Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
Pedal Power, Acton: Prepping for Sumer Solstice Bike Ride. Most of the group headed from Pedal Power to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Bridge across Route 2, now officially open. After crossing Route 2 we biked the rail trail into West Concord and enjoyed the new mural before continuing on the trail to the turn around point at Powder Mill Road. Upon our return to Pedal Power pizza was served!!
The following news and events may be of interest:
Thursdays in June (June 22, 29)
Mass Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) is offering a Fundamentals of Land Protection series of virtual classes
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. via Zoom
Registration link here (Zoom link will be sent to registrants before the first session). Syllabus here
Fridays, June 23
NARA Park Stroll with Conversation, Coffee and Pastry
10-11am
Open to those age 55 plus from Acton, Boxboro and Littleton. Come one week, all four, or anywhere in between! Meet in the upper parking lot located off Quarry Road. If you park in the lower lot you’ll have to walk up to the upper fields. There is a nice walking path around the park and you can choose whether to walk a half mile or the full mile loop. Or just come for the conversation and refreshments. RSVP required to Sheryl Ball at: sball@actonma.gov or 978-929-6632
Sundays, June 25 – October 15
Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market Season begins
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
Saturday, June 24
June Food Day Sponsored by Boston Area Gleaners
4:30-8:30 PM
Stonefield Farm, 91 Martin St., Acton, MA
Join Boston Area Gleaners for our 4th annual June Food Day celebration! Come enjoy local food and community, and support the critical work we do bringing healthy food from farms to families. All proceeds from this fundraiser event will help to support our programs that sustain our work at the intersection of food waste, food access and farming.
We will have farm fun activities for everyone: hay rides, a silent auction, live music, face painting, and complimentary festive beverages. We will also have food for purchase from delicious food truck vendors.
Reserve your ticket here; https://www.bostonareagleaners.org/june-food-day.html
Wednesday, June 28 and subsequent Wednesdays through 7/19
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.
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!
Saturday, July 1
Rail Trail Walk along the Assabet
4 PM
Meet at the beginning of the Rail Trail in West Concord (Rt. 62)
Naturalist Peter Alden, author of the Audubon Guide to New England, will lead a 2.5-hour walk focusing on birds and plants on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail from West Concord toward White Pond. Registration is appreciated but not required.
RSVP here https://www.sudbury-assabet-concord.org/riverfest-2023/rail-trail-walk-along-the-assabet
Sunday, July 2
MORE Dragonflies at the Cranberry Bog in Carlisle
10 AM
Meet at the Cranberry Bog House on Curve Street.
Carlisle Conservation Foundation’s Alan Ankers will teach you about the jewels of the insect world as we walk the trails of the Cranberry Bog for dragonflies and damselflies (collectively known as “odes”). We’ll also check out butterflies and anything else interesting that we come across.
Sunday, July 2
Fourth of July Carnival and Fireworks
6-11 PM
Hastings Park, Massachusetts Ave. and Worthen Road, Lexington
Fire works begin at approximately 9:30 PM. For more information visit http://www.lexingtonlions.org/4thofJulyCarnival.cfm or //lexington.macaronikid.com/events/648b496f01eeab0b296effda/fourth-of-july-carnival-and-fireworks-lexington
Tuesday, July 4
2023 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular
7-11 PM Fireworks at approximately 10:30 PM
Hatch Memorial Shell, 47 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA
For more information click on Read more on Boston.com
Wednesday, July 5
Concord Band Concert “True To Be Red, White, and Blue”
7:15 PM
Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd, Harvard, MA, 01451
No fireworks.
Saturday, July 8
History Paddle
9 AM
Meet at the Rte. 20 Sudbury River boat launch
Travel in time as you paddle with Brian Donahue, Brandeis University history professor and expert on the Sudbury River. Paddle to Sherman’s Bridge through the wide meadows that prompted the founding of Wayland and Sudbury and hear stories of a fascinating and sometimes lurid past. Bring your canoe/kayak and life jacket (required). Cars will be available at Sherman’s Bridge Rd. to ferry you back. For more information: 508-358-2980.
Sunday, July 9
Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host an eco-garden tour at a garden in North Lincoln.
9-11 AM
North Lincoln. Participants will receive directions/parking information.
15 years ago, the Gingrich family planted a mostly native garden in their front yard. Since the launch of the Pollinator Action Plan in 2020, the family has added two pollinator meadow-gardens in the backyard, as well as a variety of native trees and shrubs throughout the property. Always a work in progress, the garden is ever evolving and growing. Participants will also see the rain water catchment system and vegetable gardens. This is a free program but space is limited. Register here. Participants will receive directions/parking information.
NEWS:
Calling on the State to Protect Horseshoe Crabs – Mass Audubon, June 2023
Last month, the Massachusetts Fisheries Advisory Commission voted down a proposal to protect horseshoe crabs during their breeding season — a huge lost opportunity to begin restoring this chronically depleted species and the shorebirds that depend on their eggs. The Commission’s decision came despite overwhelming public support, including over 1,100 comments submitted in response to our Action Alert. Stay tuned for the next opportunity to stand up for horseshoe crabs! Learn more at https://blogs.massaudubon.org/yourgreatoutdoors/horseshoe-crabs-need-our-help/
Strong Show of Support for Regulating Rodenticides, Mass Audubon, June 2023
Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARS) are devastating Massachusetts wildlife. When eagles, hawks, foxes, and other predators consume rodents that have ingested these deadly poisons, they develop uncontrollable bleeding that often leads to slow, painful deaths. We recently testified in support of bills that would improve oversight of these dangerous poisons. You can help get these bills passed!
Massachusetts Goes All-In on Offshore Wind, Mass Audubon, June 2023
Last month, Massachusetts requested proposals for new offshore wind developments that could produce up to 25% of the state’s electricity. As the result of a new law supported by Mass Audubon, this program will require wind developers to monitor and mitigate impacts on wildlife. We don’t have to choose between developing a clean energy system and protecting our wildlife. We must do both. Read Mass Audubon President David O’Neill’s letter to The Boston Globe for more on this.
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”!