Boston Flora

Tag: Connecticut College

  • Wednesday, November 30, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Plants in Space, Online

    Our lives on Earth are totally dependent on plants. As people start making plans for long-distance space travel, there is a critical need for technology that can bring life-sustaining plants along on the journey. Join Dr. Carl Lewis as he discusses current space gardening technology and the research now underway to make it better.

    Dr. Carl Lewis is Director of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a position he has held since 2008. He received a Ph.D. in Systematic Botany from Cornell University in 2001 and a bachelor’s degree in Botany from Connecticut College in 1995. With a research specialization in systematics and evolution, Dr. Lewis has conducted field research in tropical regions worldwide.

    He expanded Fairchild’s public outreach with the addition of major citizen science initiatives including the Million Orchid Project and Growing Beyond Earth. Dr. Lewis is the principal investigator on several NASA grants awarded to Fairchild.

    This New York Botanical Garden online talk will be held November 30 at 6 pm. $15 for NYBG members, $18 for nonmembers. Register HERE

  • Monday, November 1, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Empathy and Inclusivity in the Public Realm

    The third and final installment of the New York Botanical Garden’s 23rd Annual Landscape Design Portfolio online lectures takes place November 1 at 6:30 pm with David Rubin speaking on Empathy and Inclusivity in the Public Realm. Known for his design talent and advocacy for social justice within urban spaces, David Rubin will share his concern that the connective tissue of our cities—the “third spaces” between work and home—are not truly public or reflective of the general population. His work reflects his belief that “accessibility begins with the invitation to participate.” In this presentation, Rubin will illustrate how his designs explore issues of identity and accessibility with a focus on Franklin Park and the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., as well as Eskenazi Health Hospital and the Cummins Distribution Headquarters in Indianapolis. The founding principal of DAVID RUBIN Land Collective in Philadelphia, David Rubin, PLA, FASLA, FAAR, has garnered awards for his empathy-driven designs from the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Institute of Architects, in addition to the prestigious Garden Club of America Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture from the American Academy in Rome
    in 2011. A graduate of Connecticut College and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, he is a Design Critic at Harvard. $15/$18. Register at http://nybg.org

  • Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Dr. Vandana Shiva

    Please join The Harvard Graduate School of Design on March 3 at 6:30 pm in Gund Hall in Cambridge for the 2020 International Womxn’s Day Lecture delivered by Dr. Vandana Shiva. The lecture is free and open to the public.

    Dr. Vandana Shiva is trained as a Physicist and did her Ph.D. on the subject “Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory” from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She later shifted to inter-disciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy, which she carried out at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore. In 1982, she founded an independent institute, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology in Dehra Dun dedicated to high quality and independent research to address the most significant ecological and social issues of our times, in close partnership with local communities and social movements. In 1991, she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. In 2004 she started Bija Vidyapeeth, an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley in collaboration with Schumacher College, U.K.Dr. Shiva combines the sharp intellectual enquiry with courageous activism. Time Magazine identified Dr. Shiva as an environmental “hero” in 2003 and Asia Week has called her one of the five most powerful communicators of Asia. Forbes magazine in November 2010 has identified Dr. Vandana Shiva as one of the top Seven most Powerful Women on the Globe. Dr. Shiva has received honorary Doctorates from University of Paris, University of Western Ontario, University of Oslo and Connecticut College, University of Guelph.Among her many awards are the Alternative Nobel Prize (Right Livelihood Award, 1993), Order of the Golden Ark, Global 500 Award of UN and Earth Day International Award. Lennon ONO grant for peace award by Yoko Ono in 2009, Sydney Peace Prize in 2010, Doshi Bridgebuilder Award, Calgary Peace Prize and Thomas Merton Award in the year 2011,the Fukuoka Award and The Prism of Reason Award in 2012, the Grifone d’Argento prize 2016 and The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity 2016, Veerangana Award 2018, The Sanctuary Wildlife Award 2018 and International Environment Summit & Award 2018.

    This event is co-sponsored by Womxn in Design and is organized as part of the 2020 International Womxn’s Day activities taking place from March 2 – 6, 2020 at the GSD.

    Anyone requiring accessibility accommodations should contact the events office at (617) 496-2414 or events@gsd.harvard.edu.

  • Sunday,February 25, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Preserving the Biological Diversity of Eastern Forests

    Ware River Nature Club will hold its Fourth Annual Meeting & Silent Auction on Sunday February 25th 2018 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. at Hartman’s Herb Farm, Barre. At this year’s meeting we’ll learn about the ecology of the beautiful forests in our own backyard of central Massachusetts. Please plan to join us! Rsvp to warerivernatureclub@yahoo.com

    Robert Askins, Professor of Biology at Connecticut College, will present PRESERVING THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF EASTERN FORESTS, a talk about the major threats to deciduous forests in eastern North America. The biological diversity of our forests is threatened by habitat fragmentation, increasing homogeneity of the vegetation, and the loss of top predators. Understanding the history and ecology of deciduous forests is critical for sustaining productive forests and preventing the loss of biological diversity. This presentation is based on a book that Professor Askins recently published on the ecology and conservation of deciduous forests on three continents.

    In a complementary presentation, Owen Sholes, Professor of Biology at Assumption College, will talk about the effects of the severe ice storm of December, 2008 on tree growth, based on tree rings and other factors. The focus of much of Professor Sholes’ research has been on tree growth and survival.

