Boston Flora

Tag: Massachusetts Audubon Society

  • 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.

  • Garden Club of the Back Bay Announces Annual Grant Recipients

    Thanks in no small part to the continued success of our recent Twilight Garden Party, The Garden Club of the Back Bay announces that the following organizations will receive a total of $20,000 in financial grants for 2011:

    The Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee – $5,000 to be credited to the Hereford Street to Massachusetts Avenue  air spading project fund.

    The Friends of the Public Garden – $4,000 to continue the inoculation of elms at risk for contracting Dutch elm disease.

    The Esplanade Association – $2,500 for the Elliot Oval Landscape Restoration, planting new trees and treating trees already on site, near the newly restored Community Boating docks.

    Emerald Necklace Conservancy – $2,500 for a planned meadow to be developed with native species and wildflowers.

    Boston Nature Center/Massachusetts Audubon Society – $2,500 to support six full scholarships for its summer camp.  The children attending the camp range in age from 5 to 14 and are from the local neighborhoods of Mattapan, Roslindale, and Jamaica Plain.

    Charles River Clean Up Boat – $2,000, to help continue the project of keeping the Charles River trash-free.

    Urban Ecology Institute – $1,000 to help with its Grow Boston Greener tree planting initiative.

    The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America – $500 to the Blossom Fund, which is accumulating funds over a five year period to be awarded to a deserving project on or about the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

    For more information on all these important organizations and to learn more about the work they do, visit their website links above.  In addition to the above grants, The Garden Club of the Back Bay will spend an additional $20,000 on planting, pruning, and treating the street trees in our neighborhood over the coming year.  Thank you to all our volunteers and contributors for making our horticultural endeavors happen!

  • Tuesday, April 5, 10:00 am – Rain Gardens: Beautiful Water-Saving, Wildlife-Friendly Gardens

    The April meeting of The Garden Club of the Back Bay will be held Tuesday, April 5, beginning at 10 am at The College Club, 44 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, and will feature Dori Smith of Gardens for Life speaking on Water Gardens: Beautiful Water-Saving, Wildlife-Friendly Gardens. Would you like to help protect our precious water resources, while at the same time creating lush, beautiful gardens that attract birds and butterflies?  Rain gardens take advantage of our natural abundance of rainfall rather than wasting it as runoff – using water flowing from your roof, driveway, or lawn.  These gardens are easy care, and can often solve problems such as erosion, icy walkways, or wet basements.  Using inspirational PowerPoint slides, we will review design options, construction details, and appropriate native plants.  Attendees are welcome to bring photos or descriptions of their own landscapes to use as case studies.

    Trained in design and horticulture, with a certificate from Tower Hill Botanic Garden “New England School of Gardening” and an advanced certificate in native plants from New England Wildflower Society, Dori is a member of the NEWFS Educational Committee, and is accredited as an Organic Land Care Professional by Northeast Organic Farming Association.  She has installed over 15 rain gardens in Boston’s western suburbs, and has published in the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Sanctuary Magazine.

    An optional lunch will follow the presentation.  The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are essential.  Lunch will cost an additional $20 for Garden Club  members, $25 for guests, and reservations may be made by emailing info@bostonflora.com before Tuesday, March 29.  Garden Club members will receive written notice of this meeting.

    http://www.goodnaturepublishing.com/images/Raingarden.jpg

  • Thursday, April 14, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Wild Foods, Nutrition, and Land Conservation

    Land conservation has many obvious benefits — protecting habitats and watersheds, preventing erosion, offering places of beauty and respite. Few of us consider the additional benefit to our health and well-being that derives from the wild, nutrient-dense foods these natural areas can provide. Take a provocative look at agriculture (particularly small-scale) and its effects on the environment and human health in this Thursday, April 14 lecture by Arthur Haines at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society and the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Drumlin Farm. How does clearing the canopy and understory of a natural area affect wild food sources? Do changes in our diet over the past century have a physiological and genetic impact? Appreciating the critical need humans have for wild food provides another powerful argument for the protection of land from uses that drastically alter its ecological function. $20 for members of the sponsoring organizations, $24 for non-members.  Register at www.newfs.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)

  • Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreaths – “Green Spending”

    Why should you buy from us? Yes, we know you could order from local florists (at a significantly higher price, we might point out), or from the nurseries or groceries stores (at perhaps a slightly lower cost, with a corresponding drop in quality.) Purchasing our wreaths comes with the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting many wonderful local organizations, in addition to our own.

    Each year we make grants to not for profit groups which are making a difference in our lives. In addition to the Friends of the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee, we donate to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Charles River Clean Up Boat, the Boston Nature Center of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Esplanade Association, COG, and to City Roots/The Urban Ecology Institute. This is by no means the complete list of beneficiaries (click on to our Projects page on the menu above for details) but we give approximately $20,000 annually to area groups accomplishing great works which we do not have the expertise or manpower to do ourselves. The dollar amount of these grants is dependent upon our earnings, so we urge you to be generous and allow us the opportunity to enhance your holiday environment with our fresh balsam wreaths.  We also directly pay for the planting, pruning, and inoculation of the street trees in our neighborhood – another $20,000 annual expenditure, give or take a thousand.  As Everett Dirkson used to say,  and I paraphrase, “A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.”  Click HERE for an order form.

