Boston Flora

Tag: Native Plant Trust

  • Thursday, April 6, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm Eastern – New England Climbers, Online

    Native climbers are an ecologically and taxonomically varied group of plants. They range from rare and vulnerable species, such as Allegheny vine (Adlumia fungosa) and the American climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum, pictured below) to those proliferating due to forest fragmentation and warming climate, such as wild grapes (Vitis spp) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Learn about 50 climbers and become familiar with identification characteristics. This Native Plant Trust class will take place online on April 6 from 3 – 6 led by Neela de Zoysa. NPT members $60, nonmembers $72. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/new-england-climbers-2/ 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.

  • Friday, March 31, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – An Evening with Uli Lorimer and Rebecca McMackin, Live and Online

    Join Uli Lorimer, director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust and author of The Northeast Native Plant Primer- 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden (Timber Press) and Rebecca McMackin, Loeb Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and former director of Horticulture, Brooklyn Bridge Park, for an evening of no-holds-barred discussion about native plants in horticulture from two of the leading experts in the field today. The event will be moderated by Barbara Moran, a correspondent on WBUR’s environmental team. For 25 years, she has worked as a science journalist covering public health, environmental justice, and the intersection of science and society. She has written for many publications, including the New York Times and the Boston Globe Magazine, and produced television documentaries for PBS and others. She was twice awarded the National Association of Science Writers’ highest honor, the Science in Society Award.

    This is a hybrid event: Live virtual and in person at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. The talk is scheduled for March 31 from 6 – 8 Eastern.

    Attend in person: Tickets $30 (members)/$36 (non-members) 

    Click here to register to attend this event in person

    Attend live virtual: Tickets $15 (members)/$18 (non-members)

    Click here to register to attend this event virtually

    Please note: We at the Native Plant Trust 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.

  • Tuesday, March 28, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern – Edible Invasives, Online

    Invasive species are a significant threat to global biodiversity and conservationists are constantly looking for new ways to manage their continued expansion into native ecosystems. While traditional methods to control invasive species have included mechanical and chemical strategies, in recent years there has been a growing movement to see if we can control invasive species by eating them. In this March 28 Native Plant Trust presentation with Micah Jasny, we will learn about the history of eating invasive species and the merits and drawbacks of the strategy. $12 for NPT members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/edible-invasives/

    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.

    Japanese Knotweed courtesy Edible Alchemy

  • Wednesday, March 29, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm – Native Plant Dyes

    For centuries, people have used natural materials to bring color into everyday life through wardrobe and fashion. Today, approximately 90 percent of dyes used in clothing are synthetic; many are made through unsustainable processes. In New England, we are surrounded by plants that can be turned into vibrant and lush pigments, which in turn can be applied to natural fibers such as wool, hemp, or cotton. In this Native Plant Trust class at Garden in the Woods on March 29 at 12:30 pm, we’ll discuss useful dye plants of the Northeast and New England ecoregions and explore how to process, extract, and bind these colors to fabric. Basic terminology of natural dyes, methods of plant identification, and ethical harvest of plant parts used will also be covered. As we conclude, a brief showcase of plant-dyed fabrics will be displayed. Join us for a fun and simple introduction to natural dyes from plants. Michael Piantedosi will instruct. $38 for NPT members, $45 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-plant-dyes/

  • 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.