Boston Flora

Tag: Boston University

  • Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Walden Warming: Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s Woods

    In his meticulous notes on the natural history of Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau records the first open flowers of highbush blueberry on May 11, 1853. If he were to look for the first blueberry flowers in Concord today, mid-May would be too late. In the 160 years since Thoreau’s writings, warming temperatures have pushed blueberry flowering three weeks earlier than in Thoreau’s time. The climate around Thoreau’s beloved Walden Pond is changing, with visible ecological consequences. In his new book, Walden Warming, Richard B. Primack, PhD, Professor of Biology, Boston University,  uses Thoreau and Walden, icons of the conservation movement, to track the effects of a warming climate on Concord’s plants and animals. Under the attentive eyes of Primack, the notes that Thoreau made years ago are transformed from charming observations into scientific data sets. Primack finds that many wildflower species that Thoreau observed have declined in abundance or have disappeared from Concord. Hear how warming temperatures have altered these and other aspects of Thoreau’s Concord, from the dates when ice departs from Walden Pond in late winter, to the arrival of birds in the spring, to the populations of fish, salamanders, and butterflies that live in the woodlands, river meadows, and ponds. The Arnold Arboretum program will take place Wednesday, April 30, from 7 – 8:30 in the Hunnewell Building of the Arboretum.  Free for Arboretum members, $5 for nonmembers.  Register online at www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu.

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  • Saturday, March 15, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – The Art of Science in New England, 1700 – 1920

    The 2014 Wellesley-Deerfield Symposium on Saturday, March 15, from 9 – 4, will explore visual representations of scientific inquiry produced, collected, distributed or otherwise circulating in New England from the start of the 18th century to the first decades of the 20th century.  Scholars from a wide range of disciplines will address a variety of topics from the use of anatomical and biological models in scientific pedagogy to the impact of mechanical inventions for enhancing vision on artistic and scientific practice.  Presenters include Daria D’Arienzo, Archival Consultant, Nancy Siegel, Associate Professor of History, Towson University, Ellery Foutch, Terra Foundation Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Adam M. Thomas, Ph.D. Candidate, Art History, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Dennis Carr, Carolyn and Peter Lynch Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Art of the Americas, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Lita Tirak, Ph.D. Candidate, American Studies, The College of William and Mary, Peter Benes, Co-Founder, Director, and Editor of the Dubin Seminar for New England Folklife, Naomi Slipp, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of the History of Art & Architecture, Boston University, Catherine Newman Howe, Research Associate, Department of Art, Williams College, and Kathleen M. Raley-Susman, Professor of Biology and Jacob P. Giroud, Jr. Chair of Natural History, Vassar College.

    The Symposium will take place in the Collins Cinema, Davis Museum at Wellesley College.  Free and open to the public, but seating is limited.  For further information call 781-283-2043.  Sponsored by the Grace Slack McNeil Program for Studies in American Art at Wellesley College, the Office of Academic Programs at Historic Deerfield, and the Barra Foundation.

    Accompanying the Symposium is the Davis Museum exhibit “The Art of Science: Object Lessons at Wellesley College, 1870 – 1940,” in the Robert and Claire Freedman Lober Viewing Alcove, on view through June 22, 2014.

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  • Tuesday, January 14, 6:00 pm – The Last Days of the Great Labrador Cod Fishery

    “Salt cod” had major impacts on the social and political history of the Atlantic Ocean and its ports. Abundant in number, flavor, and protein, as well as relatively easy to catch, produce, store, and distribute, cod was a welcome addition to the human food supply of early modern Europe. Cod not only contributed greatly to the economic development of New England, but the fish also reduced the risk of famine, and helped revolutionize maritime exploration, travel, and warfare; effectively allowing the large-scale development of many Caribbean islands and their corresponding sugar production platforms. This Boston University Culinary Arts Program Pepin Lecture Series  presentation will examine the history of this remarkable food, its underlying chemistry, and the methods used to produce it. By way of a tasting, we will also compare some of the strategies different cultures used to make the cod an intensely popular food. Bart Higgins, independent history scholar, will speak on Tuesday, January 14 beginning at 6 pm at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Demonstration Room 117. Fee is $10, and you may register online by clicking HERE.

