Dear Friends and Acton Conservation Trust Members,
The following news and events may be of interest:
Sunday September 29
Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market – Community Table: Acton Memorial Library
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.
The ABFM Operates on People Power! The ABFM exists because of our terrific vendors; the support of local businesses, organizations, and individuals; help from the Town of Acton and staff; and the hard work of volunteers. We need a few more adult volunteers to help manage our growing market. Want to help? Wonderful! Please email us at volunteers@abfarmersmarket.org, or stop by our booth on Sunday.
September 29
Acton Conservation Trust Mushroom Forage with Boston Mycological Club
10:30 am-12:30 pm (mushroom ID will go on longer… stay as long as you like!)
NARA Park (register for more information)
Please click here to register.
This fall Acton Conservation Trust will again hold a joint Mushroom Forage event with BMC! We will not be eating any of our foraged finds, just identifying them with the help of BMC’s fungi experts. All ages are welcome but no pets (except service animals) are allowed! More information will be sent a few days before the event. Lightning will cancel the walk. For questions, contact Jody Harris at jharris.actonconservationtrust@gmail.com
Monday, September 30
EV Driver Meet-Up: Share the Excitement
5:00-7:00 pm
Rapscallion, 5 Strawberry Hill Rd, Acton
Personal transportation is a huge source of carbon emissions with the accompanying impacts on the natural world. However, in Acton, electric vehicle ownership has more than doubled in the last 18th months! Come share in the excitement by comparing notes with other EV drivers. Thinking of an EV? Come talk with current EV drivers about range, charging, handling, finances, etc., and see some of the vehicles. Bring the whole family and have a bite to eat. We will have coloring and crafts for the kids. This event celebrates National Drive Electric Week
Monday, September 30-October 4
Volunteer at the Red House
Monday, 9am-11am or 3-5 PM Tuesday, 9-11; Wednesday, 9-11 am; Thursday, 9-11 AM 3-5 PM; Friday, Oct. 4 9-11
Red House, 468 Main Street, next to Town Hall
Seeking volunteers to help create pollinator habitat, restore a meadow, and plant native plants at this Town property. Click here to sign up to volunteer at the Red House between September 30th and October 4th. Volunteers will help replace invasive plants with native species to promote biodiversity and climate resilience at 468 Main Street. More information (ibergemann@actonma.gov )
Wednesdays, October 2 – 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!
Saturday, Oct. 5
Littleton Country Fair
10 am to 2 pm
Something for everyone at 19 Foster St. in Littleton: homemade jams, jewelry and crafts and recycled treasures at the massive yard sale. Families will enjoy free crafts, face painting and can touch a real fire truck. Spend a day not a fortune. The Country Cafe serves homemade food starting with scones and coffee at 10 am. New this year is a full BBQ menu of chicken, pork and beef with all the sides. Gluten free cornbread and baked goods, and vegan Tuscan Bean soup are on the menu. Free admission and parking For information, contact fair@fculittle.org . Hosted by First Church Unitarian of Littleton. Hope to see you there, to continue a tradition that dates to the 1890s.
Saturday October 5
Open-Air Tap Room at the Faulkner Homestead, Iron Work Farm’s Annual Fundraiser
4 to 8 pm
Jones-Faulkner Homestead, 5 High Street
A salute by the Acton Minutemen will open the event. Featured will be music by Babylon, outdoor games, and a full-course picnic. Roast popcorn and marshmallows over the fire pits, and have a selfie taken in our “colonial” photo booth.
A $50 admission/donation covers three drink- and food tickets. (Children are free). Parking is available in the nearby commuter lots; handicap parking on site. Advance registration is recommended. Visit www.ironworkfarm.org for more information.
Saturday, October 5
Beer in the Barn at Wolbach Farm
7:00 to 9:00 pm
The Barn at Wolbach Farm, 18 Wolbach Road, Sudbury
Ticket includes:
Good Local Beer (one drink ticket for a flight, beer, or glass of wine)
Generous Appetizer Pairings by the Hyve – made with local ingredients (gluten-free and dairy-free options)
Folk music by the Red Horse Oldtime Duo
Casual party vibe in an old-fashioned barn on lovely historic farmland
Proceeds benefit Sudbury Valley Trustees. We will present a super short welcome by an SVT staff member – then get straight back to the party!
Additional drink tickets available for purchase.
Tickets https://www.svtweb.org/beer-barn-pop-party
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!
Tuesday, October 8
“Nashoba Praying Indians: A Living People, A Living Landscape”
5:30-7:00 pm
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.
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 shares documentary footage from two little known discoveries that show the potential of what might be found anywhere in the New England countryside.
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 at tinyurl.com/pinehawk-2024
Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com
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
Boston Area Gleaners (BAG’s) September Newsletter is out!!
To subscribe visit https://www.bostonareagleaners.org/
Now that the leaves are changing colors and the temperatures are dropping, we are embracing another season of change! With change comes time for reflection. So far this year over 250,000 pounds of fresh produce have been gleaned and 1,000,000 pounds of produce have been distributed to our community partners. While the numbers make us proud, it is our network of supporters who continue to inspire us. We are excited to see what more can be achieved this fall.
We were recently paid a visit from members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary education (DESE) as part of the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program and the Local Food for Schools Program. This was a wonderful chance to connect and share our work. Read on for more.
As you may have seen, the Gleaners will be participating for the 10th year in the Ride For Food on Sunday, October 6th! We still have a ways to go in order to reach our fundraising goal. If you are interested in joining or supporting our team, read more below.
The Gleaners have been in operation for 20 years and we are looking forward to decades more in business. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we endeavor to raise $20k on (or before) 10/10! Tito’s Handmade Vodka has already pitched in a generous $10k, can you help us double it?
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”