Boston Flora

Category: Volunteer Opportunity

  • Saturdays, January 14 – February 18, 2012 – Want to be a Master Urban Gardener?

    The Master Urban Gardener (MUG) program covers all you need to know to grow food in one of Boston’s community gardens- from composting and seed starting to community organizing. The 2012 MUG classroom sessions will be offered on 6 consecutive Saturdays from January 14 – February 18.

    The MUG program consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction, followed by 30 hours of volunteer service. The 2012 MUG classroom sessions will be offered on 6 consecutive Saturdays from January 14 – February 18. The classes will be hosted at the Boston Natural Areas Network office, at 62 Summer Street in Downtown Boston.

    Each Saturday will feature topical lectures as well as participatory activities. Topics include:

    • Vegetable garden planning for bigger harvests
    • Botany and soil science for gardeners
    • Managing weeds, pests & diseases without chemicals
    • Composting in community gardens
    • How to facilitate garden meetings and workshops

    Rather than paying a fee, Master Urban Gardeners give 30 hours of volunteer service to Boston’s gardening community. The program is open to Boston resident who are community gardeners. Applications for the MUG course are available at www.bostonnatural.org/MUG.htm and are due December 1. Questions? Contact Erika Rumbley, Garden Educator at 617-542-7696 x15 or erika@bostonnatural.org.

  • Monday, November 21, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Boston Urban Forest Council Meeting

    For all those interested in improving and expanding Boston’s Urban Forest, you are invited to the Boston Urban Forest Council Meeting on Monday, November 21, from 6 – 7 at the Boston Natural Areas Network offices, 62 Summer Street in downtown Boston. Become a part of a citizen based stewardship group whose goals are to plan trees and educate the public about the benefits of trees. Please RSVP to reserve your spot at 617-542-7696 ext 20 or email: mathew@bostonnatural.org.

  • Saturday, November 19, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – First Annual Citywide Seed Swap

    Join gardeners from around the city for the Boston Gardeners Council’s first annual seed swap, to be held Saturday, November 19, from 2 – 4 at the Boston Natural Areas Network office at 62 Summer Street in Boston. Bring your favorite or extra seeds and discover what other gardeners love to grow. Come share your wisdom, tips and tales of beloved crops. Contact: karen@bostonnatural.org or call 617-542-7696 for more information.

  • Saturday, November 19, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Fall Leaf Raking

    Join Franklin Park neighbors and volunteers on a crisp fall day as they rake leaves and spruce the park up. Feel free to bring your favorite gloves or an extra rake, although we’ll have plenty on hand for those without.  Perhaps you should also bring your favorite spouse or partner, since the more the merrier. Meet at Valley Gates parking lot (midway down the main park road across from the golf course and near Pierpont Rd.) Call to RSVP at 617-442-4141 or email: RSVP@franklinparkcoalition.org.

  • Charles River Clean Up Boat Update

    Our good friend Tom McNichol of the Charles River Clean Up Boat sent us a “year in review” letter which we’d like to share with you.  Tom may be reached at cleanupboat@yahoo.com, if you’d like to put your name on the volunteer list for next season:

    Once again, all the news from the river is good. 2011 was a safe and productive season. We had no accidents or injuries. This is most important, as safety is our number one concern.

    As to productivity, we kept the Charles looking very good nearly every day this spring, summer and fall. We had great weather. Lots of sunny, comfortable, and dry days. Sure, rain cost us a few days, but the days were spread out and we were able to operate between them. The Charles River Yacht Club and the Boston Gondola folks helped on the first day and gave us a jump start on getting rid of the winter’s accumulation of trash and debris.

    The 4th of July celebration was wonderful. The fireworks were world class. The crowd were large and had a great time. Cleaning up after the party was routine. We scheduled extra days and even with the barge fire we had the river back to “mid season form” in about 5 days.

    The other great yearly event, the Head of the Charles Regatta, was spectacular, and they had some fair weather.

