This fall, New England Botanical Society, along with Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, will be hosting a conference, Plant Migration in a Changing Climate. The conference will be held October 3-4, 2025 at The Gardens in Boothbay, ME. Our featured plenary speakers will be Jesse Bellemare, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College; Bethany Bradley, Professor of Environmental Conservation at University of Massachusetts Amherst; and Jay Wason, Associate Professor of Forest Ecosystem Physiology at The University of Maine.
General conference details are below and will be updated as we get closer to the conference. If you are not a NEBS member and are interested in receiving conference updates, including application forms to give an oral presentation or submit a poster, please complete this brief form. Register and Pay here. Standard $100, NEBS member $75, Student $30, NEBS Student Member $15.
Prepare to be captivated by the 2025 Perennial Plant Association National Symposium taking place from July 28 – 31, in Des Moines, Iowa, the heart of the Midwest. It’s the premier event for perennial plant industry professionals seeking unparalleled education, networking, and inspiration. Join us to connect with industry leaders and deepen your horticultural knowledge.
At the heart of the symposium is an unrivaled educational experience. Learn from industry leaders through a curated lineup of insightful presentations and panels. Gain exclusive access to tours tailored specifically for horticulture professionals, featuring tours of private and public gardens, growers, retailers, and more. The Midwest’s rich agricultural heritage and thriving horticulture scene provide the perfect backdrop for this immersive learning experience.
The 2025 National Symposium is more than just a conference – it’s a celebration of the perennial plant community. Join us for the trade show social, where you’ll mingle with like-minded individuals and forge valuable connections. Monday will kick off with tours all concluding at The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden for refreshments. Cap off Wednesday’s tours with a dinner party at the renowned Reiman Gardens, at Iowa State University, showcasing one of the Midwest’s vibrant public gardens.
Throughout the event, you’ll have the chance to engage with industry vendors during the trade show and explore the latest innovations and developments shaping the world of horticulture. Discover new plants during the New to the Market Forum and get a glimpse into award winning landscape design projects.
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this year’s PPA Family Reunion! The 2025 National Symposium promises exceptional education, unmatched networking, and unforgettable memories.
Click here for event details including the schedule, speakers, and registration. Final registration deadline July 15.
Another reminder that joining The Garden Club of the Back Bay will give you access to interesting programs throughout the year. Another pop-up is scheduled for June 24 – an exclusive East Boston Walking Tour. Join GCBB member Claire Corcoran on a walking tour of a selection of East Boston’s community-based environmental organizations’ sites and projects, including Tree Eastie, Eastie Farm, and the Mary Ellen Walsh Greenway. These three groups have received funding from an array of sources including the Garden Club of the Back Bay. Claire is looking forward to sharing some of their work and results with our club. This walk is offered to GCBB and BHGC members as well as other civic groups. Please bring a water bottle and sunscreen, and comfortable shoes. If you aren’t a GCBB member, join at https://bostonflora.com/ today.
Meet at East Boston’s Memorial Park. The entrance is at the corner of Porter Street and Thompson Drive (google maps calls it East Boston Memorial Park). There is ample parking available and is a short walk from the Airport T stop. RSVP to Claire Corcoran clairecorcoran@me.com
The Garden Club of the Back Bay is sponsoring another Member’s Only popup on June 17 from 10 – 11:15. Join them to view and learn about the work Recover Green Roofs (RGR) is creating around Boston. RGR creates green roof gardens and farms across New England and beyond. They strive to create long-lasting, thriving green roofs that aid in recovering nature in our built environment in order to support healthier communities and more resilient cities. Lead horticulturalist, Jonas Herbst-Rubio, will give us a tour of a rooftop garden they created here in Boston. We will learn about the social, ecological and economic benefits of green roofs and enjoy the blooming plants! Meet at 127 Tremont Street, Boston. There is room for 10-15 participants. RSVP to Stephanie Fletcher betze47@yahoo.com. Not yet a member? Join at https://bostonflora.com/
Join community members, local and regional scientists, and planners at the 2025 Nantucket Coastal Conference on Tuesday, June 10, from 9 to 5 at the Great Harbor Yacht Club.
