Boston Flora

Category: Volunteer Opportunity

  • Saturday, July 13, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – The Power of Pollinators

    Come enjoy family activities in the Gardens at Elm Bank, 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, that will help kids learn about the importance of pollinators! Games, crafts and activities will explore the world of butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and more. Presentations to help all ages to find ways to support pollinators with our gardening choices.  Bring a picnic to enjoy a special day at The Gardens at Elm Bank!

    If you’re interested in volunteering at the event, please contact education@masshort.org

    Admission: Members: Free; Children 12 and under: Free; General Public: $10 Rain Date: Sunday, July 14

  • Wednesday, June 12, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm – Brainstorming Meeting for a Dog Park – NEW LOCATION

    The Charlesgate Alliance and Landing Studio will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, June 12th, in conjunction with the Back Bay Dog Park group, from 5:30 to 7:00pm at a meeting room at 91 Bay State Road (to the right as you enter the building) for a brainstorming session about a dog park. This is the first Charlesgate Alliance meeting devoted solely to the dog park element of the future Charlesgate Park. If you are interested in attending this or future meetings, please e-mail Rachel Bakish at charlesgatealliance@gmail.com who will be chairing a Dog Park committee for the Alliance.

  • Solar Power at the Arnold Arboretum

    In 2016. the Arboretum launched a major initiative to reduce emissions and cut energy costs with the installation of two solar arrays to help power the Hunnewell Building and Dana Greenhouses. In 2019, the Arboretum broke ground on the Weld Hill Solar Project, which contains 1,297 solar panels, generates more than 25% of the energy required annually to support research and education at the Weld Hill Research Building, contains a unique battery storage array to reduce peak demand on the local electrical grid, and keeps the equivalent of 401 metric tons of carbon out of the atmosphere each year.

    To support local insect biodiversity in the face of global insect decline, the project design incorporates a native-focused pollinator meadow beneath the panel arrays, with wild-collected plant material sourced and propagated by the Arboretum staff. Together, the Weld Hill solar/battery array and pollinator meadow will serve ongoing education programs focused on climate change, renewable energy, and sustainable design.

    Help power world-class research, and be a part of the Arnold Arboretum’s legacy of environmental stewardship. Sponsor a panel for $1,000. For more information, email Janetta Stringfellow, Director of Development, at 617-384-5043, or email her at janetta_stringfellow@harvard.edu.

  • Saturday, May 19, 9:00 am – Plant the City

    Did you know that there are farmers in the City of Boston?

    Join Youth Engagement and Employment and Food Access at 9 am on May 18 to help provide healthy food options for your community by planting fruits and vegetables to be harvested and shared with your neighbors this summer. Come learn about urban farming and plant healthy food for your community! The event is Citywide: Allston, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Leather District, Downtown, East Boston, Fenway, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, South Boston, South End, West End, and West Roxbury.

    Free breakfast and lunch, and free swag. These are volunteer hours. RSVP at https://www.boston.gov/calendar/plant-city-1

  • Tuesdays, May 7 & 14, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Butterfly Training Course

    Interested in volunteering for the The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History’s 2019 Butterfly House and Pollinator Path? Come share your joy of the outdoors, interest in pollinators and knowledge about butterflies with our summer visitors! The Museum will be looking for many volunteers to connect with our visitors in June, July and August.

    To enroll please call the Museum at 508-896-3867, ext. 133.

    For more information please contact Barbara Knoss, Volunteer Coordinator at 508-896-3867, ext. 119. The Museum is located at 869 Main Street, Route 6A, in Brewster. Visit http://ccmnh.org

  • Saturday, May 4, 8:30 am – 12:00 noon – Back Bay’s Annual Alley Rally

    Make a difference in your neighborhood, one alley at a time. The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s City Services Committee organizes Alley Rally annually as a neighborhood cleanup in conjunction with Mayor Walsh’s “Love Your Block.” Join your neighbors in an effort to keep Back Bay beautiful by spending three hours sweeping up our alleys and side streets. All ages welcome and no rsvp necessary.

    From 8:30 – 9 meet at the Clarendon Street Playground for coffee, juice and breakfast provided by local Back Bay sponsors. Then, at 9, divide into teams and head off to lean alleys and side streets. Gloves, trash bags, brooms, and other tools will be provided by the City of Boston’s Department of Public Works. Then, at noon, enjoy a free lunch and raffle for all volunteers back at the Clarendon Street Playground. For additional information contact Jason Post at jason.b.post@gmail.com.

