Boston Flora

Thursday, March 27, 6:00 pm – Charles River Watershed Association 59th Annual Meeting

The Charles River Watershed Association’s 59th Annual Meeting is coming up fast. Join them on Thursday, March 27th at 6 PM and celebrate our collective impact on the Charles River. Every year, we look forward to this day as a chance to connect with fellow river lovers, hear from expert scientists and advocates, and award those who go above and beyond for the river we love. Food and refreshments will be provided, and all are welcome. The event takes place at the MIT Welcome Center.

Thursday, March 27, 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Emerald Necklace Conservancy Open House at the James Michael Curley House

Join The Emerald Necklace Conservancy on March 27 for an Open House at the historic James Michael Curley House, 350 Jamaicaway in Boston. We will be opening our doors from 3:00 – 8:00PM and invite all to stop by to explore the house and meet the Conservancy team.

Come to learn more about the Conservancy’s work and the 1,100 acres of the Emerald Necklace, enjoy snacks and refreshments and experience the historic “house with the shamrock shutters.” Thank you for welcoming the Emerald Necklace Conservancy to the neighborhood, and we look forward to getting to know our neighbors and community.

For more information, contact Elena Duncan. RSVP at https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/event/open-curley-house-2025/

Thursday, March 20, 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm Eastern – Magnolias at a Glance: An Informative Look at a Most Fascinating Group of Flowering Trees, Online

Magnolias continue to be one the premier groups of flowering trees available for northeastern gardens and landscapes. Known worldwide for their enchanting spring and summer blooms, everyone should have at least one magnolia in their garden. In this Newport Tree Conservancy virtual presentation on March 20 at 5:30 Eastern, NTC Living Collections Manager Joe Verstandig will discuss the fascinating history of Magnolias, feature Newport’s most impressive specimens, and discuss the many great cultivars available to Rhode Island gardens. Plant Production Manager Morgan Palmer will discuss the propagation and growing of magnolias at NTC’s Heritage Tree Center. This is something you do not want to miss! Register at https://www.newporttreeconservancy.org/events/magnolias-at-a-glance-an-informative-look-at-a-most-fascinating-group-of-flowering-trees

Sunday, April 27, 6:00 pm – Literary Lights 2025

The Associates of the Boston Public Library are delighted to announce the lineup for the 35th annual Literary Lights dinner on April 27 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. This black-tie-optional event is our annual opportunity to honor outstanding writers from the Northeast and to celebrate their contributions to literature while raising vital funds to support the preservation of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections.

Keynote speaker Elizabeth Strout (below) is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge (2008) and one of today’s most celebrated voices in fiction. Born in Portland, Maine, her childhood experiences served as inspiration for the fictional “Shirley Falls, Maine,” the setting of four of her nine acclaimed novels.

A graduate of Bates College, Strout also earned a law degree and a Certificate in Gerontology from Syracuse University. After a brief career in Legal Services, she moved to New York City, where she became an adjunct in the English Department of Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Balancing motherhood, teaching, and her passion for storytelling, Strout began publishing in literary magazines and mainstream outlets like Redbook and Seventeen—paving the way for her remarkable career today.

Elizabeth will be presented by Richard Russo.

Also honored will be David Grann, journalist and author of Killers of the Flower Moon, presented by non-fiction writer Nathaniel Philbrick, Elin Hilderbrand, author of the Nantucket novels, presented by Boston Globe columnist & writer Meredith Goldstein, Curtis Sittenfeld, author of the novels Prep and Rodham, presented by writer Tom Perrotta, and Ilyon Woo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Master Slave Husband Wife, presented by journalist and writer Caleb Gayle. Jared Bowen, GBH Executive Arts Editor and Host of The Culture Show, will be the Emcee of the evening. For more information on tickets or sponsorship opportunities please click here or contact Laura Russo, Director of Development and External Affairs, at LRusso@AssociatesBPL.org or (617) 536-3886.

Saturday, March 29, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Terrarium Workshop

This Massachusetts Horticultural Society workshop on March 29, led by Garden Educator, Melissa Pace, offers a hands-on opportunity for participants to create their own personalized terrarium. During the workshop, attendees will have the chance to select from a variety of plants and design elements to craft a unique miniature indoor garden.

