Boston Flora

Tag: mass audubon

  • Thursday, May 17, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – More Ticks in More Places

    Several local green space organizations have joined together to present the following educational program about tick awareness and tick bite prevention.  More Ticks in More Places: How the ever-changing ecology of tick-borne diseases in the Northeastern US affects you! will be presented by Thomas N. Mather, Ph.D, Director, The University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Resource Center, on Thursday, May 17, 6:30–8:00pm in the Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston.

    In New England, 2011 was an exceptionally “ticky” year, and there are predictions for a possible 20% increase in the tick population in 2012. Dr. Thomas Mather will discuss current trends in tick encounter risk as well as his efforts to help individuals and communities prevent tick bites and Lyme disease. Learn about tick life cycles, environmental factors contributing to Lyme disease, and what you can do to protect yourself so that you can continue to enjoy the green spaces in and around Boston. Reserve now. Space is limited.

    Free, but registration requested.

    Register online at http://my.arboretum.harvard.edu or by phone at 617-384-5277.

    Sponsored by Boston Natural Areas Network; Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center; Brookline Parks & Open Space; Emerald Necklace Conservancy; Franklin Park Coalition; Friends of the Blue Hills; New England Mountain Bike Association; Olmsted National Historic Site, NPS; and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

  • Saturday, March 3, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm – Mass Audubon Birders Meeting – Birds, Baleen, and 20 Years of Marine Conservation

    The Massachusetts Audubon Society will hold its 20th Annual Birders Meeting on Saturday, March 3, from 8 – 4 at The LaCava Center, Bentley University in Waltham. Registration fee, which includes lunch, is $63 for Mass Audubon members, $70 for non-members, and you may register online at www.massaudubon.org.  Sessions will include talks by Stephen Kress on Restoring Endangered Seabirds: Lessons from Puffins and Terns, Dave Wiley on Foraging Behavior of Humpback Whales in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Debi Shearwater on 35 Years of California Seabirding, and Shawn Carey and Jim Grady on Epic Journeys: Tracking the Migrations of Shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere. Additional breakout presentations will be given by Anne-Marie Runfola, Julie C. Ellis, Brian Harrington, and Joan Walsh.

  • Request For Proposals for Boston Committee Grant

    Established in 1989, The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America is a consortium of 14 garden clubs in the greater Boston area, from Buzzards Bay to the South, and coastal Maine to the north, with a total membership of 1,100 individuals. The Garden Club of the Back Bay is an affiliate member of The Boston Committee.

    Over the past years, the Boston Committee has awarded $110,000, through its Blossom Fund, to various not for profit groups in the City of Boston, for the purpose of beautifying our urban spaces. The Fund has been most effective when used to leverage larger grants. It has been at the forefront of projects such as the construction of the Blackwell Path at the Arnold Arboretum, which allows access to the Arboretum from public transportation. The Blossom Fund has helped with the construction and planting of a butterfly garden and maple tree allee at Massachusetts Audubon Society’s George Robert White Nature Center, in Mattapan. It has provided money for the restoration of the Kelleher Rose Garden on the Emerald Necklace. The Esplanade Association purchased irrigation equipment, the Charles River Conservancy restored the landscape surrounding the Eliot Bridge, and a garden was established at the Neighborhood Charter School, all with the help of the Blossom Fund.

    Now, the Boston Committee is soliciting proposals for a project in the vicinity of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. We expect to award a single grant for $50,000, with the potential to collaboratively raise additional funds in the future.

    The Committee members agree that innovation, positive community impact, and horticultural achievement must be the hallmarks of a successful Greenway proposal. Sustainability and future maintenance are important considerations. The grant will not be awarded for general fund drives, endowments, or for operating or staffing costs. The successful applicant must work with us to raise additional monies in the final year of the fund drive. Importantly, applicants must be an exempt organization under the IRS code.

