Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
Check out the ACT Instagram page, to learn more about this historical photo as well as more outdoor scenes in Acton and nearby.
The following news and events may be of interest: If you prefer, you may read “Events of Interest” on our website, ActonConservationTrust.org
Now – January 1, 2023
2022 Winter Tree Stroll
Join the Groton Conservation Trust and visit our nature sanctuaries to see beautiful trees decorated by Groton non-profits! Show your support for local organizations! Share your photos off our trees, post on social media at #2022GrotonTreeStroll; visit https://www.gctrust.org Check out all the trees by following the Winter Tree Stroll Facebook page for more details, photos, and directions.
Now – December 31, 2022
Littleton Little Town Tree Hunt December 2022
See Facebook page for details and rules.
For Littleton Conservation lands click here.
22 decorated trees distributed across Littleton conservation lands.
Sunday, January 1
New Year’s Hike around Walden Woods!
10-11:30
Meet at the Walden Pond Visitor Center, 915 Walden Street/Route 126 Concord, MA 01742
1 mile guided hike to Henry David Thoreau’s House Site near the shore of Walden Pond. Hot chocolate will be available at the Visitor Center after the hike. Sponsored by DCR.
Henry David Thoreau, portrayed by historian Richard Smith, will be in the replica house
12-2 PM
with the woodstove burning, entertaining folks with tales of his days at Walden Pond. Sponsored by Friends of Walden Pond.
No pets are allowed at Walden Pond State Reservation. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information call (978) 369-3254
January 1, 2023
Polystyrene and Disposable Plastic Reduction Bylaw: Effective January 1, 2023
At the 2022 Acton Annual Town Meeting, voters approved a new bylaw banning the use, sale, and distribution of polystyrene and disposable plastic utensils. This bylaw…… Read on
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Audubon’s 123nd Christmas Bird Count – Concord CBC
Midnight to midnight.
Acton, Boxborough, Concord, Littleton, Harvard, Westford
For more information, visit https://www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count
The Christmas Bird Count for Acton, Boxborough, Concord, Littleton, Harvard, Westford will be on January 1, 2023.
The longest running Citizen Science survey in the world, Christmas Bird Count provides critical data on population trends. Tens of thousands of participants know that it is also a lot of fun. Data from over 2000 circles are entered after the count and become available to query under the Data and Research link.
Find a count near you (Concord) and sign up to participate. Visit https://concordcbc.org/
Acton, Littleton, Harvard, and Westford: Andrew Magee, (978) 263-0683, andrew839.magee@gmail.com
Monday, January 6
January’s Full Wolf Moon
Reaches peak illumination 6:08 PM EST.
From the Farmers’ Almanac (https://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-dates-and-times): Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.
Sunday, January 8
549 Main Street Walk
1-3 PM
Walk through history and learn about Acton’s groundwater with Acton Conservation Trust and Acton Water District! We will enjoy one of the last remaining segments of the Acton Minutemen line of march, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and views of Nashoba Brook during our 1-2 mile walk. Hear about the unique opportunity to permanently protect the natural, historical, and water resources this property offers to the community after generations of ownership in the same family. This event is perfect for families, but no pets please! Dress warmly… wear several layers and bring a hat and gloves. We will have hot beverages and other refreshments at the event. Please click here to register. Meeting location will be sent upon registration.
– For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com
Tuesday, January 10
How Birds Work: Bills
6:30 PM
Virtual Live Stream or in person at the Arnold Arboretum’s Weld Hill Research Building at 1300 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02131. To sign up for the in-person event, click here. Or visit https://arboretum.harvard.edu/events/event-signup/?id=60659 for virtual sign up or more information.
Bills come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, from the needle-like bills of swallows for picking insects out of the air, to hummingbirds’ long and curved bills for probing into the base of a flower, to the robust bill of the evening grosbeak for cracking into seeds. Some even have special features, like pressure sensors that allow shorebirds to detect food without touching it. Join Dr. Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, to look at the great diversity of bird bills and how they are suited to each individual bird—and to that bird’s favorite meal!
Saturday, January 28,
Winter Tracking Guided Walk
10-noon
Acton Conservation Trust welcomes members and friends for our annual winter tracking walk led by Paul Wanta. We will walk along Nashoba Brook on the trails of North Acton. This area is the largest contiguous parcel of protected land in Acton, comprising 400+ acres.This will be a slow walk of 1-2 miles. This event is perfect for families, but no pets please! Dress warmly… wear several layers and bring a hat and gloves. We will have hot beverages and other refreshments at the end of the event. Visit ActonConservationTrust.org for more information and to register. Meeting location will be sent after registration. For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com
Mondays, 1/30, 2/2, 3/27, 3/30, 5/29, 6/1, 2023 (Total of 4 Discussions Sections)
Women of the Land (WOTL) Book Club Sign Up: Braiding Sweetgrass
This year’s Women on the Land book club. We will be reading “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer in ~100-page segments. For any questions, please email Lina Clifford at lclifford@umass.edu.
