Events of Interest April 19, 2023

Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,

The following news and events may be of interest:  

Sudbury Valley Trustees Spring Program Calendar now available online at www.svtweb.org/calend

Thursday, April 20 
A Changing Climate: Growing Resilience Right Where You Are
7:00 PM – 08:00 PM
Online – Your Home over Zoom
Sponsored by SVT: Our backyards matter for climate change resilience. Learn how gardens offer an incredible opportunity to make a difference starting right where you are. Presented by Allison Houghton, a regenerative growing consultant, author, and educator. Our backyards matter for climate change resilience. There is enormous untapped potential in a garden: from growing food to building and remediating degraded soils to filtering and capturing water to creating habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects or adding resilience to your watershed, neighborhood and region. Learn how gardens offer an incredible opportunity to make a difference starting right where you are. Allison Houghton, of The Sparrow Underground, is a regenerative growing consultant, author, and educator on a variety of organic gardening topics, ecological design, and climate resiliency.

Saturday, April 22
Celebrate Your Drinking Water on Earth Day:   
– Open House at New Treatment Plant
– Walks of 549 Main Street (Conant Land)
Tours of the treatment plant at  10:15, 11:15 and  12:15
Walks of the 549 Main St at 10:30 AM and Noon
8 Post Office Square Behind, Acton, MA( behind the Associated Environmental Systems building)  One way travel around the building only.

Take a tour of the treatment plant by Post Office Square and also tour the adjacent the 549 Main Street property.  This property (the Conant Land) was purchased by the AWD for bedrock wells and watershed protection.  ACT Trustees will be there to explain the May 1 Town Meeting Warrant Article 10, which asks the Town to purchase a permanent conservation restriction on the property. 

There will also be giveaways, and educational displays.These events are free and open to all members of the community and their families.   Three lucky attendees will receive either a rain barrel, a WaterSense-labeled dual flush toilet, or a WaterSense-labeled rain showerhead!  Activity sheets and stickers will be available for children.

Visit the Central Acton Water Treatment Plant page, https://www.actonwater.com/about-us/cawtp/ for additional details about this facility.

Saturday, April 22nd
Earth Day Plant Swap
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
West Acton Citizens Library
Have a green thumb? Want to share what you’ve grown or change up your houseplants? Bring a plant and take a plant at West Acton Citizens’ Library’s Earth Day Plant Swap! 
Sponsored by Idylwilde Farms. 

Saturday, April 22 
A Walk along Beaver Brook
9-10:30 AM
End of Buckingham Drive, Westford
This walk will be led by Rich Strazdas, and will run rain or shine. The trail offers a lovely and easy walk along Beaver Brook and around Round Island. The Beaver Brook area provides a great variety of wildlife to enjoy. You might want to bring binoculars! Meet Rich at the end of Buckingham Drive. Rich’s cell phone: 508-340-8775.
No registration is required. Sponsored by Westford Conservation Trust.

Saturday, April 22
2nd Annual Garlic Mustard Pull, Littleton
2-5 PM
Fay Park, 33 Shattuck St., Littleton We’ll meet at Fay park for sign-in and site recommendations and meet back at 5 pm for weighing and prizes (Cataldo’s, Kimballs, Littleton Pizza and MetroRock)!
We’re looking forward to a great turn-out this year!

Sunday April 23
Nashobah Praying Indian Book Signing & Open House
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Littleton Historical Society, 4 Rogers Street, Littleton, MA
History of the Nashobah Praying Indians: Doings, Sufferings, Tragedy, and Triumph
Please join Strong Bear Medicine and Quiet Storm of the Nashobah Praying Indians at the Littleton Historical Society building on Sunday April 23 for an open house celebration of the newly released book: History of the Nashobah Praying Indians. Meet and mingle with Strong Bear and Quiet Storm, and author, Littleton historian Daniel V. Boudillion. Have your books signed, partake of refreshments, and enjoy Native music performed by Strong Bear and Quiet Storm.
As many of you know, the town of Littleton was originally created in 1654 as the Praying Indian Plantation of Nashobah. Told in its entirety for the first time, this is the story of the Nashobah Praying Village and the Nashobah Praying Indians, whose descendants are still honoring their heritage and with us today.
Books will be available that day as well as on amazon.com.

