Events of Interest May 31, 2023

Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,

Wild Geraniums growing against a background of ferns along the Spring Hill Road approach to Spring Hill Conservation Land.

To  see more pics of nature in Acton, visit ACT’s Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/actonconservationtrust/?hl=en.

The following news and events may be of interest:  

Thursday, June 1-15 
Acton Boxborough Bioblitz 
Please join us as we document and celebrate biodiversity in Acton and Boxborough, which together host over 2,000 acres of conservation areas. From cattail marshes and ponds to fields and forests, these habitats thrive with snapping turtles, frogs, insects, birds, and mammals galore. Another 3,000 acres of private lands provide habitat for wildlife, including what’s two steps outside your door! What kind of wildlife lives here? Let’s find out June 1-15.

How to participate? Download the “iNaturalist” app on your smartphone and click on our “Nature of Acton and Boxborough 2023” project. Or visit https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/nature-of-acton-and-boxborough-june-2023.

Starting June 1st, snap away at any plant, animal or fungus you see and get it on our list. Can we break 200 species this year? Who can ID the most? Taking observations of wildlife helps advance science too! According to National Geographic, “High quality data uploaded to iNaturalist become part of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an open source database used by scientists and policy makers around the world.” Happy BioBlitzing!

We continue our observations from the Acton Boxborough BioBlitz as part of the City Nature Challenge Boston area in 2021. The 2023 BioBlitz is a collaboration of people from Acton Conservation Trust, Boxborough Conservation Trust, Green Acton, Acton PIP STEM, Acton Men’s Outdoor Club and Energize Acton.  Questions?  contact Matt Lieban, liebman.matt57@gmail.com

Thursdays in June (June 1, 8, 15, 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 1, 9, 16, 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 

Saturday, June 3
Church of the Wild: Victoria Loorz in Conversation with Richard Higgins
1pm
FREE ZOOM EVENT
This event is free but registration is required. To learn more and register, click on the link below. Author Victoria Loorz, an ecospiritual director and wild church pastor, focused on spiritual practices that restore sacred relationships with the Earth. Her book, Church of the Wild, places Thoreau’s intimacy with nature into a community of spiritual practice. She will be joined in conversation by Richard Higgins. 

Saturday, June 3 
The full Strawberry Moon  (Information from The Old Farmers Almanac)
On the evening of Saturday, June 3—just after sunset—look towards the southeast to watch the full Moon rise gently above the horizon. There, it will appear large and golden-hued.
June’s full Moon—typically the last full Moon of spring or the first of summer—has traditionally been called the Strawberry Moon. While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance, despite the evocative imagery (shown in the artist rendering below). A Moon usually appears reddish when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of atmosphere.
This “Strawberry Moon” name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many.

Sunday, June 4 
Vernal Pool Exploration! 
12 pm and 1 pm
Parking by Bromfield’s tennis courts, Harvard, MA. 
Join biologist Bob Douglas for an exploration of vernal pools! Discover how this essential ecosystem, brimming with flora and fauna comes to life each year at this time. This event is appropriate for most school age children and inquisitive preschoolers with their caregivers. Viewing sleds and nets will be provided, and families are welcome to bring their own. We encourage you to pack a snack and finish the hike to the end of the Barba’s Point Peninsula to take in the beautiful views of Bare Hill Pond.
Spots are limited!  Priority will be given to Harvard Conservation Trust members. Not a member? To ensure that your family enjoys this and other events throughout the year, visit https://harvardconservationtrust.org/join-hct.
This is a family fun event filled with excitement and discoveries!

Saturday, June 10 
Boxborough Conservation Trust’s 25th Anniversary Party 
2-5 PM (rain date June 11) 
Sargent Memorial Library Lawn, 
Singer-songwriter Oen Kennedy will join us for an outdoor concert – he sings of and celebrates every living thing, from slime molds to sycamores, and is an incredible award-winning talent!

There will be a scavenger hunt for kids, and guided hikes for adults. Enjoy a drink from True West, and spread out your blanket for a picnic. Games and toys and bubbles will be available on the lawn for kids.

Celebrate during the entire month of June with our exhibits in the meeting room! Do you have a nature-themed photograph or painting of a local subject to contribute? Submit an image to bharris@bctrust.org by May 28th! We will have a Thankfulness Tree in the library where you can share your leaves of thanks – memories of a favorite walk, event, or other reason that you’re thankful for BCTrust and the land we protect in town. Other exhibits/displays include a timeline of the BCTrust’s 25 years of accomplishments and the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Project that the Acton Boxborough High School students have been working on.

Saturday, June 10
Weed Warrior Event 
10 AM 
Browns’ Woods (119 Tahattawan Road, Littleton).
The Littleton Conservation Commission and Conservation Trust will be teaching how to identify many different invasive plant species as well as ways to manage them. There will also be an opportunity to assist in an invasive species pull, as well as for people to get Certified as a Weed Warrior. The parking lot has limited spaces however, street parking will be available as well. Click the links down below to register and for more information about the Weed Warrior Program. If you have any questions feel free to email me at tpearson@littletonma.org. See you there!
Registration: https://cisma-suasco.org/…/invasive-species-training…/
SVT Weed Warrior Program: https://www.svtweb.org/stewardship/weed%20warrior%20program

Thursday, June 15 
Evening Firefly Walk 
8 PM 
In-Person in Lincoln, MA 
Avalon Owens returns to Lincoln, MA in mid-June to lead a firefly walk through one of the fields that she has studied extensively. Participants will meet at Town Offices at 8:00 P.M. for a brief (indoor) tutorial on firefly behavior. Then the group will head out to a nearby field. We expect to return to the parking area by 9:15 P.M.

Avalon Owens holds a PhD in Biology from Tufts University, and has studied fireflies in Lincoln for many years. This walk is a continuation of LLCT’s efforts to offer educational opportunities to the community on light pollution and its impacts on Lincoln’s wildlife.

Open to all, no experience necessary. We will be walking through fields with tall grass at night. Participants should take all necessary safety precautions against poison ivy, ticks, etc. Only lights with red filters will be used out in the field. Filters and tape will be provided, and participants are welcome to bring their own. Our focus will be on wildlife-no pets on this walk.

This is a free program, but space is limited so registration is required. Detailed parking directions and more information will be emailed to participants in advance of the walk. Waitlist only: Register HERE

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.

Emerson-Thoreau Amble, Concord, MA 
Tour starts at the Concord Gun House,/trail entrance along the corner of Lexington Road and Cambridge Turnpike.
Our certified town guide leads an interactive hike that follows a meandering natural path similar to the one Emerson and Thoreau strolled as they walked from the town center to Walden Pond and Henry’s cabin site. Reflect on the power of the natural world and how it influenced both Henry David Thoreau and the world in which he lived.
Tour is 90 minutes to 2 hours.  Wear sturdy hiking shoes as the terrain is rough.
Click here to register.

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. 
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.

Boxborough Birders  
Boxborough Birders is a local, all-volunteer group of bird watchers with varying levels of experience. Local walks in Boxborough, Acton, Harvard, Stow, Bolton, Littleton, are organized during spring and fall migration and occasionally beyond.   Our walks are free of charge and most are scheduled on weekends. (Due to Covid-19 pandemic, all scheduled walks for 2021 will be limited in size, masks will be worn, no shared equipment and social distancing required). Visit their website at:  boxboroughbirders.org for links to local birding spots, photos, and more.   You can sign up there to be on our mailing list and get all the information you need. We hope you will join us out on the trail soon.

++++++++++

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”!