Boston Flora

Tag: Harvard

  • Tuesdays, March 1 – March 29, 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Plant Nomenclature: Determination of the Correct Name of a Known Plant

    In plant names, such as Acer rubrum (red maple), what do the two parts of the name represent? Why do taxonomists change long-accepted plant names and who settles disputes about these names? What is “rule of priority” and why is it rejected occasionally (as in the name of tomato)? What is a ‘type specimen’?

    Dr. Gandhi will answer these questions and more in this introduction to the study of botanical nomenclature and explain the rules of the current international nomenclature code. The classes, on five consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning March 1, will take place at the Harvard University Herbarium, 22 Divinity Avenue in Cambridge, and are sponsored by the Arnold Arboretum.  $120 for Arboretum members, $144 for nonmembers.  You may register by calling 617-384-5277, or emailing adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu.

  • Through March 19 – Riding the Ox

    Sculptor Linda Hoffman will be exhibiting her Ox Herding Series, ten sculptures depicting the Zen Buddhist teaching on the stages of enlightenment, in the Wayside building at Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, Massachusetts through March 19, co-sponsored by the Durga Studio.  If you wish to set up a viewing appointment, email Linda Hoffman at studio@lindahoffman.com, or Jen Sundeen at jen@the durgastudio.com.  Admission is free.  Image from www.lindahoffman.com.

  • Saturdays, March 5 & 12, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Introduction to Winter Tree Identification

    The Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway in Boston, will again present one of its most popular class offerings on two successive Saturdays, March 5 and 12, from 9 – 12 noon. Learn the basic information necessary to identify deciduous trees during their dormant season. Looking at specific character combinations, you will determine the genus and species of several types of trees in the Boston area.  Class begins indoors with a discussion of basic classification techniques and continues outside to the Arboretum grounds to examine a variety of trees.  This class is recommended for the beginner-to-intermediate tree observer. Dress in layers for both classroom and outdoor learning. A hand lens may be helpful, but is not necessary.    Price to attend is $65 for Arboretum members, $75 for nonmembers.  To register, call 617-384-5277, or email adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu.

  • Saturday, February 26, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Pruning in Winter

    Jen Kettell, an ISA-certified arborist and accredited Organic Land Care Professional, will explain the reasons for pruning and what to consider when pruning dormant trees, shrubs, and vines. She will demonstrate techniques, give guidelines for determining which plants benefit from winter pruning, and explain how plants heal from pruning wounds. The class will take place Saturday, February 26, from 9 – 12 noon at the Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston, MA, and the cost is $30 for Arboretum members, $35 for nonmembers. To register, call 617-384-5277, or email adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu.

  • Saturday, February 12, 10:30 am – 6:00 pm – TEDxManhattan Changing the Way We Eat

    TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” will take place February 12, 2011, in New York City. The one-day event will highlight several aspects of the sustainable food movement and the work being done to shift our food system from industrially-based agriculture to one in which healthy, nutritious food is accessible to all. Speakers with various backgrounds in food and farming will share their insights and expertise. Speakers this year will include Laurie David, environmental activist, producer and author of The Family Dinner, Carolyn Steel, architect and author , Cheryl Rogowski, family farmer and MacArthur Genius Award recipient, Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, and Ian Cheney, Peabody award-winning film maker. Relevant clips from the TED conference will be shown.

    Because the event can accommodate a maximum of 250 people, and is in Manhattan, chances are not everyone who wishes to attend will be able to. In order to allow everyone the opportunity to experience TEDxManhattan, they will webcast the show and hold viewing parties around the country. One such viewing party will be held at Harvard, in Boylston Hall 110 in Harvard Yard. RSVP to www.meetup.com/TEDxManhattan/Cambridge-MA/52670/.  The webcast will run from 10:30 – 6, and a complete schedule of speakers and topics may be found at http://tedxmanhattan.org/event/.

  • Saturday, February 12, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Dwarf Conifer and Juniper Collection via Snowshoes

    Join Jen Kettell on Saturday, February 12, from 10:30 – 12:30 for a tromp through the dwarf conifer and juniper collections on snowshoes. She will help you identify common conifers, share the stories behind the plants, impart the history of the two collections, and describe the microclimate in this part of the Arnold Arboretum.

    Bring your own snowshoes, a travel mug for hot cocoa after the hike, and dress warmly! This tour is not suitable for cross-country skis. Plan for a walking tour in the event that there is no snow. Sunglasses are recommended.

    Space is limited. (Note: this description updates the description printed in Silva.) $20 Arboretum members, $24 nonmembers. For more information email adulted@arnarb.harvard.edu, or call 617-384-5277.  Photo by Steve Greaves.

  • Friday, February 4, 5:30 pm – Hengduan Mountains, China: Characteristics and Biodiversity

    Dr. David Bouford of the Harvard University Herbaria will speak to the New England Botanical Club on Friday, February 4, beginning at 5:30 pm in the Haller Lecture Hall, Room 102, of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, on the topic Hengduan Mountains, China: Characteristics and Biodiversity. Open to the public. For maps and parking information, log on to www.rhodora.org.  Below is a Hengudan Mountains meconopsis.

  • Sunday, January 23, 2:00 pm – From Earthquakes to Volcanoes

    Although large earthquakes are rare and the last volcanoes raged off our coast thousands of years ago, New England has a surprising amount of active seismic activity and a geologic landscape full of volcanic remains. Join Jack Loveless, post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Harvard, to learn how these spectacular natural events occur, handle real volcanic rocks, and see how scientists use new techniques, such as 3-D vision, to understand tectonic movement and forecast earthquakes. This program at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, will begin at 2 pm on Sunday, January 23, and you can be home before the NFL playoff game begins. Free with museum admission. Call 617-495-3045, or log on to www.hmnh.harvard.edu for more information.

  • Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm – Thoreau as a Climatologist

    Henry David Thoreau initiated a study of flowering times at Walden Pond. Today, a research team including Charles Davis, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, has updated Thoreau’s records with current data and integrated them with modern evolutionary biology to reveal how climate change and earlier flowering times have affected Walden’s plants.

    Join Davis to explore an integrated approach to climate change and biodiversity on Thursday, November 18, beginning at 6 pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Part of the Asa Gray Bicentennial series, this event is free and open to the public.For more information, log on to www.hmnh.harvard.edu, or call 617-495-3045.

  • Tuesday, November 9, 7:30 pm – Insect Signs

    Most of the signs insects leave are either overlooked or, when they are observed, seem difficult to decipher. Noah Charney and Charles Eiseman spent two years researching signs left by insects and how to read their tracks. The knowledge they gained is presented in their new book Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates. The authors will join the Cambridge Entomological Club for a presentation about insect signs and share interesting stories about their adventures gathering material for their unique book. Copies of the book will be available for purchase,
    and signing, after the talk.

    The meeting, on Tuesday, November 9 beginning at 7:30 in Room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street,  is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join us at 6:15 PM for an informal dinner meeting at Harkness Commons, in the law school cafeteria on the  second floor.