Wednesday, April 26  
Acton Water Wise Nature Walk 
3-4:30 PM 
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail parking lot, behind Donelan’s Supermarket in Acton. 
FREE, Family-friendly event (children age 5+ with adults)
*limited to 35 participants*   
Guided walk lead by the Acton Water Department & local naturalists.
Info and sign up at actonpip.org, or  EnergizeActon.org or Click here to RSVP

Saturday, April 29
Acton CLEAN ENERGY HOMES TOUR
11am – 4pm
Ten Homes in Acton & Base Camp (19 Elm St/AB Farmers Market Location)
As Earth Day approaches, are you thinking about switching from oil heat to efficient cold-weather heat pumps that heat AND cool? Are you considering solar panels/batteries, especially with the increased federal solar incentives? Do you want to decrease your carbon footprint? On April 29th, come and talk with Acton neighbors who have already adopted clean energy technologies! Ten Acton homeowners will welcome you to learn about their equipment, including air source and ground source heat pumps, solar panels and solar battery storage, electric vehicles and EV charging, induction cooking, and more. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and to begin to formulate a plan for your own clean energy future. After you register, you will receive an email with detailed information about the Tour, including host addresses. Sponsored by  EnergizeActon.org.   REGISTER HERE.

Saturday, April 29
Earth Day: A Brief History of Open Space Preservation in Acton – presented by Acton Conservation Trust
2-3 PM
Acton Memorial Library
Earth Day: A Brief History of Open Space Preservation in Acton presented by ACT Vice President, Joe Cooney. For more information click here.

Saturday, April 29
A Walk on the Peace Trail
9-10:30 AM 
Cul-de-sac at the end of Drew Crossing, Westford 
Gerry’s phone: 978-692-9137.
This walk will be led by Gerry DiBello, and will run rain or shine. The trail offers a lovely and easy walk close to the center of town. The trail runs along the top of glacial eskers through wetlands that are abundant with wildlife in spring. Meet Gerry at the cul-de-sac at the end of Drew Crossing. Gerry’s phone: 978-692-9137.

Monday, May 1
Acton Town Meeting – Article 10: Permanently protect 549 Main Street, corner of Brook and Main Streets – includes the Isaac Davis Trail, Meadows, Woodland, and Bedrock Wells
7 PM
ABRHS Auditorium
Warrant Article 10, (2/3 vote) Community Preservation Program – Appropriations from Open Space Set-Aside – to acquire a permanent Conservation Restriction (CR) on 549 Main Street (Conant Property). The Acton Water District has voted to acquire, and to sell to the Town of Acton a Conservation Restriction, (CR) to permanently protect the land and water supply and grant public access. Vote YES at Town Meeting to contribute $1.03M of Community Preservation Funds toward the purchase of the CR. A “Yes” vote will not increase your taxes but it will permanently protect the property as open space. ACT is teaming with the Acton Water District, Sudbury Valley Trustees and Open Space Committee.

Tuesday, May 2, 
The Acton Garden Club’s May Meeting: “Growing Meadows Large and Small” presented by Kathy Connolly.
9-10:15 AM 
Business Meeting/hybrid; 10:15 AM – Presentation over Zoom only
Acton Town Hall Room 204
The Acton Garden Club’s next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 2nd in Room 204 of Acton Town Hall with a business meeting at 9:00 and a program at 10:15 titled “ What is a meadow? Is it a lawn gone feral? Is it a perennial garden gone wild? Or something else altogether? In her presentation Ms. Connolly will explore the definition of a meadow and how it differs from other “no-mow” and “low-mow” approaches to the landscape. No one can grow an instant meadow, but this program will increase our understanding of what it takes to create and maintain one.

Ms. Connolly is a landscape designer who specializes in naturalized designs, low-impact landscape techniques and native plants. She has a master’s degree in ecological landscape planning and design, has completed the advanced master gardener program and is an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional through the Northeast Organic Farming Association of CT. Note: The general meeting will be hybrid but the program will only be over ZOOM. For non-club members who would like to see the program please see the club’s website at www.actongardenclub.org and leave a message for our webmaster. You will be contacted with the information needed to log into the event.

Saturday, May 6, 2023   (Rain date: May 7, 2023)
Annual Spring Service Day
Time: 1-3 pm
Event Parking: 20 Main Street, Acton MA
If you’ve ever wanted to be involved in cutting a trail through the woods, this service day is for you! Join us as we create the new Stonefield Farm Woodland Trail. Starting with a flagged line, we plan to cut a 0.3 mile long, 4 foot wide trail. Most of the work can be done with pruning shears or clippers, with some small tree removal needed. 
Family groups, scout groups, students and everyone else is welcome. No experience needed – we’ll show you what needs to be done. 
Come dressed in boots or sturdy shoes with long sleeves and pants, sprayed for ticks and mosquitos. Don’t forget your sunscreen! Expect weedy, rocky and uneven terrain. Please bring leather work gloves (best for thorns) and bypass pruning shears or clippers if you have them. A kneeling pad for gardening would be helpful. We will have some extra tools and loaner gloves available. We’ll also have water and refreshments.

