Boston Flora

Category: Volunteer Opportunity

  • Friday, August 14 – Submission Deadline for Emerald Necklace Writing Contest

    Let the Emerald Necklace Be Your Muse! With 1,100 acres of green space and almost 150 years of history in Boston and Brookline, the Emerald Necklace parks are a treasure trove of stories, special moments and inspiration. How have the parks inspired you? What do they mean to you? Now’s your chance to tell us. Enter our Emerald Necklace Writing Contest to share your stories about the Emerald Necklace and for a chance to win an Emerald Necklace baseball cap!

    This contest is offered as part of the Conservancy’s Summer on the Emerald Necklace event series.

    Contest Timeline:

    • Friday, August 14: Submission period closes
    • Monday, August 17: Public voting period opens

    *Friday, August 21: Public voting period closes
    • Monday, August 24: Winners announced

    Tips:

    • Visit the Conservancy’s mobile tour guide on your mobile device to learn about the history of locations around the Necklace
    • Visit the Conservancy’s Instagram for inspiration from photographs taken in the Emerald Necklace
    • Pieces can be inspired by the entire park system, the individual parks of the Emerald Necklace, or by a personal experience in the parks. Be creative!

    Contest Rules:

    • To enter, email your entry to info@emeraldnecklace.org with the subject line “Writing Contest.” Entries must be submitted as a Microsoft Word Document, Google Document, or as a PDF
    • Entries can be prose or poetry of any form
    • There are no minimum length requirements, but entries should be fewer than 1,500 words/three typed pages
    • Inappropriate entries will not be accepted
    • All accepted entries will be posted to the Conservancy’s website for public voting

  • Sunday, July 19 – Sunday, July 26 – Esplanade Pollinator BioBlitz

    Discover and identify the pollinators of the Charles River Esplanade by taking part in the Esplanade Pollinator BioBlitz from July 19 to July 26. The Esplanade Pollinator BioBlitz encourages individuals to explore the Esplanade and document different species of pollinators they find through the iNaturalist app or in a journal. Participants who register via eventbrite will also receive a Virtual BioBlitz Activity Packet with worksheets, coloring sheets, and a map of the Esplanade.

  • September 30 Deadline for Picture This, Mass Audubon Photo Contest

    The Massachusetts Audubon Society is once again seeking photos that highlight people in nature and the beauty of Massachusetts wildlife and landscapes. Last year, they received more than 4,500 images — and can’t wait to see what you have in store for them this year. Deadline for submission is September 30. Submission details and tips are found at www.massaudubon.org

  • Monday, July 6 at 12:00 noon – Voting Deadline for Best Botanic Garden

    Monday, July 6 at 12:00 noon – Voting Deadline for Best Botanic Garden

    A USA Today “best of” poll has nominated Garden in the Woods as one of 20 best botanic gardens in North America. Voting in the poll will winnow the candidates to the 10 best. Most of our competitors in this online contest are much larger—with more people to tap for voting support. So, please help them out: Click this link to vote for Garden in the Woods every day until votes close at noon on July 6. (Yes, you can vote multiple times.) As of June 26, Garden in the Woods stood at number 7, so it’s up to us!

  • Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21 – Massachusetts Invertebrate Interlude

    In normal years, the Athol Bird and Nature Club hosts a Moth Ball at president Dave Small’s house in June, concentrating on attracting moths to lights and baits at night. We can’t do that this year, but we thought instead the club could host a virtual Moth Ball and, in fact, widen the net to include all invertebrates (yes, we meant that pun!). Please join us for the first Massachusetts Invertebrate Interlude Days with Great Expectations, or MIIDGE for short, on June 19th through the 21st. This project is set up to automatically collect all observations of invertebrates in Massachusetts made on those three days, but if you join this project, you’ll get notifications of all of those observations as they’re posted, as well as any announcements we make leading up to the event and afterward. Pull your moth lights out of the closet, pile all the field guides next to the couch for easy reading, and get ready for a bit of fun in this crazy year.

    Sign-up for iNaturalist a very easy to use and helpful app for your phone on computer.

    Learn about Blacklighting for nocturnal insects with Ryan “the Bug Man”

  • Tuesdays – Fridays through June 19, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Family Planting Days

    Join Peabody Essex Museum’s Head Gardener Robin Pydynkowski for a unique hands-on gardening experience. With over an acre of land for safe social distancing, the Ropes Mansion Garden provides an opportunity to connect with nature, learn about planting, and help beautify one of Salem’s historic outdoor spots. Participating families will be assigned a section of an annual bed to plant with the freedom to create their own design, all while learning the basics of gardening!

    To ensure safe distancing, each two-hour planting session is limited to two families (with a maximum of four individuals per group) and face masks are required. No experience or tools are necessary, just bring a willingness to dig in and get your hands dirty. Everyone is welcome back this summer to visit the garden to see and savor the flowers of their labors.

