Boston Flora

Category: Rhode Island

  • Saturday, August 26, 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Nature Walk with Dr. Bob

    What is that bird you hear? What wild animals live beyond those trees? What marine life swims just offshore? Are those mushrooms poisonous? Dr. Bob has the answers. He shares his wide-ranging experience of the natural world during a walk through the fields, woodlands, and coastline of Historic New England’s Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island on Saturday, August 26 from 9:30 – 11:30 am. This Historic New England guided tour changes depending on the season and what Mother Nature puts in your path.

    Bring comfortable walking shoes, sunblock, bug spray, and water. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather. Meet at the Casey Farm tour table at the Coastal Growers’ Market.

    Free to Historic New England members; $6 nonmembers; $3 nonmember children ages five to twelve. Please call 401-295-1030 ext. 5 for more information.

  • Friday, June 23 – Sunday, June 25 – Fête des Fleurs: Paintings and Parterres

    Transport your imagination to the place that has inspired generations of artists and gardeners – France. At Rosecliff, modeled after the Grand Trianon of Versailles, you’ll travel on a very French adventure, from grand gardens to urban Paris chic. This year’s Newport Flower Show takes place Friday, June 23 from 10:30 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday, June 24 from 9 – 5, and Sunday, June 25 from 9 – 5. There will be a festive opening night party (Friday from 6 – 9), a picnic supper and movie experience, and afternoon tea with Iris Apfel, along with colorful floral designs, horticulture exhibits, garden displays, unique shopping opportunities, a champagne and jazz brunch, lectures and demonstrations, and children’s activities. All proceeds from the Newport Flower Show benefit the preservation and restoration of the historic landscapes of The Preservation Society of Newport County. For tickets and complete information visit http://www.newportmansions.org/events/newport-flower-show

  • Saturday and Sunday, June 24 & 25, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Gardening with the Masters Tour

    You are invited to attend the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program’s (URIMGP) eighth biennial Gardening with the Masters Tour, to be held Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 from 10 – 4. Once you register ($20 per person, before June 15, please, at http://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/tour/, you will receive a tour guide booklet which serves as your two-day admission ticket to 26 beautiful gardens, 17 of which have not been seen on any previous URIMGP garden tour.

    Each garden is unique. Some gardens are designed to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, while others are kitchen gardens with the perfect soil recipe to produce a bounty of vegetables. Every garden has evolved over the years, reflecting the changing interests and lifelong learning of its gardener. After visiting these gardens, we hope you’ll be inspired to go home and try something new. So ask questions, bring your camera, take notes, but most importantly enjoy the beauty created in these gardens!

    The inspiring gardens on the tour are created and maintained by certified URI Master Gardener volunteers. The host gardener has successfully completed a 14-week training program offered by URI Cooperative Extension as well as a volunteer internship. These certified URI Master Gardeners volunteer on educational projects and continually upgrade their horticultural knowledge by attending research- based classes each year. They have opened their gardens to you as a teaching tool, because our mission is to help local residents choose environmentally-sound gardening practices! The proceeds from this event will benefit the URI Master Gardener Program’s public education activities throughout the state.

  • Saturday, June 17 – Arcadia Wildlife Management Area Field Trip

    Join The New England Botanical Club and explore interesting places with great plants, led by local expert botanists. Trips for June, July and August, 2017, are planned, and participants must contact the trip leader 1 week in advance. The first summer trip will take place Saturday, June 17 to Arcadia Wildlife Management Area in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.

    Arcadia WMA is one of the largest natural areas in the state. It includes a diverse array of habitats such as sandy pitch pine, oak/hickory/white pine forest, some forested wetlands, rivers, and Rhode Island’s only black spruce bog. We will focus on the Pine Top section, in the vicinity of Escoheag Hill in West Greenwich. There are some rich mesic forested areas with sugar maple; some early successional forest periodically cut; an old gravel parking lot being maintained as early successional habitat with some sandy, bog-like areas. We’ll also visit some forested seeps near the base of the hill, along the Wood River. Level of Difficulty -Moderate. We’ll be off-trail in a variety of habitats. Trip Leader: Tim Whitfeld (Timothy_Whitfeld@brown.edu) and Doug McGrady. Tim will send meeting time, location, and directions to those who register for the trip. Bring lunch, water, insect repellent, and if you wish, plant field guides, hand lens, etc.  Photo by Davis Hunter.

