Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
Last Saturday was Community Water Chestnut Removal day at Acton’s Ice House Pond. Check out the huge amount of water chestnuts removed over the course of 3 hours. The photo below is in remarkable contrast to last week’s photo showing the pond covered with water chestnuts. Thank you Ian Bergemann of the Acton Conservation Division & OARS for hosting, and many thanks to Paddle Boston for providing boats and life vests! Most of all, many thanks to the 45 volunteers who pitched in. For all the details, vew it on the Acton website.
The following events may be of interest:
Now through Sunday, July 28
RiverFest 2024
RiverFest is an annual celebration of our federally protected Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic Rivers. From guided paddles to interpretive walks, nature and history talks, family-friendly events, and kids’ activities, there is something for everyone! Events are free and open to the public.
RiverFest is presented by the SuAsCo Wild & Scenic River Stewardship Council and local organizations working to protect our rivers. Further information and a full listing of events, including registration details, can be found HERE.
Tuesday, July 23
Climate Savvy Citizens Series Hybrid Event: Nature Drawing Workshop
6-7:30 PM
Marlborough Public Library, Grice Community Room, 35 West Main Street, Marlborough
Come join artist Alex Boersma for a fun workshop, as part of Marlborough Public Library’s Series on Climate Resilience. Work with this amazing illustrator, while we learn about drawing nature and get to know some of the important plants in our own backyards! Take home a beautiful piece of art you create yourself, make friends with a new plant, and help build climate resilience with us!
Register here: https://marlborough.librarycalendar.com/event/nature-drawing-workshop-9130
Wednesday, July 24
Climate Café: A Celebration of Plant Based Foods
6:00-8:00pm,
NARA Park Pavilions, 25 Ledge Rock Way, Acton
NEW DATE! We rescheduled the community potluck picnic due to the heat wave. One more try! Join us as we celebrate eating plant-based food as an important and DELICIOUS way to put less CO2 into the atmosphere. Bring your favorite vegetarian/vegan dish or a simple bowl of fruit; all contributions are welcome. But also bring a copy of your recipe. And enjoy Climate Carnival Games! For more info and to register, click HERE. This aims to be a low waste event.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24
Walking Book Club, Fowler Afoot, to discuss “The Boatman”: Henry David Thoreau’s River Years by Robert Thorson
10:00AM
Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, W Concord
Join the walking book club, Fowler Afoot, to read The Boatman: Henry David Thoreau’s River Years by Robert Thorson. Enjoy a discussion of the book while strolling along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Meet at Fowler Library and walk to the trail together. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will meet inside.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24
Let’s learn about our rivers! Designed for kids 12 and under
2:00PM – 4:00PM
Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, W Concord
Let’s learn about our rivers! Join us for hands-on experimentation during this 2-hour drop-in. Pick up your own copy of the River Ranger book and start earning your Junior River Ranger badge and certificate. Designed for kids 12 and under.
Wednesday, July 24
Sudbury Valley Trustees Ice Cream Social Member Appreciation
5:00 – 7:00 pm
Wolbach Farm, 18 Wolbach Rd, Sudbury, MA
SVT members are welcome to join us and bring a friend to this appreciation event! Enjoy ice cream and lawn games as we celebrate another year of your support. RSVP at www.svtweb.org/calendar.
Wednesday, July 24
Summer Concert with the Concord Band – Retrospective Concert
Gates open at 5 PM; Concerts begin at 7:15 PM
Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, Mass.
Music from John Williams and John Philip Sousa
REGISTER HERE
For more information email Fruitlands Museum, or call 978.456.3924 x5
THURSDAY, JULY 25
River Wetlands Wildlife: The Natural History of Well Meadow with Ron McAdow
7:30PM
Sudbury Valley Trustees, 18 Wolbach Rd. Sudbury.
Slide presentation will feature wildlife from Well Meadow, the pristine wetland off Fairhaven Bay on the Sudbury River.
Well Meadow was a frequent destination for Henry David Thoreau. Ron McAdow’s trail camera monitors traffic on a beaver dam that crosses the swamp. We’ll see images and videos of the wide variety of animals that use this bridge: mink, otter, bobcat, and many other species. Thoreau kept an appreciative eye on Well Meadow vegetation—we’ll hear his observations about some of the plants that anchor this rich natural community.
About the presenter: Ron McAdow is the author of The Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers and other books. He served for a decade as Executive Director of Sudbury Valley Trustees.
Pre-registration appreciated: Register HERE
Friday, July 26th and Friday, August 2, 9, 16 & 23
Nara Park Senior Stroll Part 2: Acton, Boxboro, Littleton Seniors
10:00 -11:00 am
Acton’s Nara Park, 25 Ledgerock Way, Acton. Please meet us at the Sports Pavilion off the upper parking lots located off Quarry Road.
For additional information please call Nursing 978-929-6650.
Come join other seniors from Acton, Boxboro and Littleton Council’s on Aging for conversation, coffee and a stroll around Acton’s Nara Park, 25 Ledgerock Way, Acton. Registration is required – call 978 929 6650.
Friday, July 26
Guided Walk of Brewsters Woods
9:00AM
Brewsters Woods, Concord
Join Renata Pomponi, Senior Director of Mass Audubon, for a guided walk of their newest sanctuary, Brewster’s Woods. This historic property along the Concord River was once the home of William Brewster, a noted ornithologist and Mass Audubon’s first president. Learn about the history of the property as a place of inspiration and connection to nature during a 1.2-mile roundtrip journey along the Fisher Trail, an all persons accessible trail, looking for wildlife and passing through a diversity of field, forest, and wetland habitats. Pre-registration required. RSVP here.
