Boston Flora

Tag: Massachusetts Department of conservation and Recreation

  • Tuesdays, November 21 – December 19, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Plant Healthcare

    Led by Ken Gooch, this Berkshire Botanical Garden program focuses on factors that affect plant health care, including insects, diseases, pathogens and abiotic influences. Basic diagnostic techniques will be taught. Learn to minimize potential problems through proper site preparation, plant selection and placement. Managing problems using biological, chemical and cultural techniques will be discussed with a focus on integrated pest management. The class will take place Tuesdays, November 21 – December 19, from 5:30 – 8:30 at the Garden. Ken Gooch is the former Forest Health Program Director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Additionally, he is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist and teaches arboriculture at the Garden. $185 for BBG members, $215 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/plant-health-care-1

    Image courtesy of WBUR.

  • Saturday, October 1, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Fall Pruning

    Autumn is a great time to assess your woody plants for shape, structure and health. This Berkshire Botanical Garden October 1 demonstration/workshop will focus on pruning, including when, why and how to shape, renovate, train, or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about pruning tools, timing and specific techniques available to the home gardener. Pruning techniques for both evergreen and deciduous hedges will be covered. Dress to be outside, and bring pruners. The class runs from 10 – 1, and is $20 for BBG members, $28 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/fall-pruning

    Ken Gooch is the former forest health program director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Additionally, he is a Massachusetts-certified arborist and teaches arboriculture at the Garden.

  • Renovation of the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge

    The Arthur Fiedler Footbridge, the pedestrian bridge linking David G Mugar Way to the Esplanade, will begin undergoing renovations this month. Renovations will include structural repairs and repainting the footbridge, and will involve closure of the footbridge from mid-May through the end of August.

    In upcoming weeks, The Esplanade Association’s partners at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will be releasing press advisories and announcements regarding the renovations and how they will impact the neighborhood’s access to the park.

    For those who frequently use the Fiedler Footbridge, the two nearest points of access to the Esplanade once the Fiedler Footbridge closes for renovations will be the Frances Appleton Footbridge and the Dartmouth Street Footbridge. Follow the Esplanade Association on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest updates on this project.

  • Saturdays, January 30, February 6, 13, & 20, 12:00 noon – Frost Fit: BCBSMA Lynx Saturday Workouts

    Frost Fit Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is back on the Esplanade this winter for four physically-distant outdoor fitness classes led by Lynx Fitness Club.

    For four consecutive Saturdays this winter, beginning January 30, instructors from Lynx Fitness Club will lead you through a free hour-long high intensity interval training (HIIT) class that incorporates bodyweight strength training with high-intensity cardio bursts for maximum calorie burning effect, set to fun and upbeat music. It might be cold outside but we are bringing the heat! Anyone who attends these workouts will receive select Frost Fit Winter Series swag. Classes will be held virtually if it’s not possible to host in-person on the Esplanade.

    Registration for Lynx Saturday Workouts is capped at 23 people per class and is only available by clicking here, through Eventbrite. Please cancel if you are no longer able to attend. By registering for Lynx Saturday Workouts, you automatically sign the electronic waiver to participate in this Frost Fit Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts fitness class.

    Make sure to follow us on Twitter (@EsplanadeBoston) to learn the latest news on Frost Fit and potential class cancellations due to weather conditions. You can also look to our Facebook page (@EsplanadeBoston) and Instagram (@EsplanadeInBoston) to find out the latest news on Frost Fit and all things Esplanade.

    We’re thrilled to partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Lynx Fitness Club, Wishroute, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation this year to give the Greater Boston Community the opportunity to experience a positive, physically-distant and energetic outdoor winter workout like no other.

    FROST FIT COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES

    • Participants are required to pre-register in advance; only pre-registered attendees can participate.
    • Cones will be placed on the grass roughly 8 feet apart to designate where participants can stand. We ask participants to please respect keeping a consistent physical distance of 8 feet from others.
    • All participants are required to wear a mask.
    • The Esplanade Association will have hand sanitizer available on-site.
    • Stay home if you feel sick and/or are part of a vulnerable population

  • Tuesday, March 10, 8:45 am – 3:30 pm – 41st Annual UMass Community Tree Conference: Challenges & Opportunities for 2020: What’s New in Arborculture & Urban Forestry?

