Boston Flora

Tag: Biodiversity

  • Arnold Arboretum Director’s Lecture Series 2015

    Each year, Director William (Ned) Friedman and the Arnold Arboretum present the Director’s Lecture Series, featuring nationally recognized experts addressing an array of topics related to Earth’s biodiversity and evolutionary history, the environment, conservation biology, and key social issues associated with current science. Lectures take place in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall. Parking will be available in front of the building and along the Arborway. These free lectures become completely subscribed early, and right now, through December 15, Arboretum members may register online prior to general registration thereafter. Visit http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=1 to sign up.

    The schedule is as follows: On Monday, January 12, hear Ned Friedman himself discuss Mutants in Our Midst: Darwin, Horticulture, and Evolution. Photographer Rachel Sussman speaks on Monday, March 2 on The Oldest Living Things in the World, Peter Raven, PhD and President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden comes on Monday, March 23 to lecture on China, Biodiversity, and the Global Environment, and finally, on Monday April 20, hear Richard Lazarus, Howard and Katherine Aibel Professor of Law at Harvard University, who will discuss Environmental Lawlessness.

  • Saturday, March 26, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm – The 21st Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference

    The Trustees of Reservations would like to invite you to attend The 21st Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference, being held on March 26, 2011 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Worcester Technical High School in Worcester. The conference offers an opportunity for anyone interested in “Climate Change and Land Conservation” to learn, share and discuss their experience, and make new connections.

    Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century, impacting human life as well as wildlife and our natural landscapes. The conservation community is working to mitigate the impact of climate change by protecting critical lands to serve as carbon sinks and migration corridors for wildlife, and by making natural areas and historic structures more resilient to the stresses of climate change.

    Some of the 30+ workshops at the conference include:

    * BioMap2 : Conserving the Biodiversity of Massachusetts in a Changing World
    * Restoring Ecological Integrity to Your Land in the Face of Climate Change
    * Strengthen Your Message to Gain More Support from More People
    * The Future of Small Land Trusts in Massachusetts
    * Wind Turbine Siting on Land Trust Lands
    * The Soulful Landscape: Restoring Connections between People, Place, and Community

    The conference will also feature a plenary session with MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan, and keynote speaker, Environmental Protection Agency’s New England Region Administrator Curt Spalding (pictured below). Mr. Spalding will be addressing EPA’s role in promoting adaptation and resilience strategies for natural resources protection, including land conservation.

    Anyone may register for the conference at www.MassConservation.org; the registration fee is $62 ($52 for students). Call (802) 865-5202 if you have any questions about registering for the conference.

    The Trustees of Reservations’ Putnam Conservation Institute and the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition are the co-conveners of the 21st Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference, and the co-sponsors are the Land Trust Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, and The Trust for Public Land. Visit www.MassConservation.org for complete conference information.

  • Friday, February 4, 5:30 pm – Hengduan Mountains, China: Characteristics and Biodiversity

    Dr. David Bouford of the Harvard University Herbaria will speak to the New England Botanical Club on Friday, February 4, beginning at 5:30 pm in the Haller Lecture Hall, Room 102, of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, on the topic Hengduan Mountains, China: Characteristics and Biodiversity. Open to the public. For maps and parking information, log on to www.rhodora.org.  Below is a Hengudan Mountains meconopsis.

  • Saturdays, January 29 and February 12, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Conservation Biology: Saving Biodiversity in Today’s Climate

    The core mission of conservation organizations is to preserve plants, animals, and their habitats. How do we best go about this essential work at the level of your interest: state, local, or your own backyard? Over two class sessions at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, The New England Wild Flower Society will discuss the definition of biodiversity, why we care about it as a society, the pervasive threats, and on-the-ground solutions. Using power-point presentations to illustrate concepts and case studies to apply our ideas, we cover protection strategies and stewardship tools. We talk about how climate change alters our thinking about traditional conservation approaches. The intention is to provide a background in the principles of conservation biology for you to become a more effective conservation advocate and/or steward of your own land. A series of articles and web links are provided to aide in the discussion. First session will take place Saturday, January 29.  Second session will be held February 12 from 10 – 3. $120 NEWFS members, $140 non-members. To register, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Tuesday, June 8, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Wildlands and Woodlands Conservation Vision

    In 2005 scientists associated with the Harvard Forest published a report: “Wildlands and Woodlands: A Vision for the Forests of Massachusetts.” The authors called for a bold new land protection effort to stave off accelerating forest fragmentation. Join David Foster, director of the Harvard Forest (and Polly Hill Arboretum research associate) on Tuesday, June 8, from 7:30 – 9 at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Hall, pictured below, for this special lecture.  Receive a copy of the report and learn more about the group’s latest publication, “A Wildland and Woodland Vision for the New England Landscape: Local Conservation, Biodiversity and the Global Environment.” This report recognizes the important role of the region’s forests and farmlands and puts forth a conservation and management proposal benefiting our local and global environments. Foster will discuss the direct relevance to conservation planning on Martha’s Vineyard. Bring your questions and concerns. This lecture sponsored by Bartlett Tree Experts.  For more information, log on to www.pollyhillarboretum.org.

    http://www.scblogdesign.com/mvonthespot//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/aghall.jpg

  • Wednesday, March 31, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Eat It to Save It

    “Eat It to Save It” is a growing movement led by the Slow Food USA Organization’s Ark of Taste Committee. It is an effort to save regional food systems by showing how you can support biodiversity and sustainably-produced foods by EATING them.  You can all do your part as consumer activists to promote and support responsibly-made and sourced foods. There are a number of local businesses working hard to do the right thing: making and selling quality products that are good for the people and planet. Please join the next Agrowcity event on Wednesday, March 31, at Bunker Hill Community College, 250 Rutherford Avenue in Boston,  to meet some of our local heroes and see how you can vote with your dollar! Harvest Co-op is a community-owned, not-for-profit grocery cooperative.  Hilltop Farm is a 28-acre local farm running a Community Support Agriculture (CSA)program. You will also have the opportunity to meet other local businesses and producers in the area. For more information, log on to  http://www.meetup.com/Agrowcity/calendar/12838697/

    http://www.edibleportland.com/images/RAFTbook.jpg

  • Tuesday, August 11, 10 – 11:30 a.m. – Identification and Control of Invasive Plants

    Invasive plants pose a serious threat to the biodiversity and visual character of gardens in Massachusetts.  Join Polly Hill Arboretum Collections Management Intern and certified arborist Matt Lobdell for a presentation covering invasive plant issues.  Learn how to identify and control these menacing plants.  Also, find out how you can become involved in efforts to control and eradicate the invasive plants that are threatening our most treasured natural areas.  Controlling invasive plants is a global concern and a growing field in professional horticulture.  $5 admission (free to PHA members).  For more information contact Karin Stanley at 508-693-9426, or email karin@pollyhillarboretum.org.