Boston Flora

Tag: Yale University

  • Wednesday, September 5 – Saturday, September 15 – Gardens and Castles of the Czech Republic

    You will visit six UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of this magnificent American Horticultural Society Central European itinerary from September 5 – 15 this fall. Expect to be dazzled by superb gardens, castles, art collections, and music. In addition to major attractions, you will enjoy the private visits to exclusive locations for which the AHS Travel Study program is known.

    Shirley and Frank Nicolai, both avid gardeners, will host this extraordinary program. In addition to previously serving on the AHS Board of Directors, Shirley has been recognized as a five-star National Garden Club member with master status in Landscape Design, Gardening Study, Environmental Studies and Flower Show School. She is a past president of National Garden Clubs. AHS President and CEO, Beth Tuttle, will join the trip and be on hand to share her perspective and garden insights.

    Our tour organizer is Harriet Landseer, who has led tours for Specialtours since 1996, including the AHS Travel Study program. A Prague resident who is fluent in Czech, she studied Art History at Yale University and has translated several books on Czech castles and country houses.

    Highlights

    Cesky Krumlov castle, a vast complex dating from 1253, is one of the top sites in Eastern Europe.
    Kromeriz Castle has a very rare and largely intact example of a Baroque garden (pictured below).
    Tugendhat Villa is an icon of modernism and Functionalist architecture.
    St. Nicholas Church, the most famous Baroque church in Prague is a superb example of High Baroque. The organ there was once played by Mozart.
    Prague National Theatre, where you will attend an opera.

    Top-rated accommodations

    The boutique five-star Aria Hotel Prague is just steps away from the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Inspired by music, the hotel’s rooms are dedicated to a specific style of music or artist/composer.
    The Hotel Ruze is a converted monastery and the only four-star hotel in Cesky Krumlov; it offers views of the castle and the Vltava river.
    The 5-star Comsa Palace Hotel in Brno city center was built in the middle of the 19th century and is the most prestigious address in town.

    For the complete itinerary visit http://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/travel-study/gardens-and-castles-of-the-czech-republic

    http://www.czechtourism.com/getmedia/cf346883-5532-4e05-9628-ad36fe2b0e7a/c-kromeriz-unesco-gardens-1.jpg.aspx/?width=800&height=450&ext=.jpg

  • Wednesday, October 18, 7:30 pm – Food and Health: Food as Medicine

    In the spirit of inspiring and facilitating conversation in a time where it is crucial that we stay informed about the world around us, the staff of Wright-Locke Farm invites you to their 2017 Speaker Series. Join them monthly in the beautiful 1827 Barn in Winchester for an evening of discovery and discussion. The Speaker Series is free and open to the public. They kindly ask you to RSVP by emailing kkneeland@wlfarm.org so they can save you a seat.

    Each presentation will begin at 7:30PM and allow for a follow-up Q & A session. On Wednesday, October 18, Founder of Fresh Advantage and lecturer at Yale University’s School of Medicine, Marydale Debor, J.D., will speak about her experience at the intersection of the food system and healthcare and how important it is to keep these two fields closely intertwined.

  • Monday, June 5 – Friday, June 9 – The Metcalf Institute 2017 Public Lecture Series

    The Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting will hold its 2017 Annual Public Lecture Series at the Corless Auditorium, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, 218 South Ferry Road in Narragansett, June 5 – 9.  All lectures are free and open to the public.  The Institute is celebrating 20 years of excellence in bringing science to the conversation.  The stellar lineup includes:

    Monday, June 5, 3:30 p.m.
    Johanna Polsenberg, The Ocean Health Index
    Assessing the Health of Our Oceans
    How can we protect the health of our oceans? Large-scale ocean datasets provide critical information for sustaining marine resources. Dr. Polsenberg of Conservation International will discuss the global Ocean Health Index and how it uses data to drive science-based policy and identify the research relevant for marine and coastal conservation.

    Tuesday, June 6, 3:30 p.m.
    Dan Kahan, Yale University
    Science Communication in the Age of Fake News and Public Distrust of the Press
    How do we effectively weigh the credibility of scientific information? Some would argue that greater public science literacy is the key, but this is not necessarily borne out by research. Dr. Kahan will describe how cultural barriers affect views of scientific evidence, and how we can use this knowledge to improve science communication.

    Wednesday, June 7, 3:30 p.m.
    Shreeram Inamdar, University of Delaware
    Extreme Weather at the Watershed Scale: How to Protect Water Quality
    Climate forecasts show that many regions will experience increased frequency or intensity of large storms, which could have serious consequences for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Inamdar will discuss how these storms affect watershed health, management and policy, and how new research can identify ways to adapt.

