Since the club's By-Laws and Mission Statement were up-dated in 2008, there has been a new commitment in the club to conservation and protection of the environment. The Conservation Chair is appointed by the President and approved by the the Board and membership. Elaine McGrail is the current 2012-2014 Conservation Chair, and works with club members who select to work on the Conservation Committee. The work of the WGC Conservation Committee is driven by local initiatives and needs, as well as the conservation goals of The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. and the National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Three members of our garden club have participated since 2008 in Environmental Studies School, sponsored by the GCFM, Inc. Susan Sweetser completed the school in 2012 and is a Environmental Studies Consultant; Anneli Johnson is in her last year and was awarded a state scholarship to the school and Elaine McGrail is in her third year. Club members are encouraged to attend Environmental Studies School each fall; the WGC offers partial scholarships to active and long term members.
A RECENT HISTORY: In 2008 the NGC President, Barbara May, introduced the national goal of "protecting local aquatic ecosystems"; it was then that the Wollaston Garden Club first became active in advocacy for the Town Brook. In 2010 support of the Up-Dated Bottle Bill became an initiative of the GCFM, Inc and the garden club joined with Houghs Neck Garden Club to lobby successfully our city councilors and then our state legislators to support an up-dated bottle bill. In 2011 at the urging of a few Quincy residents the garden club took the lead in advocating to save the Winfield Elm, a local landmark elm tree of 140+ years; the tree was cut down in June of 2012.
The WGC Conservation Committee works to:
- Advocate for speakers and programs on conservation topics with the WGC Program Committee, open to the community.
- Recommend club member participation in the Environmental Studies School, sponsored by the nation and state garden club organizations and held in the fall.
- Share Environmental Studies School materials and ideas for programs with the garden club.
- Educate its members on new initiatives and projects.
Wollaston Garden Club Receives Conservation Award
The Wollaston Garden Club (WGC) recently received the Laura Wetmore Conservation Award in recognition for its work on helping create food waste diversion program. Given by the New England Garden
Club, the annual award acknowledges a member club for an environmental education and conservation project which benefits young people, its club members, or the public.
The food waste diversion pilot began in late January 2023 at Quincy High School following the research of a task force made up of 10 Quincy officials and residents. The task force recommended turning
as much of Quincy’s food waste as possible into compost, a fertilizer that enriches the soil and helps plants to grow.
Emily Lebo, a member of the task force and on the board of the WGC suggested the food waste diversion as a project for the Garden Club. “The Wollaston Garden Club has an active Conservation Committee
who works to maintain and restore habitats and to enhance ecosystems, so food waste diversion seemed like an appropriate project for us to try in partnership with the City and the School district,”
Lebo said.
The Conservation Committee and the entire Garden Club embraced this idea and offered their full support. Their objective was to successfully build a process that would reduce trash by diverting food
waste to create compost, an item that many of the WGC members use in their gardens. The program was piloted at Quincy High School to determine if this process was doable citywide.
The Quincy Public Schools hired a part-time food waste diversion program manager, Finbar Heaslip, in January 2023. Ruth Davis, a member of the WGC who had recently retired from a role in waste
management at MIT, mentored the new hire as he got acclimated to his role. She also helped with setting up educational materials, working with the custodial staff and the City’s Waste Management
Director to ensure that the
workflow process was seamless.
Members of the WGC began to volunteer onsite assisting students in how to sort waste properly beginning in late March. Two food waste diversion centers were set up in the cafeteria and were staffed
by WGC volunteers from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. From March through June 400 pounds of food waste were diverted from the trash and made into compost.
In addition to teaching the students how to sort waste properly, the group also created Shared Food Stations. According to governmental guidelines, a student must take a full lunch which includes
protein, grain, and fruit or vegetable. Prior to the start of the pilot, students would trash all unwanted food, even if it was still wrapped and edible. By having a sharing table available, students
can leave their unopened food or drinks for others who might want more. The Shared Food Stations caught on quickly and are being widely used by students donating and taking food.
Members of the WGC who volunteered for the program include Janice Abbott, Amy Bisconte, Ruth Davis, Sigrid DiGiorgio, Ellen Donnelly, Ann Foresman, Mary Kelly, Emily Lebo, Laura Liscum, Kathy Mahoney, Kathy Meade, Linda Monaco, Pam McIsaac, Marge Schwendenman, Kathy Stachowski and Ann Wetherby.
The WGC pilot was successful, and the Food Waste Diversion Project was expanded to North Quincy High School in September of 2023. Plans are currently underway to bring on food waste diversion at a
middle school this fall.
May 2024
NQHS students assist in pulling invasive garlic mustard plants
This article was written by Ruth Davis and published in the Quincy Sun in May 2024
North Quincy High School students worked with Wollaston Garden Club members to
remove garlic mustard plants from Merrymount Parkway and Pageant Field on May 9.
The site was chosen to prevent the invasive plants from taking over the new plantings.
In addition to receiving instruction on how to remove the plants, the students also
learned why it’s so important to eliminate the plants. Ann Foresman, WGC Horticulture
Chair, said, “the dreaded garlic mustard plant is a highly invasive plant that really takes
over.” Its seeds are dispersed by wind and water and can invade fields and woodlands.
Its roots exude a chemical that inhibits other plants from growing making it a threat to
native plants and habitats. “Each plant can produce thousands of seeds that can spread
for more than 5 years,” Foresman said.
The group of 11 NQHS students earned Community Service hours for their efforts. One
female student commented that she thought they would just be picking up trash, but that
this effort was so much better. Many of the students had not been to the Parkway area
before. “It was fun to see them taking selfies of each other in front of Black’s Creek,”
Foresman said. “We also let them know about the boating and other opportunities
available in the area.”
The garlic mustard pull is the first effort of the WGC’s Conservation Committee. “The
NQHS Community Service Office and the Parks and Recreation Department were
extremely supportive,” said Ruth Davis, Conservation Chair. “We’re already planning an
event to remove Black Swallow Wort in June and look forward to working with both
offices again.”
Several members of the WGC including Foresman are on the newly formed Invasive
Species Management Committee under Quincy’s Department of Natural Resources.
The committee’s focus is to remove non-native invasive plants that are harming the
natural ecosystem and then plant and seed native species. The committee held its first
event on May 11 along a portion of Fenno Street and the trail system.
Wollaston Garden Club members Ruth Davis (far right) with Ann Foresman led students from the Community Service Program at NQHS through the Merrymount Parkway
area
in order to remove the very invasive garlic mustard plant.
Garlic mustard is a biennial plant meaning each plant lives over two growing seasons. In its second year, seeds of a garlic mustard plant can disperse through the air and last for more than 5 years. So, it’s imperative to prevent the seeds from spreading and starting new plants.
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