Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
Wednesday Walk of the 38 acre Pacy Land. Easy access was at the cul de sac at the end of Tupelo Drive off of Prospect Street. The uplands has the appearance of a former early 20th-century pasture land, abandoned when the surrounding areas were developed and now providing habitat for deer. For more information click here.
The following news and events may be of interest:
Very Special Event of Interest: Land Purchase for Conservation
November 25, 6PM ABRHS
A Special Town Meeting will be held, and Article 1 will recommend the purchase of 19 & 35 W/etherbee Street (Wetherbee Woods). This ia a high priority land preservation project that ACT has been working on for 2 decades. Details can be found at ActonConservationTrust.org. This purchase will be funded by the Community Preservation fund as well as a State grant and a donation from ACT. As a CPC purchase it will not increase taxes and the land is being offered at a discount buy the owners.
Click to view the Special Town Meeting Warrant and the flyer describing the project.
Tuesday, November 19
Metrowest Conservation Alliance (MCA) Fall Meeting
2-4 PM
Jericho Hill Recreation Area at 2PM.
496 Brigham Street, Marlborough 01752
Park in the main parking area, then head to the building abutting the playground, where we will convene promptly. (agenda here)
- Learn about the 2023 River Report Card for the Sudbury, Concord, and Assabet Rivers from Matt Brown, OARs
- Discuss how MCA can better support you in meeting your conservation goals. We are excited to announce that MCA received the Network for Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund to plan for the next five years so we can best support members to learn, partner, and meet shared conservation goals. We look forward to hearing your ideas! Please register for the event here.
Wednesday, November 20
Pine Hawk: A Day in the Life of a Local Archaeologist
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Acton Memorial Library,
Archaeologist David Gutbrod will share experiences and discoveries encountered in his professional life. David is a member of a local archaeological firm and serves as Chair of Westford’s Historical Commission. He also did the research for the very first application of Acton’s new Archaeological Protection bylaw, providing an extensive report on a significant site in North Acton. David will share highlights of this Acton project as well as others around the US, including recent remote sensing projects conducted in Worcester Cemetery, Tampa Bay’s lost cemetery, and the hidden and abandoned remains of the former village of Ethel, Florida.
The Friends of Pine Hawk programs are presented with support from Acton Memorial Library, Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area and the Littleton Historical Society. Register here.
Thurs., November 21
Plant ID & Natural History Walk
10:00am-12:30pm
Nobscot Scout Reservation, Sudbury
The Nobscot Scout Reservation comprises 452 acres of open space laced with trails and dramatic viewpoints. Join Boot Boutwell for an informative nature walk. We’ll focus on winter woody plant ID, but will also look for late blooming flowers and plants still in fruit as well as other plants we may find. The walk will focus on plant ID as well as fun and interesting natural history about the plants we see in these beautiful woods.
To register, click on the following link: https://svtprograms.funraise.org/
Friday, November 22
Guided Trail Walk at 19 and 35 Wetherbee Street (Wetherbee Woods)
10 AM and 1 PM
35 Wetherbee Street
Earlier this year ACT members and friends created a viewing trail on the property (about a mile long), so that one can tour this beautiful piece of land and learn of its many historical and natural features.
Click here to register.
Sunday, November 24
Guided Trail Walk at 19 and 35 Wetherbee Street (Wetherbee Woods)
10 AM and 1 PM
35 Wetherbee Street
Same as above
Click here to register.
Monday, November 25
Town of Acton Special Town Meeting
6 PM
ABRHS
Article 1: Authorize Acquisition of Property Located at 19 and 35 Wetherbee Street (2/3 majority vote)
Visit www.ActonConservationTrust.org to learn more about this property. View the STM Warrant HERE.
At the Special Town Meeting, Article 1 will propose to purchase this land using a combination of Community Preservation Funds, a $500,000 LAND grant from the Commonwealth and a donation of $100,000 from the Acton Conservation Trust. Because of these grants and the use of existing land preservation funds, this acquisition will not increase Acton residents’ tax bills.
Thursday, December 5
Native Americans and the Revolution: The Times are Exceedingly Altered
7 pm
Acton Town Hall and via Zoom.
At the end of the 1780s, a group of Mohegans bemoaned that “[t]he times are exceedingly altered, yea the Times have turned everything topside down.” That was certainly true for indigenous peoples between the Appalachians and the Great Lakes, where a half-century of war and displacement had crested with the U.S. victory and the end of usefully competing European powers. But it was also true for those in southern New England who a century earlier had survived the devastations of King Philip’s War. Daniel Mandell, Professor of History Emeritus, Truman State University, and author of Tribe, Race, History: Native Americans in Southern New England, 1780-1880 will present how the thousands of Native people in southern New England were involved in and impacted by the Revolution, and how they sought to secure their rights in different ways. Cosponsored with Acton 250. Events are free but require registration at tinyurl.com/pinehawk-2024 Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com
Friends of Pine Hawk programs are presented with support from Freedom’s Way National Heritage Foundation and the Acton Memorial Library. “Native Americans and the Revolution” is co-sponsored with Acton 250.
Tuesday, December 17
Across Namibia – A Natural History Journey
7 p.m.- 8 PM
Gleason Public Library, Hollis Room, 22 Bedford Road, Carlisle, MA
Alan Ankers, Trustee of the Carlisle Conservation Foundation (CCF), will recount a recent trip to southwestern Africa in this photographic tour covering the entire breadth of Namibia. The talk will explore the country’s history and geography while showcasing its fascinating plants, reptiles, insects, mammals, and birds. REGISTER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
November 2024 CPA Trust Fund Distribution Announced
CPA Update as of 11/15/24 Trust Fund Match for Acton;
Acton FY 2024 Net surcharge raised; $1,447,839
Round 1 Distribution – also Final Distribution: $261,495
Final Percentage Reimbursement: 18%
FY23 Match $467,277; FY24 $272,311;
This Year’s Match $261,498
For more information, visit communitypreservation.org trust fund match
PDF VERSION: Click here for the CPA Trust Fund distribution amount for each municipality <<
VOLUNTEERS:
Boston Area Gleaners is looking for gleaners!
Sign up to volunteer at BAG
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”