Boston Flora

Tag: Cape Ann

  • Through June 18 – Resilient Landscapes of Marblehead and Cape Ann, Viewed Through the Prism of Ecology and Stories

    Enjoy the blending of art and ecology from May 6-June 18 at the Marblehead Arts Association exhibit Resilient Landscapes of Marblehead and Cape Ann: Viewed through the Prism of Ecology and Stories. Resilient landscapes, as defined by The Nature Conservancy, preserve biodiversity and sustain natural strongholds. They help us endure and survive as humans. But they need care, maintenance and management in order to sustain these special qualities. Unspoiled open spaces and landscapes are part of our legacy to our children and grandchildren. We look at the resilient landscape through the lens of stories which illustrate ’emotional geography.’

    The Nature Conservancy (TNC), drawing on cutting-edge research by Dr. Mark Anderson, defines a climate-change resilient site as “an area of land with sufficient variability and microclimate options to enable species and ecosystems to persist in the face of climate change, and which will maintain this ability over time.” By examining TNC resilience maps for both Halibut Point and Dogtown (below) we see how the varied landforms with steep elevational changes—the rocky coastland, upland forests, and water-covered quarries—create microclimates that provide temperature and moisture options for wildlife and plants. These microclimates allow the inhabitant to persist at the site and buffer them from the effects of the regional climate. A recent study by the Nature Conservancy identified the Dogtown quarries and Halibut Point as among the most resilient places within the North Atlantic Coastal region.

    Susan Quateman and Leslie Bartlett, SQ /LB Artist Collaboration, are landscape and environmental artists on Boston’s North Shore. Susan is a silk painter, urban planner and writer; Leslie is a photographer, local historian and graphic designer. We fuse our skills to create vibrant silk paintings, photography and text for indoor/outdoor art exhibits on the effects of climate change on the coastal landscape. Susan is from London, UK;
    Leslie from Epsom, New Hampshire.

    The Marblehead Arts Association is located at 8 Hooper Street in Marblehead. Call 781-631-2608 for hours and other information.

  • Friday, April 22, 7:30 pm – Mother Nature’s Child

    A screening of Mother Nature’s Child: Growing Outdoors in the Media Age, will take place Friday, April 22 at 7:30 at the Cape Ann Community Cinema, 21 Main Street, 2nd floor, Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Wendy Conquest, the co-producer of this film about bridging the divide between children and nature, will join the audience for a Q & A after the show.  Proceeds benefit Kestrel Educational Adventures, a local non profit organization that is creating bridges between schools and nature for the children of Cape Ann.  For more information, log on to www.kestreleducation.org.

    http://kimsmithdesigns.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/mncflyer.jpg

  • Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21 -Cape Ann Garden Festival

    Friday, June 19, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.    Beauport Reception and Talk $20/$15 members
    Enjoy an evening reception with wine, beer, and appetizers in the garden overlooking Gloucester Harbor and hear about the newly uncovered garden staircase that is part of the stunning new garden renovation at Beauport, The Sleeper-McCann House, a property of Historic New England.

    Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.    Garden Tour $35
    Tour glorious gardens with magnificent plantings and stunning vistas. This year new stops on the tour feature sculpture gardens, water views, private quarries and fabulous perennial and herb gardens. In addition several of the homes will be open for visitors’ viewing.

    Sunday, June 21,      Workshops, Lecture and Exhibition Tour

    10 a.m.-11 a.m. Planning a Garden for People and Pollinators, Kim Smith $15

    Author of Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! and an inspired designer and illustrator, Kim will talk about the ways to make a garden both beautiful for people and attractive to birds and butterflies.  Join us for a lecture and booksigning.

    11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. The Herb Garden in 18th Century New England, Judy Hallberg $20

    Herbs provide interesting foliage and are also the basis for lotions and salves with healing properties. Learn about herbs and the ways in which they were gardened and used in the 1700s. Judy Hallberg works with the 17th and 18th century gardens of the Ipswich Historical Society and recently completed restoration of the society’s 17th century Housewife’s Herb Garden.

    1:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m. Cape Ann Museum, Docent-led tour of the exhibit “A View from the Terrace” Free

    Free to Garden Festival ticket holders. The Museum is located at 27 Pleasant St., Gloucester. Call Jeanette Smith at 978-283-0455, extension 11 for reservations.

    3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Growing and Propagating Antique Roses, Peggy J. Flanagan $20, materials incl.

    Old Garden Roses are rewarding and easy to grow using organic methods. You’ll learn how to plant, prune and care for these beautiful roses. Each person will take home a potted rose cutting. Bring gloves and a pair of pruners. Peggy J. Flanagan is a landscape designer and an adjunct instructor in the landscape design program at North Shore Community College. She specializes in the history of New England gardening.

    For more information, and to purchase tickets on-line, log on to www.sargenthouse.org.  Tickets are also available at the Weathervane, 153 Main Street, Gloucester, and at the Sargent House Museum, 49 Middle Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts.