contexts in which these changes are occurring, and he therefore uses an integrative approach that incorporates techniques from paleontology, biogeography, and phylogenetics. His work particularly focuses on conifers because the group is diverse today but was also important in many ancient ecosystems, and the relationships between morphology and function can be directly tested in living as well as in extinct plants.

    The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.rhodora.org.

  • Saturday, April 7, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm – Celebrating Herbs!

    The Herb Society of America, New England Unit, will sponsor Celebrating Herbs!, a symposium to be held Saturday, April 7, from 8:30 – 3 at the Hunnewell Carriage House, The Gardens at Elm Bank, in Wellesley. Speakers will include Kelly Orzel, Judith Sumner, and Betsy Williams.

    Betsy Williams will present Herbal Weddings: Old Traditions, Modern Uses. An herbal wedding is the essence of romance! The perfumed air, the delightful colors and the ancient symbolism of the plants blend to create a truly magical day. The program includes the stories and traditions of wedding herbs and the language of flowers, cultural directions for growing the herbs, garden design suggestions and how to use herbs and herbal flowers creatively in wedding flowers, food and drink. Image below from www.weddingwindow.com.

    Judith Sumner is a botanist and popular lecturer at the Arnold Arboretum, Garden in the Woods, and Assumption College. She is the author of American Household Botany, a History of Useful Plants, 1620 – 1900, and The Natural History of Medicinal Plants.

    Kelly Orzel, of Bowery Beach Farm at Cape Elizabeth, Maine, specializes in culinary and scented plants including 50 varieties of scented pelargoniums. The Backyard Gardener is her recent book.

    The early bird fee for Herb Society members is $85, $90 for non-HSA members, postmarked on or before March 10. All registrations after March 24 are $105, and registration closes March 28. No walk-ins. Registration includes coffee/tea and morning refreshments, plus a catered herbal lunch. The New England Unit of The Herb Society of America, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) educational organization. Proceeds from this fund-raising event will be used to help support educational projects. For more information visit http://www.neuhsa.org/2018Symposium.html

  • Thursday, February 22, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Mass Hort’s School Garden Conference: Growing for Experience

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s fourth annual School Garden Conference at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, on Thursday, February 22 (blizzard date February 23) will feature workshops that explore regional best practices for planning and running a garden that will not only meet educational goals, but also foster life skills.

    Attending educators will develop practical gardening skills that will increase their confidence and ability to teach in and from a garden. Workshops will support interested parents and volunteers, teachers and administrators – those who have established gardens and those just breaking ground.

    Cost ($40 Mass Hort members, $60 general admission) includes morning coffee and lunch. Pre-registration required at http://www.masshort.org/education-classes, or call 617-933-4973.

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