Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
This Barred Owl is to remind us that Marcia Wilson will be bringing her 6 live owls to the Acton Town Hall at 1 PM this Sunday, March 12, for our ACT Annual Meeting. Prior to the owls, Tom Tidman, Acton Natural Resources Director for almost 30 years, will be honored with the Carol Holley Conservation Volunteer Award.
Please mark your calendar to attend the Acton Water District Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 6 PM, R.J. Grey Jr. High Auditorium, where you will have the chance to vote on the purchase of the 56.85 acre 549 Main Street parcel (corner of Brook and Main Streets).
The following news and events may be of interest: If you prefer, you may read “Events of Interest” on our website, ActonConservationTrust.org
Out last week! Acton Conservation Trust LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER is now available!
Tuesday, March 7
Full Worm Moon
Look for the spectacularly bright Moon as it rises above the horizon that evening! The Worm Moon, was originally thought to refer to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. This invites robins and other birds to feed – a true sign of spring! This Moon is known as the Lenten Moon if it is the last full Moon of the winter season (i.e., if it occurs before the spring equinox.)
Friday, March 10
Green Boxborough
5:30-6:30 PM
Sargent Memorial Library 427 Mass. Ave., Boxborough
The Boxborough Sustainability Committee invites you to celebrate the passage of the “Boxborough Bill”. After many years, Boxborough now has a pathway to become a “Green Community”. Join us to recognize this achievement and learn more about the Green Community program. Senator Jamie Eldridge and Representative Dan Sena, both sponsors of the bill.
Light refreshments will be served
Saturday night, March 12
CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS!! FALL BACK, SPRING AHEAD –
On Saturday night, set your clock forward one hour (i.e., losing one hour) to “Spring forward.”
Sunday, March 12
ACT Annual Meeting: “Eyes on Owls”
1 PM – 2:45 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. Appropriate for ages 5 and above.
1 PM Business Meeting
1:20 PM Presentation of Carol Holley Conservation Award to Tom Tidman, recently retired Natural Resources Director
1:30 PM-2:45 – Presentation
Acton Town Hall, Room 204 and Zoom
For more information, visit https://actonconservationtrust.org/events/2023-annual-meeting/
Wednesday, March 15
Acton Water District (AWD) Annual Meeting
– Article 18: Proposed purchase of 549 Main Street, corner of Brook and Main Streets
6 p.m.
R. J. Grey Junior High, Blanchard Auditorium, 16 Charter Road, Acton, Mass.
Visit https://www.actonwater.com/ and click on “Annual Meeting” under “Meetings and Events” to see the Warrant and to read Article 18 in its entirety.
Excerpts from Article 18 – To see if the District will vote to appropriate funds to acquire 56.85 acres of land at 549 Main Street, Acton MA owned by or formerly owned by The Brewster Conant Trust – 2017 and to grant a Conservation Restriction on the same land being acquired for the purposes of protecting the groundwater aquifers and recharge areas for water supply wells, and conserving the land for watershed protection purposes. All residents of Acton who are qualified to vote in elections and town affairs are eligible to vote at Annual meeting. More details about the project may be found on page 2 of the ACT Newsletter, which is linked above.
Friday, March 17
Saint Patrick’s Day
Friday, March 17
Birding, BLM and one professor’s COVID adventure
7:00 PM
Lawrence Academy Media Center
Harvard Professor and curator Dr. Scott Edwards talks about biking and birding across America in 2020. He started the journey to learn about the birds of America, but after George Floyd’s murder, the trip evolved as he learned about our humanity. This is a free event, but registration is required. This talk is made possible through a generous grant from The Groton Commissioners of Trust Funds. All are welcome!
Click here to register.
Saturday, March 18
Polystyrene Collection
10 AM-1 PM
Enter via the Acton Department of Public Works entrance, 14 Forest Rd. and access will not be permitted through the Transfer Station.The Department of Public Works (DPW) is hosting a polystyrene (AKA styrofoam) collection day (weather permitting). We will notify leading up to the event if a cancellation is required due to inclement weather. Please contact sustainability@actonma.gov if you have any questions. A Transfer Station sticker is also required for access.