    The new engine ran perfectly all season. Mitch and I pulled the Lisa S on the Friday before the Head of the Charles Regatta . We replaced the rear guard, refastened the rubber rub rail and took care of other minor repairs. Then we took her over to Russo’s for winterizing, a complete servicing, shrink wrap, and storage.

    The Lisa S just finished her 6th season (we used a smaller boat the first 2 years). We are on our 3rd set of control cables, second motor and will have to replace the worn out helm (steering) this winter. She gets a great deal of use and has served us well. We will also install a gas filter/water separator to insure the Ethanol laced gasoline we now have to use does not give us problems. Everything to make sure she performs reliably in 2012.

    Even the news on funding is good. Somebody is looking over us. Actually somebody is always doing a little extra to help. Here is this year’s story. All year we were behind. I did get on the phone and ask for help, but we were still not whole as of the end of August. In mid September I get a phone call from Torri Zissman. Torri is a second grade teacher at the Rashi School in Dedham. She uses the Charles River as a theme all year long for her students. They learn of the Indians who lived there, take field trips to net some of the small marine life in the river, and lean about the birds and other wildlife.  She also covers the issue of taking care of the river, and each May invites Mitch and me to visit her class and talk about the Clean Up Boat. This year, after the presentation, she asked how we were doing for funding. I said we needed some publicity. It had been a number of years since we were on TV or in the newspapers. Torri and her class nominated us for an award from the Bank of America. The Bank decided to give us an award, and with it comes a grant of $5,000. With a few late donations, and one yet to be received promised donation, we will once again be able to pay all our bills for 2011.

    By the way, it was Emma, a student in Torri’s class, who, about 5 years ago, told her family and friends not to give her toys for her birthday, but rather make a donation the the Clean Up Boat, as she thought that was more important. I don’t remember the exact amount, but I believe the donations came close to $500. Emma has also come on the boat as a volunteer.

    Speaking of volunteers, as always they were great. We did not miss any days for lack of crew. I did crew one day with Bob, due to a mix up in dates, but we didn’t miss any days. I met a number of new friends and some I expect will become long term volunteers.

    I was along the river during the Head of the Charles Regatta. Most of the people were looking at the hundreds of shells on the river, while I am looking in the corners by each bridge abutment. I was limited in where I could go, but I did not see one coffee cup, water bottle or other item of floating trash. It’s a great sight to see all the visitors and rowers. I confess to a warm feeling of pride knowing all these people had a beautiful river to enjoy. Each of you should share in that feeling of pride as no one person can clean 7 1/2 miles of river, four days a week, spring, summer and fall by themselves.

    There are now hundreds of us doing many different things to help keep the Charles beautiful. By spreading the work, and funding, over many people and organizations, no one person, or organization, has to bear an uncomfortable load. That may be the reason we continue to be viable and effective. It is obvious that most people take pride in their surroundings and know an effort has to be made to keep them attractive and enjoyable. The Charles River is a jewel for all of us to enjoy. Take a walk along her shores and savor the results of your efforts. With her coat of colored leaves, she will give you one more enjoyable afternoon before winter sets in.

    See you in the spring.

  • Wednesday, November 9 and Friday, November 11, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Color Stick Garden Installation

    The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is seeking volunteers to help create a color stick garden installation on the Greenway.  The red stick/blue stick garden is intended to bring color and interest to the garden beds during the winter months.  Volunteers are needed for painting sticks on Wednesday and Friday, November 9 and 11, from 9 – 11 at 185 Kneeland Street.  To sign up, or for more information, contact Jenny at jwhelen@rosekennedygreenway.org.