  • Tuesday, July 27, 6:30 pm – Wild Harvest: Foraging Food from Fields and Forests

    Enjoy nature’s harvest without fussing with plant pots, grow lamps and watering. Join plant enthusiast and past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker Russ Cohen for a workshop including how to identify, collect and prepare food from the wild.

    Did you know that New England is home to over 150 species of edible wild plants and dozens of species of edible mushrooms? What about the reported fact that many are more nutritious and flavorful than their cultivated counterparts? If this is news to you, then you must plan to join Slow Foods Boston and  The Appalachian Mountain Club at 4 Joy Street in Beacon Hill on Tuesday, July 27th at 6:30pm for a little enlightening.

    Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, will present a 90-minute slide show and question and answer period. He will cover over 70(!!) of the tastiest species the region has to offer. These range from plants you know well, like Daisies and Dandelions, to plants that you may never have even heard of, like Calamus and Carrion Flower.

    He’ll include information on about a dozen of the tastiest (and easiest to recognize) mushroom species, from Morels in the spring, Black Chanterelles (below) in the summer and Hen of the Woods mushrooms in the fall.

    Information covered will include identification tips, edible portions, seasons of availability and preparation methods, along with general guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. And just ‘cuz we’re special, Russ promises to bring along a foraged goodie or two to taste!

    Cost for the evening’s presentation is only $5, and pre-registration is appreciated at www.slowfoodboston.com. Many thanks to our co-hosts, the Appalachian Mountain Club Boston Chapter Young Members Committee.

    http://imagecache6.allposters.com/LRG/17/1749/H3N3D00Z.jpg

  • Saturday, May 22, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Wild Harvest: Foraging Food from Fields and Forests

    Enjoy nature’s harvest without fussing with plant pots, grow lamps and watering. Join plant enthusiast and past Garden Club of the Back Bay speaker Russ Cohen for a workshop including how to identify, collect and prepare food from the wild. His Berkshire Botanical Garden program focuses on plants that people are “likely to encounter”, highlighting edible natives, but also yummy weeds and invasive species. Following the presentation, take a field trip in search of wild edible plants. Learn where and when to find tasty plants in the wild as well as native edible species you might want to plant in your yard. Finally learn how to prepare the wild harvest and nibble on some wild treats.

    Russ Cohen is a professional environmentalist and wild food enthusiast. He leads classes for the Trustees of Reservations, Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. He is the author of the popular book Wild Plants I Have Known…..and Eaten.

    This May 22 workshop and field study program will begin at 1 pm at Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, West Stockbridge, and from there you will carpool to selected sites.  $35 for BBG members, $45 for non members.  You may register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org, or call 413-298-3926, or email info@berkshirebotanical.org.

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Blackberry_fruits10.jpg/300px-Blackberry_fruits10.jpg

  • Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreaths – Supporting the Community

    There is still time to order a magnificent holiday wreath from The Garden Club of the Back Bay – you may print an order form and mail it in with your check, or you may order online and pay through PayPal.  All the information and directions are available by clicking here.  Why should you buy from us?  Yes, we know you could order from local florists (at a significantly higher price, we might point out), or from the nurseries or groceries stores (at perhaps a slightly lower cost).  Purchasing our wreaths comes with the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting many wonderful local organizations, in addition to our own.  Each year we make grants to not for profit groups which are making a difference in our lives.  Besides the Friends of the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee, we donate to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the Charles River Clean Up Boat, the Boston Nature Center of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Esplanade Association, and to City Roots/The Urban Ecology Institute.   This is by no means the complete list of beneficiaries (click on to our Projects page on the menu above for details) but we give between $15,000 and $18,000 annually to area groups accomplishing great works which we do not have the expertise or manpower to do ourselves.  The dollar amount of these grants is dependent upon our earnings, so we urge you to be generous and allow us the opportunity to enhance your holiday environment with our fresh balsam wreaths. Thank You!

  • Friday, September 25, 6:00 pm – For the Birds

    Fruitlands Museum presents an entertaining night of bidding for both live and silent auction items in support of their upcoming exhibit “For the Birds,” a collaboration with the Massachusetts Audubon Society.  Enjoy live music and fine dining, along with the best view in town.  6:00 – 7:30 – Silent Auction and hors d’oeuvres, 7:30 – 8:30  Gourmet Stations featuring diverse seasonal fare, and 8:30 – 10 pm Live Auction and Dessert.  Tickets $75 each.  Tickets may be purchased on line at www.fruitlands.org.  Please purchase tickets by Friday, September 18.

    In April, 2010, the Mass Audubon visual Arts Center will partner with Fruitlands Museum to present “For the Birds,”  In addition to original elephant-folio engravings by John James Audubon, the exhibition will feature works by Alexander Wilson, Frank Weston Benson, Andy Warhol, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, and others.

    http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/667/galleries/figures/carolina_parakeet_draw/image_preview