Monday, March 20
Amphibian Rescue and Vernal Pool Ecology Talk
7-8 PM
Reuben Hoar Library, Sturtz Meeting Room A+B
Are you curious about vernal pools, their importance in the landscape and the animals that rely on them? Come hear about local effort rescuing and studying frogs and salamanders as they cross busy roads to complete their breeding cycles. Learn about these ancient and incredible animals and their life cycles and what you can do to help their survival. This talk will be given by Amy Green, Littleton Conservation Agent, and Scott Smyers, Vice President and Senior Scientist of Oxbow associates, Inc. Space is limited so please RSVP agreen@littleton.org or 978-524-2840
Tuesday, March 21
Boxborough Conservation Trust Annual Meeting: David Barnett on “Conservation and Stewardship at Mt. Auburn Cemetery
7 PM
Sargent Memorial Library
David Barnett led a transition to more ecologically friendly landscape design and maintenance practices on this 175-acre site in Cambridge/Watertown. Founded in 1831, Mt Auburn Cemetery is the country’s oldest garden cemetery, and is well-known for its ecological complexity, attractiveness to migratory birds, and beautiful gardens. A primary focus of Dr. Barnett’s presentation will be the restoration of a four-acre portion of the cemetery to New England woodland, much as it was described at its founding. Phased over 25 years, this project included removal of Norway maples and other invasive species, and the planting of several thousand plants native to New England, comprising 120 species of trees, shrubs, and woodland groundcovers. With a vernal pool in the center of this woodland, preserving the habitat for the significant population of spotted salamanders was a key focus. The project also included the successful reintroduction of American toads, gray tree frogs, and spring peppers – all of which had disappeared from the cemetery due to past cemetery maintenance practices. Visit https://bctrust.org/ for more information.
Wednesdays, March 22 & March 29
Protecting Your Legacy: Moving from Planning to Action
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The broad topic for these last two sessions of a 5-part series will be Choosing a Conservation Tool. The webinars will help landowners decide the future of their land and take steps to formalize a plan to achieve their personal and financial goals. Sign up for one or both.
Learn more, view past recordings, and register.
Wednesday, March 22
Creating Beautiful, Sustainable Lawns: A Webinar with Chip Osborne
7:00-8:30 pm.
Pre-Registration link, https://bit.ly/3YRX2ji
Co-Sponsors: Green Acton, Green, Energize Acton, Mothers Out Front, Acton Conservation Trust
Even though we often encourage replacing a monocultural lawn with native shrubs and trees there will always be places where we want and need grass; Playing fields, backyards, playgrounds, places to picnic…. etc.
Chip Osborne, a nationally recognized expert on creating and sustaining organic lawns, will discuss:
· the harmful impacts of conventional chemicals used in lawn care on human health, and soil, water, wildlife, and ecosystems
· how to transition to a beautiful, sustainable, organic lawn
· which questions to ask a lawn care company to ensure that it’s using safe products and practices
Saturday, March 25,
Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference
8 AM-4 PM
8:45 AM-10:10 Concurrent Sessions
10:30 AM-11:45 AM Welcome Topic: Affordable Housing and Land Conservation – Not an Either/Or
Worcester Technical High School, 1 Officer Manny Familia Way, Worcester, MA 01605 (some online sessions)
The annual conference of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, which advances land conservation across Massachusetts by providing education, tools, networking, and advocacy for land trusts and their partners. Mass Audubon Policy & Advocacy staff will be speaking at a workshop on dual-use solar, food production and farmland protection.
Schedule, Descriptions, Register, Land Conservation Terms & Acronyms
Thursday, March 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.
March 29
Wayfinding and Belonging in the Outdoors
7 PM
Zoom
We move as stories through narratives spaces as much as physical and cultural spaces. The outdoors, as a construct grounded on the land, is one we co-create, and as the nation’s demographics continue to be more diverse, we have the opportunity, and responsibility, to co-create an outdoors reflective of 2050, rather than preserve one from 1950. And we can take learnings from nature to help us on this path.
José G. González is the Founder of Latino Outdoors and Co-Founder of the Outdoorist Oath. He is a professional educator with training in the fields of education and conservation while engaging in different artistic endeavors with art and messaging—often exploring the intersection of the environment and culture. As a Partner in the Avarna Group and through his own consulting, his work focuses on Equity & Inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor, and conservation fields. He is also an illustrator and science communicator. He received his B.A at the University of California, Davis, and his M.S at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Camp; Environment.
Click Here to Register
In Case You Missed It
View Recordings of the 2023 Open Space Conference Sessions Here:
View Open Space and Recreation Plans, from Writing to Action
View Tips and Tools for Landowner Outreach
View Land Conservation & Restoration Initiatives for Climate Resiliency: An Exploration of Case Studies and Funding Sources
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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”!