Registration closed, event full! For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com

Saturday, May 13 

Mother’s Day Weekend Spring Ephemeral Walk
10AM-11:30AM
in-person Hadley, MA – Fort River Trail at the Silvio O Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Celebrate Mother’s Day with Women on the Land by learning about spring ephemeral flowers! Families are welcome (including kids, parents, and partners).
Laney Wilder, botanist and Executive Director of Opacum Land Trust, will be leading the walk to help identify different spring ephemeral flowers.
The trail is 1.2 miles long and is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. 
Pastries and coffee, as well as spring bulbs for you and your family, will be shared following the walk.Please sign up using the link below and check out the Upcoming Events list on the Women on the Land website for more information. Further details will be emailed the week before the event.
Sign Up Here.

Sunday, May 14
Plant ID & Natural History Walk – Horse Meadows Knoll -Sponsored by SVT.
1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Horse Meadows Knoll, Harvard
Horse Meadows Knoll rises above Horse Meadows Reservoir, which is now a beautiful, naturalized pond. Beavers are active at the pond and great blue herons nest in the treetops above the pond. 
Join naturalist Roland “Boot” Boutwell for an informative nature walk as we search for mid-spring wildflowers and other cool plants. The walk will focus on plant identification as well as fun and interesting natural history about the plants we see.
This walk is free for current SVT members, otherwise there is a $10 fee per person to help support our land conservation efforts. Registration required, click here.

Saturday, May 20th,
Acton Garden Club/Fabulous Plant Sale
9-1 pm , rain or shine
Red House, 468 Main Street across from the Acton common.  Parking is available behind Town Hall or the Acton Center Fire Station. If you are looking to beautify your property, here’s your chance to easily do so. Come and shop.  The sale will include annuals, perennials, pollinators, native plants, a wide variety of locally grown flowers, trees, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, planted hanging baskets as well as a raffle with great prizes.  This year we also offering houseplants.  Credit cards will absolutely be accepted.
Come early for the best selections, pick out those plants you have been wanting, buy something you haven’t grown before and then take them all home and get digging!  https://www.actongardenclub.org/

Boston Area Gleaners Apprentice Program 
Boston Area Gleaners’ Apprenticeship Program invites individuals passionate about food access and our regional food system to work and learn together for a season, from July through November. The program is specifically designed to provide diverse practical and educational experience in the food system that we interact with every day.
Our organization works closely with farmers, volunteers, and frontline agencies to power a supply chain from farms to those facing food insecurity, while reducing food waste and promoting long-term farm sustainability. As a key part of the Gleaners team, apprentices assist with all aspects of operations while learning in the field and in the classroom about the ins and outs of the Gleaners’ programs, the work of our partners, and the issues in our local food landscape.​
Become an Apprentice for the 2023 season → To learn more visit Apprenticeship – Boston Area Gleaners

Celebrate No Mow May in Acton this year!!  (borrowed from https://lincolnconservation.org/celebrate-no-mow-may/)
Did you know that 2% of the U.S. is covered in lawn? That’s 40 million acres! And that’s a problem because lawns are not habitat. They don’t provide good food or shelter to wildlife. Habitat loss is one of the many causes of pollinator decline.

Join in “No Mow May” and commit to letting the flowers bloom in your lawn this month. Studies show that unmown lawns host a greater diversity of bumblebees and have an overall higher abundance of pollinator visitors.

Take the next step and mow less frequently throughout the summer. Plants such as Self Heal, Violets, Clover, and Wild Strawberry bloom low and add color, beauty, and ecological value to a lawn.

Best of all, consider replacing some or all of the lawn with native plants. Native groundcovers, once established, form a beautiful and low maintenance lawn alternative. Planted areas that feature flowers that bloom throughout the season are of highest value to pollinators, as this space will provide an uninterrupted nectar supply. So don’t dust off your mower just yet! Let’s let the flowers bloom first!

Learn more about “No Mow May” here.

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Happy Spring!

Sincerely,
Susan Mitchell-Hardt 
President, Acton Conservation Trust
www.ActonConservationTrust.org

P.S.  Welcome  new “Events of Interest” subscribers!  As a nonprofit organization focused on conserving land in Acton, we rely upon the support of our members.  Visit our ACT website, and click on “Join Us”!