Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
The following events may be of interest:
Now through May 31
No Mow May – (To Prevent Habitat Loss)
Did you know that 2% of the U.S. is covered in lawn? That’s 40 million acres! And that’s a problem because lawns are not habitat. They don’t provide good food or shelter to wildlife. Habitat loss is one of the many causes of pollinator decline.Join in “No Mow May” and commit to letting the flowers bloom in your lawn this month! Studies show that unmown lawns host a greater diversity of bumblebees and have an overall higher abundance of pollinator visitors.
Better yet, mow less frequently throughout the summer. Plants such as Self Heal, Violets, Clover, and Wild Strawberry add color, beauty, and ecological value to a lawn.
Best of all, consider replacing some or all of the lawn with native plants. Native ground covers, once established, form a beautiful and low maintenance lawn alternative. So don’t dust off your mower just yet! Let’s let the flowers bloom first! Learn more about “No Mow May” here. Check out this nice list of native ground covers for both shady and sunny areas.
Thursday, May 23
Full Flower Moon, https://www.almanac.com/full-moon-may
May’s full Flower Moon reaches peak illumination at 9:53 A.M. (EDT) on Thursday, May 23. It will be below the horizon at this time, so plan to venture outdoors on the nights of the 22nd and the 23rd to get the best view of the bright, full Flower Moon! Find a location with unobstructed views of the horizon, if possible. See what time the moon will be visible in your area with our Moonrise and Moonset Calculator. Why Is It Called the Flower Moon?The full moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the full Moon. May’s Moon names tend to speak to the arrival of spring and all that it entails!
Thursday, May 23
Late Spring Nature Walk
10:00am-12:30pm
George and Lucy Yapp Conservation Land, Littleton
This 53 acre property is believed to have been part of the 17th century Nipmuc Praying Indian Village known as Nashobah. Join naturalist Roland “Boot” Boutwell for an informative nature walk as we search for late spring wildflowers and other cool plants. The walk will focus on plant ID as well as fun and interesting natural history, plus tales and legends about the plants we see. Register at https://svtprograms.funraise.org/
Friday, May 24
Acton Center Walking Tours Led by Amy Cole
1:50 PM (Rain date, Saturday, May 25th)
Meet Amy at the Acton Memorial Library parking lot
The walk is free, but registration is needed and capped at 20 attendees per walk. Registration link:: https://tinyurl.com/ACWTMAY24.
Tour leader Amy Cole grew up near Acton Center and knows the Town well. She has a wide ranging-interest in Acton’s unique history. Walking Acton’s historic civic center, you will learn about the people, places and practices that shaped the town’s history and our nation’s as well. Topics include Native American history, the role of the church, the importance of Captain Isaac Davis and the Acton Minutemen, nearby historic buildings, memorials and more. The mile walk will take a little less than two hours.
Wednesdays, May 29 -June 5
I Hiked Acton’s Trails Challenge
2:30 pm-4:00 pm
Location sent out the Sunday before each hike.
Walk (or wheelchair) trails in Acton’s conservation areas with the goal of earning a sticker and a sew-on patch! This weekly set of walks is a joint effort between Acton Conservation Department and Acton Conservation Trust. We hope to complete 9 of 22 conservation land walks and may continue the challenge next fall.
All ages are welcome!, Register for one hike or all nine! All children must be accompanied by an adult.
REGISTER HERE! For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com or Ian Bergemann at ibergemann@acton-ma.gov
Wednesday, May 29
The Empire Strikes Back, and Resistance Becomes Revolution
7pm
Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Room 204
Last September Professor Bob Allison inaugurated the Acton 250 Lectures Series with an account of the Boston Tea Party of 1773 and the pivotal events that sparked the American Revolution. He returns to explain the critical changes occurring in the year 1774 when the Crown’s response solidified the colonial opposition. Register at https://tinyurl.com/AllisonMay29https://tinyurl.com/AllisonMay29. Remote Participation: You can participate in the Q&A using ZOOM http://tinyurl.com/Acton250-ZOOMhttp://tinyurl.com/Acton250-ZOOM or watch live at Acton TV http://tinyurl.com/Acton-TV. This is the fifth lecture in the Acton 250 Series.
Prof. Allison is renowned for his expertise in American colonial history, and the political, social, and economic factors that converged in the 18th century, leading to Massachusetts’ significant role in the creation of the American nation. He has taught history at Suffolk University since 1992 upon receiving his doctorate at Harvard University. He chairs Revolution 250, a consortium of organizations planning commemorations of the Revolution’s 250th anniversary and is a life-trustee of the USS Constitution Museum.
Saturday, June 1
Spring nature walk with storyteller and naturalist, Roland “Boot” Boutwell
10-12:30
Join ACT for a spring nature walk with our favorite storyteller and naturalist, Roland “Boot” Boutwell. Boot will lead us on a walk of 1-2 miles, identifying plants and trees along the way. Parking information and meeting location will be sent a few days before the event.
