Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
Co-sponsored by EnergizeActon.org, the Acton Conservation Trust, and the Acton Garden Club.
The following events may be of interest:
Saturday & Sunday, 4/27-28
Acton CleanUp Week – the last two days!
Sunday Great Hill garlic mustard pull 10-12 (park at S. Acton Fire Station on School Street).
New this year, we are asking residents to uproot and discard as trash invasive garlic mustard plants.
Also new this year, Town employees will pick up recyclable cans and bottles, as well as bagged trash, from 11 sites.
Learn more about Green Acton Clean-up Week at actoncleanup.info
Sunday, April 28
Sacred Stones & Trail Trees: Littleton’s Hidden Sacred-Shamanic Landscape
2:00 pm, Littleton Library
By the Nashobah CSL Team: Strong Bear Medicine, Dan Boudillion, and Kevin Gallant
Sponsored by the Littleton Historical Society
Sunday, April 28
Welcome Bees to Thoreau Farm
1pm
Thoreau Farm, Concord
Free. No registration necessary.
Join us at Thoreau Farm in Concord for a unique public event where visitors can observe the delicate process of bees being installed in their new hive.
Wednesdays, May 1 -June 5
I Hiked Acton’s Trails Challenge
2:30 pm-4:00 pm
Location sent out the Sunday before each hike.
Walk (or wheelchair) trails in Acton’s conservation areas with the goal of earning a sticker and a sew-on patch! This weekly set of walks is a joint effort between Acton Conservation Department and Acton Conservation Trust. We hope to complete 9 of 22 conservation land walks and may continue the challenge next fall.
All ages are welcome!, Register for one hike or all nine! All children must be accompanied by an adult.
REGISTER HERE! For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com or Ian Bergemann at ibergemann@acton-ma.gov
Tuesday, April 30
Acton Town Elections
RJ Grey Jr. High School Gymnasium, 16 Charter Road
Polls open 7 AM to 8 PM
Additional election information can be found on the Elections & Voting Page
https://www.acton-ma.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=11441
Tuesday, April 30 2024
“Rodent Control: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.” Gary Menin, presenting
7:00-8:30 PM
The Groton Center, 163 West Main St., Groton
A newly formed citizen activist group, Save Nashoba Valley Wildlife, is hosting. The purpose is to educate the public about the dangers of rat poisons (SGARS) and to provide alternatives. Please join us to learn more.
The following is a brief example:
Did you know that in 2020, 100% of every red-tailed hawk tested by Tufts Veterinary Clinic proved positive for anticoagulant rodenticides? Since 2021, there have been four documented SGARs-related eagle deaths in the Commonwealth. Additionally, 90% of dead hawks and owls at Tufts have tested positive for SGARs.
Wednesday, May 1
The Walden Woods Project, Concord Historical Commission, Save Our Heritage, and Orchard House host the National Trust for Historic Preservation
11:00 am
269 Monument Street, The Old Manse, Concord MA. (rain or shine) under a tent
No RSVP is required. Arrive early as seating will be limited.
The National Trust will make a special announcement relating to the historic corridor that includes Minute Man National Historical Park and Walden Pond/Walden Woods.
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Ashley Judd, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, actor and activist
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
Public Officials
Local preservation and environmental organizations
A video presentation by Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History/Rice University, Presidential historian, and best-selling author
For further information, contact The Walden Woods Project at wwproject@walden.org or 781-259-4700
Thursdays, May 2nd to June 27th
Welcome to the Nagog Hill Conservation Land Workday Sign Up!
3 pm
Nagog Hill Conservation Land
Ian Bergemann Contact
Already signed up?
Every Thursday we will meet at Nagog Hill Conservation Land starting at 3:00 pm!
Please use the sign up below to register for dates you are available to join us! You will receive a reminder a few days before the dates you signed up for!
We will be managing invasive species, improving trail conditions, and enhancing habitat!
Please prepare for the workday by bringing the following:
Work clothes that may get dirty, ripped, or stained!
Water, Water, Water!
Work gloves! Bring your own or email us to borrow a pair!
A snack!
Extra stuff like bug spray, sunblock, hats, closed toed shoes, and anything else to work outdoors and be safe!
The Tools: We will provide tools for the job! Or you can bring your own!
For more information click on https://link.edgepilot.com/s/9042328c/ovmHJP50Q0WP40PSmOdEMg?u=https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAAAB2FAAFCC16-48667738-volunteer%23/
Thank you for signing up and if you have any questions please email ibergemann@actonma.gov
Thursday, May 2
Our Actions Shape the World: Create a Multi-Year Plan to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
7:00-7:45pm, Acton Memorial Library
In May, EnergizeActon.org’s PlugIN campaign continues with a focus on planning. The transition from fossil fuels can feel daunting; however this presentation looks at regional and national resources to help households create a series of 5-year climate action plans. Topics include 1) links to helpful checklists and templates; 2) estimating a timeline when current home energy equipment phases out; 3) how to alternate low-cost changes with bigger ticket items (plus tax credits/rebates that help with the latter); and 4) how to keep ourselves motivated and supported through this process. These plans include actions for students, renters, and others, including the role of land care as part of the climate picture. With your input, EnergizeActon.org hopes to develop a template that can help all residents set yearly goals on the journey to net-zero households and a net-zero Acton! For information and registration, click HERE.
Saturday, May 4 (Rain date May 11)
Guided Walk Through Harvard’s Horse Meadows Knoll and a portion of the Muller Trail sponsored by Harvard Conservation Trust
1-2:30 PM – explore between these hours
Horse Meadows Knoll, 45 Sherry Road, HarvardJoin the Harvard Conservation Trust for a guided walk through the conservation land at Horse Meadows Knoll and a portion of the Muller Trail where you will meet and talk with local forestry experts about forest health.
