Seed Bomb Workshop
Give back to nature with a free Seed Bombing Workshop at Victory Park hosted by Sílvia Belo Oliveira.
Seed bombs are little clay-covered mounds of seeds and potting soil. They are used to reseed native plants to neglected patches of land in need of a bit of TLC. This workshop will use Northeast Native Pollinator-friendly Wildflower seeds.
This will be a make-and-take workshop where participants can later throw the seed bombs around their respective neighborhoods to make them more beautiful and provide host plants for pollinating creatures!
Letterboxing at Ricketson Nature Center
City of New Bedford | Parks Recreation & Beaches staff will offer a letterboxing / geocaching activity with a stamp carving workshop. The letterbox will then be assembled and planted it at the center.
Community Volunteer Day in the Garden
Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC) is hosting a Community Volunteer Day and invite you to visit their Urban Farm & Community Garden from 10am-1pm at Riverside Park, next to the basketball courts. Adopt a raised garden bed, grab Sow & Grow seed starter kits, help us clean up Riverside Park, meet their Green Team, and more!
Birding Adventure at Brooklawn Park
Brooklawn Park, while being an urban park, is also home to lots of wildlife. Join a Mass Audubon naturalist on a walk through the park in search of birds. Whether you’ve never been on a bird walk before or consider yourself an expert birder, this is open to all levels and ages. Remember to wear your walking shoes and bring binoculars (we will have some to share as well). Meeting point is at the Wilks Library and the walk will end at the Ricketson Nature Center in Brooklawn Park. This program is hosted by the City of New Bedford | Parks Recreation & Beaches.
Wellness Retreat: Walking Medidation in the Gardens
The Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens will host Jeff Costa of Sangha New Bedford Yoga & Healing Arts Community who will lead a mindfulness walk through the gardens.
Community Farm Tour and Plant Sale
Join Groundwork Southcoast for a tour of their Urban Farm and Community Garden at Riverside Park!
They will also be hosting a Plant Sale featuring a variety of tomato and veggie plants grown by their Green Team.
GWSC will also be giving away seed starting kits for free on both days.
20mi2 Nature: Convergence at Victory Park
Meet us at Victory Park in New Bedford’s south end for a family-friendly afternoon of exploring the natural world around us!
In this photo: Christian Smith, Founder of the New Bedford Wildflower Project
Between 3:00pm – 4:30pm, join local, amateur naturalists, staff from Mass Audubon, the steward of the Little Free Library, and staff and volunteers from Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) for a series of activities focused on plants and animals and how they depend on us to help them thrive. Learn about pollinators and the native plants that support our urban ecosystem, pick up a book about nature or a seed packet to take home, look for birds that call the south end home, and learn about beekeeping and growing your own food!
Program leaders will be at stations throughout the Victory Park and Poor Farm property facilitating your experience.
Two years ago, with the goal of attracting more bees and butterflies to the south end, Christian Smith, who calls the south end home, created a pollinator garden (the New Bedford Wildflower Project) with support from Mary Rapoza, Director of the City of New Bedford’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches, and with the help of dozens of volunteers. Join Christian and learn how to identify native plants and how they benefit pollinators and our urban ecosystem.
Jennifer Smith and Keri Cox, city residents, will lead a short, guided bird walk through the path leading from the pollinator garden to Y.O.U.’s Children’s Garden. Bird guides will be available to aid program participants with bird identification and binoculars are recommended.
Bernadette Souza and her team at Y.O.U. will be at various stations throughout the site:
Suzanne Trimble will talk about the new Bee Hives recently installed along the path between the pollinator garden and the Children’s Garden.
Bob Nichols will be at the Victory Park Children's Garden on the corner of Lighthouse Lane and Freedom Blvd. and Carrie Hawthorn from Mass Audubon will talk about the pond and the Osprey nest at Clegg Field.
Sandi Montour, Steward of the Little Free Library at Victory Park, welcomes you for a nature and gardening focused experience. Bring a nature or gardening book or seeds to share. Grab a book or free seed packet to go.
Nature Trail Flora and Fauna Walk
Join Jennifer White Smith, Christian Smith, and Keri Cox, local amateur naturalists for an exploration of the natural habitat at the Flora B. Peirce Nature Trail. Tucked between the New Bedford Regional Airport and the Acushnet Cedar Swamp, Flora B. Peirce Nature Trail is a hidden gem in New Bedford’s North End. This city-owned park is home to a scenic pond, a certified vernal pool, and forested trails where wildlife thrive.