Boston Flora

Tag: Native Plant Trust

  • Wednesday, March 22, 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Eastern – Orchids of New England Webinar

    Orchidaceae is one of the largest plant families in the world, and there are 50 orchid species native to New England, from showy lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae) to rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides). While some species are common, many are of conservation concern. This session with Neela de Zoysa on March 22 from 12:30 – 3:30 provides context for understanding native orchid habitats, diversity, and conservation issues. You will learn identification techniques, pollination strategies, and life-cycle stages for native orchids. This class is now offered as a webinar, and is $60 for NPT members, $72 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/orchids-new-england/. Please note: We do not make video or audio recordings of classes or programs available after the fact, because we believe education is interactive, with instructors and students building a community and culture of learning. Some programs may be recorded strictly for instructor-training purposes.

    Galearis spectabilis

  • Thursdays, March 23 & March 30, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Horticultural Techniques

    Good horticultural practices form the backbone of any successful garden, and understanding how to apply these practices is the first step toward becoming a horticulturist. We will discuss how to select the right plant for the right place and how to plant and care for native plants. You will learn proper techniques for transplanting, preparing soil, mulching, watering, and pruning as well as maintaining, winterizing, and preparing the garden for the next growing season. This two part class with Uli Lorimer will be held at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $72 for NPT members, $88 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/horticultural-techniques2/

    Courtesy A Way To Garden, Margaret Roach

  • Friday, March 10, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Plants and Placemaking with Matthew Cunningham, Live and Online

    Blending traditional Yankee building techniques with high design, Maine native Matthew Cunningham is well-known for his plantcentric residential landscapes throughout the Northeast. His gardens feature ecologically minded planting schemes and regionally sourced reclaimed materials that evoke an authentic sense of place, while showcasing his unique ability to grasp the dynamic rhythms of everyday life. With offices in Massachusetts and Maine, Matthew Cunningham’s firm, MCLD, has garnered awards from ASL A, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, and APLD to name a few. His gardens have been published in magazines such as Architectural Digest, Garden Design, and New England Home. Cunningham is currently a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Prior to founding MCLD, he worked for Reed Hilderbrand.

    This talk on March 10 is sponsored by the Native Plant Trust and pricing is, for in person attendance at Garden in the Woods, $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers, and for Live Virtual, $15 for NPT members and $18 for nonmembers. Click here to register to attend this event in person. and Click here to register to attend this event virtually

  • Thursday, February 16, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Roots of Black Botany: The Contributions and Struggles of Washington Carver, Marie Clark Taylor, and O’Neil Ray Collins, Online

    While many conservationists are familiar with white botanists such as Carl Linnaeus and Gregor Mendel, fewer know of the many ways Black botanists have revolutionized the field, contributing to our understanding of everything from crop rotation techniques to slime mold behavior. In this Garden Club of the Back Bay free webinar with Micah Jasny on February 16 from 2 – 3, we will explore the accomplishments of three notable Black botanists: George Washington Carver, Marie Clark Taylor, and O’Neil Ray Collins. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants by February 14.

    Micah Jasny is originally from Northern Virginia where he spent his childhood hiking and camping around the Shenandoah Mountains and where he discovered his love for nature and native species. Micah pursued this passion receiving his Bachelors of Science in Biology and Environmental Science from the College of William & Mary and then his masters in Ecosystem Science and Conservation from the Duke Nicholas School for the Environment. In his current role as the Botanical Coordinator with Native Plant Trust, Micah oversees the Plant Conservation Volunteer (PCV) program. Started in 1993, the PCV program engages professional and amateur botanists to assist State Natural Heritage programs track and monitor roughly 25,000 rare plant populations throughout New England. This program engages hundreds of community science volunteers who undergo training to monitor rare plant species, sign up for surveys, and then search the New England landscape for these important plants. In addition to his work with Native Plant Trust, Micah is one of the founding members of the Rare Plant Community Science Network which is working to share tools and knowledge to better protect rare plant species across the Nation. 

    There is no fee for this program. Please rsvp by February 13  on Eventbrite by clicking HERE.

    courtesy LA Times

  • Tuesday, January 24, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Natural Community Mapping of the Sanctuaries, Online

    Native Plant Trust owns and conserves seven native plant sanctuaries throughout New England, each of which boasts unique natural communities. Join us online on January 24 at 1 pm for a detailed look at the natural-community mapping process, which encompasses how we research the plants in the field, record them using digital mapping tools, identify and classify the community types, and use the information to create conservation strategies.