There will be four Zoom book discussions and two dates/times for each discussion to help accommodate for everyone’s schedules. Discussions will occur every other month and each discussion will have a Monday afternoon 12-1PM sitting and a Thursday evening 7-8PM sitting.
Thursday, February 2, 9, 16; Thursday, Feb. 23 Noon-1 PM
Massachusetts Open Space Conference, Free Webinar Series
Noon-1:30
Virtual
Feb. 2: Open Space and Recreation Plans from Writing to Action
Feb. 9: Tips and Tools for Landowner Outreach
Feb. 16: Land Conservation & Restoration Initiatives for Climate Resiliency, an Exploration of Case Studies and Funding Sources.
Feb. 23: BioMap, the Latest and Greatest You can learn more and register for this free event here or at www.massopenspace.org
REGISTER HERE
Thursday, February 9
Kill Your Lawn!
1-2 PM
Register here.
“Kill Your Lawn!” is a rallying cry heard all over the ecological horticulture community, and many of us try to do just that. If anyone out there is reluctant to get rid of your lawn, how about replacing even part of it? Anna Fialkoff, ecological programs manager for Wild Seed Project, can help you choose what to replace it with. Our class Native Ground Covers will go over everything you need to know, including the best low-growing plants for replacing a turf lawn. Anna will cover urban, suburban, and roadside spaces, along with the environmental benefits these native plants can offer. This webinar is a great way to warm up your design muscles before spring comes in.
Sunday, March 12
Preview of ACT Annual Meeting: “Eyes on Owls”
1 PM – 2:30 PM
Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Room 204, Acton, MA
Naturalists Marcia and Mark Wilson will introduce you to 6 live owls up close and personal! After much anticipation, Marcia brings the owls out one by one. Each bird is safely perched on her glove as she walks close to everyone, providing intimate views of these secretive birds of prey. And, everyone gets to practice the owls’ calls during the hooting lessons! The Wilsons highlight the owls’ unique adaptations, habitats and behaviors in the wild, while sharing tips on how you can look for owls yourself. Questions are taken once the owls come out.
1 PM Business Meeting
1:30 PM-2:30 – Eyes on Owls Presentation
Acton Town Hall, Room 204 and Zoom
Announcement:
Plant Kits for At-Risk Native Pollinators – Sponsored by The Native Pollinator Task Force (NPTF) and Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT)
Please respond by Jan. 3
– The Massachusetts Conservation Alliance (MCA’s) Native Pollinator Task Force (NPTF) is committed to creating, expanding and sustaining habitat for at-risk native pollinators, including the golden northern bumble bee (Bombus fervidus) and the half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans). These bees are at-risk of extinction in our region because their populations have declined dramatically in the last 20 years.
– Dr. Robert Gegear has been conducting extensive research to determine which native plants and habitat features are critical for these at-risk bees. The research demonstrates that these plants are additionally beneficial to many other native pollinators.
– The Native Pollinator Task Force (NPTF) and Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT) will be pre-ordering native pollinator plant kits. The kits will include 8 species from Dr. Gegear’s recommended plant list, designed to cover the three seasons of nectar and pollen needs. The kit will include three of each of the 8 species, for a total of 24 plants, either pint or quart-size. These plants will work well in full-part sun with medium soil and are a great way to start providing habitat.
– The kits will cost approximately $100 – $130. (cost will depend upon if we go with pint or quart size)
For more information contact scorbin@svtweb.org with a “yes” by January 3rd at 9:00 p.m. Please make a note in the subject line: Native Plant Pollinator kit.
Acton Conservation Trust Membership Season
If you love Acton’s open space and trails, wildlife, scenic vistas, guided walks and virtual/in person lectures, and programs, please consider joining or renewing your ACT membership. Donations to ACT are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. As an additional bonus, ACT offers a free baseball cap with ACT logo. To join or renew, visit ActonConservationTrust.org and a click on “Join/Donate”.
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.
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Thank you to everyone in the community for a wonderful year. Let’s all make 2023 resolutions for protecting more landscapes in Acton, going on more trail walks, exploring in nature, and having more outdoor fun!
Best wishes for the New Year!
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”!