Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
The following news and events may be of interest:
Wednesday, August 2
Energize Acton Climate Café – State and Federal Incentives for Green Technology
5:00-6:00 pm
Acton Memorial Library Outdoors, 486 Main St., Acton
There are HUGE opportunities now to save money on clean energy technologies, but all the programs and requirements can be confusing. Energize Acton will present a clear outline of what is available now from the state and the federal government, what is in the pipeline, who is eligible, and how to layer savings by technology. Part of the summer Climate Café series, co-sponsored by the Acton Memorial Library. For more info, go to EnergizeActon.org
August 3 – August 13
Riverfest 2023
To view all the events, visit https://www.sudbury-assabet-concord.org/riverfest-2023.php
Come, Connect, and Experience your local wild and scenic rivers! A Riverfest Summer!
Enjoy free hikes, paddles, walks, music, and family fun all summer long in this annual celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River. Explore all the rivers have to offer, just west of Boston!
Saturday/Sunday August 5-6
Bear Spot Farm Summer Dressage Benefit Show
276 Pope Road, Acton, MA (mailing address: Concord)
8 AM-7 PM
Schedule of Classes begins with Training Level Test 1 and ends with 4th level Test 2. For Tentative Order of Go & Ride Times, Click on August Show. For more information visit https://www.bearspotfarm.com/shows and bearspotfoundation.org to to learn more about the work of the Foundation.
Sunday, August 6
Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market – October 15
Elm Street Playground, West Acton
10 AM – 1 PM
Join us for our 15th season of promoting good food and supporting sustainable agriculture.
Visit http://www.abfarmersmarket.org for more information.
Wednesday, August 9
Energize Acton Climate Café – A Celebration of Plant-Based Food!
6:00-8:00 pm
NARA Park Pavilion, 25 Ledge Rock Way, Acton
This is the event we are truly anticipating! No statistics, no large expenses! Instead, this is a celebration of our land and the amazing world of plants. Eating more plant-based meals is something that all of us can do to help reduce the intensity of climate change. So please prepare your favorite plant-based dish and join the potluck party at the NARA Park Pavilion. (Please note the venue and time change.) If you need menu ideas, the library has a cookbook at the Reference Desk called River Cottage VEG with great recipe suggestions. Need more inspiration? Kitchen Outfitters is selling The Gaining Ground Table, a wonderful local cookbook with yummy vegetarian recipes. Or bring your vegetarian favorite. Besides your food contribution, please bring two copies of your recipe. We look forward to seeing you for good conversation and delicious food! For more info, go to EnergizeActon.org
Sunday, August 20
Acton-Boxborough Farmer’s Market – October 15
Elm Street Playground, West Acton
10 AM – 1 PM
Come visit the Acton Conservation Trust at the Farmer’s Market Community Table!!
Join ABFM for our 15th season of promoting good food and supporting sustainable agriculture.
Visit http://www.abfarmersmarket.org for more information
Climate Cafe Schedule for August
Aug. 16, 23, 30: Topics to be announced
Saturday & Sunday, September 9 & 10
Wilderness First Aid
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Stewardship Training Center, Plymouth, MA
Accidents happen. People get hurt, sick, or lost. The temperature drops, the wind picks up, and it starts to rain. Would you know what to do? Wildlands will host SOLO Wilderness Medical School to teach a course on Wilderness First Aid. Learn more and register Published in eNews, July 2023, Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition
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NEWS:
Acton Climate Action Annual Update
Acton Climate Action Plan Annual Update Zoom Recording can be found at https://bit.ly/3DGxnkS
Climate Action Tracker https://bit.ly/ActonTracker (The Tracker calls out Nature-Based Solutions)
To sign up for the Climate Action Newsletter for regular updates: https://bit.ly/RegisterCAPnewsletter
CPA Updates from Stuart Saginor, Executive Director, Community Preservation Coalition
Legislature Drops CPA Funding from FY24 State Budget
On Sunday evening, the FY24 State Budget was released from Conference Committee, whose members were charged with reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget. And while we were optimistic after the Senate’s proposal for the budget included language allocating $30M in surplus funding for the CPA Trust Fund, unfortunately this language was dropped in the newest version of the state budget.
This development is especially disappointing during a year in which revenue for the Trust Fund has dropped by over 33% (primarily due to rising interest rates and declining home sales across the state). Without any additional revenue in the form of surplus dollars, it is likely that the CPA Trust Fund will only be able to support a 20% base match, at most, for CPA municipalities this year.
Is There Still Hope for Additional Funding for the CPA Trust Fund this Year? Yes. This news is certainly a setback, but the fight is far from over. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the 195 CPA municipalities to support the CPA Trust Fund – stay tuned for more updates as we work on this issue.
White House Climate Resilience Fact Sheet
This fact sheet outlines what the Biden-Harris administration has put into place to enhance climate resilience. Published in eNews, July 2023, Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Sign up to volunteer at BAG, https://www.bagetc.org/gleanlist.php
Thursday, August 3rd
Zucchini and Cucumber Harvest
9:00am – 12:00pm:
Location: Concord, MA
Thursday, August 3rd
Green Bean Harvest
9:00am – 12:00pm:
Location: Acton, MA
Friday, August 4th
Zucchini and Cucumber Harvest
10:00am – 1:00pm:
Location: Ipswich, MA
Friday, August 4th
Bok Choi and Radish Harvest
10:00am – 1:00pm: Bok Choi and Radish Harvest
Location: Sharon, MA
*Please join the waitlist if a trip is full! Not only will this help us gauge interest moving forward, but if someone is unable to attend who had previously committed, and depending on your place on the waitlist, you will be automatically added to the roster.
*Don’t forget: The most up-to-date trip information is always on the website. We may post trips after the weekly email goes out. To stay in the loop about last-minute calls for volunteers, you can join our volunteer emergency text list!
Walden Pond in Concord
7 am-7 pm
915 Walden St.
walden.pond@state.ma.us; 978-369-3254, bridal paths, and farm roads.
Boat ramp Sunday – Saturday: 5 AM – 7 PM.
Parking: MA resident $8; Non-MA resident: $30
Annual and senior passes NOT sold in park, click here to purchase an annual pass, click here to purchase a senior pass.
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”!