Boston Flora

Tag: DCR

  • Tuesday, April 28, 10:00 am – The Massachusetts Legacy Tree Program

    DCR’s Matthew Cahill joins members of The Garden Club of the Back Bay at the Chilton Club on Tuesday, April 28 at 10 am to talk about the Legacy Tree Program. Through the Legacy Tree Program and the National Champion Tree Registry, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Forestry Program formally recognizes the largest and most interesting known tree of each species, trees of historical origin, and other trees of unique and significant importance growing within the state of Massachusetts. There are a number of Legacy Trees in Mount Auburn Cemetery and in the Public Garden. This program is for members only, but you can join now at https://bostonflora.com/join

  • Thursday, September 25, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Mass Parks for All Benefit

    Join Michele Hanss, former chair of The Boston Committee of the GCA and co-chair of Mass Parks for All, on September 25 at the historic St. Botolph Club, 199 Commonwealth Avenue, for a memorable evening event celebrating MPA’s third anniversary. MPA is the only statewide charitable organization focused on our state parks, and invited guests will help mark our successes in supporting the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s stewardship of nearly 500,000 acres of public lands. We will also look forward to next steps as we work to make our vision for 21st Century parks that serve everyone a reality. $125. To register, and for more information, visit https://massparksforall.org/donate

  • Nicole LaChapelle Appointed Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation

    The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced the appointment of Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle as Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). She takes over for Brian Arrigo on July 21, who is departing the administration to join the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

    Nicole LaChapelle has served as Mayor of Easthampton since 2018. During her time as Mayor, Easthampton leveraged record-level grant funding to promote new affordable housing, protected green spaces, and strengthened infrastructure. She partnered with the Kestrel Land Trust to launch a unique initiative to build 90 units of affordable housing and conserve the vulnerable meadows, hayfields, and forests along the Manhan River. LaChapelle also partnered with the Land Trust again to secure 23 acres for the Mt. Tom North Trailhead Park.

    In 2019, she led the City’s efforts to qualify for Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grants, later leveraging those dollars to improve stormwater management, flood preparedness, and the urban tree canopy. LaChapelle helped oversee the redesign of the New City neighborhood, creating a new park, adding multi-use paths, and upgrading the sewer system. These upgrades are a part of Easthampton’s larger Green Infrastructure Plan spearheaded under Mayor LaChapelle, which envisions cleaner rivers and restored natural resources throughout the city. In 2021, she became the first mayor in the country to offer an employee benefit for EV adoption, concurrent with City’s own plans to transition the City fleet to electric vehicles. She hired Easthampton’s first Sustainability Coordinator to advance future climate preparedness and clean energy initiatives.

    Prior to her time in office, LaChapelle spent over two decades working to support the interests of disabled and marginalized students. As a certified Massachusetts School Superintendent and Special Education Administrator, she went on to serve as the Chief of Pupil Services for Holyoke Public Schools in 2015, overseeing district special education services and related compliance functions. LaChapelle also served as a local attorney focused on civil rights advocacy, especially as it pertains to education and disabilities.

  • Sunday, June 22, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Season Opening, Charlesgate Farmers Market

    Join The Charlesgate Alliance and the Charlesgate Farmers Market on Sundays, June 22 – October 12, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, for the popular Farmers Market. Support local farmers, small businesses, and musicians. Entering its second year, the event has been a success and fills a community need for fresh food and friendship.

  • Sunday, September 22, 1:30 pm – Forest Stand Improvements in the Quabbin Watershed

    In the winter of 2023 DCR Division of Water Supply Protection launched the Forest Stand Improvement pilot project. This project seeks to improve Forest Resiliency in young forests to increase native tree biodiversity, improve wildlife habitat, and climate resilience. Millers River Environmental Center 100 Main Street, Athol, at 1:30 pm on September 22, with speaker Austin Gelinas. Free and open to the public, sponsored by the Athol Bird & Nature Club.

  • Stoneman Playground Sculpture Update

    In 2012, the Esplanade Association commissioned Mitch Ryerson, of Ryerson Design, to turn the Stoneman Playground’s magnificent oak tree into a whimsical sculpture since the tree had died. During the 2020 renovation of Stoneman Playground, it was discovered that the foundation of the beloved structure was no longer structurally sound.


    Mitch Ryerson and his wife worked to safely remove the top pieces of the sculpture for future use at the end of February. The old oak stump is to be removed in March through DCR’s annual project to prune trees and remove dead, dying, and dangerous trees from the Esplanade.


    While we are sad to see the sculpture go, the Esplanade Association, DCR, and Mitch Ryerson will work through 2021 to determine the design and installation plans for a new sculpture to be placed nearby that preserves the spirit, and likely many of the pieces, of the old sculpture.

