Boston Flora

Tag: Nature Conservancy

  • Thursday, April 28, 6:30 pm – Ghost Bird

    To kick-off the 6th annual Birds and Bards Festival, The Arnold Arboretum, the Boston Nature Center, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, and the Franklin Park Coalition will screen the movie Ghost Bird —a fascinating look at the controversial “rediscovery” of the extinct (or is it?) Ivory-billed woodpecker.

    The screening will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday, April 28th at the Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan, Massachusetts 02126.

    In 2005, scientists announced that the Ivory-billed woodpecker, a species thought to be extinct for 60 years, had been found in the swamps of Eastern Arkansas. Other creatures have wrongly been presumed extinct, but the reappearance of the Ivory-bill was celebrated around the world as the rediscovery of a lifetime, prompting the largest recovery effort ever undertaken for a lost species. Millions of dollars poured in from the government while ornithologists and birders flooded the swamps to find the rare bird.

    Down the road, the town of Brinkley, Arkansas – itself on the brink of extinction – was transformed by the hope, commerce and controversy surrounding their feathered friend. But continued sightings by expert birders only highlighted the mysterious absence of credible evidence. Now six years later, the woodpecker remains as elusive as ever. Ghost Bird brings the Ivory-bill’s blurry rediscovery into focus revealing our uneasy relationship with nature and the increasing uncertainty of our place within it.

    Following the film, there will be a panel discussion about the state of conservation and endangered species in Massachusetts and around the world. Experts from three of the leading conservation organizations in MA will be available to answer questions:

    Pearl Yusuf, Asst. Curator of the Hooves and Horns, Franklin Park Zoo

    Joan Walsh, Director of Bird Monitoring, Mass Audubon

    Wayne Klockner, Director of the Massachusetts Program of The Nature Conservancy

    For more info visit

    http://ghostbirdmovie.com/

    http://arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/birds-and-bards/

    http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Boston/news.php?id=1430&event=no

    Contact: Marc Devokaitis 617.384.5209 marc_devokaitis@harvard.edu

  • Saturday, March 26, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm – The 21st Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference

    The Trustees of Reservations would like to invite you to attend The 21st Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference, being held on March 26, 2011 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Worcester Technical High School in Worcester. The conference offers an opportunity for anyone interested in “Climate Change and Land Conservation” to learn, share and discuss their experience, and make new connections.

    Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century, impacting human life as well as wildlife and our natural landscapes. The conservation community is working to mitigate the impact of climate change by protecting critical lands to serve as carbon sinks and migration corridors for wildlife, and by making natural areas and historic structures more resilient to the stresses of climate change.

    Some of the 30+ workshops at the conference include:

    * BioMap2 : Conserving the Biodiversity of Massachusetts in a Changing World
    * Restoring Ecological Integrity to Your Land in the Face of Climate Change
    * Strengthen Your Message to Gain More Support from More People
    * The Future of Small Land Trusts in Massachusetts
    * Wind Turbine Siting on Land Trust Lands
    * The Soulful Landscape: Restoring Connections between People, Place, and Community

    The conference will also feature a plenary session with MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan, and keynote speaker, Environmental Protection Agency’s New England Region Administrator Curt Spalding (pictured below). Mr. Spalding will be addressing EPA’s role in promoting adaptation and resilience strategies for natural resources protection, including land conservation.

    Anyone may register for the conference at www.MassConservation.org; the registration fee is $62 ($52 for students). Call (802) 865-5202 if you have any questions about registering for the conference.

    The Trustees of Reservations’ Putnam Conservation Institute and the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition are the co-conveners of the 21st Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference, and the co-sponsors are the Land Trust Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, and The Trust for Public Land. Visit www.MassConservation.org for complete conference information.