Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
The following events may be of interest:
Sunday, January 7
Winter Sow: Bumblebee Project
2:00 – 3:30 PM
First Religious Society Unitarian Church
27 School Street, Carlisle MA MA 01741
Help preserve biodiversity and add beauty to your yard by participating in our winter seed sowing workshop! This program supports native pollination systems by providing specific plant habitat for the most at-risk pollinators. These seeds have coevolved under New England weather conditions with most requiring a period of repeated freezing and thawing to unlock their germination capacity. We’ll be making planters out of gallon jugs to be placed outdoors over winter and transplanted as seedlings in the Spring. The jug method ensures ideal conditions for seedlings to plant this Spring and Summer; no gardening experience needed.
More info about the event and the Bumblebee Project can be found here.
Saturday, January 13
Nature Walk at Elliott Concord River Preserve, Carlisle, MA
10:00am-12:15pm
121 Skelton Road, Carlisle
Join naturalist Roland “Boot” Boutwell for an informative nature walk focusing on plant identification as well as fun and interesting natural history about the plants we see. We’ll take a look at a few evergreens as well as some easily recognizable deciduous plants including some winter weeds, those non-woody deciduous plants that are sturdy enough to remain erect well into or even through winter.
This event is currently full. Please email Dana at dbaxter@svtweb.org to be added to the waitlist.
Visit SVTweb.org/Elliott or https://www.svtweb.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/carlisle_elliott.pdf, to learn more about this property.
Monday, January 15
Civil Disobedience
1:00 – 2:30pm
Walden Pond State Reservation, 915 Walden St., Walden Pond Visitor Center, Concord.
Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights legacy and Henry David Thoreau’s abolitionist legacy.
Join an interactive panel led by Concord historian Richard Smith and The Robbins House President Nikki Turpin to discuss the influence of Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience” on activists King and Gandhi and current acts of civil unrest. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Walden Pond, the Thoreau Society, and the Robbins House.
Wednesday, January 17
Winter Sow Workshop
2:00 to 3:30 pm
Wayland Town Hall, Wayland
Get a head start on next summer’s native perennial garden in this hands-on workshop.
Local Native Plant gardeners Shelley Trucksis and Jean Milburn will explain a winter sow technique for growing native flowering perennials from seed. Winter sowing is an economical way to add native plants to your yard and support pollinators in synergy with surrounding properties.
Fee: $10 to cover materials (soil and five packets of seeds). Participants should also bring five one-gallon translucent milk jugs and a box to carry filled jugs home.
Register at https://svtprograms.funraise.org/
Thursday January 25
January’s full Wolf Moon reaches peak illumination at 2:54 p.m. Eastern Time
Look for the Moon to rise from the northeastern horizon around sunset.
It’s thought that January’s full Moon came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time. It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that wolves howl for different reasons. Howling and other wolf vocalizations are generally used to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds and coordinate hunting. For more information, visit https://www.farmersalmanac.com/january-full-wolf-moon
This new Moon in Capricorn allows us to lay the groundwork for our visions to become true during the next twelve months. It is a potent time to usher in change, insights, and clarity. From the Yoga Journal, https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/astrology/new-moon-in-capricorn-january-2024/
Thursday, January 25
Full Moon Tours at deCordova
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln
Bring your family and friends to see sculptures transformed by the moonlight in this special after-hours tour.
Small group tours with deCordova’s experienced Museum Guides last 60-75 minutes. Please dress for the weather with sturdy footwear. Bring a flashlight or lantern.
Visitors should park in the main lot and meet their Museum Guide in front of the Museum. Questions about accessibility? Please contact Cindy at cclark@thetrustees.org For more information, https://thetrustees.org/event/85804/
Saturday, January 27
Boston Area Gleaners End of Season Celebration
4-6 PM
First Parish, Bedford, MA
Join us in celebrating a successful 2023 season! Our volunteers, farm partners and food access partners helped us distribute 4.5 million pounds of produce last year…we think that’s an incredible reason to celebrate!
We will be gathering at The First Parish in Bedford on Saturday, January 27th for a night of good food (potluck style, beverages will be provided) and even better company. Plus, there will be volunteer recognition awards and gleaner-themed games.
We hope to share our thanks and celebrate the 2023 season achievements with you!
RSVP at https://www.bagetc.org/presignup.php?access=select&gleantemp=3439
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Announcements:
January 2024
Energize Action: Survey: Help Create a Healthier Community and Shape Our Climate Actions
Anytime via this LINK
Be part of the solution on climate in 2024! Share your thoughts in the Creating Healthier Communities Together survey to make our community healthier and more climate resilient. EnergizeActon.org is reaching out to you with this request as part of our new ECO (Electrification, Community, & Outreach) Campaign. Together with MassEnergize.org and our partner communities—Wayland, Framingham, and Natick—we need your input to guide upcoming climate actions to create a healthier and more carbon neutral future. The survey takes less than 5 minutes. Your voice matters! Thank you. For more information go to EnergizeActon.org events.
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”. Click here to see the ACT Brochure for an overview of ACT.
Growing the ACT Board of Trustees
Are you interested in preserving open space in Acton? While Acton has the benefit of many acres of open space, some undeveloped parcels in Acton are not yet protected … Read more: https://actonconservationtrust.org/growing-the-act-board-of-trustees
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Best wishes for 2024!!!
Susan Mitchell-Hardt
President, Acton Conservation Trust
www.ActonConservationTrust.org
P.S. Hope to see you on the trails!