    Alley Rally has been sponsored by NABB since 1967. In the “old days” there was a lot more to do. The neighborhood was a mix of student buildings, rooming houses, and single family houses, with just a few newly created condominiums in existence. Property owners came out and worked, and in the evening NABB sponsored a dinner at a member’s home for the volunteers. As years passed, fewer residents began showing up, but our wonderful area fraternity brothers lent their muscle to some of the heavy lifting. It’s time to turn back the clock and see more owners out on the streets. The neighborhood is much cleaner than it was in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and volunteers will meet so many good people in this community effort. The more people you know, the safer the Back Bay will be. We urge you to consider participating. Thanks to sponsors Engle & Volkers, Star Market, and Quality Mart.

  • Reconnect Parkland Through Storrow Project

    MassDOT has opened a public conversation about the reconstruction of Storrow Drive near Kenmore Square where it intersects with the Bowker Overpass.

    They have developed an approach that offers the exciting prospect of moving Storrow further back from the River and consolidating parkland. Planners are converging on Options 3A or 3B in this slide deck. Worth noting: The project does not include, but will be done so as not to foreclose, the daylighting of the Muddy River’s entrance to the Charles.

    A lot of thinking has been to identify these options, but a lot of design and engineering work remains to be done in collaboration with neighbors and the larger public. A meeting was held to start the conversation with representatives of neighborhood groups and abutting institutions — much more conversation to come.

    The project is likely to begin construction in roughly 2023. To learn more about this project, contact State Senator Will Brownsberger at http://willbrownsberger.com, or call his office at 617-722-1280.

  • Through April 24 – Nominations Open for Mayor’s Greenovate Awards

    Greenovate Boston is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Mayor’s Greenovate Awards. As in past years, we ask that you nominate leaders in climate action, be it an individual, an organization, or a business. The categories for this years’ awards will be:

    • Waste Reduction
    • Community Engagement
    • Buildings and Energy
    • Alternative Transportation
    • Climate Preparedness and Resiliency

    The Greenovate Team is adding a special twist to the awards selection process. Once we have received nominations, we will be hosting live voting on our website, where you and other community members can vote on who you think should win the award for each category.

    Your votes will help us choose the top 3 finalists, from which the Greenovate team will choose the winner, whom we will announce at this year’s Greenovate Awards Ceremony!

    Nominations are open from April 4th through April 24th – Nominate your leader today! Voting will be open from April  26th through May 10th.

  • Registration Open for Esplanade Association Group/Corporate Volunteers

    Bring your company’s employees to volunteer on the Esplanade as part of our award-winning Volunteer Program!

    Volunteering with the Esplanade Association is a great way to build your team while participating in a visible corporate philanthropic effort to benefit a local nonprofit. Volunteers report a sense of pride caring for a public space that they are likely to return to with friends and family.

    If you are interested in scheduling a separate volunteer opportunity on the Esplanade, please email Micah Jasny, Stewardship Manager (mjasny@esplanade.org)
    Activities May Include:

    Painting benches or fencing
    Planting new gardens and bulbs
    Removing invasive plants or weeds
    Sweeping park pathways
    Mulching
    Raking leaves

    Scheduling and Time Commitment

    A minimum of 15 confirmed participants is required to set up a group day. Please email us to inquire about hosting groups larger than 100 people.
    Volunteer days are three hours long (longer by request)
    Volunteer days are typically scheduled for Tuesday or Thursday (others by request)
    During winter and late fall, we will continue to schedule volunteers at the park as long as the weather is favorable.
    Each group is required to designate one or more volunteer leaders from their group who will be present during the event to assist with coordination.

    Please email Micah Jasny, Stewardship Manager at mjasny@esplanade.org if you have any questions. We would love to set up a volunteer day for your group.

    Image result for Volunteer groups on Boston Esplanade

  • Lighting the Mall Monuments

    The Friends of the Public Garden is excited to announce the launch of a plan to design and install permanent lighting of the statues on each block of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The first project will be the Morison statue in the Spring of 2019, followed by the Garrison and Collins statues.

    In addition to lighting installation, this project will include repointing of stonework, restoration of granite surrounds, walkways and turf around each statue as needed. The projected budget for the first three statues is $500,000.

    We are currently raising funds for the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Statue Lighting. If you’d like to help, you can donate online here or by sending a check in the mail. For more information, email Margaret Pokorny at mpok384@gmail.com, or call 617-723-8144.