Boston Flora

Tag: Michelle Wu

  • Wednesday, July 9 – Deadline for Mayor’s Garden Contest

    Mayor Michelle Wu has announced the Annual Mayor’s Garden Contest highlighting the hard work of Boston’s urban gardeners. The competition provides the perfect opportunity to recognize the skills of all Boston residents who contribute to the beauty of the city’s landscape.

    Boston’s green thumbs have until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9 to submit their gardens for award contention. The contest recognizes gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, shrubs, and, in the process, helped beautify Boston’s neighborhoods.

    Gardeners or those nominating their favorite gardeners may find printable and online nomination forms HERE. The preferred method of entry is to submit photos through the online application. Alternatively, contestants may request an application by emailing their name and address to gardencontest@boston.gov. Paper applications are also available in English and ten additional languages.

    Judges will fan out across the city visiting finalists in late July. Once the votes are tallied, first place winners will receive the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Wu while second and third place winners will be awarded certificates. The traditional awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in the Boston Public Garden in late August

    Gardeners who have won three or more times in the last ten years will be automatically entered into the Hall of Fame. These distinguished Hall-of-Famers are not eligible to enter as contestants but are invited to return as judges.

    First place winners are eligible for a drawing for a JetBlue Grand Prize consisting of round trip flights for two to any nonstop destination from Boston. Terms, conditions, and blackout dates apply. In addition, Mahoney’s Garden Centers will provide gardener’s gift bags to the top three winners in each category, as well as gift certificates for the 2025 Hall of Fame winners.

    For details and to enter the contest, visit the website.

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  • Thursday, October 17, 9:30 am – 10:15 am – Climate Beacon Conference, Harborside Stage: Municipal Movers Chat with Mayor Wu and Susan Goldberg

    Climate Beacon, the region’s premier global climate change gathering, is back from October 16-18 at the UMass Club and the Boston Society of Architects. This is where corporate, municipal, institutional, and community leaders all come together with experts and practitioners to share information, get down to brass tacks, and chart paths to more sustainable, livable futures.

    On October 17, GBH President and CEO Susan Goldberg will host Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and other phenomenal municipal leaders to dive into the decisions that are being made to try to keep our cities at the forefront of scaling climate change solutions while also ensuring healthier, safer, and more equitable communities for everyone. The event takes place at the Boston Society of Architects, 290 Congress Street in Boston. For tickets and more information visit https://www.wgbh.org/events/climate-beacon-conference

  • Saturday, October 21, 11:00 am – Women’s Memorial 20th Anniversary Celebration

    The Boston Women’s Heritage Trail invites you to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Boston Women’s Memorial on Saturday, October 21 at 11 am. Meet at the statue on Commonwealth Avenue at Fairfield Street, on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Meredith Bergmann, Sculptor, will be the featured speaker. The event is co-sponsored by the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay and by The Friends of the Public Garden. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. Free.

  • Wednesday, October 18, 6:00 pm Eastern – People’s Forum for Nature-Based Solutions, Live and Online

    The Crane Ledge Woods Coalition invites you to the People’s Forum for Nature-Based Solutions on October 18 at 6 pm. This will be an inclusive community update meeting and roundtable discussion. Mayor Michelle Wu and Chief of Staff White-Hammond have been invited. Nature-based solutions are an essential element in addressing the climate challenge and its impacts on Boston’s environmental justice neighborhoods. Co-sponsored by Speak for the Trees, Alternatives for Community & Environment, Boston Clean Energy Coalition, Boston Green Action, Environmental Health is Wealth Coalition, Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard, Green New Deal/Nature Based Solutions Committee, Sierra Club Massachusetts, The Trustees of Reservations, and Trees as a Public Good. The hybrid meeting will take place live at Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street in Mattapan, and on Zoom. Contact craneledgeinfo@gmail.com or visit https://savecraneledgewoods.org

  • Friday, September 29 – Application Deadline for 2023 Boston Blooms with Daffodils

    Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that the Boston Parks and Recreation Department will distribute over 15,000 daffodil bulbs for planting on public ways citywide through the “Boston Blooms with Daffodils” beautification initiative started in 2011.

