Boston Flora

Tag: NEWFS

  • 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

  • Thursday, August 5 – Friday, August 6, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Basic Wetland Identification and Delineation

    This two-day introductory, field-oriented course given by The New England Wild Flower Society and taught by Patrick Fairbain, is designed for environmental consultants, conservation officers and commissioners, and anyone who wants to better understand how to interpret and conserve wetlands.  The course, to be held over two days August 5 and 6 from 9 – 4, provides a foundation in principal elements of wetland identification – wetland hydrology, hydric soils, and hydrophytic plants.  For each element, basic concepts will be covered, including field indicators.  Methods for field identification and delineation will be discussed and practiced.  Recommended gear: field/work clothes, clip board/field notebook, field guides for plants, soil color charts (if you already own), bug repellent, sunscreen, and rain gear if necessary.  Bring a bag lunch.  Handouts are provided and some pre-class reading is required.  Fee: $155 for NEWFS members, $182 for non members.  Register at www.newfs.org.

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  • 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

  • Sunday, July 18, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Boulder Loop Trail and Sundown Ledges

    Take a field trip to Albany, New Hampshire with the New England Wild Flower Society on Sunday, July 18, from 10 – 4, led by Chris Mattrick.  The Boulder Loop Trail leaves the Swift River Valley from the Albany Covered Bridge, one of the most scenic locations along the Kancamagus Highway in the heart of the White Mountains. Located on the north side of the “Kanc” and the Swift River, this trail ascends through the boulder-strewn forest below Sundown Ledges. The bowl created by the arc of these ledges is highly enriched and contains several rare plant species. Take a quick off-trail hike to locate the known locations and look for more. The summit is montane acidic cliff community with some pockets of enrichment. The summit of the ledges provides spectacular views of the Swift River Valley to the west and south. Explore the summit area and look for another recently discovered rare species. Recent trail work on the Boulder Loop trail makes this an easy and enjoyable hike. Sturdy hiking boots a must.  Bring a bag lunch, plenty of water, and hand lens if you have one.  $48 fee for NEWFS members, $54 for nonmembers, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

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  • 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.

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  • Sunday, June 6, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Mansfield Hollow

    With a landscape dominated by gravelly, glacial outwash soils, Mansfield Hollow State Park offers such glacial features as kames, eskers, and kettle-holes.  This surface geology has created an unusual inland sand plain/pitch pine/ dry oak forest community, pocketed with kettle-hole ponds and wetlands – an assemblage rarely seen in northeastern Connecticut.  Some botanical highlights include wild indigo, wild lupine, bird’s foot violet, pitch pine, scrub oak, New Jersey tea, and two species of native wild roses.  If time allows, the Windham Cedar Bog, a neighboring parcel owned by Joshua Tract, a local land trust, will be visited.  This gem is one of the few inland Atlantic White Cedar swamps in the area.  Wear long pants, and bring insect repellent, a bag lunch, and a hand lens if you have one.  Directions will be provided upon registration with the New England Wild Flower Society (www.newfs.org). Members of NEWFS pay $32 – please check for nonmember pricing with NEWFS, since this trip is limited to 15 individuals, members will receive first choice with registration.  The date is Sunday, June 6, from 10 – 2, and the trip will be led by Bryan Connolly.

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/USACE_Mansfield_Hollow_Lake.jpg/380px-USACE_Mansfield_Hollow_Lake.jpg

  • Saturday, April 17, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Pruning Fundamentals

    If you are out in the Berkshires on weekends, you may be interested in attending The New England Wild Flower Society’s workshop on pruning, to be conducted on Saturday, April 17, from 10 – 1, at Hilltown Tree & Garden in Chesterfield, Massachusetts.  Join certified arborist and horticulturist Jim McSweeney to learn pruning basics that will benefit both the novice and advanced gardener. Proper pruning improves both the health and structure of woody plants, and allows the gardener to influence the aesthetic qualities of trees and shrubs. This workshop covers pruning methods for new and established plantings in the home landscape. Learn how to select basic tools, make a proper cut, determine which branches to cut, and the correct time to prune for different species. Bring hand pruners and a saw and leave the workshop with skills to take on most basic pruning issues in the home landscape. (You won’t be harnessed in like the fellow below, don’t worry!)  $33 for NEWFS members, $39 for nonmembers, and you may register at www.newfs.org.

    http://www.rainbowtreecare.com/images/2008/science-of-pruning/pruning-1.jpg

  • Tuesdays, April 27, May 4, 11, and 18, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm – Wildflowers of New England

    A great way to begin the study of native plants, this course focuses on learning to identify wild plants and provides field experience across the spectrum of New England flora.  Sessions will cover plant identification using Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide.  Students will become familiar with the family characteristics, growth patterns, habitats, and pollination mechanisms of many of our native wild flowers.  We will also practice plant identification and study plant habitats in the field.  Bring a hand lens to each class.  Required text: Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide.  Sessions (April 27, May 4, 11, and 18) will take place at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, from 10 – 12:30, and the series costs $130 for NEWFS members, and $150 for nonmembers.  To register, or for more information, log on to www.newfs.org.

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  • Saturday, April 17, 10 am – 2 pm – Invasive Plants: Identification, Ecology and Control

    Ted Elliman, Vegetation Manager of the New England Wild Flower Society, in collaboration with the Arnold Arboretum, will present this one day class on Saturday, April 17, from 10 am – 2 pm at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  This course will provide an introduction to about 40 of the most common invasive non-native plants in our local landscapes (see Japanese knotweed below). Through lecture, discussion, power point presentation, herbarium specimens, and a walk outside, you will become familiar with identification clues as well as the habits of a number of these plants which are so disruptive of natural ecosytems. Ted will discuss management techniques for many of these species, on both a home and a larger landscape scale. Homeowners and property managers who wish to get a head start on invasive control this year will appreciate the timing of this course, which will allow them to learn to identify young invasive plants before they become camouflaged by other vegetation. The New England Wild Flower Society’s Invader’s Magazine, as well as the Massachusetts Field Guide to Invasives, will be available for purchase at a discount. Fee $44 for members of the Arboretum or NEWFS, $52 nonmembers.  To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    http://www.thewildflowersociety.com/wfs_images/fallopia_japonica_japanese_knotweed.jpg

  • Thursday, April 8, 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Garden Plants Great or Small

    Low-growing and ground-covering woody plants can add texture, unity, and dimension to even the smallest of gardens. In fact, these can be the perfect solution for the city gardener–small, low-maintenance plants that help to shade out weeds while adding interest. They can be used to accentuate pathways or control erosion, as dwarf hedging, as a surround for spring bulbs, and even to distract from the “bare ankles” of taller shrubs. Horticulturist Jen Kettell shows some of her favorites, appropriate for a variety of site conditions and design uses, in this class co-sponsored by The New England Wild Flower Society and the Arnold Arboretum.  The class will take place Thursday, April 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Arnold Arboretum, and will cost $20 for members of NEWFS or the Arboretum, and $25 for nonmembers.  You may register on line at www.newfs.org.

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