Native Plant Trust

Wednesday, February 12, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Eastern – So You Want Less Lawn …

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Many of us have heard that reducing or replacing a turf lawn can benefit us and wildlife. Join this online Native Plant Trust class with Marie Chieppo on February 12 at 5 pm Eastern to gain pragmatic perspectives about how to approach this process. We will discuss organic-based turf removal and the vital role of living soil. We will also consider how to work with alternative grasses, meadow-style plantings, or a mixed composition. Along the way, we will draw inspiration from case studies that showcase different plant palettes and planting styles. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/so-you-want-less-lawn/ $17 NPT members, $20 nonmembers.

Thursday, January 30, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern – Black Ash Conservation in New England, Online

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Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) is directly under threat by the emerald ash borer. Recently, Native Plant Trust has received funding to collect seed from black ash populations in northern New England for conservation purposes. This January 30 online course will summarize those findings, along with black ash general ecology, habitat and identification information, cultural importance, and conservation considerations. Led by Erik Sechler, the session is $26 for NPT members, $30 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/black-ash-conservation-in-new-england/

Wednesday, January 22, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm – The Native Plant Trust Herbarium: Writing the Unknown

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The Native Plant Trust herbarium–an assemblage of dried, pressed plants with details about time and place of collection–contains more than 6,000 specimens, many of which are scientifically interesting, beautiful, and more than a century old. Drawing on our backgrounds in natural history, literature, and interdisciplinary writing, Native Plant Trust staff members Kate Wellspring and Giffen Maupin will facilitate a conversation about some of our herbarium’s most thought-provoking specimens. Workshop participants will then write in response to these specimens. Our writing experiments will focus on strategies for engaging with botanical texts where information is missing and questions abound. The session takes place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on January 22 from 5 – 8, and is $51 for NPT members, $60 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/the-native-plant-trust-herbarium-writing-the-unknown/

Saturday, December 7, 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm – Making Evergreen Arrangements with Native Plants

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December is a dark month and makes us crave light and color. In this December 7 Native Plant Trust class at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, we will create evergreen arrangements to brighten our spirits. There will be an emphasis on creating a visually pleasing arrangement as we both repeat and vary flower shapes, sizes, and colors. We will also appreciate the wonderful variety of evergreen textures. Please join us to discover the breadth and depth of your creativity. $51 for NPT members, $60 for nonmembers. Annette Huskins will instruct. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/making-evergreen-arrangements-with-native-plants/

Thursday, November 14, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Eastern – The Ericaceae of New England: Diversity, Ecology, and Phylogeny, Online

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With over 4100 species found across the globe, the Ericaceae—commonly known as the Heath Family— is an incredibly diverse group of flowering plants. New England is home to a broad assortment of these species, many of which grow—and thrive—in some of the region’s most challenging environments. Through the consideration of a subset of these species, this Native Plant Trust online class on November 14 at 6 Eastern will explore some of the traits and interspecific relationships that contribute to the ecological success of the Ericaceae. Additionally, we will touch on the phylogenetic (evolutionary) relationship that exists among some species in this group.

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. $17 for NPT members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/the-ericaceae-of-new-england-diversity-ecology-and-phylogeny/ Image courtesy of iNaturalist.

Saturday, November 16, 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Regional Impact Award Presentation and Talk

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The Native Plant Trust is pleased that Dr. John Daigle, a tribal member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, professor of Forest Recreation Management, and a program leader for the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism program at the University of Maine, will accept Native Plant Trust’s 2024 Regional Impact Award. The award recognizes individuals or organizations for regionally significant leadership and achievement in conservation, horticulture, or education. Director of Conservation Michael Piantedosi nominated Daigle for his role in the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik, whose mission is to center, protect, and restore the sacred relationship between Wabanaki peoples and ash ecosystems. In Wabanaki culture, brown (aka black) ash (Fraxinus nigra) appears in the creation story and provides an important basket-making material.

