Dot Grows Garden Council, Feb. 7
Please join us for our first Dot Grows Garden Council meeting of 2012! The February Dot Grows Garden Council Meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 305 Talbot Ave. Dorchester (site of the Mt. Washington Bank Community Room located in Codman Square).
Food in the Hood, Feb. 8
Are you interested in helping to improve access to healthy food through farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), urban agriculture, and healthy corner store initiatives? The monthly Bowdoin-Geneva Food in the ‘Hood Committee Meeting is coming right up! Come on by next Wednesday, Feb. 8th from 6 to 7:30 p.m in the first floor conference room at the Bowdoin Street Health Center (230 Bowdoin Street). Feel free to check out the event and RSVP on Facebook! Flyers are also attached in both English and Cape Verdean Creole. Please invite your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues!
Free! Healthy snacks provided. Can’t attend but want your voice to be heard? Have a question? Call Maura at at 617-754-0026. Continue Reading »
Help Trees Thrive in Boston!
Grow our green space! Help plant trees in the city!
Street Trees: Want a new tree in Boston? You can request a tree planting by calling the Park Line at 617-635-PARK (7275) or the Mayor’s Hotline at 617-635-4500, or by using Citizen’s Connect on your smart phone. For most tree-related requests (including maintenance) you can also visit Online Services at CityofBoston.gov. Any resident of Boston can request to have a street tree planted in front of their home or business. An arborist will come out and inspect the site to determine if it can be planted. The site will be inspected to see if it meets the proper requirements. Currently there is a backlog of about one year and sites are replanted in the order that they are received. If you would like a tree planted immediately, you may opt to pay for the tree yourself and the tree will be installed under the current contract (price may vary from year to year). Read more at http://www.cityofboston.gov/Parks/StreetTrees/seasonal.asp. View a presentation on Street Trees online.
Lawn Plantings: Live on a private road? Sidewalks too narrow for street trees? Utility conflicts? Too close to a stop sign? If you own your home and have a front yard, you may be eligible for a lawn planting. Contact the Parks department for more information.
“The Molasses is Coming!” Jan. 29
On January 15, 1919, a 50-foot-tall steel tank filled with 2.3 million gallons of molasses collapsed on Boston’s waterfront, disgorging its contents in a 15-foot-high wave of molasses that traveled at 35 miles per hour, killing 21 people and causing widespread damage.On Sunday, January 29, at 2 p.m., GreenDorchester’s partner the Dorchester Historical Society will host Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide, the story of the disaster, who will talk about the Molasses Flood as well as the times in which it occurred. Copies of Dark Tide will be available for $16. The event, free and open to the public, takes place at DHS Headquarters, 195 Boston Street. For more information, contact the Dorchester Historical Society at (617) 293-3052 or email Earl Taylor (ermmwwt@aol.com).
Boston Urban Agriculture Kickoff, Jan. 30!
Brainstorm the future of agriculture in Boston! Learn about Urban Agriculture, taste food samples, and find out how zoning can support farming! Featuring Keynote Speaker Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., former pro athlete, and 2008 McArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient for his work on urban farming and sustainable food production. Check out the Urban Agriculture Kickoff & Visioning Flyer! Additional flyers in Spanish, Haitian Creole and Chinese.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives are launching a new project to update the Boston Zoning Code to support Urban Agriculture (UA) city wide. UA is small scale farming that makes healthy, fresh food more accessible and empowers Bostonians by creating economic opportunity. Examples of urban farming include rooftop greenhouse agriculture, aquaponics (fish farming), community farms, farm stands, composting, and other fresh food-producing endeavors. Continue Reading »
Circle The City – Your Input Needed!
A group of park and fitness advocates are proposing a Circle The City event, which would close selected roads and lanes on a spring or summer Sunday, connecting parks and bike paths. The group needs suggestions for possible temporary road or lane closures between Dorchester and Franklin Park, and possibly to the Neponset Greenway and the Boston Harborwalk. Want to weigh in? Email dotbike@bostonbiker.org.Support TNT Greenspace! Jan. 18
The Talbot Norfolk Triangle (TNT) Neighbors United, a long-time partner of GreenDorchester, have announced the revised Greenspace Master Plan! Developed by TNT Neighbors in cooperation with numerous other community groups, the City of Boston, Codman Square Health Center, and others (for complete list, see linked pdf) the plan is a multi-site map of community development. Neighborhood groups have already implemented several aspects of the original plan, including the development of 93 Norfolk St. as a “pocket park,” initial construction of a children’s community garden at 106 Norfolk St. (to be completed summer 2012), and the redevelopment of Codman Burying Ground.
On Wednesday, January 18, the Department of Neighborhood Development will seek feedback from the neighborhood on future uses for numerous City-owned, vacant parcels of land. The Talbot Norfolk Triangle (TNT) Norfolk lots in particular are 2, 4-6 Woodrow Ave, 93 Norfolk Street, 106 Norfolk Street and 131-133 Southern Ave. Show your support for the TNT greenspace development by coming out to the January hearing, which will take place at The Great Hall in Codman Sq., 6 Norfolk Street, Dorchester, MA from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on January 18.
Please note date change from Jan. 17 to Jan. 18! For additional information, please contact Bernard Mayo, DND Project Manager 617-635-0297 or Walter Apperwhite, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services 617-635-2677. Or, contact TNT Neighbors by emailing Paul@tbpm.org. An official flyer for the hearing can be found here.
Boston Urban Forest Council Meeting, Jan. 24
For all those interested in improving and expanding Boston’s Urban Forest – become a part of a resident based stewardship group whose goals are to plant trees and educate the public about the benefits of trees.
Guest speaker will be Tabatha White from Boston Parks & Recreation Department, to answer questions about the city’s street tree program.
The BUFC meeting will be held at the Boston Natural Areas Network office (62 Summer St., 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110) and will run from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Please RSVP to reserve your spot by calling 617-542-7696 ext 20 or emailing mathew@bostonnatural.org.
Greening the Older Home, Feb. 11
Historic preservation meets energy efficiency—learn how to weatherize your older home without damaging its historic fabric. Join Rebecca Harris of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Christopher Skelly of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and Sally Zimmerman of Historic New England as they present information on insulation, windows, lighting, and renewable energy options. Speaking portion takes places at the Adams Street Branch Library (Adams Street Branch Library, 690 Adams Street, Dorchester, MA). Afterwards, take an optional tour of the weatherization project at Historic New England’s 1683 Pierce House (24 Oakton Avenue
Dorchester, Mass. 02122). Registration is required. optional tour of Pierce House weatherization project limited to the first fifteen people to register. Please call 617-994-6644 for more information.
Saturday, February 11, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Adams Street Branch Library, 690 Adams Street, Dorchester, MA. Free!
DotRox Cooperative Gardening Center Planning Mtg., Jan. 7
Are you ready to help grow a community-owned garden center? The first planning meeting of the DotRox Cooperative Gardening Center has been set. It’s time to make it a reality. The meeting will be held