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  • Monday, October 28, 6:00 pm – Mushrooms, Safe Foraging, Delicious Cooking

    Have you ever wondered about safe ways to hunt for wild and exotic mushrooms, or wanted to spice up supermarket varieties like crimini or portabello? If so, join president of the Boston Mycological Club Susan Goldhor, expert forager Ben Maleson, and renowned chef Chris Douglass to explore fascinating fungi at this Boston University Food and Wine course to be held Monday, October 28 beginning at 6 pm at 808 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Goldhor has been collecting and eating wild mushrooms—without a single stomach ache—for more than 25 years, and writes a regular column for the magazine Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming. Chris Douglass is chef/owner of Dorchester’s beloved Tavolo and Ashmont Grill, and an active proponent and patron of local food producers. Please your palate with mushroom dishes paired with wine while expanding your mushroom knowledge.  $80.  Image below from www.cookingontheweekends.com. Register on line at http://www.bu.edu/foodandwine/registration-manager/catalog.php?action=section&course_section_id=808. 

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  • Thursdays, July 11 – July 25, 10:30 am – 12:30 am – Gardens Around the World

    Gain insight into the unique design styles and objects that add to the pleasure of Boston, English, and Chinese gardens with this Museum of Fine Arts Boston three-session course, Thursday mornings July 11–25, 10:30 am–12:30 pm.

    On July 11, Keith Morgan, director, Architectural Studies and professor, American and European Architecture, Boston University, will speak on Frederick Law Olmsted’s Public Landscape. Hear the fascinating story of how a saltwater marsh was transformed into a park of winding walking paths and gentle streams that comprises today’s iconic Emerald Necklace. Following the talk, enjoy a one-hour guided walking tour of the Back Bay Fens adjacent to the Museum, and learn about the area’s landscape elements and community gardens. A scholar of nineteenth and twentieth century American and European architecture, Professor Morgan is interested in the relationships between architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture. Professor Morgan has taught at Boston University since 1980. He has served as the director of the Preservation Studies Program and of the American and New England Studies Program and as the chairman of the Art History Department on two occasions. He is a former national president of the Society of Architectural Historians. His recent publications include Shaping a New American Landscape: The Art and Architecture of Charles A. Platt, Boston Architecture, 1975-1990, which he coauthored with Professor Naomi Miller, and a new introduction for the republication of Charles Eliot, Landscape Architect. He is the editor and one of the principal authors for Buildings of Massachusetts: Metropolitan Boston, and serves as the architecture editor for The Encyclopedia of New England. He has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Buildings of the United States project, several committees for the restoration of historic landmarks and is a trustee of the Hancock Shaker Village.

    On July 18, Curt DiCamillo, fellow, Royal Society of Arts and President of The DiCamillo Companion Ltd. will discuss The English Garden: Perfection on Earth. Whether stately and formal or natural and romantic, English gardens have been called Britain’s single most important contribution to world culture. Learn about the history of these gardens and why their influence remains with us to this day.  A guided tour of the MFA’s exceptional collection of garden paintings and country-house objects follows the lecture. Curt DiCamillo is an American architectural historian. Between 2004 and 2012, he was the Executive Director of the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (he is currently Executive Director Emeritus). Previously, he worked for 13 years for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Since May 2012, Mr. DiCamillo, in his role as president of The DiCamillo Companion, Ltd., has focused full-time on lecturing, writing, and leading tours about the architectural and artistic heritage of Britain and its influence around the world.

    Finally, on July 25, Nancy Berliner, Wu Tung Curator of Chinese Art, will present The Chinese Home and Garden. The Chinese home, its architecture, gardens, and contents are created to reflect the values and ideals of its residents. Dig into the world of Chinese gardening to learn how these landscapes combine artistic elements and nature in perfect harmony. Following the discussion, visit Chinese galleries that touch on house and garden themes, including “Beyond the Screen,” a gallery that evokes the home and gardens of a 16th- and 17th-century Chinese household. She is the author of The Emperor’s Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City.

