Supporting Local Biodiversity
Wild Cohasset helps to preserve
native plants
... and the wild creatures that rely
on them to survive.
Black Swallow wort
This plant kills critically endangered Monarch Butterflies & spreads through the air.
Our work in Massachusetts:
Removing invasive plants
Removing invasive plants
Removing invasive plants
Our volunteers work year round to remove invasive plants from wild spaces, roadsides, private land and conservation sites on Massachusetts' South Shore and in Boston.
Planting native plants
Removing invasive plants
Removing invasive plants
Our goal is to reintroduce native plants, including endangered wildflowers, to our region to help preserve biodiversity & support birds, butterflies & beneficial insects.
gardens for wildlife
Removing invasive plants
resources for gardeners
We have recently installed a garden for wildlife, comprised of native plants that attract and support birds and butterflies, on the grounds of the Scituate Animal Shelter.
resources for gardeners
National Honor society Partnership
resources for gardeners
We work with local towns, garden clubs, conservation groups and other institutions, distributing literature and videos detailing best practices for identifying and removing invasive plants. Please click find out more for free, downloadable tools.
house-calls for homeowners
National Honor society Partnership
National Honor society Partnership
Invasive plants don't respect property lines! We offer free house calls in Boston, Cohasset, Scituate & HIngham to help homeowners identify invasives on their own properties, and give them strategies or a helping hand to remove problem plants.
National Honor society Partnership
National Honor society Partnership
National Honor society Partnership
Some of our most important volunteers are students participating in the National Honor Society. They get community service credits while making a big difference to the environment, right where they live. If you or your teen is interested, please contact us.
Our Team
Barbara Wrenn, President
Barbara Wrenn gardens avidly and is deeply committed to conservation and to the preservation of open space. She hopes that Wild Cohasset's work will help preserve our landscape for future generations.
When Barbara arrived in Cohasset in 2002, she set about transforming her home's gardens and woodlands into a wildlife-friendly habitat using predominately native plants. She is a member of The Cohasset Garden Club and a long time Board Member of The Friends of The Cohasset Library. Barbara is a former member of the Board of The Cohasset Cultural Council . She and her husband, Kevin, have two children and four rescue cats.
Lisey Good, Founder
Lisey Good founded Wild Cohasset in 2015 . A former member of Cohasset's Open Space Committee and current member of the Cohasset Garden Club, her interest in conservation stems largely from her lifelong interest in wildlife.
An interior designer formerly seen on TV's This Old House, her background also includes extensive work in PR, journalism and international marketing. She serves on the Board of international animal charity The Harmony Fund and on the Conservation Committee of the Garden Club of America. She is the Editor of the national GCA publication, The Real Dirt.Lisey lives in Marshfield with her husband and two rescue dogs.
organized Weeding Events
Weed for Wildlife
Pod Pulls: Helping Butterflies
Pod Pulls: Helping Butterflies
Garlic Mustard poses a great threat to native plants & the overall health of our conservation land & wild space --and all the creatures who rely upon them. It is a biennial plant that spreads extremely quickly if left unchecked, changing soil chemistry so native plants can no longer thrive.
Each May since 2016, Wild Cohasset has organized widespread weeding events to pull this non-native, invasive plant before it can go to seed. Volunteers are assigned specific locations in Cohasset, Hingham, Scituate and Boston.
Subscribe by contacting us to be notified about our next Weed for Wildlife event.
Pod Pulls: Helping Butterflies
Pod Pulls: Helping Butterflies
Pod Pulls: Helping Butterflies
Monarch Butterfly populations have plummeted in recent decades. In our region, Monarchs are increasingly threatened by invaders like Black Swallow Wort. This non-native vine harms butterflies in two ways: first, by outcompeting native milkweeds that Monarchs need to survive, and second, by 'fooling' Monarchs into laying their eggs on the vine itself (the plant is toxic to the newly hatched caterpillars ).
In August and September, we organize 'pod pulls' to control the spread of Black Swallow Wort.
Subscribe at the bottom of this page to be notified for our next B.S.W. event.
Tips for removing common invasives
Native plant resources
Blue Stem Natives
Garden in the Woods
Blue Stem Natives
Located in Norwell, this is an excellent source for native plants specific to New England.
Dragonfly Natives
Garden in the Woods
Blue Stem Natives
A woman-owned native plant nursery in Dartmouth, Massachusetts specializing in New England native plants.
Garden in the Woods
Garden in the Woods
Garden in the Woods
A beautiful native garden and nursery in Framingham run by the Native Plant Trust.