    Erik Sechler will speak. Prior to joining Native Plant Trust, Bud worked with Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program as an ecological information specialist and county inventory ecologist, and with New York Natural Heritage Program as an ecologist specializing in natural community ecology, avian habitat ecology, and vegetation mapping. He has more than 10 years’ experience working for a Natural Heritage Program and NatureServe as an ecologist and has also worked with Manomet and The Trustees of Reservations on Martha’s Vineyard. He holds a master’s degree in Conservation Biology from Antioch New England University, where he studied habitat modeling of Louisiana Waterthrush in southern New Hampshire, and a pre-medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His professional interests include avian, natural community and conservation ecology, rare plant ecology, conservation and management, habitat assessment, and invasive plant ecology and management.

    $12 for NPT members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/natural-community-mapping-sanctuaries/

  • Saturdays, January 21 – February 4, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Conservation Biology, Online

    This Native Plant Trust introduction to conservation biology and biodiversity three part online course covers the factors that make a species vulnerable to extinction and the strategies and tools that can be used to protect plants and ecosystems. The course explores the interdisciplinary nature of conservation biology through readings, group exercises, and video clips. Participants receive a bibliography of resources for further study. George LoCascio is the instructor. Classes will take place Tuesdays, January 21, January 28, and February 4 from 10:00 – 2.. $216 for NPT members, $264 for nonmembers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org.

  • Thursdays, January 12 & 19, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Navigating Public Design, Online

    Community spaces are exciting projects to envision and realize. In this Native Plants Trust live online class with Staci Jasin, you will learn a process for bringing stakeholders together to collaborate in creating outdoor spaces that are equitable, meaningful and useful for all. We will explore how to use your creative ideas to build partnerships, fund raise, overcome obstacles, and draw visitors to your public landscape, with an emphasis on the creation of spaces that are both ecologically and operationally sustainable. The two session class takes place January 12 and 19 from 6:30 – 8:30. NPT members, $60, nonmembers $72. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/navigating-public-design/

  • Friday, November 18, 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Propagation: Native Seeds

    In this Native Plant Trust interactive workshop on November 18 at Nasami Farm, 128 North Street in Whately from 12:30 – 4, we will learn how to grow native plants from seed and why the skill is relevant in a horticultural context.

    Topics covered include:

    • Germination requirements
    • Seed cleaning
    • Seed-sowing techniques for many of our native species

    We will also cover proper wild collection protocols and venture into the field to collect some common native species found here at Nasami Farm.

    Instructor: Alexis Doshas, Propagator and Facilities Coordinator, Nasami Farm, Native Plant Trust

    Tickets: $72 Members  –  $88 Non-Members. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/propagation-native-seeds/

  • Wednesday, November 16, 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm – Finding Your Environmental Ethic, Online

    Now is the time to join the Conservation Circle or be a Sustainer Member of the Native Plant Trust. At those levels, you are invited to an online webinar on November 16 at 10 am.

    Why should we care about the environment? In this online introductory webinar, you will learn four philosophical models of human relationship with nature in order to gain deeper understanding of your own and others’ environmental ethics.

    We will consider our roles and the ways obligation to our surroundings forms the foundation of efforts such as recycling, preservation of endangered species, and habitat restoration.

    Instructor Dr. Kendy Hess is the Brake Smith Associate Professor in Social Philosophy and Ethics at College of the Holy Cross focusing on environmental law and ethics. With a background in philosophy and previous practice in environmental law, Dr. Hess is one of the leading international scholars on corporate moral responsibility, on which she has published widely.

    RSVP by Friday, November 11 to specialevents@NativePlantTrust.org, or call 508-877-7630 x 3104. For membership information visit http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/support/member-benefits/


  • Thursday, November 10, 10:00 am – The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America Fall Lecture and Luncheon: The Importance of Conserving Plant Diversity in New England

    As Director of Conservation, Michael Piantedosi leads the Native Plant Trust’s internationally recognized Conservation Department, which focuses on saving imperiled plants, restoring habitat, and documenting the state of New England’s plants. Michael oversees a team of conservation staff and many of the 1,500 trained volunteers who work throughout New England each year to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect
    and control invasive species, and conduct research. Michael is active in the Center for Plant Conservation network where the Native Plant Trust acts as a Participating Institution (PI). He is also the point of contact for listing New England rare plants on the IUCN Red List (the international list of rare and endangered species). Prior to joining NPT, Michael was Curatorial Horticulturalist at the Museum of Science, Boston, and held positions at the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm and the
    Center for Freshwater Biology. He recently co-authored the landmark publication ‘Conserving Plant Diversity in New England,’
    ” a collaboration of NPT and the Nature Conservancy. The Boston Committee of The Garden Club of America invites its members to the Fall Lecture and Luncheon on November 10 beginning with a reception at 10 am, the lecture at 10:30, and luncheon at 11:30, at The Country Club in Brookline. Club members will receive an invitation through Eventbrite. For more information visit https://bostoncommitteegca.org/