Nature Classes For Children & Adults

Framingham, MA – New England Wild Flower Society’s Education Department has announced its August 2011 classes, courses, and field trips; and they are searchable/available online, downloadable online, and available by calling the registrar (508-877-7630, ext. 3303). For more information, visit http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn.

August 2011 Listings – Adult Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips in Eastern MA

Tuesday, August 2, 2011, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Bellevue Pond, Middlesex Fells, MA. Enjoy a summer stroll to study a range of wildflowers in bloom along the edge of Bellevue Pond, a beautiful site within the 2,500-acre rocky woodland known as Middlesex Fells. We will then hike up Pine Hill, one of the many rocky outcrops or "fells" in the area for a panoramic view of downtown Boston. After lunch, Instructor Roland "Boot" Boutwell will hike with the class to a small meadowy area to study one more very different type of habitat. The walk will focus on plant ID as well as fun and interesting natural history about the plants which we see. Fee: $36 (Member) / $44 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday and Friday, August 4, 5, 2011, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Basic Wetland Identification and Delineation. Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. This two-day introductory course for environmental consultants, conservation officers and commissioners, and anyone seeking to better understand how to interpret and conserve wetlands provides a foundation in principal elements of wetland identification -- wetland hydrology, hydric soils, and hydrophytic plants. Field identification and delineation are discussed and practiced. Fee: $169 (Member) / $203 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, August 6, 2011, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Introduction to the Use of Compasses and Maps for Land Navigation, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Through classroom instruction and hands-on practice, instructor Joel Carlson helps the class learn to read topographic maps, use geographic location systems, compasses and clinometers, and global positioning systems. During a field excursion, practice navigating in small groups to several points using a map and compass. Fee: $84 (Member) / $101 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Wednesdays, August 10, 31, 1-3:30 p.m., Native Herbaceous Plant Materials: Late Season, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. This course 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. Instructor Jessie Panek focuses 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. Fee: $70 (Member) / $82 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Twice-cut Ferns Workshop, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. A useful way to distinguish ferns is by the degree to which the blade is dissected. About half of our ferns have two degrees of cutting, and they form the largest group when sorted in this way. Compare and contrast ferns of this group using projected photographs, charts and hands-on examination. Instructors Don Lubin and Raymond Abair discuss vocabulary, frond morphology and field identification techniques. A field session follows to see the ferns in various habitat areas of the Garden. Fee: $72 (Member) / $87 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Thursday, August 18, 2011, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Late Season Container Gardening, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Instructor Dan Jaffe helps the class get past the potted chrysanthemum and a pumpkin for your front porch this fall. With summer winding down, it’s time to jazz up those tired container plantings you’ve been watering since June. Discover native plants that carry color, texture and form into the fall and learn tips on design, maintenance and over-wintering. Then assemble and plant your own container under the instructor’s guidance. BYOC--bring your own container. Containers and plants available at a discount for class participants that day. Class fee includes potting mix, fertilizer and mulch. Fee: $30 (Member) / $36 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Saturdays, August 27, September 10, 2011, 1-4 p.m., Asters of Field and Woodland, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Although among the more difficult species of native plants to identify in the field, asters are an important family of plants to know, for they comprise a substantial proportion of the late summer and fall-blooming herbaceous flora of our region. They're also beautiful and have an exquisite structure which makes them exciting to study. Instructor Arieh Tal will focus on 15-20 of the most common species - the ones most likely to be found in the wild most of the time. Fee: $72 (Member) / $84 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

August 2011 Listings – Kids Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips in Eastern MA

Tuesday thru Friday, August 2, 3, 4, 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Cattail Nature Kids at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA. Cattail Nature Kids for Ages 7-9 offers children an exciting way to experience nature’s wonders and have fun at the same time. Garden in the Woods is ours to explore, including ponds, streams, forests and all their plant and animal inhabitants. Each day instructor Bonnie Drexler will include hands-on science activities, games, and crafts. Search the pond edge for frogs and turtles, dip in its waters for newts and pond life, create many nature inspired crafts such as insect habitats and t-shirts, visit with creatures of the forest floor, marvel at natural wonders with our powerful stereo-microscopes and much more. Fee: $103 (Member) / $124 (Nonmember). Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 10-11 a.m., Eyes on Owls, Garden in the Woods. Join naturalist Marcia Wilson and her visiting owls to learn about New England’s native owl species. Marcia will introduce us to the owls living secretively around us and will teach naturalists’ skills to find owls without disturbing them. A hooting lesson to learn the owls’ calls and tips for owling on your own will follow. Meeting these mysterious residents of New England’s wild places will be a rare opportunity. Presented by Marcia Wilson of Eyes on Owls, Dunstable, MA. Fee: $4 (fee charged for ages 3+) (Member) / $6 (fee charged for ages 3+) (Nonmember)