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Society Facts
last modified
May 22, 2012
About the Society, Garden in the Woods, and Nasami Farm
- 1900 – Established as the Society for the Protection of Native Plants by Amy Folsom and a group of Boston women, New England Wild Flower Society is America’s oldest plant conservation organization.
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1931 – Will C. Curtis purchases land and begins Garden in the Woods to research the science and practice the art of growing native plants. He is joined in 1933 by Howard Stiles and the two continue creating the gardens for the next 30 years.
- 1950s – Society begins to offer native plant education courses. Today it offers year-round a comprhensive collection of offerings about native plants, horticulture, and design, including courses, workshops, and field trips throughout New England.
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1960s – Society begins presenting annual awards, honoring individuals and organizations for exceptional achievement in native plant horticulture, conservation, education, landscape design, and service to the Society.
- 1965 – Garden founder Will C. Curtis deeds Garden in the Woods to the Society.
- 1968 - The 45-acre native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts becomes the Society’s headquarters and living museum.
- With nearly 1,500 volunteers in the field, plant conservation and environmental stewardship is at the heart of the Society’s work.
- The Society’s nationally-recognized conservation programs include Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCV) New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP); Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE); and numerous conservation collaborations.
- The Society owns and operates ten sanctuaries throughout New England—nine of which are open to the public.
- New England Wild Flower Society participates in the "Seeds of Success" program, collecting seed for the northeast United States.
- 2003 – Society opens Nasami Farm & Sanctuary in Whately, Massachusetts to the public. It now raises more than 75,000 plants each year and is the future home of the Native Plant Center.
- 2005 – Garden in the Woods is accredited as a “living museum” by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Accreditation is a widely recognized seal of approval that recognizes a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement.
- The Society’s Garden Shop at Garden in the Woods sells books, gardeners’ supplies, toys, gifts, and nursery-propagated native plants.
- Over 450 nursery-propagated and nursery-grown native species and cultivars are offered for sale over the course of each year at the Society’s Garden Shop @ Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm Nursery.
- All proceeds, including memberships, garden admissions, course fees, and retail sales, support the Society’s conservation mission.
- Over 5,000 households and organizations are New England Wild Flower Society members.
- New England Wild Flower Society publishes books, magazines, articles, newsletters, and online publications. Authors include William Brumback, William Cullina, Bonnie Drexler, Arthur Haines, Tristram Seidler, and other distinguished Society staff and faculty.
