Boston Flora

Tag: Conservation

  • Wednesday, September 14, 7:00 pm – Jaguars & Wildcat Conflicts in Panama

    Wildcat conflicts are more common throughout Panama as nature park boundaries and natural areas are encroached upon more and more by the rural poor. Conservacion Panama Inc has proposed a program to assist rural poor and subsistence farmers manage their livestock better so as to prevent wildcat conflicts and unnecessary “takes” or kills of these animals. This program targets communities that have current conflicts with wildcats and injects a heavy dose of livestock management practices and prevention techniques proven throughout Latin America to prevent these conflicts. Come to the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street in Athol on Wednesday, September 14 at 7 pm to learn about how effective the beta program has proven and how they would like to fund a program expansion. There will be artwork and Panamanian hands-crafts for purchase to help fundraising efforts. You can learn more about this program at: http://www.conservacionpanamaca.org/wildcat-conflict.html

  • Friday – Sunday, August 19 – 21 – 9th Annual Boston GreenFest

    On Friday – Sunday, August 19 – 21, come to the region’s largest free multicultural environmental music festival located at Boston City Hall Plaza, Faneuil Hall and the adjacent Sam Adams Park. This year will feature a Showcase of Innovation. Find out how salt, water and vinegar can be more powerful than bleach. Try out apps that can make your life easier and our world greener. Discover ways to grow a mini-farm in your kitchen. See how easy it is to give new purpose to household objects. Appreciate art and jewelry made from recycled materials.

    At this free event you can experience live music and dance performances from more than 20 countries, watch an eco-fashion show featuring local designers with models walking the runway in upcycled fashion, create a community-wide art piece, view a green film festival, test drive an electric car, listen to inspiring speakers, take a ride on a bike that generates electricity, taste healthy international cuisines, have a drink at the beer and wine garden, and much more.

    Learning comes in many forms. Boston GreenFest is a community classroom. It allows everyone to learn and explore together. It will bring the innovator out that is in each one of us.

    Boston GreenFest is a celebration of life and possibility, providing you with ideas and experiences that can shape your life and the life of your community. When summer comes to a close, see that it closes by opening a door to a greener future. Turn off your AC, call your friends and neighbors, and come explore Boston GreenFest! For more information, and hours, visit http://bostongreenfest.org/

  • Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Rocks, Resilience, and Conservation

    Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Rocks, Resilience, and Conservation

    Will species move in response to climate change? Yes, but where will they go and will they like it when they get there? Ecologist Mark Anderson, PhD, Director of Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy’s Eastern U.S. Region, proposes that we step back from the individual species to examine the geology of places, looking at bedrock, sediment, and elevation, to correlate areas of species richness to future conservation strategies. His research suggests that these abiotic factors are better predictors of success than species-level climate change models. Come hear about his work in mapping the geophysical regions of New England with an eye towards conserving those that will support the greatest array of species into the future. The thinking is that the areas of most resilient will continue to support the greatest diversity of life, no matter the environmental challenges and changes. His assessment, done at an evolutionary timescale, provides critical data for scientists and conservationists considering how best to conserve landscapes and preserve biodiversity. The lecture takes place Tuesday, November 17 from 7 – 8 in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum. Fee: Free for Arboretum members and students, $5 nonmembers. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.  Photo by Ken Richardson.

    Mark

  • Saturday, May 2, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm – Beyond the Honey Bee: Conserving Our Native Pollinators

    The Hubbardston-Ware River Nature Club and the East Quabbin Land Trust will sponsor a day long seminar Beyond the Honey Bee: Conserving Our Native Pollinators, on Saturday, May 2 from 8 – 4:30 at the Harvard Forest in Petersham. The purpose of this event is to increase awareness and provide information and resources to people who want to manage their properties to benefit native pollinators. It is designed for small landowners, public lands managers, small farmers, backyard gardeners, and others who want to manage open space with native pollinator needs in mind. Speakers include Dr. Rob Gegear of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, naturalists Gail Howe Trenholm and Charley Eiseman, Dr. Anne Averill of UMass-Amherst, Tom Sullivan (pictured below – thank you www.gazettenet.com) of PollinatorsWelcome.com, and author and garden coach Ellen Sousa. Schedule and registration information visit: http://hubbardstonnatureclub.weebly.com/conference.html.