    Individuals, civic associations, church groups, sports leagues, scout troops, open space advocates, and parks friends are encouraged to sign up to participate. Last year, nearly a hundred community groups planted bulbs in neighborhoods across the City.

    Those interested in participating may fill out a form online at boston.gov/boston-blooms. The online application form will remain open until late September on a rolling basis. Due to limited supply, groups are not guaranteed bulbs, but the Parks Department will strive to accommodate all requests. The application deadline is September 29 (or sooner if demand exceeds supply).

    The plantings are anticipated to take place in approved locations on the weekends of October 21 and October 28. The Parks Department will contact interested groups and provide bulb pick-up instructions and dates. Groups and individuals are asked to use their own tools.

    The Boston Parks and Recreation Department encourages volunteers to take photos of their groups on planting days and share them via social media using the hashtag #BostonBlooms.

    For more information on “Boston Blooms with Daffodils,” call (617) 961-3004 or email parks@boston.gov. To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks, sign up for our email list at bit.ly/Get-Parks-Emails, and follow our social channels @bostonparksdept on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    Thank you to the Boston Sun for the timely notification of this event.

  • Friday, September 9, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – 25th Annual Rose Garden Party

    Join Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at the 25th Annual Rose Garden Party on Friday, September 9 from 5 – 7, benefiting free family-friendly programs and events in Boston Parks. The James P. Kelleher Rose Garden is located in the Back Bay Fens, featuring 3,000 rose bushes, perhaps, at this time of year, not at peak bloom, but definitely flowering. This event, generally held in June, had to be postponed this year, but our hot weather should still make for an entertaining and enjoyable evening.

    Included: Live and DJ entertainment, a silent auction, en plein air painting demonstration, passed hors d’oeuvres, and more. Garden party attire is enthusiastically encouraged.

    Be sure to enter the fun “Hats Galore” contest by dressing up in your finest Rose Garden Party hat. The judges are Gustavo Leon, Jonathan Soroff and Candice Wu, who will choose: the Most Creative, Most Elegant, Best Fascinator and Just For Men winners.

    Individual tickets are $150. The address of the Kelleher Rose Garden is 73 Park Drive. Get your tickets or donate at https://www.boston.gov/civic-engagement/rose-garden-party

  • Tuesday, July 16, 7:00 pm – Darkness in Distress

    Tuesday, July 16, 7:00 pm – Darkness in Distress

    Light pollution, simply put, is any unnecessary or excessive outdoor illumination. Sadly, it’s become a pervasive and ugly consequence of modern 24/7 society.

    Light pollution robs us of the night sky’s beauty, negatively affects the ecosystem, and creates an in-your-face waste of energy. But a new mindset and new technology are poised to slow  and perhaps reverse this bane of modern life.

    Kelly Beatty has been explaining the science and wonder of astronomy to the public since 1974. An award-winning writer and communicator, he specializes in planetary science and space exploration as Senior Editor for Cambridge-based Sky & Telescope magazine. Beatty enjoys sharing his passion for astronomy with a wide spectrum of audiences, from children to professional astronomers, and you’ll occasionally hear his interviews and guest commentaries on National Public Radio and The Weather Channel. He served for a decade on the Board of Directors for the International Dark-Sky Association. He will speak in the Weld Hill Building of the Arnold Arboretum on Tuesday, July 16 at 7 pm, sponsored by Greening Rozzie, Boston City Counselor Michelle Wu, and the Boston Food Forest Coalition. The program is free but registration requested at 617-384-5277, or at www.my.arboretum.edu.