Registration for this event opens Thursday, July 11, 2024. Please check back then to register!
Sunday, July 27
Wright Woods, Concord
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
This event will be free and open to all, with a limit of 15 participants.
Registration will open on Friday, July 12.
As part of this annual celebration of the three rivers, Rachel Wheeler and John Myers will lead a guided loop walk in Wright Woods beginning at the Fairhaven Bay Overlook and exploring the trails along Well Meadow and the Sudbury River. This 300 acre woodland is located between Fairhaven Bay and Walden Pond. In addition to appreciating local flora and beaver activity, participants will learn about the history of the property, the stone terraces and boathouse, and the family that loved and preserved these woods.
Walk Guide Bios: Rachel Wheeler is the great-niece of Helen Robinson Wright, who began donating parcels of land within Wright Woods in 1959 and was instrumental in the creation of the Concord Land Conservation Trust. Rachel and her husband John Myers continue to live on the property at Staples Camp. They intimately know the woods and shores of Wright Woods. To walk and experience this remarkable place with them will be a unique treat.
Sunday, July 28
AB FARMERS MARKET
10am- 1pm
Elm Street Playground, Acton
Free yoga classes weekly as well as a SNAP match for EBT card holders. Sign up for our newsletter to see which vendors, artisans, community groups, performers and supporters are scheduled each week! https://abfarmersmarket.org/newsletter-signup/
Our website has the latest updates: abfarmersmarket.org
Monday, August 19
Full Moon: Sturgeon Full Moon: Supermoon
It’s the first Supermoon of the year, which means that it will appear bigger and brighter than the full Moons we have seen thus far! Learn about what it means to be a Supermoon. The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer and an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.
What Is a Sturgeon?
These prehistoric-looking fish have been traced back to around 136 million years ago, and many people call them “living fossils.” For more information, visit https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-august
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Summer Friday Nights, 4:30pm to 8:00pm. FREE! Discovery Museum. Visitors can enjoy the Museum and Discovery Woods outdoor nature playscape with free admission every Friday night through August 30. Advanced reservations are recommended and can be made 10 days in advance for a 4:30, 5:30, or 6:30 admission block. All visitors may stay until 8:00pm.
Discovery Museum will gratefully accept non-perishable food items for Open Table and Acton Food Pantry in lieu of admission, though not required for admission. Thank you to the following local businesses that have made this month’s free admission possible: July 5- Enterprise Bank; July 12- McGovern Subaru of Acton. For more info see the website here.
June 3, Mass Audubon Opened All Persons Trail (Fisher Trail) at Brewster’s Woods, Concord
Balls Hill Road from Monument Street. Proceed straiaght for 0.4 miles. Turn L when you reach a set of 3 mailboxes (#165/203/221) turn L into
Mass Audubon’s driveway. Park in the trailhead parking lot on the left after the welcome booth. Follow the signs to the Fisher Trail at end of P lot.
Click HERE for directions. This accessible trail winds and weaves through woods, meadows, and wetlands, ending at the Concord River. This addition ensures people using wheelchairs or strollers, and folks with mobility challenges, can better and more safely enjoy the outdoors.
RECORDING AVAILABLE:
PennState Extension: Managing Invasive Knotweeds
The PennState Extension “Managing Invasive Knotweeds” webinar walks you through the management options for these difficult plants. The invasive knotweeds (Reynoutria japonica, sachalinensis, bohemica, and polystachya) are well-known for their aggressive growth and ability to spread, creating dense monocultures where no other plant species can grow. Due to their prolific resprouting ability, the invasive knotweeds require specific, persistent management techniques delivered at proper timings for most effective control. Managing Invasive Knotweeds will walk through the management options for these difficult plants.
Watch the recording of the webinar here.
Sign up to volunteer for Boston Area Gleaners
Gleaning season is upon us and we need YOUR help! Be sure that you are signed up as a volunteer on our website – you will be automatically enrolled to receive weekly email updates when volunteer opportunities pop up. In the meantime, keep an eye on our volunteer opportunity list (or sign up for text message alerts – link below)
Sign up on our website and check out our FAQ to learn more!
JOBS
Post your job openings on thePost your job openings on thePost your job openings on theMLTC self-serve Job Board
NEW! Finance Director – The Nature Conservancy
NEW! Development and Administrative Assistant – Sudbury Valley Trustees
Boston Area Gleaners Are Hiring!
In other news, if you have not already heard, the Gleaners are hiring! We’re looking to fill several roles on our team. Read on to learn more about our openings and how to apply. We are looking to fill several roles on our team! Click the names of the positions below to read the full job descriptions. To apply, send a resume and cover letter to hiring@bostonareagleaners.org.
Now Hiring: Conservation Programs Intern!
MLTC is hiring a part-time intern with an interest in land conservation for the 2024-2025 academic year. The intern will work mostly from home, with occasional travel to MLTC events across Massachusetts. Responsibilities include providing research, technical assistance and logistical support for MLTC’s education programs, as well as maintaining our online resources such as our documents library, video library, service provider directory and grants database. Recent college graduates and graduate students are also welcome to apply. Please forward the following job description to anyone you think may be interested.
Camp Acton is Open
Pope Road, Acton
Fee is $25 per site reserved through he Recreation Department.
Limited to 10 people per site. Visit http://trails.actonma.gov/ to learn more about Camp Acton.
Please complete the registration form 48 business hours prior to desired reservation date.
https://actonma.gov/623/Camp-Acton
Payments are due upon reservation confirmation
Portable toilet on site.
All users must follow social distancing, regulations and posted guidelines.
Please complete and send camp Acton Permit application via email to recreation@actonma.gov or fax to 978-929-6333. Please allow up to two business days to process.
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”