Daigle and his research team collaborate with Wabanaki tribal partners, the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, Brown Ash Task Force, private landowners, and others in order to manage and protect brown ash from destruction by the emerald ash borer. This project exemplifies Daigle’s ongoing efforts to facilitate conversations among individuals who bring unique ways of knowing to a common ecological question.

Dr. Daigle will deliver a talk following his acceptance of the award. Please join us to celebrate Dr. Daigle and learn more about his research to protect brown ash. The event takes place November 16 at 3:30 in the Commonwealth Salon Community Room, Boston Public Library Main Branch, Boylston Street, Boston. Free, but registration required at https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/regional-impact-award-presentation-and-talk/

Thursday, November 7, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon, Eastern – Digging Deeper Into Ecological Horticulture, Online

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There is no better time to become a Conservation Circle, Sustainer, or Supporter Member of the Native Plant Trust. These lucky people are invited to a Zoom talk, Digging Deeper Into Ecological Horticulture by Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture of the Native Plant Trust, and The Boston Globe’s Ask the Gardener columnist. For gardeners seeking a more harmonious approach to their efforts, ecological horticulture is the answer. It is an evolving framework for building and maintaining beautiful, functional gardens—based on the assumptions that genetic diversity, local provenance, and adaptability are achieved using regional native species. Yet the research fails to fully support those assumptions, effective messaging is challenging, and gardens are often created based on what is available in the nursery trade. Uli will navigate these thought-provoking issues while reflecting on how this framework is applied at Garden in the Woods. If you wish to join, visit http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/. If you are already a supporter, rsvp 774-519-5553 or to specialevents@NativePlantTrust.org

Sunday, August 11, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Introduction to Sedges

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Environmental consultant and plant taxonomist Lisa Standley will teach a Native Plant Trust workshop on Sunday, August 11  from 10 – 3 focusing on understanding the diversity of the genus Carex, The non-Carex sedges are important ecological indicators and dominants in many wetland systems. The group includes 11 genera—recognizable by macro characteristics—and 80 species. Join us for a basic review of their identification features to build confidence in your own abilities to recognize species in the field. The workshop will include a lecture and discussion, keying practice, and field identification. Bring a lunch. $85 for NPT members, $100 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/introduction-sedges-non-carex-genera/

Wednesday, August 7, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, & Friday, August 9, 9:00 am – 11:30 am – Introduction to Wetland Plant Identification

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This Native Plant Trust two part class with Ted Elliman will cover a variety of wetland habitats and discuss the particular plants that grow in each of them. The class presentation will present an overview of common wetland habitats and their representative trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, grasses, sedges, and rushes. The field session at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, MA on August 9 will provide a close look at many wetland plants, their identification features, and their habitat preferences in a very large wetland complex. The August 7 class will take place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $77 for NPT members, $90 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/introduction-wetland-plant-identification/

Thursday, June 27, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm – Heart of the Habitat: Fascinating Fireflies – An Evening Adventure

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There has never been a better time to join the Native Plant Trust’s Conservation Circle as a Sustainer Member. On Thursday, June 27, these folks will join Dr. Avalon C.S. Owens, Owens Laboratory and Fellow, Rowland Institute at Harvard, for a program entitled Fascinating Fireflies: An Evening Adventure, at Garden in the Woods. The firefly displays that amaze us are constellations of flying males, each patrolling a patch of habitat while producing chains of species-specific flash patterns that act as courtship advertisements. Sedentary females, concealed in the plants below, flash back at males that spark their interest. This dialog continues until the male finds the female, or the female loses interest and goes dark. Join The Native Plant Trust for a brief introduction to a few firefly species common to New England, followed by an adventurous moonlit trail walk to look for fireflies. Refreshments will be provided but space is limited. RSVP by Thursday, June 20 to specialevents@nativeplanttrust.org, or call 774-519-5553. Membership has its privileges!