This is a members only event. If you’re not a member, please join here before registering. This event is free and children aged 5 and over are welcome. Registration is limited to 15 people. Click here to register.
If you have questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com.
Thursday, June 6
The Lincoln Conservation Coffee (Zoom)
8:30 AM
The Lincoln Conservation Coffee will welcome Lawrence Buell. Buell will talk about his most recent book, “Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently.” After Buell’s remarks, we will give brief updates on recent conservation projects. Use the direct zoom link here to join the call!
Saturday, June 8
Acton Climate Resilience Festival
1-4 PM
Gardner Field, West Acton
Activities for All ages, food, music, Acton Climate Festival
Saturday, June 8
SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES – SNAKES OF NEW ENGLAND AND THE WORLD
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Sudbury Valley Trustees, 18 Wolbach Road, Sudbury MA 01776
Snakes of New England and the World – one hour live animal presentation.
Saturday, June 8
National Trails Day
National Trails Day on the first Saturday in June recognizes all the incredible benefits federal, state and local trails provide for recreation and exposure nature. Events held throughout the United States help promote awareness of the wide variety of services the trails systems offer. The day encourages people to discover their local trials, become active concerning trail issues, and share their excitement for the outdoors.
Visit https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-trails-day-first-saturday-in-june# for more information.
Friday June 14
MLTC Conservation Partners Meeting
10:00 am – 12:15 pm,
TTOR’s Doyle Center, 464 Abbott Avenue Leominster MA, and via Zoom
Land trust staff and board members as well as conservation partners are welcome to this quarterly meeting, featuring relevant news from state agencies, a timely update on state and federal policy matters, announcements, and a featured topic. This month, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Tom O’Shea will talk about progress in establishing Biodiversity Goals for the Commonwealth. Formerly known as “Steering Committee Meetings”, these meetings are convened by MLTC’s Partner Engagement Committee: Kathy Orlando, Chair, Olivia Lukacic, Vice-Chair. To attend via Zoom, register.
Saturday, June 15
PlugIN Tour: Clean Energy Home of the Month – Two Fossil Fuel-Free Homes
Two sessions: 11am and 1pm
West Acton address sent with registration.
Reducing our use of fossil fuels matters for the natural world. This month’s Energize Acton home tour features two neighbors who have disconnected their natural gas lines and now heat and cool fully with electricity, one using air source heat pumps and the other using geothermal. Both homes feature other renewable technologies (e.g. solar and battery storage) PLUS get a bonus light lunch under the new solar canopies on Half Moon Hill. See one house or both. The homeowners are excited to share with you, so please bring your questions. There will be two free sessions, one at 11am and one at 1pm. The address will be sent upon registration. Sponsored by EnergizeActon.org. For info and registration, click HERE.
Friday, June 21
Summer Solstice Bike Ride
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (rain date June 22);
Pedal Power Bike & Ski, 176 Great Road (Rt. 2A) Acton, MA 01720; Parking available across Great Road.
Contact Tom Michelman: tmichelman@gmail.com
Saturday, June 22nd
June Food Day- – Boston Area Gleaners
4:30pm – 8:30pm
Stonefield Farm (91 Martin St., Acton)
Join Boston Area Gleaners for our 5th annual June Food Day celebration! Our biggest event of the season will feature farm fun for all ages: there will be hay rides, farm tours, a raffle, live music, and complimentary festive beverages. We will also have delicious food for purchase from food truck vendors!
All proceeds from this fundraising event will help to support our programs and further our mission to create an equitable and sustainable food system for our community.
We hope to see you there!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECORDING AVAILABLE: “Garden for Climate Resilience”, presented by Trevor Smith of Weston Nurseries
Last month EnergizeActon.org, the Acton Garden Club, and the ActonConservationTrust.org sponsored a talk at Town Hall called “Garden for Climate Resilience” with Trevor Smith of Weston Nurseries and including brief comments from the Acton Sustainability Office about their “Resilience Garden” project in process at the Red House.
Spongy Moth Caterpillars, formerly known as Gypsy Moth Caterpillars, found in yard on Parker Street.
Over one hundred years ago, spongy moth caterpillars were brought into the U.S. for research as a possible source for silk production. Escapees found a welcoming habitat, and masses of caterpillars have been plaguing our forests and landscapes on and off for over a century. For more information about their “Biology” and “Managing them” visit https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spongy-moth
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!
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.
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.
Recording Available for Lincoln Land Conservation Trust’s (LLCT’s) recent Program on Coyotes.
Watch the Recording
Geri Vistein’s website with more resources
Link to Mass Hunting Regulations for Coyotes
Garlic Mustard Season
It’s garlic mustard season again! Help manage this invasive plant across town by pulling on your own property.
Garlic mustard season runs from April 15th through June 14th.
JOBS
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.
Call for Community Planning Process Volunteers – Paid Role
The Town of Acton is looking for up to 5 community members to join a climate resilience planning process! Volunteers will receive a stipend of $2,400 during the 9-month process. For more information, visit Official Website | Acton MA
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”