Boston Flora

Tag: New England Wild Flower Society

  • Sunday, August 29, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Exploring East Mountain

    East Mountain is part of a long trap rock (basalt) ridge that extends from central Connecticut just west of Hartford to Mt. Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Many sections of this ridge support a rich and diverse flora, with a high number of uncommon or rare plant species. New England Wild Flower Society invites you to explore one section of this ridge — the beautiful, upland oak-hickory forest along the Westfield/West Springfield town line, on Sunday, August 29, from 10 – 3. Among the many species we hope to find are Aureolaria pedicularia, A. virginica, Viola pedata, both species of Chimaphila, Asplenium platyneuron, numerous different Desmodiums (below), and a wide variety of Asteraceae. Though the ascent is somewhat strenuous, the pace will be leisurely. Wear sturdy hiking boots. Bring bag lunch, water, field guides, insect repellent. $40 for NEWFS members, $45 for nonmembers.  Arieh Tal and Nancy Goodman will lead, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.shcn.co.uk/articles/Desmodium-callianthuml.jpg

  • Saturday, August 28, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Introduction to Seed Saving

    Learn the basics of harvesting, processing, cleaning, and storing a wide spectrum of native plant seeds in this hands-on workshop on Saturday, August 28, from 9 – 1 at The New England Wild Flower Society’s Nasami Farm in Whately, Massachusetts. Start with a discussion about the timing of collection, plant identification, determining ripeness, harvesting methods, processing techniques, and proper storage to maintain seed viability. Then venture out into the Nasami Farm Sanctuary for some botanizing and seed collection. Return indoors where we try our hands at cleaning and processing various types of seeds. Bring home the seeds that you clean, and learn first hand the tremendous benefits that seed-saving brings to the willing gardener.  Fee is $49 for NEWFS members and $57 for nonmembers.  Register for Kate Pawling’s class at www.newfs.org.

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2748444246_4f9cf2aa1e.jpg

  • Sunday, August 15, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm – Survey of New England Ferns in Maine

    Don Lubin and Ray Abair of the New England Wild Flower Society have offered this workshop annually since 1999, but never before in Maine. They begin with a review of our fern flora, the 68 species that are native to New England. After an introductory discussion, they display photographs, drawings, and frond silhouettes. Field ID techniques are reviewed.  An outdoor field session follows with a  visit to many ferns on the Delta Institute property, located in Bowdoin, Maine, then Lycopodiella club-moss (below)  and other taxa at a nearby quarry. Geared to students with some experience and comfort in fern taxonomy. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens.  The class will be held Sunday, August 15, from 10 – 4:30, and will cost $72 for NEWFS members, and $85 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3603/3640299055_a07a0133df.jpg

  • Thursdays, August 12 and 19, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Late Season

    This New England Wild Flower Society course with Jessie Panek covers many of the best native North American herbaceous plants for New England landscapes and gardens, with an emphasis on species that bloom in the second half of the growing season. She will focus on identification, cultural requirements, and the relationship between native habitats and the requirements of designed and managed spaces. Lectures include firsthand looks at plant materials used at Garden in the Woods. The class will be given in two sessions, Thursday August 12 and Thursday, August 19, from 1 – 3:30, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  Fee: $65 for NEWFS members, $75 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/_ccLib/image/specials/DETA-33.jpg

  • Sunday, August 8, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Sin and Flesh Brook

    We just couldn’t resist reporting on this New England Wild Flower Society field trip in Tiverton, Rhode Island on Sunday, August 8, from 9 – noon.  The loveliness of this meandering brook belies its lurid name, given to it in colonial times following a bloody encounter between resident Pocasset Indians and a Quaker preacher in transit to Newport, RI. The stream flows through a beautiful eighty-acre maritime hardwood forest, Fort Barton Woods, a site reeking with history and plant diversity. Streamside wetlands, vernal pools, and glacial upland soils provide an opportunity to see an impressive array of wild flowers and ferns. The terrain is rugged so the walk will require good stamina, and participants should dress for muggy, August forest conditions.  Garry Plunkett will lead, and the fee is $24 for NEWFS  members and $27 for nonmembers.  Directions and registration will be found at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.coverarts.com/blog//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/vintage-classic-cover-art-R-A-Maguire.jpg

  • Saturday, August 7, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Shrubs Revisited