    The 41st Annual UMass Community Tree Conference: Ecological Perspectives of the Urban Forest, will take place Tuesday, March 10 from 8:45 am – 3:30 pm at Stockbridge Hall the UMass Campus in Amherst. This one-day conference is designed for tree care professionals, volunteers, and enthusiasts including arborists, tree wardens/municipal tree care specialists, foresters, landscape architects and shade tree committee members.

    Sponsored by UMass Extension in cooperation with the UMass Dept. of Environmental Conservation, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the USDA Forest Service Urban Natural Resources Institute. Registration Cost is $95 for first registration, $75 for each additional registrant from the same organization. More information and on line registration may be accessed at http://ag.umass.edu/landscape/events/41st-annual-umass-community-tree-conference-challenges-opportunities-for-2020-whats

  • Saturday, February 10, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – DCR Southeastern Massachusetts Adult Walking Club

    On Saturday, February 10, take a moderate walk over hilly terrain, approximately 3 miles, from Wolcott Pond to Wildcat Notch, and return via Five Corners Trail, in Milton, Massachusetts with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Meet at Houghton’s Pond main parking lot at 840 Hillside Street in Milton. Wear sturdy footgear and consider bringing walking poles and ice cleats. Dress in layers and avoid cotton clothing. Carry drinking water. We will hike unless the weather creates unsafe conditions – if weather is questionable, call 508-866-2580, ext. 165. Free.  Image courtesy of www.bostonmagazine.com.

  • 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.

  • Thursday, June 15, 3:30 pm – Lotta Fountain Ribbon Cutting

    Thursday, June 15, 3:30 pm – Lotta Fountain Ribbon Cutting

    The Esplanade Association is pleased to announce that water is once again flowing in the Lotta Fountain thanks to their supporters, and to partners at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

    To celebrate the $358,000 revitalization, they will be hosting a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 15th at 3:30 pm. It will be a family and dog-friendly free event, featuring a performance by Lotta Crabtree and her banjo player, vendor giveaways, and refreshments for you and our four-legged friends.

    WHERE: The Lotta Fountain (midway between the Arlington Street footbridge and the Dartmouth Street footbridge). For more information visit www.esplanadeassociation.org.

  • Tuesday, March 7, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm – 38th Annual UMass Community Tree Conference

    We are a tree club, and urban tree activists will be pleased to know about the 38th Annual UMass Community Tree Conference – Utilities, Communities, and Urban Trees: Partnerships in Practice, especially those of us who have been active in the fight to prevent methane leaks from destroying our trees and our environment. One of the featured speakers will be Calvin Layton (pictured) of Eversource speaking on Utilities & Communities in Partnership: Enhancing Public Safety & Protecting Trees from the Community Perspective. This one-day conference, to be held Tuesday, March 7 from 8 – 3:30 at Stockbridge Hall at UMass Amherst, is designed for tree care professionals, volunteers, and enthusiasts including arborists, tree wardens/municipal tree care specialists, foresters, landscape architects and shade tree committee members.

    The theme of this year’s conference will pertain to utilities and community trees. Topics will include: Design Solutions for Tree and Overhead Utility Conflicts, Utility Storm Resiliency, Communities and Utilities in Partnership for Urban Trees, and Updates from the UMass Diagnostic Lab.

    Sponsored by UMass Extension in cooperation with the UMass Dept. of Environmental Conservation, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the USDA Forest Service Urban Natural Resources Institute. Registration is $90 for a single participant, and $75 for each additional registration from the same organization. For complete agenda visit www.ag.umass.edu.

  • Saturday, September 24, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Pruning Shrubs and Small Ornamental Trees

    Autumn is a great time to assess your woody plants for shape and structure. This Berkshire Botanical Garden demonstration and workshop, led by Forest Health Program Director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and arborist Ken Gooch on Saturday, September 24 at 9:30 am, focuses on pruning, including when, why and how to shape, renovate, train, or rejuvenate your woody plants. Learn about pruning tools, timing, and specific techniques suited to the home gardener. Pruning techniques for evergreen and deciduous hedges will also be covered. Wear waterproof outerwear and boots; bring pruners.

    Ken Gooch is the Forest Health Program Director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Additionally, he is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist and teaches arboriculture at the BBG. He lectures widely on a variety of topics including forest health, pruning, and arboriculture. BBG member price $25, nonmembers $30. Register online at www.berkshirebotanical.org.