Melissa will provide guidance on plant selection, arrangement, and care techniques to ensure the long-term health and vitality of the terrariums. Participants will also learn about the importance of proper maintenance, including watering, light requirements, and common problems to look out for.

Be sure to bring a box to transport your new creation home in! MHS members $48, nonmembers $62. Workshop size is limited – Preregistration is required at https://www.cognitoforms.com/MassachusettsHorticulturalSociety/_250315TerrariumWorkshop

Saturday, March 22, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Eastern – The Cultivar Conundrum, Online

Dig deeper into the business of cultivars. The concept of a native plant seems simple, until you start hearing about cultivars, nativars, selections, ecotypes, and hybrids. In this class we’ll dig into what all those terms mean, where named plant selections come from, and how they impact the ecosystem that is your garden. Joseph Tychonievich is a life-long lover of plants and gardening. He got his degree in horticulture from Ohio State University and went on to work for specialty rare plant nurseries in Japan and Michigan. Joseph is the author of several books including The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-by-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyone and his writing has been published in Fine Gardening, Horticulture, and The New York Times. Joseph has a special love for hepaticas, and plans trips every spring to see them flowering in the wild.

This program takes place online on Saturday, March 22, 2025. $25. Register at https://mtcubacenter.org/event/the-cultivar-conundrum-online/

Sunday, March 23, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Fiberfest 2025

The Boston Public Market’s FiberFest Festival on March 23 from 10 – 5 brings together New England fiber farmers, producers, and crafters. Market visitors can browse through all the fiber art and goods the festival has to offer, and enjoy educational activities such as workshops, demonstrations, and panels.

As with the rest of the market, all products offered by FiberFest vendors are grown, raised, landed, produced, or made in Massachusetts or New England. For more information visit www.bostonpublicmarket.org

Saturday, March 22, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Garden Basket Workshop for Adults

Join Strawbery Banke’s friendly and knowledgeable Museum Instructors to learn the steps of basket-making from scratch. This March 22 session is a beginner class so all skill levels are welcome. Participants will learn about the tools and materials used in basket making, work with our instructors and each other to acquire the basic skills to make a basket, and conclude by taking your finished basket home. This workshop is limited to ten participants. Strawbery Banke is located at 14 Hancock Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Members $55; Nonmembers $65. https://www.strawberybanke.org/adult-education

Wednesday, March 12, 7:00 pm Eastern – Five Years in the Life of Sandhill Cranes, Online

Since May 2020, Alan Rawle and his wife Wendy have been following the behaviors and activities of a pair of Sandhill Cranes in Hardwick, Massachusetts. In this Athol Bird & Nature Club program on March 12, Alan will describe successful and unsuccessful nestlings documented over that period along with additional information from 2019. The talk will first provide a background to the history of Sandhill Cranes in New England, noting the increased numbers in the region since about 2000, and then focus on detailed observations of the pair of cranes that they’ve been fortunate to encounter over a 4-year period.

Alan has diligently pieced together the timescales and locations of the crane family–2 adults and 2 young/juveniles (colts). The presentation will include pictures of cranes eating, walking, flying, bathing, and “at play”, together with other pertinent and relevant information. To register for the zoom webinar. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vhNt_dXTTKCqOoKlrtQYdA This virtual program will not be recorded.

Wednesday, March 19, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern – Homegrown Conservation, Online

Climate change and biodiversity loss are creating existential threats to people and nature. But we can help. In this presentation, you’ll learn about how traditional landscape management is contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss and discover small steps we can all take in our own backyards and communities to steward our landscapes for nature and wildlife. This program is part of the online Mt. Cuba Lecture Series. Danae Wolfe is an award-winning conservation photographer, writer, educator, and TEDx speaker focused on fostering appreciation and stewardship of backyard bugs and wildlife. Ever the pragmatic, she believes that everyone has the power to make a difference in combatting climate change and biodiversity loss. Danae was the 2022 recipient of the Garden Communicators International Emergent Communicator award, and her work has been featured in various outlets including CNN, The American Gardener magazine, and Nature Conservancy Magazine. Through her community conservation initiative, Chasing Bugs, she has reached global audiences with science-based education about the importance of gardening for biodiversity and has inspired gardeners to appreciate the beauty of our natural world and embrace their role in its protection.

This program takes place online Wednesday, March 19, 2025. $25. Register at https://mtcubacenter.org/event/homegrown-conservation-online/