Boston Flora

Category: Volunteer Opportunity

  • Golden Days Contest

    National Garden Club President Renee Blaschke has a project.  All incoming National Presidents choose a project, but this year Renee is trying something a bit different.  She envisions a country gleaming with daffodils each spring, and to encourage clubs to participate, the New England Region is sponsoring a contest.  The state that has planted the most daffodils per capita by December 1, 2010 will be awarded a monetary prize, an award ribbon, and a certificate.  A “Golden Days” project might include mass plantings at retirement centers, parks, playgrounds, assisted living homes, schools and public buildings – places to plant are limited only by your imagination.  Clubs will submit the paperwork, but if you planted daffodils in 2009, or are planning to plant next fall, keep track of those bulbs and let your president know where they were planted.   Remember Lady Bird Johnson’s wild flowers?  Texas is awash with bluebonnets as a result.  Beautification of our environment is part of the mission statement of The Garden Club of the Back Bay, so we are pleased to notify Massachusetts gardeners of this opportunity.

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  • Monday, February 1 – Application Deadline for New England Wild Flower Society Plant Conservation Volunteers

    New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) participates in a program to recruit and train amateur field botanists to perform much-needed conservation work throughout New England.  The Plant Conservation Corps has grown from a small pilot program to a regional corps engaging hundreds of volunteers all across New England.

    Recognizing the shortage of trained personnel and the labor-intensive nature of plant conservation, members of the New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) recommended that New England Wild Flower Society initiate an effort to train volunteers to perform much-needed plant conservation fieldwork. Since 1998, volunteers have donated more than 50,000 hours of fieldwork and provided invaluable data to State Heritage Programs and NEPCoP professionals. The Corps is established in all six New England states, collecting data, performing management work, working with state Heritage Programs, and building a region-wide constituency for native plants.

    Each volunteer receives classroom and field training as well as a comprehensive handbook. All volunteers can take part in special classes, field trips, and symposia. These educational programs, networking opportunities, and a yearly evaluation process ensure the reliability of volunteer work, as well as the enjoyment of the experience.

    Plant Conservation Volunteers are involved in a variety of plant conservation activities vital to the preservation of New England’s native flora:

    Rare Plant Monitoring
    Volunteers regularly monitor the health of the rarest plants in New England, identifying threats to these populations and building a constituency for natural habitats and plant communities.
    Habitat Management
    Volunteers manage lands for rare species and their habitats. Loss of open space through development and natural succession has become a problem as urban areas expand and rural areas return to forests. In the long run, we must focus on protecting entire habitats, rather than single species, but while striving to do this, we must also maintain individual plant populations.
    Survey and Control of Invasive Species
    Under the Society’s guidance, volunteers assist in removal of invasive species from selected natural areas, particularly habitats where exotic species are just beginning to impact native flora.
    General Botanical Surveys
    Much of New England, especially privately held lands, has never been surveyed comprehensively. The Society trains PCVs to produce botanical surveys of both native and non-native plants and make management recommendations.

    An application form and more information can be found at www.newfs.org.  There will be a learning day scheduled for applicants to hear more about the 2010 activities.  Deadline for submission is Monday, February 1.

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  • Saturday, December 19 – Old South Church Winter Garden

    Old South Church’s award-winning gardeners are at it again!

    While hundreds of deeply planted tulip bulbs await the spring, the garden will be dressed in a contemporary, winter arrangement of upright stakes.  Stained in the dark hues of Red Osier Dogwoods, hundreds of these stakes will be “planted” by church volunteers on Saturday, December 19 to conjure the image of a drift, to reflect the colors of the season and to complement the decorative Northern Italian Ruskinian architecture of the National Historic Landmark Building.

    Old South’s volunteer gardener, Jim Hood, says this about his latest undertaking, “Winter is mostly a time of quiet color, yet in rural areas of the northeast United States fields of snow are often striped with stands of Red Osier Dogwood, a woody shrub that goes little noticed in summer but that comes to visual life in winter. Red Osier Dogwood exposes its brilliant red bark once its foliage falls away offering a sense of warmth amidst the cold.”

    Old South’s Associate Minister, Quinn Caldwell, describes the garden as “a labor of love to the city. Besides being a thing of beauty, the stick garden is also a proclamation of our faith: that beauty will spring from barrenness, form out of chaos, life out of death.  Here in the coldest and darkest time of year, we make bold to proclaim that spring and life are on their way.”

    In the last 30 years stick gardens (sculptural installations made of color-stained sticks of wood) have been mounted in the U.K. U.S. and Canada – see picture of blue stick garden below.

    Old South’s gardens and gardeners are the recipients of the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s Magnolia Award (2009), the Mayor’s Golden Trowel Award (2007), and the Mayor’s Runner Up Award (2008).  For information, and to volunteer with the staking, call (617) 536-1970 ext 222, or email nst@oldsouth.org.http://mocoloco.com/archives/flora_claude_cormier_blue_s.jpg

  • Don’t Forget – Time to Collect

    We remind our members today that extra, interesting greens, seed pods, branches, holly, dried fruits and flowers, grasses, pine cones, and twigs in interesting shapes are all needed next week during wreath making days at The First Lutheran Church of Boston.  Below is a picture of Past President Sarah Monaco and Executive Committee Member Maureen O’Hara collecting last weekend in the Berkshires.  Please bring as much as you can to the Church, cleaned down if possible, for the decorators to use creating the beautiful wreaths, one of which is pictured below, bedecked with collected finds.