    Thursday, June 8, 3:30 p.m.
    Cynthia Giles, Former U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator
    Environmental Enforcement: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Delivering on the promise of environmental laws requires tough enforcement and innovative thinking about protecting the environment, including using cutting-edge monitoring and information technologies. Giles will talk about the past and future of these essential protections for communities across the country.

    Friday, June 9, 11 a.m.
    David Baron, Author and former Health and Science Editor for PRI’s The World.
    The Great Eclipse of 1878 and the Dawn of American Science
    On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S. for the first time in 99 years, offering a rare national opportunity to rally around a scientific event. Baron’s new story of the 1878 eclipse describes the event’s role in spurring America’s rise as a global scientific power. Author book signing to follow for American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World.

    For more information visit http://metcalfinstitute.org/lectures/als-2017/

  • Wednesday, May 31, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Hope in a New Ecology

    Anthropocence—the “Age of Humans”—is the scientific name for our new future, in which humankind is the dominant force of nature that stands to determine our ecology and therefore the fate of all life on Earth. To many, Anthropocence foreshadows widespread extinction of species and loss of global sustainability. But, this needn’t be. Scientist and author Oswald Schmitz, PhD, Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, will discuss how the science of ecology is evolving to provide new understanding about how humans can engage with the natural world to maintain and enhance our planet’s environmental performance and ensure a sustainable future for all life on Earth. His book, The New Ecology: Rethinking a Science for the Anthropocene will be available for purchase and signing. This Arnold Arboretum event will take place on Wednesday, May 31 at 7 pm in the Hunnewell Building. Fee: Free for Arboretum members and students, $5 nonmembers. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.

  • Thursday, May 11, 6:00 pm – The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Natural World – and Us

    Richard O. Prum, William Robertson Coe Professor of Ornithology and Head Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, will speak in the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street in Cambridge, on Thursday, May 11 at 6 pm as part of the Harvard Museum of Natural History’s Evolution Matters Lecture Series. Can adaptation by natural selection truly account for everything we see in nature? How do animal mating displays and mate choice drive evolutionary change? What insights can they offer about the evolution of human sexuality? Drawing from his new book, The Evolution of Beauty, Richard Prum will consider Charles Darwin’s long-neglected theory of sexual selection, in which the act of choosing a mate for purely aesthetic reasons is an independent engine of evolutionary change. In a reimagining of how evolutionary forces work, Prum will reveal how mating preferences—what Darwin termed “the taste for the beautiful”—create the extraordinary range of ornament in the natural world.

    The Evolution Matters Lecture Series is supported by a generous gift from Drs. Herman and Joan Suit. Free and open to the public.

  • Sunday, April 23 – Wednesday, April 26 – Gilded Age Art, Design & Technology

    The Preservation Society of Newport County with U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, Franklin & Company, and Christie’s presents Gilded Age Art, Design & Technology on Sunday, April 23 through Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at the Hotel Viking Conference Center in Newport, Rhode Island.

    The Gilded Age arose from the effort to reconcile modern industrial technology with the artistic vocabulary of the past – both real and imaginary. Many of Newport’s summer colonists made their fortunes in industry, and were instrumental in promoting the widespread adoption of advances like steam engines, electric lighting, central heating, refrigeration and automobiles. But jubilation at modern progress was tinged with nostalgia for pre-industrial styles and craftsmanship, giving rise to a host of inventive, eclectic expressions in material culture. From the romantic Medievalism of Ruskin, Henry Adams and William Morris to the bold new iconography of the Statue of Liberty and the Newport mansions, this symposium will explore the range of ways in which Gilded Age patrons and designers forged a new American identity, celebrating innovation while remaining firmly rooted in tradition.

    Speakers will include Richard Guy Wilson of University of Virginia on The Dynamo versus the Palazzo, Richard W. Rydell of Montana State University on America’s Gilded Age World Fairs, Libby O’Connell of the History Channel on From Caviar to Leek Pie: Food and Society in America’s Gilded Age, Kelly Conway of the Corning Museum of Glass on Transparency at the Table: Glass in the Gilded Age, and John Stuart Gordon of Yale University on The Polite Implements of Eating: Innovation & Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century America. And that’s just Monday. For a list of other events visit http://www.newportmansions.org/learn/newport-symposium/symposium-program

    A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Viking for participants at a reduced rate.  Contact the Hotel at 800-556-7126 and mention you are participating in the Symposium.