    Three-Session Course Tickets
    $90 MFA members, seniors, and students; $108 nonmembers
    Order at 1-800-440-6975 or in person at any MFA ticketing desk

    Individual Session Tickets
    $35 MFA members, seniors, and students; $42 nonmembers
    Online: http://www.mfa.org/programs/series/gardens-around-world
    By phone: call the MFA Ticket line at 1-800-440-6975
    In person: at any MFA ticketing desk

    Ticketing desk hours: Mon, Tue, Sat, and Sun, 10 am–4:15 pm; and Wed–Fri, 10 am–9:15 pm.  Capacity is limited.

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  • Monday, April 29, 6:00 pm – Bring on Spring Vegetables!

    Join Chef Barry Maiden—of the wildly popular and nationally renowned restaurant Hungry Mother—as he puts his Southern spin on some of the season’s offerings. Just when spring leaves you pining for something green, Chef Maiden will work with you to some of his signature vegetal favorites, and introduce you to new and delicious recipes. This Boston University class is open to the public ($125) and will meet in the Kitchen at 808 Commonwealth Avenue at 6 pm. Enroll by calling 617-353-9852 or register on line at www.bu.edu/foodandwine.

  • Friday, April 12 – Sunday, September 15 – Early Spring: Thoreau, Concord, and the Citizen Science Tradition

    Drawing upon its outstanding Thoreau collection, in April 2013 the Concord Museum will present an exhibition and related programs that explore the work of Henry Thoreau as a scientist studying seasonal phenomena. These phenomena include such episodes as the flowering times of flora, arrival dates of migrating birds, leafing out of trees, and ice-up at Walden Pond.

    Thoreau’s choice of Concord as a subject was emulated by a number of citizen scientists, some amateur and some professional, over three centuries.

    Currently, Dr. Richard Primack, Professor of Biology at Boston University, and his team have been systematically comparing the data collected by Thoreau with current data gathered in identical Concord locations. Early Spring will offer general audiences a new understanding of Thoreau and the importance of his work in a contemporary context. The Museum is located on the Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road in Cambridge, and hours and directions are available at www.concordmuseum.org.

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  • Thursday, March 7, 6:00 pm – Cooking in Captivity: How American Civilians Survived World War II in Japanese Prison Camps

    While this free lecture at Boston University on Thursday, March 7, part of the Pepin Lecture Series in Gastronomy, is not strictly speaking a horticultural event, we thought our readers would find the topic interesting. Barbara Haber, author and food historian, has had a growing interest on the effects of war on the availability of food. Immediately after attacking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and imprisoned thousands of American civilians who spent the war years deprived of food. Among them was Natalie Crouter, a remarkable Boston-bred woman who kept a diary that describes how food preoccupied every internee: They talked about it, dreamed about it, and used any available resource to cook ersatz dishes that would get them through WWII. Haber will share her research and insights about Crouter and other internees who spent the war years in prison camps. The lecture will take place in the Demonstration Room at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, and you may sign up on line at www.bu.edu/foodandwine.

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  • Thursday, February 28, 6:00 pm – Feeding the Flocks

    Ruth Ann Murray, an assistant dean at Boston University’s Metropolitan College, examines the primacy of food in the establishment and growth of American Shakerism, in a Pepin Lecture Series event at 808 Commonwealth Avenue on Thursday, February 28 at 6 pm. She will highlight some of her findings, specifically the critical role that Shaker food and hospitality played in endearing this once-vilified sect to their fellow Americans. Free, but registration required at www.bu.edu/foodandwine.

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  • Tuesday, February 12, 6:00 pm – Not Nightingale’s Tongue Again! What They Really Ate at the Roman Banquet

    Boston University sponsors the Pepin Lecture Series in Food Studies and Gastronomy and on Tuesday, February 12 at 6 pm at 808 Commonwealth Avenue you will hear Merry White, professor of anthropology at Boston University,  discuss cooking and the extravagant banquets at the height of the Roman Empire. The reception will feature a sample of historically appropriate recipes, and the event is free. Sign up at www.bu.edu/foodandwine.

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