    Complete details may be obtained by email. Contact Michele Hanss, current Chairman of The Boston Committee, at m.hanss@comcast.net. Applications are due February 10. We have received notice that applications may be forthcoming from the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park, The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the Boston Aquarium, and the Boston Harbor Walk. After a full review and interviews, member Clubs will vote for the winning application, to be announced at our Annual Meeting in the fall of 2012, after which we will embark on the final year of fund raising. We encourage all groups in or around the Greenway to submit applications.

  • Sunday, November 6, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Birds of the Americas

    Boston-based photographer Eduardo del Solar will be showing his nature photography in an exhibit entitled Birds of the Americas at Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, Massachusetts from November 6 through December 31. The public is cordially invited to meet the artist at a free gallery reception on Sunday, November 6, 2:30-4:00 pm. A portion of all purchases made during the exhibit helps to support the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Joppa Flats.

    Eduardo del Solar finds that spending time inside as a technology teacher in Boston contrasts nicely with his extracurricular interest: to get outside in nature, find wildlife, wait for the best light, and take photographs. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, del Solar has been working since 2007 on a photographic series of American birds in such locations as his native country, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, Canada, and, of course, New England. He is currently working with Goldenrod, an environmental agency at Plymouth Long Beach, where he is photographing birds through an entire year of seasonal changes. “As a photographer, providing artistic and technical renditions of species across the Americas is my primary goal. For this exhibit I have included a few endemic species from these places I have visited as well as some of my favorite images from the Goldenrod project,” says del Solar.

  • Thursday, April 28, 6:30 pm – Ghost Bird

    To kick-off the 6th annual Birds and Bards Festival, The Arnold Arboretum, the Boston Nature Center, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, and the Franklin Park Coalition will screen the movie Ghost Bird —a fascinating look at the controversial “rediscovery” of the extinct (or is it?) Ivory-billed woodpecker.

    The screening will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday, April 28th at the Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, Massachusetts 02126.

    In 2005, scientists announced that the Ivory-billed woodpecker, a species thought to be extinct for 60 years, had been found in the swamps of Eastern Arkansas. Other creatures have wrongly been presumed extinct, but the reappearance of the Ivory-bill was celebrated around the world as the rediscovery of a lifetime, prompting the largest recovery effort ever undertaken for a lost species. Millions of dollars poured in from the government while ornithologists and birders flooded the swamps to find the rare bird.

    Down the road, the town of Brinkley, Arkansas – itself on the brink of extinction – was transformed by the hope, commerce and controversy surrounding their feathered friend. But continued sightings by expert birders only highlighted the mysterious absence of credible evidence. Now six years later, the woodpecker remains as elusive as ever. Ghost Bird brings the Ivory-bill’s blurry rediscovery into focus revealing our uneasy relationship with nature and the increasing uncertainty of our place within it.

    Following the film, there will be a panel discussion about the state of conservation and endangered species in Massachusetts and around the world. Experts from three of the leading conservation organizations in MA will be available to answer questions:

    Pearl Yusuf, Asst. Curator of the Hooves and Horns, Franklin Park Zoo

    Joan Walsh, Director of Bird Monitoring, Mass Audubon

    Wayne Klockner, Director of the Massachusetts Program of The Nature Conservancy

    For more info visit

    http://ghostbirdmovie.com/

    http://arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/birds-and-bards/

    http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Boston/news.php?id=1430&event=no

    Contact: Marc Devokaitis 617.384.5209 marc_devokaitis@harvard.edu

  • Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1 – Birds and Bards: A Festival Celebrating Birds, Poetry, and Nature

    Visit the Arnold Arboretum, Boston Nature Center, Forest Hills Cemetery, Franklin Park Coalition and the Franklin Park Zoo,  Thursday, April 28 to Sunday, May 1 for Birds and Bards: A Festival Celebrating Birds, Poetry, and Nature. Spend the weekend exploring birds, poetry, and nature in over 1000 acres of green space along Boston’s Emerald Necklace. The festival includes activities for children and adults, most of which are free!

    For complete event listings and information, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/birds-and-bards.

