THE GOATS ARE BACK! Join The Boston Parks Department, the American Red Cross, and the Muddy Water Initiative for our Goats’ N Boats’ Celebration & Cleanup on Sunday August 30th from 12pm-2pm at the Muddy River. Thanks to all of our volunteers for making this GOAT season possible. All materials will be provided. Please wear close-toed shoes and clothes that can get muddy.
Berkshire Botanical Garden is preparing for one of the most significant expansions in its nearly century-long history: a $4-plus million Glass House conservatory designed to transform the Stockbridge campus into a year-round destination.
The 5,000-square-foot facility will immerse visitors in tropical plants, orchids, desert landscapes and aquatic gardens, offering a warm, living escape during the Berkshires’ coldest months while dramatically expanding the Garden’s educational and community programming.
Garden officials unveiled the project Saturday, July 11, calling it the culmination of years of planning and the final major component of the first phase of a long-range master plan for the non-profit Garden, founded in 1934.
Although detailed planning for the Glass House began about three years ago, its roots stretch back even further. Between 2018 and 2020, Berkshire Botanical Garden commissioned internationally recognized landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz to develop a comprehensive master plan for the Garden’s 24-acre campus. At the time, the Garden had expanded significantly through new land acquisitions and was preparing for its next century of growth.
For complete details, and to consider making a donation, visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/berkshire-botanical-garden-unveils-vision-transformative-new-glass-house
Join the Native Land Conservancy’s fourth annual gathering of professional and citizen scientists on Wednesday, August 13 from 10 – 2 on Wampanoag Common Lands, 266 Bishops Highway in Kingston, Massachusetts. This annual survey helps NLC document and track ecological changes through time and assess the ongoing restoration efforts. Bring lunch, bug repellent, sun block, and your fully-charged smart phone to identify species using the free app, iNaturalist. Register online at @bit.ly/NLCBioBlitz26 or scan QR code below.
Applications are open for raised bed gardens in the Dudley Greenhouse for the September 2026 – August 2027 season!
The Dudley Greenhouse is a 10,000-square-foot facility in the Dudley neighborhood in Roxbury. It is owned by the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), leased by The Food Project and guided by the Dudley Greenhouse Advisory Committee (GAC). The greenhouse operates year-round as a food production and educational space. It’s overseen by The Food Project with ongoing input by the GAC.
Application option 1: For individuals and organizations growing food to address causes of food inequities and celebrate the cultural, spiritual, and physical importance of food in your community
Application option 2: For seniors and residents with a physical disability.
Applications close Friday, August 14. Visit https://thefoodproject.org/farms/dudley-greenhouse/?et_fb=1&PageSpeed=off to apply.
Each year, roughly 32 million people visit the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C. It’s a place that has been called “America’s Front Yard” for a good reason – it belongs to the American people. Yet this place that commemorates so much of our history is currently under threat.
Join The National Parks Conservation Association on July 21 for a virtual Park Talk to learn about how the Trump administration is bypassing congressional oversight and disregarding the laws that protect the places that belong to all Americans. You’ll hear from NPCA’s staff of experts who will share more about how this important place is at risk and what you can do to ensure your voice is heard. For questions about registration or to submit questions to panelists in advance, please email arobertson@npca.org. REGISTER at https://support.npca.org/page/100354/event/1. Biographies of the featured speakers can be found on the registration page. Free.
The Mayor’s Garden Contest is an annual citywide celebration of urban gardening. We recognize gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs, helping beautify Boston’s neighborhoods. First place winners in the garden categories will receive the “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Michelle Wu. They will also be entered to win a grand prize of two round trip tickets on JetBlue for non-stop travel from Boston, provided by JetBlue. Additional support provided by Mahoney’s Garden Centers. Mayor Michelle Wu will recognize Garden Contest Hall of Fame inductees at the awards ceremony. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a gardener must have won three or more times.