  • Monday, October 24, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Cooking Matters New Volunteer Training

    Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, nationally sponsored by the ConAgra Foods® Foundation and WalMart Foundation, is a groundbreaking nutrition education program that connects families with food by teaching them how to prepare healthy, tasty low-cost meals. Chefs and nutritionists volunteer their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that instruct adults, teens and kids in getting the most nutrition on of a limited budget. Cooking Matters has reached more than 45,000 families across the country since 1993. For more information, visit www.cookingmatters.org/mass. We are always looking for cooking and nutrition instructors to teach our multi-session class series. Volunteer chefs work in partnership with nutritionists, using the lesson plans and recipes for each class provided in an established curriculum. Classes meet for two hours once a week for six weeks. Cooking Matters provides all materials needed for class, including curricula, cooking and teaching supplies, kitchen, and support staff. To learn more, call 617-774-1324 or email mdelgizzi@strength.org.  They host  New Volunteer Trainings at least once a month, with  two conveniently-located training sessions coming up, and are a three-minute walk from the No. Quincy T on the Red Line.

  • Volunteers Needed to Plant Daffodils October 22 or October 29

    Mayor Thomas M. Menino has announced that 40,000 daffodil bulbs will be planted in late October (October 22 or 29) along Boston’s public ways, including sidewalks, medians and paths.  The Boston Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers to assist with the plantings and suggestions for locations to be beautified.  Sign up today by filling out a form to support the daffodil planting program at www.cityofboston.gov/parks/daffodil_signup.aspx.  Take photos of your group planting.  Photos may be viewed on Facebook and will be submitted to local newspapers.  Email parks@cityofboston.gov if you need more information or have any questions.

  • Friends of the Public Garden Doggy Survey

    The Friends of the Public Garden is working to put together a snap shot of how people utilize the Public Garden, Boston Common and Commonwealth Avenue Mall for their pets. The Friends is asking dog owners to participate in the discussion by taking a brief survey regarding their use of the parks. Questions are designed to gauge how often dogs use each space and which spaces are used most often. Friends is also interested in hearing what dog owners have to say about an off-leash pilot program. The survey is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/KKSQFJ9.  For a printed copy, call the Friends at 617-723-8144.  Provide your email address at the end of the survey to be entered into a drawing to win a $20 gift certificate for Fish & Bone- Urban Pet Essentials.

  • Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program

    Beginning August 17th, Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program will be accepting online applications for school garden grants! In partnership with FoodCorps, Whole Kids Foundation will grant 1000 schools $2000 each to build or expand their school garden.

    To kids (and many adults!), gardens are magical places where they can see things come to life. Experiencing that process for themselves helps kids understand that food comes from plants, and not out of a box or off a truck. With that in mind, the goal of the garden grant program is to support schools wanting to establish or grow their gardening programs so they can offer their students the great experience of gardening.

    Learning about the process of growing food helps children develop a deep understanding of the connection between healthy eating and a healthy body. Like anyone who gardens, kids are proud of the fruits of their labor and are more apt to eat the fresh veggies they’ve grown. School gardens also offer an opportunity to integrate math, science and health curriculum into a dynamic, interactive setting. Plus, teaching kids to garden helps them learn about complex topics like sustainability and conservation, food systems and community awareness.

    If you’re interested in getting a garden in your local school and want to find out more about the online application process, visit the Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program page for a downloadable PDF with complete grant information.

    Then, when you’re ready to apply online, you’ll follow three steps:

    Step 1: On your first visit, you’ll be asked to provide your email address and create a password. If you want to complete your application in two sessions, when you return simply click the Login button on the right side of the page.

    Step 2: The second section of the application requires information about the applying entity: the school, district, or nonprofit organization to whom the grant will be paid.

    Step 3: The final section of the application is to learn more about the garden project for which you are applying, what groups are involved, how students will be engaged and the details of your garden plan including timeline and budget.

    Grant applications will be accepted through December 31, 2011. Applications will be reviewed and recipients will be notified in February 2012. There is a limit of one garden grant per school.

    What do you think? Would a school garden grant help bring momentum and passion for healthy food, agriculture and nutrition into your local school?