Boston Flora

Category: Volunteer Opportunity

  • Wednesday, August 16 – Friday, September 1 – Volunteer Opportunity: Public Art on the Esplanade

    Help enliven a Boston landmark by taking part in the creation of an exciting new public art piece. The Esplanade Association has commissioned a mural along the Charles River Esplanade, and is partnering with Now + There to produce the work. As we await final approvals, we need to recruit volunteers to help us during the painting phase of the project.

    Volunteering will take place on the mural site on the Esplanade (to be revealed soon). Volunteer duties include ensuring brushes and other materials are clean and organized, running water to the site, providing general information to passers-by, and flagging pedestrian traffic to ensure that work is completed in a safe and timely manner. There is also an opportunity to help out at an upcoming community mural painting day.

    Now + There is looking to schedule at least two volunteers on site during all painting days, which are schedule to run August 16 to September 1st. There will be two three-hour volunteer shifts per day, running from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Volunteers should be comfortable interfacing with the public, and should be able to stand outdoors for three hours at a time. Some moderate lifting may be required of volunteers who help with materials.

    This is a great opportunity to work with a talented local artist and help the Esplanade Association and Now + There bring more vibrant public art to Boston. Sign up at http://www.nowandthere.org/esplanade-volunteering?mc_cid=95385b6198&mc_eid=995cffa160

  • Sunday, July 30 – Saturday, August 5 – STIHL Tour des Trees

    The STIHL Tour des Trees, an annual week long, 500 to 600-mile cycling adventure, is the primary public outreach and engagement event of Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund). Since 1992 Tour riders have cycled to communities in the U.S., Canada and the U.K, planting trees, educating children and shining a light on the work done by arboriculture professionals and the importance of science-based tree care. The Tour serves to advance TREE Fund’s mission to support scientific discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in arboriculture and urban forestry.

    Full-Tour cyclists commit to raising at least $3,500 for TREE Fund, and 100% of what they raise supports research grants, scholarships and arboriculture education programs administered by TREE Fund. TREE Fund researchers have discovered better ways to propagate, plant and care for urban trees, making them more resilient, more resistant to pests, and less prone to failure. Supported education programs connect young people with the environment and career opportunities in green industries. The legacy of the STIHL Tour des Trees includes an ever-expanding urban forest planted by its cyclists and a growing legion of civilian tree stewards in the communities along the route. The Tour des Trees, held this year July 30 – August 5 in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017!

    Get details on this year’s ride and find out how YOU can get involved at http://stihltourdestrees.org/.

  • Historic New England’s Lyman Estate Greenhouses Project

    The Lyman Estate Greenhouses in Waltham, Massachusetts is among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States, with four attached structures built between 1804 and 1930.  Historic New England announces that this summer and fall, a comprehensive preservation project will help ensure the sustainability of the greenhouses and make them more accessible.  The buildings will be stabilized and their character-defining features will be preserved, along with providing increased ventilation and heat. The bald cypress sash windows will be conserved, rather than replaced, and mobility access will be improved by upgrading exterior pathways. The $335,000 project will be funded in part by two grants, one from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund and another from the City of Waltham Community Preservation Fund, but a significant amount is still needed to cover the cost of this essential project.  If you are interested in donating, you may do so online at www.historicnewengland.org/PMF or call 617-994-5951.

  • Now through September, Thursdays, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – FOPG Border Brigade

    Join the Friends of the Public Garden’s Border Brigade Thursdays, 5 pm – 7 pm, to help at the Boylston Street border.  FOPG is looking for champion volunteer weeders to help maintain the now-beautiful Boylston Street and Beacon Street borders in the Public Garden.  Gloves, knee pads, and some brief instruction on weed identification will be provided.  No previous experience necessary and one can participate every week, a couple of weeks, or only once.  You’ll get a free Friends of the Public Garden t-shirt and a book about the Public Garden.  Feel free to bring your favorite small hand tools.  Email info@friendsofthepublicgarden.org if you are interested, and to confirm dates (weather may affect the schedule.)