     

  • Wednesday, April 6, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Life on the Wing in an Era of Human Dominance

    Grow Native Massachusetts presents Wayne Petersen, Director of the Mass Audubon Important Bird Areas Program, in a free program on Wednesday, April 6 entitled Life on the Wing in an Era of Human Dominance.  The event will take place at the main branch of the Cambridge Public Library from 7 – 8:30 pm.

    It is easy to take birds for granted. They cheer us with their songs in spring, engage us with the wonders of their flight, and grace our landscapes throughout the year. Yet, these idyllic images belie the serious impact of human activity on many bird populations. Come learn what we must do to help ensure their survival—what might comprise an avian wish list for human behavior. Wayne Petersen is a nationally known ornithologist, and a contributor to numerous field guides and publications. His talk will be the next best thing to birding with him in the field. For more information contact programsmanager@grownativemass.org.

  • Saturday, February 5 – Sunday, February 6 – Focus on Feeders

    Bird feeding has become an extremely popular winter activity in our region. Harnessing that interest, Mass Audubon and its partners have enlisted enthusiastic feeder watchers of all ages to track trends in abundance of winter feeder bird species for more than 40 years.  Observations from the bird watching public contribute to a growing database that can provide early warning signs on changes in abundance of bird species that visit feeders.

    For example, feeder watching in Massachusetts has helped document the decline of the House Finch as a result of conjunctivitis, and the northward expansion of the Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, and Carolina Wren in response to warmer winters.  The Mass Audubon staff especially appreciate reading the many comments submitted by participants as they can help them interpret results (e.g., “Feeder birds down this year” or “where are all my redpolls?”). The wildlife photos often sent in with Focus on Feeders observations are great, too!

    Step 1: During the weekend of February 5 and 6, simply note the diversity and number of each species in view at any one time.

    Step 2: Record your observations on the official Focus on Feeders Report Form (PDF 597K) found on the Mass Audubon website and either mail it to Mass Audubon or submit your findings online (starting February 5).

    Step 3: Get your camera ready. They’ll award prizes in several categories for wildlife photographs submitted with bird observations. Winning photographs will also appear on the Mass Audubon website. All wildlife photos are welcome and need not be limited to birds. Amateur photographers only, please. All photos submitted become the property of Mass Audubon.  2010 Best Overall Photo below was taken by Harry Becker.

    Step 4: Ask your friends and neighbors to join the fun, as the value of the data collected increases with the number of participants. The names of all those who report their observations will be entered into a drawing to win one of several prizes, including Mass Audubon baseball caps and more.

    Learn about the history of feeder watching in Massachusetts, or see past results.  To learn more please email focusonfeeders@massaudubon.org.

    Harry Becker, A Visual Feast (Cedar Waxwings)

  • Saturday, January 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Naked Shrubs

    No leaves? No problem! Use a combination of branching patterns, bud and bark characteristics, habitat, persistent fruits, galls and marcescent leaves to identify shrubs in winter. The New England Wild Flower Society program on January 29 will begin at 10 am with a short session indoors. Then head out into MA Audubon Habitat’s 86 acres in Belmont for a close look at 15-20 native shrubs plus a couple of non-native invasives. You will end up back indoors for a twig or slide quiz and a cup of something hot. Review for those who have taken “Native New England Shrubs” and a good introduction to shrub ID in winter. Bring lunch and a hand lens if you have one. Roland “Boot” Boutwell leads, and the fee is $32 for NEWFS and Massachusetts Audubon Society members, $36 for non-members. Click on www.newfs.org to register.  Image of willow below from the Royal Horticultural Society.

  • Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Native Bulbs for New England

    A large variety of North American species actually perform better if the whole plant is transplanted from a container in the spring rather than bare root in the fall. Laura Eisener highlights some of the beautiful native plants that grow from bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, including spring and summer blooming species. These hardy, long-lasting perennials make delightful additions to your sun or shade garden. The Tuesday, October 5 class  (from 7 – 9) is co sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society and by Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm, and the fee to participate is $22 for members of either group, or $26 for non members. To register, log on to www.newfs.org.