Protecting Biodiversity and Habitats in Urban Areas: Small Spaces, Big Impact

Name: Protecting Biodiversity and Habitats in Urban Areas: Small Spaces, Big Impact
Start: 2025-12-10T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-12-10T21:00:00-05:00
Location: Tufts Tab Building

Schedule

Wed Dec 10 2025 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Tufts Tab Building | Somerville, MA

Claire O'Neill, President of Earthwise Aware (EwA), a Boston-based nonprofit recognized for its long-term ecological participatory research program, science democratization, and strong field ethics, will connect data-driven insights with practical action. Urban areas seem far removed from nature, but they harbor a surprising diversity of wildlife—if we make space for it. This talk will explore how even the smallest gardens, balconies, and container plantings can become vital habitats for pollinators, birds, and other urban wildlife. Urban biodiversity can support ecosystem resilience. Small actions like planting native species, restoring habitat, and rethinking our approach to yard maintenance can have an outsize impact. Through real-world examples from Somerville and beyond, EwA will show how anyone can become a steward of urban nature, contributing to both scientific knowledge and conservation.
The Club's monthly meetings are free and open to the public. In-person meetings are held the at the Tufts Administration Building, (TAB), 167 Holland Street, second floor, wheelchair accessible. Parking is available for a small fee, and the building is a ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop. The TAB doors lock automatically at 8 PM: please plan your arrival time accordingly.
Maria von Brincken, principal of Maria von Brincken Landscape Garden Design, specializes in beautiful earth-friendly landscapes and colorful flower gardens using native plants and pollinators designed for you and your family. Trained as a fine artist, color theorist, and organic gardener Maria brings years of critical design thinking to her landscape solutions. Her designs have been featured in Fine Gardening Magazine, Landscape Ideas You Can Use, Front Yard IdeaBook, and others.
Photo credit: Ann Steinberg