  • Volunteer Opportunity – The Charlesgate Alliance

    The Charlesgate Alliance is a new neighborhood organization dedicated to improving Charlesgate Park and to knitting together the Charlesgate district. It promises to become an effective new force to defend and serve a diverse and dynamic neighborhood, connecting Kenmore, Back Bay and the Fenway. The group is actively soliciting new members. A short term goal is to develop the notion of Charlesgate as a neighborhood while creating safe, pedestrian friendly public “parklets” and to improve the Muddy River water quality. Ultimately, a long term goal is to restore Charlesgate Park.  For more information visit https://charlesgatealliance.org/

  • The Garden Club of the Back Bay Announces 2017 Grants

    At the Annual Meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay on May 8, the membership approved the following grants for fiscal year 2017. These grants, given to organizations whose mission closely tracks our own, are in addition to $20,000 allocated directly to neighborhood tree care.  We thank all our volunteers and supporters, who make the magic happen.  Image courtesy of www.tclf.org. The following list is in alphabetical order:

    Arnold Arboretum: $1,500 for the Campaign for the Living Collections, to collect and preserve plants of critical conservation value.

    Blossom Fund of the Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America: $500

    Boston Nature Center/Mass Audubon: $4,000, to support scholarships for their summer camp.  Children range in age from 5 – 14 and are from local neighborhoods of Mattapan, Roslindale and Jamaica Plain.

    Charles River Clean Up Boat: $2,000

    Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee: $5,000 for its tree care program, including Dutch elm disease monitoring and soil improvement.

    Emerald Necklace Conservancy: $2,500, to the Olmsted Tree Society for planting a pathway tree.

    Esplanade Association: $5,000, for the 2017 critical tree maintenance program, allocated to pruning.

    Friends of Copley Square: $1,500 for treating trees for root stress, and for fertilizer and fungicide.

    Friends of the Public Garden: $5,000 for tree care and preservation of the historic elms planted on Commonwealth Avenue in the block west of Massachusetts Avenue.

    Food Project: $2,000 for building raised bed gardens for Boston residents and community centers.

    Mothers Out Front: $1,000 for educating the public on the effects of gas leaks on trees in the urban landscape.

  • April is Membership Month at the Friends of the Public Garden

    Join the Friends of the Public Garden in April and help care for the Boston Common, the Public Garden, the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, and receive a Welcome Gift at the same time.  The Welcome Gift includes a Public Garden book, Friends notepad, pen, and cell phone wallet.  To sign up, visit http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/join-donate/

  • Wednesday, April 19, 5:30 pm – Greenovate Boston Awards Party

    Join Mayor Walsh and Greenovate Boston as we celebrate Earth Day and Boston’s climate action leaders! On Wednesday, April 19th we will announce the 2017 Mayor’s Greenovate Award winners. Throughout the evening, you will have the opportunity to connect with neighbors and colleagues who make Boston a greener city. Click here to RSVP for the Greenovate Awards Celebration.

    What: Greenovate Boston Awards Party
    When: Wednesday, April 19th @ 5:30PM – 8:00PM
    Where: 888 Boylston Street, Boston 02199

    This year’s event is generously sponsored by Boston Properties, and we are excited to celebrate in one of the greenest buildings in Boston: 888 Boylston Street.

    The Greenovate community plays an important role in reaching Boston’s climate action goals. The free awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate our community’s efforts, and to connect with each other across sectors and issues. We have received more than 100 nominations for the Awards, and over 1,900 votes from you to help determine the finalists; don’t miss your chance to hear who the winners are. We expect to reach capacity for this event, make sure to RSVP today!


    P.S. – Thank you if you voted for this year’s finalists for the Greenovate Awards — learn more about the top 3 in each category by clicking here.

  • Friday, April 14, 12:30 pm – iNaturalist City Challenge

    Contribute to Science, and participate in the iNaturalist City Challenge.

    Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

    Record your encounters with other organisms and maintain life lists, all in the cloud. Works on all devices: smartphones, tablets, etc. Help scientists and resource managers understand when and where organisms occur. Connect with experts who can identify the organisms you observe (they look at your picture and provide identification.) Build your knowledge by talking with other naturalists and helping others.

