Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
ACT Trustees hold the perpetual conservation restriction on the Caouette-Simeone Farmland Conservation Restriction (8 acre CR abutting the Assabet River Rail Trail on Maple Street). Our job is to monitor the boundaries of the CR; we observed thick brush and an old wire fence remained on CR’d land obscuring the true boundary marked by stone bounds. We got permission to remove both. The two pictures show the results of a morning’s work removing fence wire by several ACT Trustees.
The following news and events may be of interest:
Saturday, July 1-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!
Sunday, July 16 and subsequent Sundays
Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market
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, July 12 – Sunday, July 16
The 82nd Annual Gathering of the Thoreau Society
Thoreau & the Politics of Extinction -Andri Snær Magnason
Thursday, July 13
4:45-6 PM
Masonic Hall, Monument Square, Concord, MA
Register (Virtual or in Person) at https://thoreausociety.org/annual-gathering-registration-form/
Keynote Speaker: Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic writer and documentary film director. He writes novels, children’s books, essays, poetry, and nonfiction books. His book On Time and Water was an Icelandic national bestseller, translated into many languages. He has been active in the fight against the destruction of the Icelandic Highlands. His book Dreamland: A Self Help Manual for a Frightened Nation takes on these issues, and his text for the memorial of Ok glacier became widely read around the world. He ran for President of Iceland in 2016 with environmental issues on his agenda. He spent some of his early years in New England and now lives in Reykjavik.
For more information visit https://thoreausociety.org/events/annual-gathering-2023-thoreau-the-politics-of-extinction/
Sunday, July 16, 2023
World Snake Day
World Snake Day, held every year on July 16, aims to increase awareness regarding the over 3,500 snake species that exist across the world. Yes, that’s a lot of snakes! And, guess what? Not all of them are as scary or venomous as we believe them to be. The fascinating reptiles are often not given the recognition they deserve just because of the bad reputation they have earned over the years. For instance, a friend who is a traitor is known as a ‘snake.’ The day aims to change the negative perception surrounding snakes and promote the love for all living beings — even the ones we fear. For more information CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, July 19
Concord Band Concerts
Fruitlands, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard Phone 978-456-3924
Gather on the lawn at Fruitlands Museum for a picnic concert with stunning sunset views. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs and picnic basket. There is plenty of room on the concert lawn to spread out and get comfortable.
The Concord Band is a group of 65 musicians from 40 area towns who have been performing since 1959. The Concord Band will treat concert-goers to a fun roster of timeless music, including pieces memorializing historic events, show tunes, holiday favorites and more.
Wednesday, July 19 and subsequent Wednesdays in July and August
Energize Acton Climate Café Electric Vehicle “Petting Zoo” and EV Update
5:00-6:00pm
Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main St, Acton, MA
The Climate Cafés are informal gatherings where Acton residents can share info about clean energy technologies and ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Each week in July and August will be a different focus, with a range of technical and environmental topics. For more information, go to EnergizeActon.org or the Acton Memorial Library Calendar.
Climate Cafe Schedule for July and August
July 26: Go Solar! Acton Homeowners Share Their Experiences
Aug. 2: State and Federal Incentives for Green Technology
Aug. 9: A Celebration of Plant-Based Foods – Potluck Picnic
Aug. 16, 23, 30: Topics to be announced
Wednesday, July 26
Sudbury Valley Trustees Ice Cream Social Member Appreciation
5:00 – 6:30 pm
Wolbach Farm, 18 Wolbach Rd, Sudbury, MA
Please register by July 19 at https://svticecream2023.funraise.org/
Take this opportunity to meet Lindsey Ketchel, SVT’s new Executive Director.
NEWS:
From The Metrowest Conservation Alliance (MCA) and Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) Newsletter, July 2023 – for more information contact Kristin O’Brien kobrien@svtweb.org, CISMA and MCA Coordinator
Are you working on Land Prioritization? We can help!
The Metrowest Conservation Alliance (MCA’s) Land Prioritization Story Map is a great tool that can help you identify important conservation land in your community. Sam Corbin, SVT’s Conservation Associate, is available to lead workshops where you can learn how to best utilize this map. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Sam at scobin@svtweb.org.
Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches New Climate-Focused Forestry Initiative
“Forests as Climate Solutions” Initiative to Invest in Forest Conservation and Implement the Latest Climate-Smart Forest Management Practices
The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced a new initiative to ensure Massachusetts’ forests are managed to optimize carbon sequestration and mitigate climate harms as part of meeting the state’s aggressive climate goals. To read the full announcement, click here.
Middlesex Judge, Jury Render First Known Decisions on Japanese Knotweed
Attorney: For home buyers and sellers, invasive species could be “new radon”
Kris Olson: Mass Lawyers Weekly
Read this article detailing a case where the court ruled in favor of new home owners after they were not made aware of the invasive nature of Japanese Knotweed, only it’s presence on the property.
Bioblitz 2023 Results
Matt Liebman summarized the results of the June 2023 Bioblitz quite favorably! You can read about it here.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Sign up to volunteer at BAG, https://www.bagetc.org/gleanlist.php
Friday July 14th
8:30 AM-11:30pm
Location: TBD
Friday, July 14th
9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: TBD
Saturday, July 15th
10:00am – 1:00pm
Location: TBD
Saturday, July 15th
9:00am – 12:00pm
Location: TBD
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”!