Boston Flora

Category: Uncategorized

  • Saturday, November 14, 9:00 – 11:00 am – Asian Longhorn Beetle Battle

    Asian Longhorned Beetle (“ALB”) is an invasive wood-boring pest that was discovered in Worcester, MA in August 2008. It is a huge threat to the trees that grow in our parks and along every street, and puts the livelihood of our state’s forests as well as our nursery and maple syrup industries at risk. Help us survey Boston’s trees for signs of this invasive beetle. Learn how to recognize ALB and ALB tree damage, and what trees are most vulnerable. A brief training session will be held before the survey. Meet Saturday, November 14 (raindate Sunday, November 15) at 9:00 am on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall at Arlington Street.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring water.  Call 617-626-1735 to register.  For more information, log on to http://massnrc.org/pests/alb.  This survey is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

    http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/alb1.bmp

  • Tuesday, November 10, 6:30pm – 9:00 pm – FRESH

    The Upton 4-H applied for funding from the Upton Cultural Council, a local agency which is itself supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, in order to present a free screening of the movie FRESH on Tuesday, November 10, beginning at 6:30 pm at the Nipmuc Regional High School Auditorium, 90 Pleasant Street, in Upton, Massachusetts.

    FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

    Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

    Please bring non-perishable items and  grocery store gift cards for donation to local food pantries, as part of the MA 4-H Cares About Community Statewide Annual Food Drive.

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  • Saturdays, October 31 and November 21, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – City of Boston Hazardous Waste Drop Off Days

    Get rid of the paint, the aerosol cans, the chemicals, the works, on either Saturday, October 31 at the UMass Boston Boston Harbor Campus, 100 Morrissey Blvd. or on November 21 at the Boston Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street in West Roxbury.  Log on to www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/recycling/hazardouswaste.asp for directions and a full list of items accepted. No televisions or computers, please, and bring proof of residency with you.

    This just in  from our friend Penny Cherubino at www.bostonzest.com.  The directions on the City’s web site are wrong (ah, the government!), but Penny has posted the correct information at : http://www.bostonzest.com/2009/10/boston-hazardous-waste-collection-days-fall-2009.html

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  • Monday, November 2, 4:00 – 6:00 pm – Day of the Dead at Forest Hills Cemetery

    November 2 is the date of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the traditional Mexican ceremonies honoring family and friends who have died. Over the past few years, Forest Hills Cemetery has served as a location for such a ceremony, and this year is no exception. The ceremony begins at 4:00pm, as the sun is setting.  Hundreds of people, including families with children, attend and participate with their own private remembrances.

    Join The Forest Hills Educational Trust for a traditional Mexican celebration of remembrance co-sponsored by Latin American folkloric performance group La Pinata. Based on the ancient traditions of Mexico’s indigenous peoples who believed that the souls of the dead return each year to visit their families, the Day of the Dead celebrates the continuous cycle of life and death, embracing cultures from all throughout the Americas. Enjoy a program of music and dance as individuals bring offerings of flowers, copies of photos, mementos, and traditional skull-shaped sugar candies to leave on a decorated candle-lit altar for those departed loved ones. Dress warmly. Bring a flashlight. Bilingual: English/Spanish. Admission: Free. Co-sponsored by La Piñata and Spontaneous Celebrations. Visit them at http://www.spontaneouscelebrations.org.

    For more information, log on to www.foresthillstrust.org.

    Day of the Dead

  • Saturday, October 24, 5:30 pm – Eighth Annual Pumpkin Float

    Watch spooky pumpkins float down Davenport Creek.  Participants are invited to bring a 6 – 8 inch pumpkin carved at home to float.  The event will take place at Pope John Paul II Park, Gallivan Boulevard Entrance, 751 Gallivan Boulevard, Dorchester, and registration is required by calling 617-542-7696, or emailing info@bostonnatural.org.  Only those bringing pumpkins and those with children are required to register to make sure there are enough floats and treats for all.

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  • Friday, October 16 – Sunday, October 18 – Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival

    The third annual Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival will be held from October 16 – 18, 2009 in Edgartown, Massachusetts. During this fall harvest celebration, leading Chefs will present to guests the best locally sourced fresh seafood, produce, and meats, while Vintners offer samplings of wines from around the world.

    The Festival is held in the charming, picturesque seaside village of Edgartown, Massachusetts. Renowned for its cottages set amidst historic homes of legendary New England whaling captains, guests stroll along brick sidewalks enjoying the galleries, boutiques, and wildflower gardens. Seminars are held Saturday morning and afternoon in select Edgartown venues and private clubs. The Friday night Opening Reception and Saturday afternoon Grand Tasting are held outdoors on the grounds of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in a beautiful, elegant white tent lit by brass lamps in the late afternoon.