  • Wednesday, April 11, 5:30 pm – 48th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden

    The 48th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden will take place Wednesday, April 11 at 5:30 pm in the Alcott Room of the Omni Parker House Hotel, 60 School Street in Boston There will be a presentation entitled Stewardship and Vision: Taking Action for Future Generations by Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Council and first woman of color to serve as Council President, Today, she serves as the Chair of the Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation, as well as the Chair of the Committee on Census and Redistricting. Reception to follow. Kindly rsvp by April 4 on the website, http://friendsofthepublicgarden.org, where you will also find the 2017 Annual Meeting minutes, the Bylaws, and the Board of Directors nominating slate.

    Image result for michelle wu boston

  • Thursday, May 11, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm – CitySprouts – Dig It!

    CitySprouts introduces school gardens as a core element of children’s public education. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society partners with public schools to ensure that hands-on learning, environmental stewardship and the experience of growing and eating healthy food become part of every child’s life.
    Join them for an evening of fun, food, and silent auction to celebrate garden-based learning in Boston and Cambridge Public Schools. Help pollinate garden-based learning! For more information visit www.citysprouts.org, or call Andrea at 617-876-2436.

  • Urgent Advocacy Alert for Winthrop Square Proposal

    Urgent Advocacy Alert for Winthrop Square Proposal

    Now is the time to let the Boston Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) and your elected officials know your opinion about the Winthrop Square development proposal and the threat of shadows on our parks.  Below is a picture of where the new shadow would fall should this immense building be erected.

    The deadline for BPDA public comment period on the Winthrop Square proposal is January 20, 2017 (NEW DATE). Please email the Project Manager, Ms. Casey Hines, at casey.a.hines@boston.gov as well as call your elected officials including the City Council and the Mayor with your comments about shadows and our parks.

    Individual messages are the most impactful, and please include your personal thoughts about these iconic parks.

    We have included some of the important talking points about the Winthrop Square proposal.

    Winthrop Square proposal violates the State’s shadow laws
    Preserve sunlight, prevent shadow creep in our historic parks
    Amending the shadow laws would set precedent for future developers to seek exemptions resulting in more shadows on the two parks.
    There should be a comprehensive, long-term development policy, not one-off decisions or exceptions
    Boston Common and the Public Garden are national treasures and would be damaged by the shadows. Both are on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and are City and National Landmarks.

    Below is the list of emails (formatted so you can copy and paste) and phone numbers of the elected officials, City Councilors, and the Mayor.

    Mayor Marty Walsh 617-635-4500 mayor@boston.gov

    State elected officials:
    Byron Rushing 617-722-2783 byron.rushing@mahouse.gov
    Joe Boncore 617-722-1634 joseph.boncore@masenate.gov
    Aaron Michlewitz 617-722-2220 aaron.michlewitz@mahouse.gov
    William Brownsberger 617-722-1280 william.brownsberger@masenate.gov
    Jay Livingstone 617-722-2396 jay.livingstone@mahouse.gov

    Boston City Councilors:
    Michelle Wu 617-635-3115 michelle.wu@boston.gov
    Frank Baker 617-635-3455 frank.baker@boston.gov
    Andrea Campbell 617-635-3131 andrea.campbell@boston.gov
    Mark Ciommo 617-635-3113 mark.ciommo@boston.gov
    Annissa Essabi George 617-635-4376 a.e.george@boston.gov
    Michael Flaherty 617-635-4205 michael.f.flaherty@boston.gov
    Tito Jackson 617-635-3510 tito.jackson@boston.gov
    Sal LaMattina 617-635-3200 salvatore.lamattina@cityofboston.gov
    Bill Linehan 617-635-3203 bill.linehan@cityofboston.gov
    Timothy McCarthy 617-635-4210 timothy.mccarthy@boston.gov
    Matt O’Malley 617-635-4220 matthew.omalley@boston.gov
    Ayanna Pressley 617-635-4217 ayanna.pressley@boston.gov
    Josh Zakim 617-635-4225 josh.zakim@boston.gov

    Comments can also be left on the BPDA Winthrop Square page.

    http://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/115-winthrop-square