  • Monday, June 5 – Friday, June 9 – The Metcalf Institute 2017 Public Lecture Series

    The Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting will hold its 2017 Annual Public Lecture Series at the Corless Auditorium, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, 218 South Ferry Road in Narragansett, June 5 – 9.  All lectures are free and open to the public.  The Institute is celebrating 20 years of excellence in bringing science to the conversation.  The stellar lineup includes:

    Monday, June 5, 3:30 p.m.
    Johanna Polsenberg, The Ocean Health Index
    Assessing the Health of Our Oceans
    How can we protect the health of our oceans? Large-scale ocean datasets provide critical information for sustaining marine resources. Dr. Polsenberg of Conservation International will discuss the global Ocean Health Index and how it uses data to drive science-based policy and identify the research relevant for marine and coastal conservation.

    Tuesday, June 6, 3:30 p.m.
    Dan Kahan, Yale University
    Science Communication in the Age of Fake News and Public Distrust of the Press
    How do we effectively weigh the credibility of scientific information? Some would argue that greater public science literacy is the key, but this is not necessarily borne out by research. Dr. Kahan will describe how cultural barriers affect views of scientific evidence, and how we can use this knowledge to improve science communication.

    Wednesday, June 7, 3:30 p.m.
    Shreeram Inamdar, University of Delaware
    Extreme Weather at the Watershed Scale: How to Protect Water Quality
    Climate forecasts show that many regions will experience increased frequency or intensity of large storms, which could have serious consequences for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Inamdar will discuss how these storms affect watershed health, management and policy, and how new research can identify ways to adapt.

    Thursday, June 8, 3:30 p.m.
    Cynthia Giles, Former U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator
    Environmental Enforcement: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Delivering on the promise of environmental laws requires tough enforcement and innovative thinking about protecting the environment, including using cutting-edge monitoring and information technologies. Giles will talk about the past and future of these essential protections for communities across the country.

    Friday, June 9, 11 a.m.
    David Baron, Author and former Health and Science Editor for PRI’s The World.
    The Great Eclipse of 1878 and the Dawn of American Science
    On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S. for the first time in 99 years, offering a rare national opportunity to rally around a scientific event. Baron’s new story of the 1878 eclipse describes the event’s role in spurring America’s rise as a global scientific power. Author book signing to follow for American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World.

    For more information visit http://metcalfinstitute.org/lectures/als-2017/

  • Tuesday, May 23, 10:30 am – Eco-tour of Roger Williams Park: Artful Stormwater Solutions

    Designed by renowned landscape architect Horace Cleveland in 1878, the historic Roger Williams Park (RWP) is located in the southern part of Providence, Rhode Island and contains approximately 435 acres of landscaped areas, including the Roger Williams Park Zoo. The original plan included many of the curvilinear roads that follow the natural landscape and the large lakes and strategically placed man-made structures that still exist today. Unfortunately, like many of the historic parks designed in that era, the water quality of the ponds is severely degraded and suffering from impacts associated with the development of dense urban areas that drain into the ponds. On Tuesday, May 23 at 10:30 am, Brian Kuchar RLA, P.E. from the Horsley Witten Group, Inc (HW) and Brian Byrnes, the Deputy Superintendent for the Providence Department of Parks and Recreation (PDPR), will lead a tour of the on-going innovative stormwater management work being completed in Roger William Park.

    In 2011, the City of Providence received funding from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 to improve the water quality and biodiversity conditions of the RWP Ponds. The PPRD collaborated with the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) and sub-consultants to develop a comprehensive Water Quality Master Plan to address pond nutrient pollution in the ponds of Roger Williams Park. Since its inception, this project has been a true collaboration between federal, state and local agencies, non-profits, design consultants and contractors and highlight the benefits of public/private partnerships. As part of the project, six innovative stormwater practices were designed, permitted and constructed within the Park’s historic landscape. Practices include a grass surface sand filter, vegetated wet swale, a staged bioswale, with both wet and dry swale practices, a bioretention area, and road replacement with pedestrian shoreline walk with bioswales.

    The tour will visit four of the six sites and will:

    – Outline the challenges of working within a historic landscape
    – Describe each of the six innovative stormwater practices
    – Discuss lessons learned for design and construction based upon two-years of operation and maintenance an – Explain the revolving park maintenance program to adapt to 21st century realities
    – Provide details of the creation of the Rhode Island Park Conservancy to assist with the planning and funding of park-wide Improvement projects.

    Brian Kuchar, RLA, P.E., LEED accredited professional, Horsley Witten Group, Inc. has over 17 years of experience in the combined fields of landscape architecture and environmental engineering including: site planning, green infrastructure, ecological restoration, stormwater management, and land management planning. Brian has been employed in both the public and private sector and has experience with a broad range of projects including institutional, commercial and residential land development, multi use paths, park design, and ecological restoration. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Rhode Island. Brian served as the Project Manager for this Project.

    Brian Byrnes, CPSI, Deputy Superintendent – Providence Department of Parks and Recreation, holds a degree in Urban Planning from the University of Rhode Island. Brian has over 30 years of experience as a contractor for site work and landscape construction in Rhode Island. Throughout his career, he has participated in the construction of over 100 storm water retrofits and drainage projects. As Deputy Superintendent, his main responsibility is to oversee design and construction projects throughout the Parks system, focusing on engaging the community and creatively using resources to make unique and sustainable community spaces. Brian brings a unique perspective to this presentation. Prior to joining Providence Parks, Brian served as a contractor project manager and oversaw the construction of four of the five stormwater practices built within the park in 2013.

    The Ecological Landscape Alliance tour is $23 for ELA members, $33 for nonmembers. See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/eco-tour-roger-williams-park-artful-stormwater-solutions/#sthash.v7Pne2iI.dpuf

  • Sunday, April 23 – Wednesday, April 26 – Gilded Age Art, Design & Technology

    The Preservation Society of Newport County with U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, Franklin & Company, and Christie’s presents Gilded Age Art, Design & Technology on Sunday, April 23 through Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at the Hotel Viking Conference Center in Newport, Rhode Island.

    The Gilded Age arose from the effort to reconcile modern industrial technology with the artistic vocabulary of the past – both real and imaginary. Many of Newport’s summer colonists made their fortunes in industry, and were instrumental in promoting the widespread adoption of advances like steam engines, electric lighting, central heating, refrigeration and automobiles. But jubilation at modern progress was tinged with nostalgia for pre-industrial styles and craftsmanship, giving rise to a host of inventive, eclectic expressions in material culture. From the romantic Medievalism of Ruskin, Henry Adams and William Morris to the bold new iconography of the Statue of Liberty and the Newport mansions, this symposium will explore the range of ways in which Gilded Age patrons and designers forged a new American identity, celebrating innovation while remaining firmly rooted in tradition.

    Speakers will include Richard Guy Wilson of University of Virginia on The Dynamo versus the Palazzo, Richard W. Rydell of Montana State University on America’s Gilded Age World Fairs, Libby O’Connell of the History Channel on From Caviar to Leek Pie: Food and Society in America’s Gilded Age, Kelly Conway of the Corning Museum of Glass on Transparency at the Table: Glass in the Gilded Age, and John Stuart Gordon of Yale University on The Polite Implements of Eating: Innovation & Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century America. And that’s just Monday. For a list of other events visit http://www.newportmansions.org/learn/newport-symposium/symposium-program

    A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Viking for participants at a reduced rate.  Contact the Hotel at 800-556-7126 and mention you are participating in the Symposium.

  • Saturday, October 15, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm – Taste of the Market: Apples, Eats and Tasty Treats

    The Coastal Growers’ Market and Historic New England invite you to taste locally grown fruits and vegetables at Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island on Saturday, October 15 from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, during the height of Southern New England’s agriculture season.

    Casey Farm is one of three vegetable growers offering a taste of the season. Tasting is free, but you’re invited to support local farmers by purchasing your favorites. Enjoy coffee, bakery items, and many other delicious treats along with live music.
    Free. Date is subject to change due to availability of crop. Please call 401-295-1030 for more information, or visit www.historicnewengland.org.

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  • Friday, June 24 – Sunday, June 26 – The Newport Flower Show: Gilded – Artful Living

    Friday, June 24 – Sunday, June 26 – The Newport Flower Show: Gilded – Artful Living

    During the Gilded Age, nearly every aspect of life was elevated to an art form. Gardens became stages for nature’s most brilliant performances, women’s fashions were created for stylish parades, and houses became museums for a lifetime of treasures.

    Join The Preservation Society of Newport County at Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, as we celebrate all that is Gilded.  Each day of the Newport Flower Show offers guests opportunities to enjoy judged horticultural specimens and floral designs, special garden exhibitions, free lectures and demonstrations, children’s activities, and wonderful shopping experiences at the Oceanside Boutiques and Gardeners’ Marketplace. Featured special guests are Bruno Duarte and Bunny Williams.

    Tickets are also available for special luncheons, lectures and workshops, as well as full weekend packages. Visit www.newportmansions.org for complete details.

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  • Saturday, June 18, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Country Gardens of Little Compton

    The Little Compton Garden Club presents Country Gardens of Little Compton, a tour of seven gardens, on Saturday, June 18 from 10 – 4, rain or shine.  Tickets are $35 if purchased before June 11, $40 thereafter.  Food truck lunches available.  Tickets may be purchased at the Little Compton Community Center and at the Partners Village Store in Westport, Massachusetts, or online at www.littlecomptongardenclub.org.  Proceeds will benefit community projects and the Club’s hosting of the 2017 Garden Club of America Zone 1 meeting.