Most of us appreciate trees for their aesthetic benefits or for the shade they provide on a hot day. But there’s more to know about the incredible impact trees have on our climate, our economy, and our psyches. In this zoom webinar, SVT Director of Land Protection Christa Collins will explore the many reasons trees— whether in urban, suburban, or wilderness settings—are important for the well-being of our planet and our species. Learn some of the fascinating strategies that healthy trees and forests use to survive and thrive. 

SVT is offering a special series of webinars exclusively for SVT members. In our Staff Summer Series, SVT experts share knowledge and insight on a range of topics that will deepen your understanding of the natural world.

Join SVT today to gain access to this special series, and to support land conservation and stewardship efforts in our region. Your support provides healthy natural areas for people and wildlife. 

Plant ecologist Ted Elliman returns with another zoom webinar to highlight the wildflowers of two special local habitats; one common, one rare. Learn about the wildflowers that flourish in our wetlands and those that are at home in the more unique pitch pine/scrub oak barrens habitat. Ted worked for many years for Native Plant Trust (formerly New England Wildflower Society) and is the author of "Wildflowers of New England."

In this zoom webinar, you will learn the basics of foraging by expert forager Rachel Goclawski. Foraging is a great way to incorporate nutrition-packed foods into your diet and have fun outdoors with friends and family. Sustainable foraging also has a positive impact on native plants. 

Rachel is a Massachusetts Certified Educator and Wild Foods Foraging Guide. For her "day job," she is a US Army Information Technology Specialist assigned to a Green Energy Testing camp at Ft. Devens. Visit Rachel's Facebook page for Forage to Table tips and other sustainable skills posts: www.facebook.com/cookingwithmrsg

Exquisite and fragile, yet strong enough to migrate thousands of miles, monarch butterflies have captured our imaginations with their beauty and complexity.  Elke and her husband Garth have gotten to know these magical creatures well while raising and releasing over a hundred butterflies.  What makes these butterflies so special?  How can we help them?  In this zoom webinar, Elke will discuss facts and myths about monarchs and share stories and photos from their experiences.

Elke Jahns-Harms teaches Music and Social Change at the New England Conservatory and International Development Aid at The Fletcher School. She and her husband began raising monarch butterflies a few years ago and have coached friends and neighbors to raise them as well.  They continue to be moved and amazed at how people react to these exquisite creatures. Elke holds a PhD in International Relations, a Master’s in Music, a Master of Public Affairs, and a B.A. in Geology and Environmental Science.  

Kristin O'Brien is SVT's Land Steward, and coordinator of CISMA, a regional partnership focused on managing and controlling invasive species. This webinar is designed to help homeowners recognize and work to control invasives that creep into our home landscapes. The plants you choose to keep in your garden can impact your neighbors, the woods behind your house, or the conservation area down the road. Learn how you can help tackle the beast of invasive plant species by gardening or doing small plant removals on your own property. 

SVT is offering a special series of webinars exclusively for SVT members. In our Staff Summer Series,SVT experts share knowledge and insight on a range of topics that will deepen your understanding of the natural world.

Join SVT today to gain access to this special series, and to support land conservation and stewardship efforts in our region. Your support provides healthy natural areas for people and wildlife. 

Dan Stimson, SVT Assistant Director of Stewardship, offers a fascinating look at the life history of beavers and how their role in shaping their own habitat is important to many local wildlife species. In this zoom webinar, you will learn about beavers’ work on local conservation land, how the land has changed, and how conflicts that arise from those changes can be addressed.

SVT is offering a special series of webinars exclusively for SVT members. In our Staff Summer Series,SVT experts share knowledge and insight on a range of topics that will deepen your understanding of the natural world.

Join SVT today to gain access to this special series, and to support land conservation and stewardship efforts in our region. Your support provides healthy natural areas for people and wildlife. 

Learn more about attracting pollinators to your garden with Lisa Vernegaard, SVT Executive Director. Using a stunning collection of photographs, Lisa will introduce some of the many winged creatures that benefit from nature-based gardening, and she will provide tips for increasing wildlife sightings.

SVT is offering a special series of webinars exclusively for SVT members. In our Staff Summer Series, SVT experts share knowledge and insight on a range of topics that will deepen your understanding of the natural world.

Join SVT today to gain access to this special series, and to support land conservation and stewardship efforts in our region. Your support provides healthy natural areas for people and wildlife.