You will: learn how to recognize hallmarks of a robust forest, identify invasive species, see the work Harvard Conservation Trust is doing to restore the land once compromised by invasive species.
Come, dive into nature, understand your land better, and become more aware of Harvard’s beautiful forests. Together, let’s embark on this journey towards a brighter, greener future!
1.4-mile round trip without any steep terrain.
Thursday, May 9
Acton: 4000 to 7000 Years Ago by local archaeologist Kimberley Connors
7-8:30 PM
Acton Memorial Library
Extending a popular talk Ms. Connors gave last year, 4000 to 7000 Years Ago focuses specifically on Acton’s archeological sites from the Middle Archaic period (4000-7000 years before present). The most well-known of these is the Pine Hawk site in South Acton, but there are several other sites along the Assabet River and its tributaries.
This program brings our local landscape alive by looking at why indigenous people were so attracted to this region. Through the artifacts and excavations of local archaeological sites, people can look beyond the glare of the modern to the contours of the land and understand more about Indigenous people and how they thrived here for millennia. Ms. Connors will lead a walk through the Trail through Time a short time later on May 18, so people can see firsthand some of the landscape and sites described in this lecture.
Register HERE to attend in person or via Zoom.
Thursday, May 9,
Coyote, America’s Songdog
7:00 PM
Free Zoom Program
Geri Vistein, a conservation biologist, will take us on a journey to discover Coyote, an important and resilient carnivore. Vistein will center on perceptions and relationships within a coyote family, and between coyotes and Indigenous People, European Americans, other wildlife, and the
wider ecosystem.
Hosted by Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Lincoln Conservation Department
Sunday, May 12
Happy Mother’s Day
Saturday, May 18
Spring Archaeology Walk
Noon-2 PM in North Acton
Local archaeologist Kimberley Connors will lead a two-mile hike focusing on Native American features along the Trail Though Time in North Acton. Registrants will receive an email with details a few days before the walk. Limited to the first 20 people to sign up, ages 15 and up. (Rain Date, Sunday, May 19, noon-2PM).
Register HERE to walk.
Wednesday, May 18
2024 Lincoln Conservation Trust’s (LLCT) 5th Annual Pollinator Plant Sale
10am-11am: LLCT Members*
11am-1pm: Open to the Public
Lincoln Station, 145 Lincoln Rd, Lincoln MA
Launched as part of LLCT’s effort to restore native pollination systems in Lincoln, the pollinator plant sale is a way to help our community access native plants at a reasonable cost and plant them in their own gardens, expanding Lincoln’s “pollinator pathway” through town and beyond.
This year’s plant sale will be in-person only (no pre-orders). Join us on May 18th at Cash, card, check, and Venmo accepted. Plants available on a first come, first served basis.
*All are welcome to join or renew their membership when they check out at the sale. Not sure if you’re a current member? Just email us and we can let you know.
Saturday, June 8
National Trails Day
National Trails Day on the first Saturday in June recognizes all the incredible benefits federal, state and local trails provide for recreation and exposure nature. Events held throughout the United States help promote awareness of the wide variety of services the trails systems offer. The day encourages people to discover their local trials, become active concerning trail issues, and share their excitement for the outdoors. Visit https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-trails-day-first-saturday-in-june# for more information.
Friday, June 21
Summer Solstice Bike Ride
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (rain date June 22);
Pedal Power Bike & Ski, 176 Great Road (Rt. 2A) Acton, MA 01720; Parking available across Great Road.
Contact Tom Michelman: tmichelman@gmail.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS
No Mow Starts Soon – From Lincoln Common Ground of Mothers Out Front, Lincoln
The No Mow May initiative is a chance to support pollinators, make a positive environmental impact, and experience the joy of flowers popping up in your own yard. The first flowers of spring are a critical food source for wildlife. Pollinating insects are an important part of the ecosystem, and their numbers are in decline from habitat loss and climate change. With No Mow May you can do less yard work and make a difference!
Hold off mowing for the month-or even longer. Say no to herbicides and pesticides. If you are not ready to take the full plunge, try leaving a section of your lawn un-mown or mow paths through your lawn and around edges. For more information visit https://www.lincolncommonground.com/
THE ACTON EXCHANGE
Acton’s local news source; visit actonexchange.org for current articles of interest to all of the Town.Acton’s new online newspaper,
Letters to the Exchange. The Acton Exchange is now publishing Letters. In this debut moment, we publish 22 of your letters to the editor. If you have questions about the Acton Exchange, your new local Acton news source, or you would like to volunteer in any capacity, please email info@actonexchange.org.
If you would like to submit a letter to be considered for publication on our Letters page, please follow the directions on our Letters Policy page.
Garlic Mustard Season
It’s garlic mustard season again! Help manage this invasive plant across town by pulling on your own property.
Garlic mustard season runs from April 15th through June 14th.
JOBS
Call for Community Planning Process Volunteers – Paid Role
The Town of Acton is looking for up to 5 community members to join a climate resilience planning process! Volunteers will receive a stipend of $2,400 during the 9-month process. For more information, visit Official Website | Acton MA
See you on the trails!!
Susan Mitchell-Hardt
President, Acton Conservation Trust
www.ActonConservationTrust.org
P.S. Welcome new “Events of Interest” subscribers! As a non-profit organization focused on conserving land in Acton, we rely upon the support of our members. Visit our ACT website, and click on “Join Us”