    What is woody, short and multi-stemmed? …When it comes to knowledge, it’s use it or lose it. Here is a chance to review 20-25 of the shrubs covered in New England Wild Flower Society’s core course “Native New England Shrubs” during a different season of the year. You will also learn several shrubs not covered in the core course. Instructor Roland “Boot” Boutwell might even add in a few summer wildflowers. And, if you haven’t taken the shrubs core course, this class will provide a good introduction to our New England shrubs. Our field site, the Horn Pond Conservation Land in Woburn, Massachusetts, is an area both rich and diverse and is one of NEWFS research botanist Arthur Haines’ favorite field sites. As you stroll throughout the property, you will focus on a few of the key ID characteristics and learn a bit about the natural history of each shrub. Bring a hand lens and your shrub cards, if you have them, as well as a bag lunch. $44 for NEWFS members, $52 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/images/items/350x350/HYPERICUM_androsaemum_GOLDEN_TUSAN.jpg

  • Sunday, July 18, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Minnechaug Mountain

    Another field trip sponsored by The New England Wild Flower Society on Sunday, July 18,  from 10 – 2, will take place in the Berkshires.  Located just a mile north of the Connecticut-Massachusetts border in the Town of Hampden, Minnechaug Mountain has a diversity of forests, wetlands, and stream corridor communties. The mountain, which is owned and managed by the Minnechaug Land Trust, has an elevation of 908 feet and is crossed by a network of hiking trails.  Its forested habitats include northern hardwoods-hemlock-white pine habitats on middle and lower slopes, and richer habitats with sugar maple and white ash at higher elevations.  The summit area has a dry hickory-hornbeam forest (a rare community type in Massachusetts) with a variety of unusual flora that are particular to this type of habitat.  Over the past two years, NEWFS Conservation staff have been working with the Minnechaug Land Trust in botanical inventories and invasive species management on the mountain.  Join us as we continue our botanical forays on this special mountain (there is still plenty of flora to search and identify!) and see some of our ongoing work to improve the quality of its habitats. Moderately strenuous—sturdy footgear recommended.  $32 for NEWFS members, $36 for nonmembers, and registration may be accomplished at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.minnechauglandtrust.org/MMAerial3.jpg

  • Thursday, July 15, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm – Wetland Plant Identification

    In this New England Wild Flower Society workshop at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Thursday, July 15, from 9:30 – 3:00,  you will focus on a variety of wetland community types, their ecology, and common indicator species. Following a short introductory lecture, you will visit wetland habitats, including a red-maple swamp, a flood-plain marsh, and a pond. While in the field, take advantage of the season by exploring ferns, sedges, and various aquatic species, as well as shrubs and trees. Bring a hand lens, lunch, and come prepared for wet feet in the field.  Frances Clark will lead, and the price to participate is $61 for NEWFS members and $72 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.nhdfl.org/library/images/photo-index/Hamp06_18.jpg

  • Sunday, July 11, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Fancy Ferns Workshop

    The New England Wild Flower Society is holding a Fancy Ferns Workshop at Garden in the Woods in Framingham on Sunday, July 11, from 10 – 4.  Some of our most beautiful ferns are “three-times cut.” Lady fern, hay scented fern (below), and several wood ferns are the more common taxa in this group.  Don Lubin and Raymond Abair will discuss vocabulary, frond morphology, and field identification characteristics. The class involves careful observation of fronds from these species, and possibly a hybrid as well.  The indoor session includes a lecture and the use of dissecting microscopes, followed by a field session to see the ferns in various habitat areas of the Garden. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens if you have one.  The fee to attend is $66 if a NEWFS member and $78 if a nonmember.  You may register at www.newfs.org.

    http://images.whiteflowerfarm.com/29059a.jpg

  • Wednesdays, July 14 and July 21, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Identifying Natives with Newcomb’s

    Learn to use Lawrence Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide for the first time or revisit an old friend to understand why this book remains one of the most popular and useful field guides for a non-botanist (botanists like it too). With its unique key, short accurate descriptions, and sensitive drawings by Gordon Morrison, you will be able to identify both woody and herbaceous native plants from rare wild flowers to tiny interesting weeds. Even if you have used this book before, you will enjoy getting to know about Newcomb’s history, his close observations in the field and in his own garden that helped him create a book light enough to carry, yet filled with 1,375 wildflowers, shrubs and vines of the Northeastern United States. Receive a solid grounding in “Newcomb’s,” which will serve you well as you take other botany courses in the New England Wild Flower Society’s Certificate Program.  The classes will be held on Wednesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 21, from 10 – 12:30, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, and are taught by Carol Govan, a past speaker at  Garden Club of the Back Bay meetings.  NEWFS member fee is $55, $65 for nonmembers, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iwgYXDv5f7w/Sipnyyrbb3I/AAAAAAAABFc/CXETCnLI3OA/s320/Newcomb.jpg