  • Thursday, September 15, 6:00 pm – Why So Many Leaf Forms? Insights from Viburnum Evolution

    Why do leaves come in such an extraordinary variety of shapes and sizes? Global patterns in the distribution of different leaf forms provide clues, and multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain such diversity. Recent work on the evolution of Viburnum (a popular group of shrubs) complements studies of global patterns and adds a new hypothesis to the mix. Michael Donoghue, Sterling Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, will discuss the Viburnum research, its relevance to understanding climate change, and the processes by which diverse ecosystems come into existence. The free lecture will take place Thursday, September 15 beginning at 6 pm.

    The Evolution Matters Lecture Series is supported by a generous gift from Drs. Herman and Joan Suit. This Harvard Museum of Natural History program is located at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

  • Monday, January 30 – Monday, February 6 – Gardens of the Caribbean

    Yale Educational Travel and Smithsonian Journeys are sponsoring a round trip cruise from Antigua January 30 – February 6 aboard the S.Y. Sea Cloud.  Yale’s study leader is Leo W. Buss, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, known for his research in ecology and evolution, and author of The Evolution of Individuality.  Smithsonian’s expert is Ann Pavord, gardening correspondent for The Independent and author of a number of books on plants including the best-selling The Tulip.  Islands will include Guadelopupe, Iles des Saintes, Nevis, St. Eustatius, Tortola & Virgin Gorda, and St. Barthelemy, as well as Antigua.  For complete information, visit http://www.yaleedtravel.org/caribbean17, and http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/caribbean-sea-clous/itinerary/

  • Through May 20 – Moving Earth: “Capability” Brown, Humphry Repton, and the Creation of the English Landscape

    Time for a road trip to New Haven, to the Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High Street, at Yale University.  Drawing on the collections of the Center for British Art, Moving Earth shows how landscape gardeners relocated vast quantities of soil, water, and plant life to reshape English scenery. The exhibit runs now through May 20.

    As one of England’s greatest aesthetic achievements, the English landscape garden has become a well-known and defining characteristic of the country. With large sweeping expanses of lush green fields, groupings of trees, winding paths, and serpentine-shaped rivers and lakes, the English landscape appears as an ideal form of nature; it is, however, an expertly crafted construct. Countless hours of moving and reconstructing vast volumes of earth, water, trees and shrubbery demonstrate what can be achieved when combined with careful planning, design and an eye towards nature. Moving Earth explores the creation of the English Landscape through the advent of landscape gardening and the pioneering work of Capability Brown and Humphry Repton.

    This exhibition opens with examples of early English formal gardens comprised of geometrical patterns, topiaries, and planted parterres and examines the return to nature as seen through literary criticisms and notions from Addison and Pope. The focus of Moving Earth is on the prolific landscape gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, and his successor Humphry Repton. To fully consider the development of landscape in Georgian England the exhibition highlights architects, such as William Kent and Sir John Vanbrugh, as well the ‘Picturesque’ controversy and criticisms from Richard Payne Knight, Uvedale Price, and William Gilpin, that surrounded this emerging field.

    Presented prominently throughout this exhibition are materials from the Yale Center for British Art, including the Reference Library and Archives, and reproductions from the Rare Books and Manuscripts, Prints and Drawings, and Paintings Collections. Moving Earth showcases the extent and range of materials available for research, and the depth and scope to which these concepts, ideas, and topics can be fully examined. This exhibition features an abundance of both primary and secondary resources available at the Center that provides the foundational basis for research into British art, culture and society.  Image of Repton’s Dyrham Park from www.gardenvisit.com.

  • Saturday, May 30, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Green Spaces: Paintings from Olmsted’s Parks

    The Emerald Necklace Conservancy will present an exhibit of watercolor and gouache paintings by artist Lynette Lombard titled Green Spaces: Paintings from Olmsted’s Parks.  The exhibit will be mounted in the Shattuck Visitor Center, 125 The Fenway, and will be on view Saturdays and Sundays beginning May 3 from 11 – 4.  An artist reception and talk will be held on Saturday, May 30, from 2 – 4, and is free and open to the public.  In her artist statement, Lynette writes that, while painting on site during the summer of 2014, “I was struck by the variety of Olmsted’s visual rhythms and serpentine movements to create paths of light and dark, which weave a drama in my work.” She received her MFA from Yale University School of Art and is a Professor of Art at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.  For more information contact info@emeraldnecklace.org, or call 617-522-2700.