Boston Flora

Tag: Cambridge Public Library

  • Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Go Botany! Plant ID for the 21st Century

    Grow Native Massachusetts continues its Evenings with Experts on Wednesday, May 1, from 7 – 8:30 at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, with Elizabeth Farnsworth, Senior Research Ecologist for the New England Wild Flower Society. Imagine identifying plants in the field with your iPad or smartphone! Go Botany is the new definitive on-line Flora of New England for just that. Elizabeth Farnsworth will introduce and demonstrate this richly illustrated interactive key to over 3,500 native and naturalized plants of our region. This tool also includes PlantShare for reporting discoveries, exchanging checklists, and more. This evening will equip you to ID and better understand the many plants you encounter. Dr. Farnsworth is one of New England’s great botanists and Editor-in-Chief of Rhodora.

  • Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Landscape Design with the Climate in Mind

    Grow Native Massachusetts continues its Evenings with Experts on Wednesday, April 3, from 7 – 8:30 at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, with Sue Reed, author of Energy-Wise Landscape Design. Learn how to manage your landscape to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint—essential actions in this era of climate change. You can: reduce costs for home heating and cooling; save energy on your gardens and grounds; and choose products with lower embedded energy costs. Your property is full of opportunities to conserve, even if you’re not doing a major renovation or landscape redesign. Come get inspired by new insights and ideas. Sue Reed is a Landscape Architect who specializes in designing beautiful landscapes that are ecologically rich and energy efficient.  Free and open to the public.

  • Wednesday, March 6, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Meadowscaping in Urban & Suburban Spaces

    Grow Native Massachusetts is sponsoring a public lecture series through June, 2013, from 7 – 8:30 on the first Wednesday of each month at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge. The next in its series of Evenings With Experts will take place Wednesday, March 6, with Catherine Zimmerman, author of Urban & Suburban Meadows, speaking on Meadowscaping in Urban & Suburban Spaces.  Join us to learn why meadow and prairie habitats are so beneficial, both economically and environmentally. Then, consider the benefits of meadowscaping.  Ms. Zimmerman is passionate about getting Americans to forgo their devotion to monocultures of pesticide-ridden lawns. She will give us a step-by-step primer on reducing lawn size and installing a beautiful meadow garden in its stead. No space is too small. Join the movement to bring back native habitat for wildlife and human life! Ms. Zimmerman is a filmmaker, author, and founder of the Meadow Project.  The event is free and open to all.

  • Wednesday, February 6, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Managing Invasives at Home and Around Town

    Grow Native Massachusetts is sponsoring a public lecture series from February through June, 2013, from 7 – 8:30 on the first Wednesday of each month at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge.  The first of the free series in entitled Managing Invasives at Home and Around Town, with Eric Olson and Josh Ellsworth, lecturers at Brandeis University and citizen stewards. Founder of the Newton Invasive Plant Task Force, Dr. Olson has led substantial volunteer efforts to control invasive species in Newton and Waltham. He will discuss this management challenge, especially the importance of building trust with local Conservation Commissions, and the risks and pleasures of depending entirely upon volunteer labor. Josh Ellsworth will help us understand the ecology of invasives, along with specific techniques for controlling the species we most commonly encounter in Greater Boston. Dr. Eric Olson and Josh Ellsworth both teach at Brandeis University. Lecture Co-sponsored by The Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation.  Photo of knotweed pull site from www.newtonconservators.org.

  • Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 pm – Sexual Secrets: Tales of Species, Seedlings, and Sports

    The world of plant propagation is cloaked in mystery. What really is a cultivar, a hybrid, or a straight species plant? How are nursery crops typically grown and new plants introduced to the market? Come to the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, on Wednesday, May 2 at 7 pm to hear an expert nurseryman’s point of view, how plants are selected and bred for new characteristics, and what it really takes to successfully propagate both native and non-native trees, shrubs, and plants for the consumer market. Author Wayne Mezitt is Chairman of Weston Nurseries, and has over 50 years experience in his family’s business.  Free admission.

  • Wednesday, April 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Our Native Pollinators: Intriguing Insects and More

    Scientists now consider our residential landscapes to be a “final frontier” in providing essential habitat for at-risk pollinator species that are vital to environmental health and a functioning food web.

    Come to the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, on Wednesday, April 4, from 7 – 8:30 to learn about the best plants for helping to feed and shelter our native pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. There are many easy ways to support pollinator populations in your garden, utilizing a few important principles in your landscaping practices.

    Speaker Ellen Sousa is a garden coach, habitat naturalist, and author, whose writings appear in numerous journals and blogs. The lecture is free, and is sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts. Photo from flatbushgardener.blogspot.com.

  • Wednesday, March 7, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Invasive Plants: Just Too Overwhelming?

    Invasive plants can cause catastrophic habitat loss and pose an imminent threat to the rare plants and botanical heritage of our Commonwealth. Managing these species can be costly, complicated and overwhelming. The most effective strategies are always the result of a clear and organized plan, whether you are responsible for 400 square feet or 40 acres. Join us for an interactive presentation that explores why and how to tackle this challenge, including invasive plant protocols and treatment strategies. Speaker Seth Wilkinson is a widely respected expert in ecological restoration and has served on the board of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions for the past decade. Come hear him at the Cambridge Public Library on Wednesday, March 7, beginning at 7 pm. The program is free – call 617-354-0502 for more information.

  • Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Creating Beautiful Gardens Filled with Life

    Instructive examples of gardens full of native plants are hard to find. On Wednesday, February 1, from 7 – 8:30 at The Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, landscape architect and author Carolyn Summers fills that void with a plethora of images and commentary to fire our imaginations. She reviews the science behind the essential life support function of indigenous plants, takes us on a journey through a variety of formal gardens and more “naturalistic” landscapes, and illustrates the effective use of our northeastern native flora so that we can better visualize their full design potential. Ms. Summers is an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College and has been an effective advocate for native plants in the urban landscapes of New York City.  The lecture is free. For more information, call 617-354-0502.

  • Wednesday, August 3, 7:00 am – 8:30 pm – Native Ferns of New England

    Learn about the life cycle of ferns and their evolutionary history, spanning 400 million years, from noted fern expert, collector and educator Don Lubin. From among New England’s 68 native species, we will examine twenty of those most commonly found. This survey will include detailed photographs, techniques for field identification, and a look at the adaptive niche that each species occupies. Don Lubin has been teaching about ferns for over a decade and he grows 44 species in his small yard in Allston. He has collected more than 50 herbarium specimens and has identified previously unrecorded taxa at several locales in Massachusetts.  Location : Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, visit  http://www.grownativemass.org/programs/eveningswithexperts.

  • Wednesday, April 6, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Life on the Wing in an Era of Human Dominance

    Grow Native Massachusetts presents Wayne Petersen, Director of the Mass Audubon Important Bird Areas Program, in a free program on Wednesday, April 6 entitled Life on the Wing in an Era of Human Dominance.  The event will take place at the main branch of the Cambridge Public Library from 7 – 8:30 pm.

    It is easy to take birds for granted. They cheer us with their songs in spring, engage us with the wonders of their flight, and grace our landscapes throughout the year. Yet, these idyllic images belie the serious impact of human activity on many bird populations. Come learn what we must do to help ensure their survival—what might comprise an avian wish list for human behavior. Wayne Petersen is a nationally known ornithologist, and a contributor to numerous field guides and publications. His talk will be the next best thing to birding with him in the field. For more information contact programsmanager@grownativemass.org.