Events July-August 2021

Though days are now long and warm, event listings for local organizations harken back to the dreary depths of winter. Few groups are planning meetings this summer, the season of bittersweet freedom, of sunny days so many people did not live to see.

Voltaire wrote in Candide, “We must tend our garden,” but he didn’t specify how, or who should benefit from said garden. If you’d like to help support your local web of life, consider enrolling in a class with the Native Plant Trust: “Native Species, Cultivars, and Selections: What’s the Difference?” held on Friday, July 16, from 1-3 PM at the NPT’s headquarters at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/native-species-cultivars-and-selections-whats-difference/

The existential issue is that local wildlife can’t digest most plant species from Europe and Asia, while native plant species nourish caterpillars and bugs, which provide food for birds, toads, snakes, foxes, and pretty much any other hungry creature that passes by. Alas, when some native plant species are bred and selected for human tastes—differences in color, a longer bloom season—they may become less attractive and tasteful to local species. This class aims to help you make good decisions to support maximum fauna diversity in your yard. After a year full of death, isn’t it good to think on life?

You may also help your local food web by taking NPT’s course “Climate Change and Plant Regeneration from Seed,” on Friday, August 16 from 10 AM-noon. There’s evidence that unusual weather conditions can make it harder for plants to disperse their seeds, germinate, and break dormancy (much as it’s difficult for some of us humans to get back into action now.) Find out how to help plants’ coming challenges by registering for this class at www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/climate-change-and-plant-regeneration-seed/.

As long as you’re growing native plants to support more life in your yard, you might as well make them look pretty! Attend NPT’s “Creating Native Plant Palettes for Beauty and Biodiversity” online on Tuesday, August 17, 6-7 PM for step-by-step guidance on selecting native plants for various site conditions (shady or sunny, wet or dry) and lists of trees and groundcovers. Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/creating-native-plant-palettes-beauty-and-biodiversity/.

Juneteenth is past, but you can learn more about Black history by attending “Roots of Black Botany: The Contributions and Struggles of George Washington Carver, Marie Clark Taylor, and O’Neil Ray Collins,” held online at NPT on Tuesday, July 20, from 1-2PM. The blurb reads, “Black botanists have revolutionized the field, contributing to our understanding of everything from crop rotation techniques to slime mold behavior.” Register at www.nativeplanttrust.org.