NEWS
CPA November 2021 Statewide Trust Fund Distribution Announced.
The state match is 39.4%! For more information click here. For the Town of Acton the net surcharge raised is $1,161,044 and the Round 1 Distribution is $457,105. This represents $147,105 more than last year’s match. “For almost all communities, this was the fourth straight year the the Trust Fund distribution increased. These impressive results are only possible because of the important legislation that was passed in 2019 to bring new revenue to the CPA program. The Community Preservation Coalition championed the efforts to increase the fees at the State’s Registries of Deeds that generate revenue for the CPA trust Fund. Because the increase did not go into effect until the end of 2019, this was the first full year of collections with the new fees fully implemented.
The following news and events may be of interest:
Friday, November 19 Full Beaver Moon, accompanied by a near-total eclipse!
The near-total lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, reaching its maximum at approximately 4 AM Eastern Time today. Why the “Beaver” Moon? This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient stores of food for the long winter ahead. The name is from the time of the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
Saturday, November 20 (and April 16)
Polysterene Collection Day
10 AM-1 PM
Acton Transfer Station and Recycling Center, 14 Forest Road
Bring your clean polystyrene; We can’t accept polystyrene food containers.Questions? Contact the Sustainability Director at abecerra@actonma.gov. Transfer Station sticker required for access. Polystyrene collection will pause for the winter and start back up in the spring.
Saturday, November 20 Rain date: November 21
Fall Fest at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge!
12-2 PM
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, 680 Hudson Road, Sudbury. Turn in at Winterberry Way. Parking at Visitors Center.
A variety of activities are planned including Hoverball Archery, Scavenger Hunt, Arts and Crafts, Furs and Skulls Table, Nature Store Pop-up, Friends Group Table and small group tours of the Visitor Center Exhibit Hall. Hope to see you there!
Sunday, November 21
Acton-Boxborough Holiday Farmers Market
10am-1 pm
Elm Street Playground, West Acton
Friday, November 26
#OptOutside Winter Walk
Shepley Hill, Groton, MA
10:00 AM
Join GCT trustee Michelle Ruby for a walk at beautiful Shepley Hill on Friday November 26th at 10:00 AM. There will be decorations installed at Shepley as part of our Groton Winter Tree Stroll event. Walk off the turkey dinner and enjoy the decorated trees. This event is free for all, but registration is required.
Tuesday December 7
Public Forum to Discuss the Proposed Archaeology Bylaw
7 PM
Online Meeting, advance registration required.
An Archaeology Bylaw will allow an archaeological study to be done on any large parcel of undeveloped land (3+ acres) as part of the Town’s permitting process. This bylaw is being formulated by a subcommittee of the Acton Historical Commission.
Landowner Webinar Series: Plan for Your Land
2nd Thursday of each month, November 2021 – April 2022, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by UMass MassWoods
This six-part webinar series for landowners will feature relevant professionals to provide information and help answer questions. Sign up for individual webinars or the entire series. Learn more and register.
- December 9 – What’s my land worth financially and ecologically?
- January 13 – Who will own my land next?
- February 10 – How can I reduce my property taxes?
- March 10 – How can I conserve my land?
- April 14 – What are the financial benefits of land
Sunday, March 13
Preview of ACT Annual Meeting: New Conservation Strategies for the 21st Century – presented by Claudia Thompson
6:15PM Business Meeting; 7 PM – Presentation
Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Room 204, and/or Virtual
Fight Climate Change with the following Nature Based Solution: Climate change and loss of biodiversity are the critical ecological challenges of our time. To address these crises, conservation efforts must become much broader and more inclusive than has been the norm, so that they engage virtually all citizens throughout our communities. The extent of our current human impact, and the fragmentation of our landscapes over the past one hundred years, clarify the need – every piece of land, large or small, public or private, deserves careful stewardship so that it becomes part of the solution instead of contributing to the problem. Using her garden as a case study, Claudia will discuss valuable lessons learned over several decades as she transformed her small urban property into a landscape rich with habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Much can be achieved. Indeed, the significant challenges before us are motivating many people to action. The growing native plant movement, with its focus on landscapes as ecological systems, instead of gardens as adornments, is an essential component of 21st century conservation strategies.
AVAILABLE ONLINE!
If you missed last Tuesday’s “Ecosystem Services: What Nature Does for Us and How We can Talk About it “- presented by SVT’s Christa Collins, here is the recording.
Monarchs and Milkweed Recap – from Lincoln Land Conservation Trust’s program of August 11 about Monarch Butterflies. Dr. Martha Gach joined LLCT on a room call with about 30 participants to speak about these charismatic creatures! Martha is the Education Manager at Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, and the president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. If you missed the presentation, you can watch the recording.
Harvard Conservation Trust is excited to present the video of Prof. Robert Thorson’s discussion about New England’s stone walls recorded at HCT’s Speaker Series: Harvard’s Stone Walls Mysteries Solved. The Harvard Conservation Trust hopes that you will enjoy this video. Please consider supporting their efforts to preserve Harvard’s landscape and natural beauty. Visit their website to join.