  • Tuesday, April 22, 10:00 am – Earth Day Restoration with the New England Wild Flower Society

    Tuesday, April 22, 10:00 am – Earth Day Restoration with the New England Wild Flower Society

    Celebrate Earth Day by joining a group of New England Wild Flower Society volunteers to restore Arthur Morency Woods, a 15-acre parcel of conservation land in Framingham. These “habitat islands” in densely populated areas are of great importance to wildlife. Meet at the Arthur Street Extension in Framingham at 10 AM. Plenty of parking at the entrance on Arthur Street. For more information visit www.newfs.org, or call 508-877-7630.

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  • Wednesday, March 7 – Thursday, March 8 – 18th Annual ELA Conference and Eco-Marketplace

    ELA Conference Save the Date

    For complete information, visit www.ecolandscaping.org.

  • 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.

  • Wednesday, March 16 – Thursday, March 17 – Conservation in a New Nation Workshop

    This two-day intensive workshop helps conservationists strengthen the practice of conservation by ensuring future innovation and responsiveness to present-day challenges. It is a chance to talk openly and safely about how to diversify in order to maintain competitive edge and leadership and how to collaborate with facets of the larger community, thereby broadening bases of support, developing meaningful new relationships and engaging more public citizens on the issues. Today, 40% of all Americans under the age of 16 are people of color. These changes within our nation are to be celebrated because they bring new ideas and vigor and because people of color have traditionally been strong supporters of conservation. But, today, conservation and environmentalism includes far fewer people of color. How can conservation groups adapt? What needs to evolve within conservation so that more people of color see themselves within the story of conservation? This workshop will explore all of these themes and spend time on specific tools and skills needed to implement change. The faculty will include Peter Forbes, founder of the Center for Whole Communities, and Mohamed Chakaki, who holds a Masters of Environmental Management with a focus on Urban Ecology and Environmental Design from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The workshop, to be held March 16 and 17 at the Essex Conference Center in Essex, Massachusetts, is sponsored by the Center for Whole Communities, and you may register on line ($525 tuition, $105 room and board optional) at www.wholecommunities.org.  Feel free to call Lauren Oleet, Program Manager, at 802-496-5690 with any questions, or email her at Lauren@wholecommunities.org.

  • Sunday, April 18, 1:00 pm – A Paintbrush for Conservation

    Fruitlands Museum 2010 Artist in Residence Barry Van Dusen will present an illustrated lecture at the Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts on Sunday, April 18 beginning at 1:00 pm.  Barry will discuss his travels to Israel on a project organized by the Artists for Nature Foundation.

    In 1990, Ysbrand Brouwers, a Dutch art collector and wildlife enthusiast, took the initiative with a group of artists friends, to portray the beauty of the island of Schiermonnikoog (Netherlands) and invited an international group of artists to join them. The works of art that resulted were published in the book ‘Wind, Wad en Waterverf’ for which HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands wrote the introduction.

    Exhibitions were organized, and together with the book the need to protect this precious area was brought to the attention of decision makers and the wider public. Major conservation organizations supported the initiative and their actions resulted in Schiermonnikoog receiving the status of National Park.

    Seeing the potential impact of art working as an instrument for nature conservation, Ysbrand founded the Artists for Nature Foundation in the same year to push the concept much further.

    Since then ANF has undertaken12 successful projects on 4 continents with 130 international artists.

    Explore the natural and cultural history of Israel, and learn how art is used to promote hope and cooperation.  For directions and more information, log on to www.fruitlands.org.

    http://www.artistsfornature.com/userfiles/dusstar.jpg