Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
granite bound in the middle of Muddy Brook. This was during ACT’s annual monitoring of the 176 Central Street conservation restriction by Mt. Hope Cemetery and Heath Hen Meadow Brook.
Land Acquisition Opportunity, November 25 Town of Acton Special Town Meeting The Select Board called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, November 25, 6 PM, ABRHS. The warrant will propose the purchase of ~33 acres of forested land at 19 and 35 Wetherbee Street. It’s adjacent to the Wetherbee Conservation Land, Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, and Nashoba Brook. Its acquisition will help preserve the agricultural gateway and open space. Town Meeting will also be asked to approve acceptance of a LAND grant. The acquisition will not increase Acton residents’ tax bills. Funding sources are secured through grants, donations, and existing funds,For details see the ACT website.
Our 2025 membership drive was added to our website under “News.” View it HERE. I encourage all non-ACT Member subscribers to “Events of Interest” to take this opportunity to join ACT to show your support of Land Protection in Acton!! Free Acton Conservation Trust baseball caps to those who renew, while they last!!
For more photos, including those from this week’s Wednesday Walk of the Wetherbee Conservation Land visit ACT’s Instagram site.
The following news and events may be of interest:
Sunday, November 3
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Clocks will “fall back” one hour on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 a.m., marking the official end of daylight saving time for the year. This means earlier sunrises, sunsets well before 7 p.m. and for many, an extra hour of sleep. It won’t be until March 2025 that we adjust our clocks to “spring ahead” once again.
Wednesdays, October 6 – November 20
“I Hiked Acton’s Trails!”
2:30-4:00 pm
Walk the trails in Acton’s conservation areas with the goal of earning a sticker and a sew-on patch! This weekly set of walks (typically 1-2 miles) is a joint effort between Acton Conservation Trust and Acton Conservation Division. We will complete the remainder of 22 conservation land walks which started last spring. Check out the “I Hiked Acton’s Trails” Challenge form HERE for more information about the challenge.
An accessible option is also available for those with devices or mobility issues. Contact us if you are interested in this option. For more information or questions, please contact jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com. REGISTER HERE!
Tuesday, November 5
Election Day
Wednesday, November 6 (Weather date: November 8)
Astronomy in the Park
6:00-9:00 pm
Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston will be on the fields of NARA with some incredible telescopes for a family star party. The moon will be at its first quarter phase and Jupiter will be rising in the early evening skies with Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune already up for viewing! Click HERE to register.
Co-sponsored by AB STEAM and Acton Conservation Trust. For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com.
Wednesday, November 6
Pumpkin Smash
Noon-2 PM
14 Forest Road, Acton
The Town of Acton is asking residents to come by and creatively compost their old pumpkins!
By composting food waste like pumpkins, nutrients are recycled and turned into soil for growing more produce! When food waste is not composted but instead tossed outside or in the trash, it can release methane emissions and create a risk of attracting and harming local wildlife. And as an added benefit, smashing pumpkins is more fun! All pumpkin waste collected at this event will be composted by Black Earth Compost.
Have more questions? Email us at sustainability@actonma.gov!
Saturday, November 9 (Rescheduled from Oct. 19)
Adult Archaeology Walk (Note New Date)
10AM–noon, in-person only
Nashoba Brook Conservation Area
TIan Bergemann will lead this hike along the Nashoba Brook Trail, with stops at the stone chamber and Native American ceremonial sites. Trail conditions can be rocky, uneven, and often wet, and thus participation is limited. Registrants will receive a detailed email several days before the walk. Limited to 20, ages 17 and up. Events are free but require registration at tinyurl.com/pinehawk-2024 Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com
Saturday, November 9
Plant-Based Harvest Gathering
Noon-2pm
Address sent with registration.
Are you trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet? Please join Energize Acton for this informal “tailgate” potluck, with an emphasis on vegetarian/vegan appetizers. Instead of coming together for a sporting event, we are coming together to celebrate our plant world, share recipes, and affirm the importance of plant-based meals for our health and for our environment. This is being hosted at a private home in Acton. The address will be sent when you register. Drop by for delicious food and great conversation! Info/registration HERE.
November 12
Forests for Our Future: The Role of Massachusetts Forests in Combating Climate Change
7 PM
First Parish in Lincoln (4 Bedford Road).
MetroWest Climate Solutions is hosting a free event about Research into Forest Ecosystems on
The event will also be streamed online. Register online at metrowestclimatesolutions.org.
Massachusetts is unique in being both among the most populated and most forested states. Our residents look to forests for so much: from wood to water, from walking trails to wildlife. Dr. Jonathan Thompson, Senior Ecologist and Research Director at the Harvard Forest will speak about his research into forest ecosystems.
Thursday, November 14
Coyote Ecology and Behavior
7pm
Lincoln Public Schools, Learning Commons, Ballfield Road, Lincoln, MA
LLCT is pleased to welcome Jonathan Way to Lincoln in mid-November. This is part of LLCT’s continued efforts to provide education about how humans can co-exist with coyotes, an important carnivore in New England.
Way will speak about the coyote’s territory, activity patterns, denning behavior, and hybridization. He will also speak to the coyote’s successful survival in close proximity to urban and suburban areas.
This is a 90 minute presentation, free, and open to the public.
Jonathan (Jon) Way has a B.S. (UMass Amherst), M.S. (UConn Storrs), and doctorate (Boston College) related to the study of eastern coyotes/coywolves. He is the author of numerous books. Jon founded and runs his organization, Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research, where his goal is to conduct long-term ecological and behavioral research on eastern coyotes.
Friday, November 15
Full Beaver Supermoon – reaches peak illumination on Nov. 15, 2024
This is our fourth and final Supermoon of the year! Get more information, including Full Moon rise times, why we call it a “Beaver” Moon, and the best days by the Moon at https://www.almanac.com/full-moon-november
Why the “Beaver” Moon? This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient food stores for the long winter ahead. During the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Elevated Fire Risk Conditions – Use Caution
According to the Massachusett Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), “Abnormally dry conditions, combined with low humidity levels, are allowing numerous brush fires to continue across the Commonwealth. In the last 7 days, 126 fires have burned 548 acres. While most of these fires have been addressed at the local level, some have required State support to augment local efforts”.
Leave the Leaves
Program Recording
Lincoln Common Ground and LLCT co-hosted a wonderful Q&A last week on the importance of leaving leaves for wildlife. Experienced gardeners answered questions about “fall clean up” and how to support fireflies, butterflies, moths, and bees in completing their life cycle by leaving them in place. Have great photos of your messy, leaf-covered garden to share? Send them our way so we can share with the community! View ZOOM recording HERE.
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”