  • Saturday, November 19, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – SALT Conference: Deconstructing the American Landscape

    Professional landscapers, gardeners, and designers are choosing to use native plants for many reasons — not only because they are beautiful and hardy, but also because they provide essential food and shelter for wildlife and help to maintain a unique sense of place. Join the New England Wild Flower Society and the Connecticut College Arboretum for this day-long conference on Saturday, November 19 from 8:30 – 4 at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut to discuss the demise of the American lawn, the definition of “native,” and the future of native plants in our built landscapes.

    Conference Highlights

    Keynote: The Future of Native Plants in the Built Landscape, Larry Weaner, Principal, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates

    Award: New England Wild Flower Society will present the Regional Impact Award to New Directions in the American Landscape

    Presentations:

    The Evolving American Lawn, Judy Preston, Connecticut Outreach Coordinator, Long Island Sound Study
    Low-maintenance Plants for the Deconstructed Landscape, Dan Jaffe, Horticulturist, New England Wild Flower Society
    Ecological Functions of Native Plants, Claudia West, Author and Ecological Sales Manager, North Creek Nurseries
    Roundtable Discussion: Defining Native, moderated by Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture, NEWFS

    Registration is $65 before November 1 and $80 thereafter, for NEWFS members, and $75 before November 1 and $90 thereafter for all others. On line registration at www.newenglandwild.org.

  • Thursday, June 9, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Eco-Tour: The Native Plants at Connecticut College Arboretum

    The Connecticut College Arboretum is located in southeastern Connecticut, about 5 miles inland from Long Island Sound. Established in 1931 on 60 acres, today the Arboretum’s diverse 770 acres include the landscaped grounds of the College campus as well as the surrounding plant collections, natural areas and managed landscapes. The forests include a wide range of native trees including oaks, huckleberry, maples, tulip tree, ash, beech, and black birch. Located on the coast, within the Arboretum there are many wetland types, including forested wetlands, bogs and tidal marshes.

    From the outset, 60 acres was aside to create the Connecticut College Arboretum. Twenty acres of the original allotment were dedicated as the Native Plant Collection. Expanding over time, the Native Plant Collection now includes 30 acres of woody plants and wildflowers indigenous to eastern North America, demonstrating the long-standing commitment to native plants at the Arboretum.

    The Native Plant Collection contains 1,021 trees, 1,255 shrubs and 22 woody vines native to eastern North America and hardy in southeastern Connecticut. Accessioned plants are from both wild and cultivated origins. The various species take turns displaying their beauty throughout all the seasons: shadbush in April; dogwood and azaleas in May; mountain laurel in June; giant rhododendron, sourwood and sweet pepperbush in July; brilliant autumn foliage in October; evergreens and conifers year-round.

    Some of the points of interest include:

    The Laurel Walk, a long, sloping trail lined with mountain laurel.
    An oak and hemlock-forested Bolleswood natural area.
    The grassy outdoor theater overlooking the Arboretum Pond.
    Plant collections including: holly, viburnum and azalea.

    The Native Plant Checklist provides more information about the native plants on display.

    The Ecological Landscape Alliance will sponsor a tour on Thursday, June 9 from 10 – noon. Maggie Redfern is the Arboretum Assistant Director, responsible for coordinating the design and implementation of education programs for the College and community. Maggie brings several years of experience in the field of visitor services from the Arnold Arboretum to this position. She also managed a successful grant application and traveling exhibition entitled Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile. Maggie received a certificate in landscape preservation from the Landscape Institute of the Boston Architectural College and a bachelor of architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

    $23 for ELA members, $33 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/eco-tour-spring-splendor-the-native-plants-at-connecticut-college-arboretum/#sthash.GebEKzMM.dpuf

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  • Friday, October 19, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Seed Saving with Bryan Connolly, Massachusetts State Botanist

    Bryan Connolly is the Massachusetts State Botanist for the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. He will speak at Elm Bank on Friday, October 19, beginning at 6:30 pm, on Seed Saving.

    Bryan is also researching the taxonomy and uses of the native plant genus Aronia or Chokeberry for doctoral dissertation. He is the author of “The wisdom of plant heritage” the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s handbook on small-scale seed production, and a co-author of “Breeding Organic Vegetables Step By Step Guide” NOFA-NY, and “The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist, First Revision”. His professional experience includes being a botanical consultant for the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, surveying rare plant populations for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, coordinating a volunteer invasive plant survey at the New England Wild Flower Society, growing for FEDCO seeds, and instructing botany classes at Connecticut College and the University of Connecticut.

    Cost – $10.00 for Mass Hort members, $12.00 for non-members.
    Reservations may be made by calling 617-933-4943 or ordering online at https://www.masshort.org/secureforms/OnlineRegistrationForm_G2T.php. You may also pay at the class.

  • Friday, October 5, 6:00 pm – Patterns of Exotic Species Colonization in a Forested Landscape

    The New England Botanical Club will host Dr. Chad Jones, Assistant Professor of Botany and Environmental Studies, Connecticut College, for a meeting to be held Friday, October 5 in the Haller Lecture Hall (Room 102), at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge.  The meeting is open to the public.  Dr. Jones will speak on Patterns of Exotic Species Colonization in a Forested Landscape. Chad Jones is interested in a wide range of topics in plant ecology. His research has involved two major themes: plant succession and invasive species.

    Professor Jones has studied plant colonization following a broad array of disturbances ranging from volcanic eruptions and the retreat of glaciers to gopher mounds in mountain meadows. Among other topics, he has examined spatial patterns of dispersal, factors that limit plant colonization and effects of disturbances on plant diversity.

    A second area of research involves investigating patterns of spread of invasive species. He uses statistical models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to predict the potential distributions of invasive species at several scales.

    For more information, visit www.rhodora.org.