    For a complete calendar of events, and to purchase tickets for individual events, log on to www.mvfoodandwine.com.

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  • Saturday, October 10, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Native Earth Teaching Farm Popcorn Festival

    Celebrate the coming of fall on Saturday, October 10, from 10 – 3, at the Native Earth Teaching Farm Popcorn Festival.  Lots to taste, explore and experience – and lots of popcorn for all.  There will by wool dyeing of the farm’s hand spun wool with flowers, goat walking, taste testings, a quest, and hands-on demos. Sponsored in part by the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council, all are welcome to this free event, taking place at the Native Earth Teaching Farm, 94 North Road, Chilmark.  For more information, call 508-645-3304, email contact-us@mvol.com, or check the website, www.nativeearthteachingfarm.org.

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  • Rain Cancellation of Garden Club Table at NABB Street Sale

    Once again, heavy rain and a forecast of lightning has scuttled our plans to participate in the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s Street Fair, originally scheduled to take place today, October 3, on the Dartmouth Street Mall between Newbury Street and Commonwealth Avenue.  We haven’t heard whether or not NABB and other vendors are going forward with their plans (we suspect not), but thank our volunteers, especially Committee Chair Maureen O’Hara, for their work preparing for today’s event.

  • Monday, October 5, 7:00 pm – “HomeGrown”

    There will be a screening of the movie “HomeGrown” on Monday, October 5 at 7 pm at Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road in Belmont. The Dervaes family turned their yard in the heart of urban Pasadena into a small organic farm. While living “off the grid,” they harvest over 6,000 pounds of produce on less than a quarter of an acre, make their own bio diesel, power their computers with the help of solar panels, and maintain a web site that gets 4,000 hits a day. The film is an intimate human portrait of what it’s like to live like Little House on the Prairie in the 21st Century.

    For more info: 617-484-3980 or www.belmontworldfilm.org.
    Tickets: $10, $8 students & seniors. Advance tickets available
    at the Studio Cinema box office or at www.mktix.com.

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  • Saturday, October 3, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm – Westport Rivers Harvest Festival

    Saturday, October 3, from 11 – 5 at Westport Rivers Winery, 417 Hixbridge Road in Westport, Massachusetts, enjoy this year’s Harvest Festival. Rain or Shine, Admission is Free. Live Music with: Putnam Murdock 11-1pm.  Grape Stomp with Co-Owner/ Vineyard Manager Rob Russell at 1pm.  Face Painting for Kids with Gerri Rodrigues 12-3pm. Live Music with: The Bluegrass Invitation Band 2-4pm. Walking Vineyard Tours at 1pm & 3pm. Local Painter Betsey MacDonald, with works on display in the Russell Gallery. Artist meet and greet from 3-5pm. Golden Touch Farm, Alpaca petting pen. Dartmouth Orchards, sampling and selling; apples, mulled cider, jam, jelly, candy apples, apple butter, honey, haystacks, cornstalks, pumpkins, gourds, etc… Shy Brothers Farm, sampling and selling; locally made artisan cheeses from Paradise Hill Farm & Friends, fresh off the local Farmer’s Market circuit will be on hand with products and produce for sale. Gallo Family Foods, sampling and selling; locally made biscotti. Just Beer Inc. will offer samples of their brand new farm fresh brews.  If you would like to purchase anything from our local farmers while browsing their stands please do so, we hope to encourage your support of local food and agriculture. For a fee there will be beer and wine available by the glass and light fun food options available from Green Gal Catering. Discounted wine tastings will be taking place all day long and includes an etched logo wine glass. For more information please call us at 508-636-3423 ext.2 or email retail@westportrivers.com.  Westport Rivers will also  release one of the most sought after wines to the general public! Westport Rivers 2008 Riesling will be available for purchase in the Company Store. This limited release wine sells out consistently year in and year out and this vintage will be no different. This clean, crisp, off dry Riesling is out just in time for autumn and may not last until Thanksgiving. They held off on releasing this limited supply of 2008 Riesling and for months, and only made it available to Wine Club members because of the limited quantity on hand. They have satisfied their obligations to their Wine Club members and the retailers who support them by carrying the Riesling out in the marketplace. What they have left will go out on display and be available for sale at this HARVESTFEST event. So if not for the music, food, and family fun please do come down to visit this coming Sat. Oct. 3rd to get your case of 2008 Riesling while you can.

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