    In this unique outdoor classroom experience, students will:

    • Use their senses to explore and investigate the world around them.
    • Learn about parts of plants and their functions: roots, seeds, leaves, stems and flowers.
    • Discover tips for proper spacing and how to “place and face” the plants for the best presentation as to how they will be viewed.

    Location: Ropes Mansion Garden, 318 Essex St., Salem
    Free for all; Recommended for ages 5 and up
    Limited number of spaces available
    To register or if you have questions, please email ticketing@pem.org or call 978-238-0410. Please include your preference of date and time in your email.

  • The Greater Boston Food Bank

    Volunteers at The Greater Boston Food Bank play a critical role in helping to end hunger in Eastern Massachusetts, and their role is even more critical now given the COVID-19 crisis. Our group and Families for Impact volunteering opportunities are temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis and public health recommendations related to large gatherings of people. Please check back each week for information about these programs. Volunteer shifts will be limited to groups of 10 individuals, and all volunteers will be provided with disposable gloves. Shift and sign up information are available at www.gbfb.org. You may also consider a donation helping to feed those in need right now.

  • Friday, May 15 – Saturday, May 16 – Mass Audubon Bird-a-thon 2020

    Given the events of the last few weeks, you may have started wondering whether your favorite spring birding fundraiser is taking flight this year . . .

    Yes, Bird-a-thon 2020 will still run from 6:00 pm on Friday, May 15, through 6:00 pm on Saturday, May 16, as scheduled. Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon’s largest fundraiser, brings together supporters from across the state to raise essential funds for nature conservation, education, and advocacy—and to compete in an exciting team birding competition. Each year, more than 800 birders work with their team members to see, hear, and identify as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period. Team members and other supporters raise money for Mass Audubon sanctuaries and programs in honor of their participation.

    The format of this year’s competition, as well as some of the rules, will be changing due to COVID-19 and Governor Baker’s stay-at-home advisory. We’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for details about this year’s carbon-free, safety-focused, home-based Bird-a-thon!

    In the meantime, you can join a team and start fundraising today! If you have any questions about participating on a team, please contact the Team Captain directly. For an overview, visit www.massaudubon.org.

  • Beginning April 13: Boston Leaf & Yard Waste Collection

    Turn your yard work waste into compost. If you’re looking for something to do while social distancing, participating in leaf and yard waste collection is a great way to spend time outside, clean your outdoor space, and repurpose your waste.

    The Public Works Department has 20 weeks of curbside leaf and yard waste collection. You can also drop off your collection on scheduled days at the American Legion Highway site.

    The Public Works Department has 20 weeks of curbside leaf and yard waste collection. You can also drop off your collection on scheduled days at the American Legion Highway site.

    VIEW THE SCHEDULE FOR LEAF & YARD WASTE COLLECTION AND DROP-OFF’S HERE.

    Here’s what you need to know for curbside collection:

    • Place all leaves and yard debris in large paper bags or open barrels labeled YARD WASTE
    • Tie branches with string: 3 feet max length and 1 inch max diameter
    • Place barrels, bags, and branches curbside by 6:00 AM
    • Do not include any plastic bags
    • Do not place large branches in barrels.

    We are working towards a Zero Waste Boston. Composted yard waste helps conserve and rebuild a scarce resource — soil. Finished compost makes its way back into the community when it’s donated to Boston’s 100+ community gardens. If you want to make yourown compost, you can purchase a compost bin for $25 here.

    By participating in leaf and yard waste curbside pick-up, you can make composting a regular part of your routine. We can work together to move towards a more sustainable, zero-waste Boston.

    Zero Waste Logo

  • Saturday, July 11 – Appledore Island BioBlitz

    On July 11th, The Cambridge Entomological Society has again been invited on a joint day excursion with Maine Entomological Society and Vermont Entomological Society to Appledore Island off the coast of Maine (Isle of Shoals). The boat will be leaving the UNH pier in Newcastle, NH sometime before 10AM and returning late in the afternoon. There is a chance some participants may be allowed to stay over (with a fee of around $100), but it depends on how many sign up from the difference organizations and the availability of bunks at the time.

    The island is an excellent example of coastal habitat of northern New England with rocky shoreline, brackish wetlands, meadows, wind-blown and stunted maritime forests and two freshwater wetlands with ponds. Foot paths crisscross the island through all the various habitat types. Many species of gulls nest on the island and can be defensive and slightly aggressive. An insect net is helpful for shielding yourself from low flying gulls.

    The roundtrip boat trip cost is $25/person (cash)

    This is a unique opportunity for people, especially students, as the island is an active research station. https://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/

    We likely have spots for 5 people so please contact Scott Smyers at sdsmyers@gmail.com for more details, ask questions or confirm you will be attending. 

    Please respond at latest by May 30th if you are interested!