    The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is on a mission to make Boston the city with the most documented natural species. Join them on a nature walk Friday, April 14 at 12:30 (meet at the Longwood T stop), or make observations on your own using the iNaturalist app between April 14 – 18. Register for the walk at www.emeraldnecklace.org.

  • Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Center House Entry Garden Competition

    The Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) is launching a call for proposals to select a designer or design team to help create a new entry garden on its 15-acre property. This call for proposals is open to all students currently enrolled in an accredited landscape architecture program in the United States and Canada. Entrants can be individuals or teams of students.

    BBG is seeking an innovative proposal that will complement the design of its newly restored and expanded Center House building and surrounding established garden areas. The c. 4,000 sq.ft. Entry Garden area will become the new gateway for tens of thousands of annual visitors touring the Garden, attending special events on BBG grounds and inside the Center House, and participating in BBG’s varied horticultural and educational programs that take place year-round.

    The deadline to submit proposals electronically is May 19, 2017 at 5pm EDT. (A preliminary Registration Form and a $50 registration fee must first be submitted by April 17, 2017 at 5pm EDT.)

    Any applications submitted after the May 19, 2017 deadline will not be accepted.

    For further information, please contact:

    Michael Beck
    Executive Director
    Berkshire Botanical Garden
    P.O. Box 826
    Stockbridge, MA 01262
    competition@berkshirebotanical.org

    The winning design will be selected by a five-member jury made up of independent designers, horticulturalists, and landscape architects, on the basis of the creative response to the design brief as well as originality and clarity of the concept and the creative approach. The winning submission must take into consideration the specifics of the site, the challenges of the location, BBG’s estimated project implementation budget and timeline, the demands on ongoing maintenance, and the programming envisioned by BBG for the garden area and the adjoining Center House building.

    The winning design and two runners up will be announced on June 2, 2017 on the competition website and through local and regional news media. All participants will receive the results of the competition via email.

    The winning design proposal will be used as the basis for the new Center House Entry Garden that will be built beginning in the fall of 2017. BBG’s staff and design consultants will provide feedback on the concept described in the winning submission, and will work with the winning designer(s) towards a final design and construction drawings, which must be finalized by July 7, 2017.

    April 3, 2017— Registration Opens
    April 17, 2017— Online registration and fee payment deadline
    Interested designers submit contact information and nonrefundable processing fee of $50 to BBG
    April 24, 2017— Deadline for questions to BBG
    Registered designers are invited to submit questions to BBG at any point from time of registration until 5pm EDT. BBG’s answers to all questions will be posted on the competition site on a rolling basis, but no later than April 28, 2017
    May 19, 2017— Deadline for competition submission (electronic)
    Registrants submit design materials electronically
    June 2, 2017— Announcement of winner and runners-up
    June 2-July 7, 2017— Development period for winning project
    Winning designer or team to work with BBG and BBG’s design consultants on details of design. BBG has engaged Landscape Architects Okerstrom Lang Ltd. to draft all construction documents.
    July 7, 2017— Construction drawings for winning project finalized by Okerstrom Lang Ltd.
    August, 2017— Dedication of Center House Building and presentation of winning Entry Garden design to the public
    Winning designer or representative of winning design team will be invited to attend. Exact date will be dependent on building construction schedule.
    September, 2017— Construction begins for Entry Garden
    May 6, 2018— Dedication of new entry garden on first day of 2018 visiting season at BBG

    The Jury:

    Page Dickey, Writer and Garden Designer (Falls Village, CT)
    Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter Garden and CEO, The Great Dixter Charitable Trust (East Sussex, United Kingdom)
    Renny Reynolds, Landscape Architect and Co-Owner of Hortulus Farm (Bucks County, PA)
    Mark E. Strieter, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (New York, NY and Charlottesville, VA)
    Matthew Urbanski, Principal, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., (New York, NY)

    The winning designer will be awarded an honorarium of $1,500. Two runners-up will each receive $750. These three designs will be exhibited at BBG during the summer of 2017, and BBG will seek to publicize the designs through local, regional and national media channels.

    BBG plans to have a design development and construction budget of $100,000 available to implement the Center House Entry Garden. However, we reserve the right not to implement the design based on unforeseen future funding constraints or for any other reason.