  • Friday, March 16, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – Soil & Water Conservation Society Winter Conference: Healthy Forests, Healthy Habitats

    The Southern New England Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society will hold its 2018 Winter Conference on Friday, March 16 from 8 – 5 at the Publick House Historic Inn in Sturbridge. Guest speakers include

    Lois Bruinooge, Executive Director, The Last Green Valley, & Coordinator, Southern New England Heritage Forest Project
    Partners Bring $6.1 Million to the Region for Forest Conservation!

    Michael Downey, MA DCR Service Forester
    Introduction to Agroforestry: The Science, Practice and Possibilities for Massachusetts

    Fern Graves, RI Department of Environmental Management, Forester & Stewardship Coordinator
    Healthy Forests

    Douglas Hutcheson, MA DCR Service Forester
    Forestry Best Management Practices

    Steve Johnson, Ph.D., Senior Ecologist, SWCA Environmental Consultants
    Rare and Endangered Species and Forest Cutting

    Christopher Martin, Forestry, CT DEEP
    Forestry and Water Quality

    John Scanlon, Habitat Program Supervisor, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
    Young Forest Habitats, Forest Reserves and Rare Species Habitats

    Thomas Worthley, Associate Extension Professor at the University of Connecticut
    Perspectives on Woodland Management in a Parcelizing World

    In keeping with the Forestry and Wildlife theme, we will be joined for the day by members of the Yankee Division of the Society of American Foresters (YDSAF), the professional forestry organization in Southern New England, for their Annual Meeting.

    $65 SWCS Members & SAF Members
    $65 Government Staff
    $90 Non-Members
    $40 Students
    Group Discounts (25% OFF)

    In conjunction with the conference, EnviroCert International, Inc. (ECI) will be leading review courses and a next day exam for several professional certifications including but not limited to the Certified Professional in Erosion & Sediment Control™ (CPESC®) and Certified Erosion, Sediment & Stormwater Inspector™ (CESSWI™) programs. Registration for these review courses and exams are available at http://booking.envirocertintl.org/ and is a separate registration.

    Contact Megan Myers, Executive Director, with questions at info@swcssnec.org

    Image result for southern new england heritage forest

  • Sunday, February 18, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Clearing the Valley

    It took twelve years to clear the valley of homes and people before the Quabbin Reservoir was created.  Join DCR Visitor Center Manager Maria Beiter-Tucker on Sunday, February 18 at 2 pm to learn about the process.  The free program will be held at the Quabbin Visitor Center, 485 Ware Road in Belchertown.  All ages are welcome. Call 413-323-7221 for more information.

    http://linapps.s3.amazonaws.com/linapps/photomojo/wwlp.com/photos/2013/04/g7084-lost-towns-of-the-quabbin/139373-0f062.jpg

  • Monday, December 4, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Charlesgate Alliance: The Second Meeting

    On Monday, December 4, from 7 – 9, join the Charlesgate Alliance to talk about DCR Charlesgate Park.  This second meeting will take place at 91 Bay State Road, Common Lounge on the first floor, and will include discussions of improvements to DCR Charlesgate Park. The event is sponsored by Charlesgate Alliance, DCR Massachusetts, and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.

  • Friday, November 3 – Saturday, November 4 – Massachusetts Trails Conference: Building Trails – A Path to Vibrant Communities

    The Massachusetts Trails Conference is hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in partnership with the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB) with funding provided by the Recreational Trails Program. Keynote speaker David C. Toland is the first CEO of Thrive Allen County, a nonprofit coalition that works to improve quality of life and economic conditions in Allen County, Kansas. A seventh-generation Allen Countian, Toland oversees a coalition known regionally, statewide and nationally for its innovative approaches to improving healthcare access, healthy lifestyles and economic development in a small, rural Kansas county.

    At the conference, there will be hands-on workshops on Trail Crossings in Wetlands: Bog Bridge at Barrett Park, Chainsaw Safety, Constructing Accessible Trails with Stabilized Stonedust, etc, as well as field trips in and around Leominster and Fitchburg, and a host of concurrent sessions such as Finding Your Way through Storytelling: The Thoreau Trail and Chinatown Trail, and A Tale of Two City Trails: The Springield Urban Bird Trail and Worcester’s East-West Trail. A complete list may be found at http://www.masstrailsconference.com/schedule.html Registration begins at $45 with some workshops priced at an additional fee. Register online at http://www.masstrailsconference.com/register.html Registration includes Friday, November 3 field trips, and Saturday, November 4 keynote address, sessions, breakfast, lunch, and networking social. The event takes place at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Leominster, Massachusetts.