Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
The following news and events may be of interest:
Sunday, October 6
Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market – Community Table: Acton Agricultural Commission
10-1 PM
19 Elm Street, Acton
Bring your reusable grocery tote every Sunday and stock up on local produce and artisanal goods while you enjoy music, artisan offerings, our community table… and friends and neighbors.
Acton Agricultural Commission
The Acton Agricultural Commission is a Town committee that represents and advocates for Acton’s agricultural community. They are tasked with promoting and developing the agricultural resources of the municipality, educating the public on agricultural issues and initiatives, supporting farmers, farm businesses and farm interests, assisting farmers in resolving municipal problems or conflicts related to farms, seeking to coordinate agricultural-related activities with government bodies or unofficial local groups or organizations that promote agriculture, and preparing a comprehensive local agricultural plan.
Sunday, October 6
Boston Area Gleaners: Ride for Food
Sign up, join our team, donate, and learn more about the event here.
Join our team!
Sunday, October 6
Native Tree Walk
1:00 – 2:30 pm
7 Trailside Way (Town Parking Area), Westford MA, 01886.
Trail Description: Join Westford Conservation Trust Director, Lenny Palmer, for a look at some of the native trees that grow in Westford. We will identify a few, determine age and consider the ecology of our local forested ecosystem and find out more about the identification and special traits of native trees. Wear sturdy walking footwear as the trail is steep in a few places. Questions: Leave a message at 978 392 9876.
Tuesday, October 8
“Nashoba Praying Indians: A Living People, A Living Landscape”
5:30-7:00pm
Acton Senior Center, 80 Sudbury Road
We live and walk on sacred ground. Littleton, with parts of Acton and Boxborough, was originally the 1654 Praying Indian Village of Nashobah, a place of spirit and vision. Join Sagamore Strong Bear Medicine of the Nashobah Praying Indians and local historian Daniel V. Boudillion as they discuss the Nashobah people, their spirit, their journey of suffering and survival, the village, and the sacred landscape that is all around us. Strong Bear Medicine is a noted Native performer, he is a Native dancer, singer, craftsman, and public speaker. Open to all/free.
Wednesdays, October 9 – 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!
Wednesday October 9
Raptor-Safe Rat Control
6:00 – 7:30 pm
This webinar will cover effective and safe strategies for managing rodent issues. You’ll learn about wildlife-safe pest control methods and gain valuable insights to advocate for eliminating rodent poison in your community. This event is hosted by Mass Audubon, NH Audubon, and Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Learn more. Register here.
Wednesday, October 9
Archaeological Discoveries in New England
7-8:30 pm
Acton Memorial Library and via Zoom
Peabody award winning Smithsonian filmmaker Ted Timreck will share documentary footage from two little known discoveries that show the potential of what might be found anywhere in the New England countryside. Events are free but require registration. Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com
Friday, October 11
Acton Center Walking Tour with Amy Cole
1-2:30 PM
Acton Memorial Library Parking lot at 12:50 PM
The walk is free, but registration is needed and capped at 20 attendees per walk.
Professional tour leader Amy Cole grew up near Acton Center and 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. Sponsored by the Acton 250 Committee. Please see https://www.actonma.gov/250 for more programming information. Register here.
Tuesday, October 15
Ancient Winters at the Flagg Swamp Rockshelter
7-8:30PM
In person and via Zoom
Eric Johnson of UMass-Amherst provides a retrospective on the excavation of this remarkable 4,000-year-old site in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Events are free but require registration.
Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com
Tuesday, October 15
Climate Change and the Monarch
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Acton Memorial Library Meeting RoomJoin Alana Archangelo from The Butterfly Place as she discusses the habitat and migration patterns of the Monarch Butterfly and how climate change is impacting their life cycle. Participate in activities that illustrate important concepts and learn more about the Monarch! Registration required. Suitable for grades 5-12. Funded by the AML Foundation. Register here.
Sunday, October 20 (Rain date: October 27)
ACT Fall Community Service Day
1-3 pm
This fall we will be working in one of the conservation restrictions (CR) held by ACT. Family groups, scout groups, students and everyone else is welcome. No experience needed – we’ll show you what needs to be done.
Please register HERE. You’ll be emailed a copy of the registration. For more information or questions, please contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com.
Sunday, October 20 – 3rd Sunday of every month – through November
Breakfast at Fort Pond Littleton
8 Kaleva Road
8-10:30 am
For directions CLICK HERE.
kalevalittletonma.org
Menu:
Eggs, Homefries, Bacon or Sausage, Toast
-OR-
Pancakes, Bacon or Sausage
Plus Coffee, OJ, Pulla (Finnish sweet bread)
Adult $12 Child $8
For more information CLICK HERE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Town of Acton’s Agricultural Commission Needs MembersMeetings once/month, September – April; Advocating and representing Acton’s agricultural resources since 2020. Interested? Please contact AG@ACTONMA.gov
Acton Municipal Vulnerability Plan Update (MVP 2.0) & Survey
Acton, MA (.gov)
https://acton-ma.gov › Acton-Municipal-Vulnerability-Pl…
Visit bit.ly/MVPACTON to take our survey and help Acton prepare for climate hazards. All survey respondents will be entered to win a $25 giftcard to KJs Caffe!
The Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List has been updated as of September 2024 to add two additional invasive plants:
Callery pear/Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) – popular street/landscaping tree
Wall-lettuce (Mycelis muralis) – weedy perennial
There will be a phase-out period for these newly listed species, so that Massachusetts nurseries and agents can sell off existing stock that was received or propagated before September 19, 2024. The schedule for this phase-out is listed below:
Callery/Bradford pear: No sales permitted after December 31, 2028
Wall-lettuce: No sales permitted after December 31, 2025
Imports of these species from out-of-state growers or sellers are prohibited as of September 19, 2024 – there is no phase-out period for imports.
For full details, please see this letter. For more information about this and other recent updates to the Prohibited Plant List, click here
To share this notice with others, feel free to link to or copy the post and images on our blog: https://massnrc.org/pests/blog/?p=3481
Kristin O’Brien (kobrien@svtweb.org)
CISMA Coordinator
MCA and CISMA Programs supported by Sudbury Valley Trustees
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”