Celebrate Native Plants

Scrambling through thorny thickets, dangling off cliffs, and slogging through mosquito-ridden swamps—these are just some of the things field botanists do in the course of a day's work. Come hear some of the region’s most colorful plants people top each other's adventure stories, then cast your vote for the best storyteller. That's right, it's Tales from the Field: A Botany Story Slam! At Garden in the Woods, February 29, 6-8 p.m. Register here. Come prepared to laugh.

Photo: Native Plant Trust botanists thrash through invasive American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) in Massachusetts; © Native Plant Trust.

Jessamine Finch, PhD, has joined Native Plant Trust's internationally recognized Conservation Department, which focuses on saving imperiled plants, restoring habitat, and documenting the state of New England’s native plants. Finch will manage Native Plant Trust’s seed bank of rare and endangered native plant species and conduct research into genetic diversity. Previously, Finch managed Budburst, a community science program in plant phenology, at Chicago Botanic Garden. Read more about her background here.

Native Plant Trust bestows three awards for outstanding achievement, summarized below. We welcome your nominations for all awards. Please submit them by March 1, via the electronic forms in the box at the bottom of the About Us page. 

Founders’ Medal: For exceptional leadership and achievement in the conservation and promotion of healthy, biologically diverse landscapes
Regional Impact Award: For exceptional leadership and achievement in native plant conservation, horticulture, or education in New England
Volunteer Service Award: For outstanding service to Native Plant Trust

Native Plant Trust is launching a two-year collaboration with the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts (GCFM). The initiative, called the Native Plant Challenge, anticipates reaching more than 11,000 member gardeners throughout the state, spreading the message of native plants to 147 communities. Read more at nativeplanttrust.org/resources (then open the box labeled "Press").

Photo: Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba), Lisa Mattei © Native Plant Trust

Garden in the Woods is closed to the public until spring. But if you are a Native Plant Trust member (Individual with Garden Access level or higher), you can enjoy Winter Walking at the Garden, Mondays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding holidays), until March 27, 2020. Check in and out at the Administration building with your membership card. To join, renew, or upgrade your membership, call 508-877-7630 x3104 or click here. 

Ready to see some green, if only in your mind's eye? Start planning your spring garden now, with our 2020 plant availability and price lists. (Click here to find PDF versions.) And use our Garden Plant Finder to get complete info about our plants. You can even pre-order your plants now—find instructions here.

Photo: Seedlings at Nasami Farm nursery; Wisty Rorabacher © Native Plant Trust