Boston Flora

Tag: NEWFS

  • Sunday, September 19, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm – Plum Island Flora

    Explore the different habitats of Plum Island with the New England Wild Flower Society and Instructor Frances Marsh on Sunday, September 19, from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm, and learn what grows where and why. We will investigate the salt marsh, dune, and beach communities, concentrating on forty to fifty distinctive (to the botanist’s eye) plant species. And if we see a bird or two, we will look at them as well. Bring a 10x hand lens, Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, lunch, water, and if you have them, binoculars.  $36 for NEWFS members, $41 for non members.  Register at www.newfs.org – class limited to 15.

    http://bestboatbuzz.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/300px-sand_dunes_plum_island_ma1.jpg

  • Tuesday, September 21, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Wild Flowers in Fall

    As a follow up to The New England Wild Flower Society’s spring course, “Wildflowers of New England,” this class highlights flora in the last stages of the growing season.

    What fruits have been produced by spring wildflowers and how are they dispersed? What flowers are blooming in the fall and why? Which pollinators are active? The program includes a walk in the Garden, a power-point presentation to further illustrate the key points, and samples for dissection and close observation. References for fruits and winter ID provided. Bring Newcomb’s Wild Flower Guide and a 10x hand lens. $36 NEWFS member/$42 nonmember.  For more information, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Sunday, September 26, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm – Harold Parker Pteridophytes

    The Harold Parker State Forest is a large conservation area near Andover,  Massachusetts. This New England Wild Flower Society class, led by Don Lubin and Raymond Abair, will visit a southern section near a large pond, hills, and swamps, and see more than two dozen ferns and club-mosses. We anticipate the hybrid Ground Cedar club-moss, Ebony spleenwort (below), perhaps Fragile fern and a Woodsia, and a few hybrid Dryopteris. Wear long pants, and bring a lens if you have one. The date is Sunday, September 26 from 11 – 3, and the fee is $32 for NEWFS members and $36 for nonmembers.  To register, log on to www.newfs.org.

  • Saturday, August 28, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – World’s End

    World’s End, a 275-acre peninsula owned by The Trustees of Reservation, is well known for the beauty of its landscape and its views of Boston Harbor. The property, which was farmed for several hundred years, was slated in the late 19th century to be subdivided under a plan (later abandoned) designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It has a remarkable variety of naturalized as well as native flora. Its woodlands include communities dominated by Norway maple and English oak as well as an impressive stand of native red oak and hop hornbeam. Its old fields and thickets contain an exceptional diversity of herbaceous plants, including the rare showy goldenrod, and its lowland habitats have both freshwater wetlands and salt marshes. This New England Wild Flower Society walk led by Jessica Korecki on Saturday, August 28, from 10 – 1 will cover a variety of communities from the high points of the property’s open drumlins to rocky coves and shaded overlooks. We will look at both native and naturalized flora, and at the dynamics of their coexistence in this unique environment. World’s End is also a great place for birding, and binoculars are recommended. Bring a bag lunch and a hand lens if you have one. Fee: $24 (Member) / $27 (Nonmember).  To sign up, log on to www.newfs.org, or call 508-877-7630.

  • 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, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Popham Beach and Atkins Bay Flora

    Phippsburg, Maine, is the site of New England Wild Flower Society’s trip on Saturday, August 28, from 10 – 3 with Arthur Haines.

    Popham Beach is a spectacular sand beach and dune system in Midcoast Maine, located at the south end of the Phippsburg Peninsula.  It features a well-developed dune flora with large areas of sand false heather (Hudsonia tomentosa).  Just to the north, Atkins Bay includes a large saline marsh with a high diversity of interesting and state rare plants, including sea-coast tuber-bulrush (Bolboschoenus robustus), saltmarsh agalinis (Agalinis maritima), and Maine’s only extant population of purple agalinis (Agalinis purpurea).  Coastal halophytes, numerous species of sedges (including large hybrid clones), and interesting knotweeds will keep even the most avid botanists occupied.

    This day trip is designed to showcase one of Maine’s most beautiful coastal locations and introduce some of the common and more difficult to identify members of this ecosystem.  Given the large number of species, students will have an opportunity to focus on groups of interest.  Participants should come prepared to spend the entire day outside and in some areas that are wet underneath.  Bring clothes for the weather, a bag lunch, plenty of water, and your favorite botanical manual (e.g., Flora of Maine, Manual of Vascular Plants).  There will be a small parking fee at Popham Beach.  The class fee is $40 for NEWFS members and $45 for nonmembers.  Register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/naturetrust.nb.ca/images/usjr-lousewort-span.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