How to Preserve Pollination Systems Webinar; it focuses on how to create Public Display Native Pollination Preservation Gardens. A recording of the webinar and links to all the resources discussed in the presentations are now available on the MCA Native Pollination Systems Task Force webpage.
SVT’s Backyard Invasives presentation – Link to recording from Kristin O’Brien’s talk on Tuesday, 9/14, and other resources.
Bats, Behavior, and Wind Farms recorded if you weren’t able to make it or you want to recommend it to a friend.
Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) Watch this short video that provides a quick overview of the water chestnut – an aquatic invasive plant. Video created by Concord Land Conservation Trust’s former Executive Director, Laney Widener Wilder. Visit concordland.org to learn more about Concord Land Conservation Trust and their activities.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!
From Boston Area Gleaners: The farming seasons is ending, but our volunteer projects will continue, and we could use your help! While there may be fewer harvesting opportunities at this time of year, we plan on continuing to sort and pack food at Stonefield Farm every week. This includes our ‘Just Eats’ grocery box packs every Wednesday and Thursday, where we work together to fill family-sized boxes with produce and grocer staples. Volunteer with the Gleaners! Register here. We are also always looking for more ways to connect with more communities and new volunteers. If you are part of a community that may be interested in working with the Gleaners, or have suggestions for volunteer outreach, please email us at outreach@bostonareagleaners.org
Associate Land Stewardship Committee member needed for Acton Canoe Launch and the Assabet River Blue and Green Trail. Duties are occasional summer mowing, periodic cutting of invasive knotweed, trimming overgrowth, walking the trail, picking up litter. Average time required, 1-2 hours per week year ‘round.
Seeking stewards to assist with Great Hill Conservation Land and Nashoba Brook Conservation Land. Please email Bettina Abe for more information babe@actonma.gov or call 978-929-6634.
Support Acton Conservation Trust while you make purchases on AmazonSmile! ACT will receive a small payment, and these add up! From your desktop or laptop computer, AmazonSmile is available at at smile.amazon.com on your Web browser. Bookmark it for easy use! AmazonSmile is available from your mobile phone as well. To activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app, simply tap on “AmazonSmile” within the Programs & Features menu or Settings and follow the on-screen instructions.
ONGOING!
Walden Pond in Concord 7 am-4 pm 915 Walden St.walden.pond@state.ma.us; 978-369-3254, bridal paths, and farm roads. Boat ramp Sunday – Saturday: 5 AM – 5:30 PM.Parking: MA resident $8; Non-MA resident: $30 Annual and senior passes NOT sold in park, use link to purchase a pass: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/purchase-an-annual-parking-pass-for-massachusetts-state-parkshttps://www.mass.gov/how-to/get-a-senior-parking-pass.
Emerson-Thoreau Amble, Concord, MA This Winter Hike is available for groups of 4 or more by reservation only. Call 978-318-3061 or email visitors@concordma.gov to request your date and time. Tours leave the Concord Visitor Center located at 58 Main Street Concord, MA, rain or shine.Adults (13+) $20Youth (12 and under) $15Senior Citizens (65+) $15
Camp Acton is Open! Pope Road, Acton Fee is $25 per site reserved through he Recreation Department. Limited to 10 people per site. Visit http://trails.actonma.gov/ to learn more about Camp Acton. Please complete the registration form 48 business hours prior to desired reservation date. https://actonma.gov/623/Camp-Acton Payments are due upon reservation confirmation Portable toilet on site. All users must follow social distancing, regulations and posted guidelines. Please complete and send camp Acton Permit application via email to recreation@actonma.gov or fax to 978-929-6333. Please allow up to two business days to process.
Boxborough Birders is a local, all-volunteer group of bird watchers with varying levels of experience. Local walks in Boxborough, Acton, Harvard, Stow, Bolton, Littleton, are organized during spring and fall migration and occasionally beyond. Our walks are free of charge and most are scheduled on weekends. (Due to Covid-19 pandemic, all scheduled walks for 2021 will be limited in size, masks will be worn, no shared equipment and social distancing required). Visit their website: boxboroughbirders.org for links to local birding spots, photos, and more. You can sign up there to be on our mailing list and get all the information you need. We hope you will join us out on the trail soon.
Birding Kits – available for curbside pick up at Acton Memorial Library, Main Street, Acton. The library has two Birding Kits available for loan to Acton residents. Each kit includes a canvas field bag with Eagle Optics 8 by 42 binoculars with case, Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Birding for the Curious, Town of Acton Guide to Conservation Lands, and a laminated copy of Sibley’s Backyard Birds of the Northeast, a quick reference card. The kits circulate for two weeks. Acton residents may place a hold on a Birding Kit by contacting the Reference Desk, at 978-929-6543 or email reference@acton-ma.gov. Give your card number and phone number and the Circulation Department will call you when it is ready for curbside pickup.