Boston Flora

Tag: Pesticides

  • Wednesday, July 19, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm – UMass Turf Research Field Day

    Join UMass Extension in-person at our biennial UMass Turf Research Field Day. Field Day is a festive open house where you can hear about and see research projects in the field, get down to business at the on-site trade show, network with colleagues, and enjoy a continental breakfast and a hearty cookout lunch. 8:00am to 1:00pm

    Registration by July 14 at 5 p.m.- $55 After July 14 – $70. The event takes place at The UMass Joseph Troll Turf Research Center, 23 River Road in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. To register visit https://ag.umass.edu/turf/events/2023-umass-turf-research-field-day

  • Wednesday, January 23, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Wildlife on Tap: Changes in New England Bird Population

    The Wildlife on Tap lecture series at Cape Cod Beer (1336 Phinneys Land in Hyannis) is a special event each winter where attendees can learn about wildlife over some fine beverages. Each presenter in this series is an expert in their field. Come have a beer and learn something new about the Cape’s majestic creatures from charismatic individuals who have made it their life’s mission to protect them!

    On Wednesday, January 23 from 6 – 8, hear Wayne R. Peterson, Director of the Massachusetts Important Bird Area Program at Mass Audubon, speak on Changes in New England Bird Population. Since the arrival of the Pilgrims in the 1600’s, bird populations in New England have undergone many changes due to alteration of the New England landscape, persecution of birds for feathers and food, pesticide contamination, competition with introduced species, natural biological competition among avian species and range expansion and contraction likely resulting from global climate change. This presentation will discuss and describe these various phenomena within a New England context. $10 for Mass Audubon members, $13 for nonmembers (advance purchase), $15 at the door. To register online visit https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/long-pasture/news-events/wildlife-on-tap

    Image result for changes in New England bird population

  • Thursday, September 27, 4:00 pm – Science & Advocacy: The Legacy of Silent Spring

    Fifty years ago, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring brought concerns about the environmental impact of pesticides to a broad public audience, spawning a grassroots environmental movement that continues to this day. On Thursday, September 27, beginning at 4 pm at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street in Cambridge, join environmental leaders to explore the legacy of Silent Spring, and how science and advocacy interact in the face of our modern environmental challenges. This event is sponsored by the Harvard University Center for the Environment. The discussion will feature:
    Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council
    Bill McKibben, Writer, activist, community organizer
    Andrew Revkin, New York Times and Pace University

    With Harvard Faculty:
    William Clark, Harvard Kennedy School
    Rebecca Henderson, Harvard Business School
    Sheila Jasanoff, Harvard Kennedy School
    James McCarthy, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
    John Spengler, Harvard School of Public Health

    Moderated By:
    Daniel Schrag, Faculty of Arts and Sciences; School of Engineering & Applied Sciences

    Event is free; tickets required. Tickets are available starting on day of event. Tickets available starting at noon on day of the lecture at the Harvard Box Office in the Holyoke Center at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue and starting at 2PM at Sanders Theatre. Available by phone and online  (www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu) for a fee.

  • Thursday, August 16, 6:00 pm – Evolution in a Toxic World: How Life Responds to Chemical Threats

    The Harvard Museum of Natural History welcomes Emily Monosson on Thursday, August 16 at 6 pm for a free lecture and book signing at The Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Toxic chemicals: They have shaped our bodies, our world, and all life around us. Today, species are rapidly evolving in response to toxins like PCBs, dioxins and pesticides. Emily Monosson, adjunct professor at UMass Amherst and author of the new book, Evolution in a Toxic World (Island Press), will discuss how life on Earth survives in the face of increased amounts of both age-old and new synthetic chemicals in our environment. Dr. Monosson is an environmental toxicologist. A diversity of past research experience, and data synthesis of the health and environmental impacts of contaminants from nanoparticles, to organochlorines, and personal health care products have laid the groundwork for Monosson’s current academic interest – investigating the evolutionary history of the toxic response.

    Beyond academics her interest in increasing public awareness about their role in the environment and the importance of science education, has led to her service on the Gill-Montague School Committee and on the board of the Montague Reporter, where she occasionally contributes as a writer.  For more information, visit www.hmnh.harvard.edu.  Photo from toxicevolution.wordpress.com.

  • Wednesdays, June 23 & 30, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Cape’scaping

    Michael Talbot of Talbot Ecological Land Care in Mashpee will present a two part series on Cape’scaping at Highfield Hall, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, on Wednesday June 23 and Wednesday, June 30, beginning at 4 pm.  The first, Creating an Eco-Friendly Garden and Property, will help make your garden more interesting and enjoyable, easier to care for and environmentally friendly.  He offers ideas and tips on an ecological garden, lawn and landscape design, plant selection and installation of a Cape Cod green space to provide beauty, wildlife habitat and personal enjoyment.  The second lecture, Caring for an Eco-Friendly Lawn and Property, Michael will share how to maintain healthy gardens, lawns and plantings that are attractive and environmentally sensitive, using less water and fertilizer and safer pesticides, minimizing damage to our natural resources.  You will learn how maintaining our properties safely can mitigate the pollution of Cape Cod bays, inlets, streams, and of our drinking water.

    Michael Talbot is an award winning landscape designer, horticulturist and conservation consultant who has appeared on The Victory Garden and New England Chronicle, and has been a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Maine.  $5 suggested donation for each lecture.  For more information, log on to www.highfieldhall.org.

    http://www.talbotecolandcare.com/images/shadegarden.jpg

  • Tuesday, September 29, 10 am – 12 noon – Evergreen and Perennial Groundcovers

    There are several ways to reduce our lawns and at the same time our reliance on fertilizers and pesticides. On September 29, using the grounds of Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Diane Pappas will show a variety of evergreen and perennial groundcovers that can be utilized in place of lawn and expensive bark mulch. The beds surrounding several gardens contain established colonies of groundcovers that demonstrate their many wonderful qualities. Enjoy year round beauty and significantly less maintenance when you decide to make the switch to living groundcovers.  Fee is $20 for Tower Hill members, $25 for non-members.  Register on line at www.towerhillbg.org.

    04/19/2008 Groundcover by erewhon.