The contest is only for Boston residents who are amateur gardeners. Businesses and other groups may submit an entry in our “Storefront, Organization, or Main Street District Garden” category. The first round of judging is done by viewing the photos you submit as part of your application. Please include whole photos of the garden (not close ups of individual flowers, vegetables or plants.) Any photos or images you submit to us become City of Boston property. We may use these images for press or marketing purposes. Finalist gardens will be judged in person. City of Boston employees and their immediate family members are not eligible.
To download the contest entry form visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/mayors-garden-contest
Invasive plants threaten the delicate ecosystems within J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve, located at 779 Cabot Street in Beverly. A BioBlitz will help us show where the forest needs the most assistance. Join us for the kickoff! (Can’t attend the kick-off? You can still collect data all year long!) A BioBlitz is an event where attendees take photos and record sounds to catalog the animals and plants living in an area. The resulting data paints a picture of the ecosystem and what lives there- and what doesn’t! You don’t need experience, just the free iNaturalist app and a smart phone!
The event is sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts, Plant Magic Gardens, and Green Beverly, with additional help from the Mass Cultural Council, the Elizabeth B. McGraw Foundation, and the Chrysanta Foundation. Sign up at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/Calendar-of-Events/BioBlitz-with-Green-Beverly-Plant-Magic-Gardens-and-Grow-Native
This summer the Urban Farming Institute is inviting a small cohort of youth to join us on the farm in our movement toward building a healthy community. Young Farmers Project is a program that will serve as a site of belonging and transformation for youth where we will combine hands-on land-based skills, art, collective leadership, civic engagement, and political education to develop a loving relationship with the land, ourselves, and each other.
Together we will…
Learn how to grow food through hands-on farming
Explore nature and our local ecosystems
Make art, share food, and move our bodies
Design a community action project based on the needs in our lives and community
Share what we learn with our community
Consider our passions, experiences, and skills in creating positive social changeProgram Dates:
July 6 – August 14 (6 weeks)
This program will run from Monday – Friday (28 hours/week)
9:00 am – 3:00 pm (Wednesdays 9:00 am – 1:00 pm)
Location:
Urban Farming Institute
487 Norfolk Street
Mattapan, MA 02186
Compensation: $16/hour; 28 hours per week
For complete information visit https://www.urbanfarminginstitute.org/young-farmers-project
Want to grow your own food—right in your yard? The Food Project believes that everyone who wants to grow their own food should have access to adequate, toxin-free growing space. To this end, we have built more than 1,800 raised-bed gardens through our Build-a-Garden initiative.
Build-a-Garden: Greater Boston
The Food Project’s Build-a-Garden initiative supports low- to moderate-income households in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan — plus organizations — that want to grow their own food.
We provide you with:
A raised-bed garden filled with healthy, safe soil.
12 free seedlings in May of your first year.
Free Garden Planning & Planting workshops and a Growing Guide.
Ongoing support through drop-in open hours at the Dudley Greenhouse.
An annual sale for gardeners to purchase high-quality seedlings, compost, and other supplies to keep our neighbors’ gardens growing.Eligibility Priorities and Gardener Expectations:
Residents of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan, are welcome to apply. Priority is given to those with financial need and to families with children. Gardeners are expected to:
Attend a 2-hour introduction to gardening workshop session and complete a post-season survey.
Plant and maintain your garden on a weekly basis. We generally recommend spending at least 1-2 hours per week.
While not required, our hope is that participants will become engaged with our programs and other gardeners in their neighborhood.No prior gardening experience is required; enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are all you need!
*At this time, we only have the capacity to build standard 4 ft wide, 8 ft long, and 10 in tall beds.
Visit https://thefoodproject.org/bag/ for application forms and information. There is also an opportunity for residents in the North Shore – information at link.
The Trustees of Reservations will sponsor the 2026 South End Garden Tour on Saturday, June 20, from 10 – 4. The Tour will start at the Berkeley Community Garden, 500 Tremont Street in the South End. Tickets are $28 for Trustees Members and $35 for nonmembers. However, volunteers will receive a free ticket. The committee is looking for people to help with setup, tour assistants, cleanup, photographers, and musicians. Sign up to volunteer at https://volunteer.thetrustees.org/ or email mfrancke@thetrustees.org.