  • Tuesday December 1 – Wednesday, December 2, 9:00 am – Greens Market Workshops

    Learn how to design extraordinary decorative wreaths and holiday accents, and at the same time, support the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum’s holiday fund raising efforts, by crafting items for its Wreath Auction and Greens Market. Workshops will be held in the Coachman’s House. All materials supplied. No fee. Come either Tuesday, December 1 beginning at 9 am, or Wednesday, December 2 at 9 am, or both days if you are willing!

    Located in historic New Bedford, Massachusetts on a full city block of gardens, this national landmark was built for whaling merchant William Rotch, Jr. in 1834. Designed by Richard Upjohn, the House is one of the finest surviving examples of residential Greek Revival architecture.

    The Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum is so named for the three prominent families who resided at 396 County Street. The house and gardens chronicle 150 years (1834-1981) of economic and social life in the city, as reflected in the lives and stories of those who lived and worked at the property.

    Furnished period rooms display the decorative arts, furniture and belongings of the families and time frame. The Museum offers permanent and changing exhibits, lecture series, community and educational programs.

    A partner in the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park, the Museum joins the city’s cultural and educational institutions in embracing, celebrating and learning from the rich legacy of this maritime community.

  • Thursday, November 19 – World Toilet Day

    World Toilet Day is a global day of action to increase awareness for toilet users’ rights and to advocate a better toilet environment. This day is marked by individuals, toilet associations, and other advocacy groups across the world to bring attention to a cause that truly affects every everyone on earth.  The World Toilet Organization is a not for profit group dedicated to improving toilets and sanitation globally.

    The task is huge, 2.5 billion/40% of the world’s population is without access to sanitation.  The WTO alone can’t fight this situation but if you join them in this movement, its possible. At WTO they have a belief that “Change is possible. Because I’ll make it possible.”

    Each of you can be a change agent by contributing your time, talent, skills and commitment to make it happen.  The WTO needs everyone and anyone ,whether a student, housewife, executive, artist, schools, universities, corporations, institutions originating from any part of the world, of various language, religion, ethnicity and ideological persuasion, to come together and join the movement towards delivering toilets to 2.5 billion toilet-less.

    More information may be found at www.worldtoilet.org.

    http://www.littlefishtravel.com/World-Travel/Images/toilet.jpg

  • Saturday, December 5, 4 – 5:30 pm – Winter Lights Along the Greenway

    Enjoy the East Boston Greenway lit up with festive luminarias and a holiday sing along with local performers and carolers.  Hot chocolate and cookies will keep you warm.  Meet at the blue caboose near South Bremen and Marginal Streets.  Snow date Sunday, December 6.

    The Friends of East Boston Greenway and Boston Natural Areas Network are sponsoring this event, and they need help from community groups, businesses and individuals.  Here is how you can help:  Make batches of 50 luminarias (materials will be provided and delivered to your worksite or other location – bags, sand and candles). Or, if you’d rather, volunteers from your group can attend a group lunimaria making session, date and time to be announced.  Your sponsorship will be recognized by a sign on the Greenway.  You can volunteer to be a monitor the night of the event, watching over a section and lighting any candles that go out.  You can donate food or refreshments, or hang event flyers or posters.  With the support of volunteers, the Friends hope to make at least 350 – 400 luminarias.  If you can help, call Candice Cook at 617-542-7696, or email candice@bostonnatural.org.

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  • Volunteer Opportunity at the Rose Kennedy Greenway

    Volunteer Horticulture Opportunities occur at the Rose Kennedy Greenway about once a month. The Greenway Horticultural staff is seeking daytime volunteers for various projects, ranging from deadheading to other horticultural activities.  Please contact Jennifer Potter at jpotter@rosekennedygreenway.org or (617) 292-0020 for more information.  For more volunteer opportunities, click on to “Volunteer Opportunity” on the left hand side of the Garden Club of the Back Bay home page to access all posts relating to hands on projects.

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  • Saturday, October 31, 3:30 – 5:30 pm – Clarendon Street Playground Halloween Party

    Join your friends and neighbors for the Annual Halloween Party on Saturday, October 31, from 3:30 – 5:30 pm.  Pizza, drinks, and glow necklaces will be available for purchase.  Entertainment and variety shows will be provided by Jenny the Juggler.Hayrides around the neighborhood, photography by Aurora De Luca, and trick or treating safe house lists will be available as well.

    Marlborough Street between Berkeley and Fairfield Streets, as well as Dartmouth and Clarendon Streets between Commonwealth and Beacon, will be closed to traffic from 3:30 pm – 9:30 pm.  Parked cars may stay there during this time, but they cannot be moved.


    The Clarendon Street Playground Committee needs volunteers to make this event happen.  Please sign up for a 30 minute shift to help with the party.  Email playground@nabbonline.com.  Also, if you wish to be on the safe house list, call the NABB office at 617-247-3961, or email info@nabbonline.com.

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  • Saturday, October 24, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Greater Boston Food Bank Open House Celebration

    Do you know the  Food Bank feeds 83,000 people each week? Come to the open house on Saturday, October 24, from 10 – 2, and learn, get involved, and get inspired.  The event will take place at the Yawkey Distribution Center of the Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Avenue in Boston.

    To achieve its mission, The Food Bank feeds more than 320,000 people annually in nine counties in eastern Massachusetts. They’re poor to middle-class people who can’t make ends meet. They’re our friends, neighbors, and colleagues. The Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country. It distributes more than 30 million pounds of food and grocery products annually to a network of nearly 600 member hunger-relief agencies. It is a trusted and efficient resource for these local food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless and residential shelters, youth programs, senior centers, and day-care centers, providing the food they need to feed the hungry.

    Bring a non-perishable item to participate in their food drive.  There will be limited complimentary parking on site.  For directions, and to let the good folks who work there know you’re coming, log on to www.gbfb.org/openhouse/.

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