Learn about coastal resilience and retreat strategies both on and off the island and what’s ahead for our shoreline. The event is free, and lunch is provided!
Mark Richardson, Executive Director, US branch of Botanic Gardens Conservation International and Ecological Landscape Alliance, in addition to Director of Strategic Horticulture Partnerships for New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, will present An Introduction to Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the Ecological Landscape Alliance on June 27 at 1 pm at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, Massachusetts.
This meeting will also include the option to tour New England Botanic Garden following the presentation, attend a field trip, and/or meet for dinner in the evening. Please visit www.nebg.org for a detailed schedule.
New England’s largest conference about our collective roles in creating livable and resilient communities. Summit discussions focus on New England while addressing topics that resonate nationally and globally as we work together to transform preservation into an accessible and essential ethic in community sustainability.
2025 Summit Themes Include: Civic Action Authenticity & Access Culture Building Climate Resiliency Preservation as Transformation
Join us November 13 and 14 at the historic Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. Can’t make it to New Haven? Join us via livestream!
Do you want to know the name of that elusive yellow flower? Are you looking for an excuse to dance in the park like no one is watching? Are you a cardboard sculpture fanatic, looking to make a bumble bee puppet? Frozen with existential dread about the inclement heat and rising tides due to climate emergency?
Join the Greenway Public Art throughout the summer for a series of pop-up art making parties along with a monthly Climate Fiction Book Club hosted by our Eco-Art Cart in Dewey Square! For our first read we will be discussing Octavia E. Butler’s iconic 1993 speculative fiction novel, The Parable of the Sower. This work serves as a main source of inspiration for artist Misa Chhan, who will be installing work in Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway later this month. In the novel, which is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth heavily affected by climate change and social inequality, a main tenet of the fictional Earthseed religion is, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.” The June selection is The Seep by China Porter, and July is Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh.
Come to discuss what you make of these ideas, stay for the community! Make sure to check your local library or independent bookstore to grab your own copy of the book before May 27.
Join New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) for our free 81st Annual Meeting Celebration! Head to NEFF headquarters in Littleton, MA, on June 10 as we celebrate another successful year.
Guests will enjoy a beautiful, outdoors catered lunch surrounded by wildflowers and hear plans for the year ahead. Attendees can also help us honor our most steadfast supporters and woodland advocates, and catch up with old friends and make new ones.
Kindly RSVP as soon as possible (deadline was May 9 but do contact them). Speaker Ethan Breitling is Vice President for Strategic Communications at the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO). A native New Englander, Ethan began his career running a sawmill and teaching forestry and ecology at a 100-year-old Boy Scout summer camp in the Adirondack Park. The camp owned and operated its own working forest, which not only provided him with hands-on experience in forest management but also taught him the foundations of strategic communications—convincing 11-year-old boys that the Forestry Merit Badge is exciting.
In Washington, DC, Ethan has built his career by specializing in communicating complex scientific and policy concepts to diverse audiences. Before joining NAFO, Ethan worked at Bay Armoury Consulting, where he managed several fundraising communications campaigns for federal, state, and local races, all aimed at promoting moderation in politics. He earned his degree in Political Science from Western Connecticut State University and studied Foreign Policy at American University.
As we mark the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, BHWOCC, in collaboration with the Conservation Law Foundation, invites you to a special event celebrating and uplifting women of color in the environmental sector.
Join us on Tuesday, April 22nd, from 6 to 8 PM for an insightful conversation with impactful BHWOCC members who have made significant strides in environmental leadership in Boston.
Our panel, “Women of Color in Leadership in the Environment,” will bring together voices from across the industry to share experiences, strategies, and reflections on the evolving landscape of green and blue spaces. Together, we’ll explore the future of these industries, the cultural wisdom that shapes our environmental work, and more. This is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and inspire alongside fellow BHWOCC members and other women of color in the field. Date & Time: Tuesday, April 22nd | 6:00 – 8:00 PM Location: 62 Summer St, Boston, MA 02110. RSVP HERE.
