Making The Gardner Museum "A Lush Oasis"

Also: How to watch WBUR's Town Halls on COVID-19 vaccines; ways to celebrate Black history month ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View in Browser]( | [Donate]( [WBUR] [WBUR]( The WBUR Weekender February 6, 2021 🏈 Weekend Weather: Today it's mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Sunday there's [a chance of snow](. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. [Read our full weekend forecast](. Good morning, It's hard to get through a conversation, let alone a day, without talking about COVID-19 vaccines. There are just so many questions, understandably so. WBUR wants to help answer what we can. To start, we're tackling reader questions about vaccines each week in our coronavirus newsletter, which you can [sign up for here](. We'll also be [publishing all of these answers in this post]( (it's worth bookmarking so you can keep coming back for updates). To take it a step further, WBUR's local newsroom and CitySpace team is going host a four-part Town Hall series on – you guessed it – COVID-19 vaccines. During these virtual events, we'll be looking at the science, local roll out and safety of these inoculations. The first event kicks off on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. WBUR health reporter Angus Chen will chat with experts about the unprecedented speed of the coronavirus vaccine and what it means for future pandemics/viruses. [You can register for the free conversation here.]( And if you're interested in the rest of this series, you can open up that email calendar and add these dates in now: 📅 Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.: The Success and Challenges of Vaccine Distribution. [Register.]( 📅 Mar. 2 at 6 p.m.: Ethics and the Vaccine. [Register.]( 📅 Mar. 9 at 6 p.m.: Fact Up! Your Vaccine Questions Answered. [Register.]( One final note: I know it can be difficult to plan ahead for anything right now, even just a virtual event. When the pandemic hit Massachusetts a year ago, many – myself included – tried to be hyperproductive (remember all the bread baking), but now are feeling a bit paralyzed. It's called hitting the pandemic wall and you're not alone, as heard [in this Radio Boston segment](. But vaccines are a brightening light at the end of this long and dark tunnel. I really believe making the effort to be educated on the safety, side effects and local rollout will be worth the expended energy. P.S.– In the spirit of planning ahead, Valentine's Day is next Sunday. Don't procrastinate when it comes to showing your loved ones how much you care. If you need ideas, here's one: you can send roses from WBUR to your Valentine, anywhere in New England. You'll be supporting independent journalism, buying from a local business and making someone smile. An extra bonus? [Order now and save up to 20%.]( It's a win-win-win-win. — Meagan McGinnes [@meaganmcginnes]( newsletters@wbur.org This Week's Must Reads url[Need Some Color In Your Life? Here's How Gardner Museum Horticulturalists Raced To Create A Lush Oasis]( The museum's head horticulturist Erika Rumbley designed and installed a tropical-themed show with more than 300 flowering plants, orchids and trees. We joined them on-site at the Gardner to get a behind-the-scenes peek at how the operation went. [Read more.]( Support the news [GameStop Mania Likely Won't Happen Again. Here's How To Invest Wisely]( Has the power of social media changed the investing world? Is it possible to join an investing messaging board and strike it rich on the next hot stock pick? Sadly, probably not. [Read more.]( [It's Winter And The Hunt Is On For Invasive Pests At The Arnold Arboretum]( Arboretum scientists say that over the next 80 years the climate is expected to change more than it has in the last 50 million. This means that invading bugs, pathogens and diseases — which are migrating due to climate change — can lay to waste the living museum’s collections. [Read more.]( [As Clinics Move Vaccination Forward, Confusion And Miscommunication Hold The Rollout Back]( "It’s really painful to open that fridge and have doses sitting there, and think you’ll just take them out and put them in another fridge because of some process." [Read more.]( - Opinion:['I Can Dare To Hope': What It Felt Like To Spend A Day Vaccinating My Hospital Colleagues]( [Capitol Protesters And Rioters From Mass. Vow To Increase Ranks]( SHFA’s protests and rallies have served as attractive recruitment opportunities for some of the more extremist groups in the state, according to experts. It’s this unofficial intermingling of groups that the ADL’s Trestan says has the potential to shift someone’s view points from conservative to extremist. [Read more.]( Time For A Break Watch the Super Bowl: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady – remember him? – are taking on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Watch the GOAT in the big game, and be sure to have [plenty of snacks.]( Celebrate Black History Month: Tiny Desk has put together a[playlist of concerts]( highlighting various musical styles and voices that show us why freedom matters and what it's all about. And our arts and culture team pulled together a round-up of [six Black-owned restaurants]( you should support (and not just during Black history month). Write: Porsha Olayiwola, Boston's poet laureate, has curated a monthly open mic and workshop series. February's theme is “The Magic & Uncertainty of Memory II” and will feature Rachel Mckibbens, a poet, activist, and playwright. Learn more about the workshop (and other suggestions for things to do this weekend) [here](. Listen: Selena is often called the "Queen of Tejano music." But when Selena died, Tejano went from boom to bust. [In this episode of "Anything For Selena,"]( Maria Garcia discovers that it's a story of immigration, money and how two often-ignored groups were pitted against each other. What We're Reading: Speaking of "Anything For Selena," [The New York Times wrote]( the podcast and Maria's journey making it. We're pretty proud! Catch Up On Coronavirus What To Know: The state says 149,000 people have been vaccinated in the last week – a 33% jump from the week before. To help those numbers keep rising, a new mass vaccination site will open at Worcester State University on Feb. 16. By The Numbers: Earlier this week, on the exact one year anniversary since the state's first coronavirus case was reported, Massachusetts crossed a deeply depressing milestone, reporting more than half a million cases since the pandemic began. Most were seen in the state's second surge, and [these interactive charts]( articulate the dramatic spikes some places saw during that wave. That said, the number of active cases are at the lowest they've been in about two months. State health data shows that number is just under 60,000. ([See the latest case numbers in our maps and charts here]( Before you go: I'm now president of the [Phyllis fan club.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](. Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? 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