A weekly compilation of local activities of interest to ACT members and friends
Now through November 14 Art Ramble – Something in the Air . Concord’s Hapgood Wright Town Forest, Walden St. opposite the entrance to Concord-Carlisle High School..An outdoor public art installation along the trails of Concord’s Hapgood Wright Town Forest. This family and dog friendly exhibition is presented in collaboration with Concord’s Division of Natural Resources and supported in part by a grant from the Foundation for Metrowest. Access with parking for 20 vehicles is on the east side of Walden Street across from the entrance to Concord-Carlisle High School.. TheUmbrellaArts.org/Ramble.
Friday, November 5 MLTC 18th Annual Land Trust/State Agency Retreat -Engaging with indigenous communities to transform land conservation and stewardship 9-12:30 PM VirtualFree. Featuring Ciona Ulbrich, from Maine Coast Heritage Trust and First Light, and case studies of efforts currently underway in Massachusetts.
Saturday November 6 Thoreau re-enactor reads from “Autumnal Tints” 10:30 AM Acton Memorial Library Lawn. Step back in time to 1860 as historian Richard Smith portrays Mr. Thoreau and reads selections from the essay “Autumnal Tints”. Followed by a Q&A on life in 19th century Concord.
Saturday, November 6 Nashoba Praying Indian Village Half Moon Meadow Brook, Boxborough Walk with George Krusen of the Boxborough Historical Society.
Saturday, November 6 Weed Warrior Training 1:30 PM Browns’ Woods, Littleton At this training event, professional conservationists from SVT, Littleton Conservation Commission and Littleton Conservation Trust will introduce you to some of the most prolific invasive species spreading through Massachusetts. You will first learn practical identification and management tactics. Then, during the second part of this training, we will put knowledge to action and remove invasive plants by hand. Wear warm, comfortable clothing, closed-toe shoes, long pants and gloves. Bring along water and snacks. Children 11 and older must be accompanied by an adult. Be aware of scattered poison ivy presence.
Sunday, November 7 Fall Nature Walk at Guggins Brook, sponsored by Acton Conservation Trust 9:30-11:30 AM Guggins Brook, Acton Join ACT for a fall nature walk led by our favorite storyteller / naturalist, Boot Boutwell. Boot will lead us on a walk of 1-2 miles, identifying plants and trees along the way. Boot often quotes relatable poetry, and will ask us a lot of questions, so put on your thinking cap! This conservation area is home to Inch Brook, Guggins Brook and Fort Pond Brook, which form some of the property boundaries and contribute to wonderful water views. Depending on prior rainfall, trails may be wet, so waterproof boots are recommended. All ages welcome. No pets, please! Refreshments will be provided after our walk.
Sunday, November 7 Trail Through Time Community Service Day1-3 PMThis annual effort again takes place on the Trail Through Time, a multicultural heritage trail in the North Acton conservation lands. The focus will be on trail maintenance and site beautification. The meeting place and other details will be sent to registrants by email. Limited to 25, ages 13 and up. Free; registration required – go to https://tinyurl.com/pinehawk2021program up to a day before an event. You will receive a confirmation email. For virtual events, a Zoom link will be sent a day before the program. Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com.Sunday, November 7 Tackling Pollution Past, Present and Future in the Sudbury River3 PM Zoom How do we understand what makes the Sudbury River healthy? Alison Field-Juma, the Executive Director of OARS, the watershed organization for the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers, will give a lively presentation exploring how river health is evaluated and communicated to the community. She will also touch on river pollution, including contaminants such as mercury and PFAS, and the interplay between river ecosystems and the impacts of climate change. This is a free program and all are welcome. Please register for the program to receive the Zoom Meeting Link. Register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/are-our-rivers-healthy-tackling-pollution-in-the-sudbury-river-tickets-184930802007. Sponsored by Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
Tuesday, November 9 Ecosystem Services: What Nature Does for Us and How We can Talk About it – presented by Christa Collins 7 PM
Tuesday, November 9 Japanese Knotweed Management – a Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMA) Fall Meeting 1-3 PM Virtual
Wednesday, November 10 Climate Action Plan1-2 PM NARA Park AmphitheaterThe walk will be led by Tom Tidman, Director of Natural Resources, who will highlight the history of NARA and the role that our parks play in advancing the Town’s sustainability goals. The Sustainability Office will also lead a discussion around a draft set of nature-based solutions strategies proposed for the Town of Acton Climate Action Plan.
Wednesday, November 10 Rich Holschuh, N’Sibo: the River to Which I Belong7 PM Virtual Program, sponsored by Lincoln Land Conservation Trust The conceptive ‘indigeneity’ denotes the Original People of a Place. This is not a dualistic relationshiop but, rather, an understanding that the people are the land and the land is the people, including All of Our Relations. We will explore principles relationship, reciprocity, and responsibility, along with an examination of how these ways of being have been embraced or rejected in the Northeast, along with the implications.
Thursday, November 11 The N Word: Nature Revisited with Dr. Carolyn Finney 7 PM via Zoom Hosted by Groton Public Library ad the Groton Conservation Trust An “accidental environmentalist” discusses being Black in nature and the history of Black environmentalism through engaging storytelling. Free and open to all.
Landowner Webinar Series: Plan for Your Land 2nd Thursday of each month, November 2021 – April 2022, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Hosted by UMass MassWoodsThis six-part webinar series for landowners will feature relevant professionals to provide information and help answer questions. Sign up for individual webinars or the entire series. Learn more and register.November 11 – What’s the next step in planning the future of my land?December 9 – What’s my land worth financially and ecologically?January 13 – Who will own my land next?February 10 – How can I reduce my property taxes?March 10 – How can I conserve my land? April 14 – What are the financial benefits of land conservation?
Monday, November 15 Help MLTC Work for You: A Forum for All-Volunteer Land Trusts 5-6 PM Zoom This networking discussion provides an opportunity for board members of all-volunteer land trusts to provide input on MLTC’s 5 year strategic planning process that is currently underway. How can MLTC be a better advocate for you? Or help with your technical, funding, communications or other needs? Hosted and facilitated by Robb Johnson, MLTC Executive Director. This discussion will not be recorded. Free, but advance registration required here. If you are unable to attend but would like to provide input, please let Robb know at robb@massland.org
Friday, November 19 Full Beaver Moon, accompanied by a near-total eclipse!The near-total lunar eclipse will be visible from most of North America, reaching its maximum at approximately 4 AM Eastern Time today. Why the “Beaver” Moon? This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient stores of food for the long winter ahead. During the time of the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts.
Tuesday December 7 Public Forum to Discuss the Proposed Archaeology Bylaw 7 PM Online Meeting (Advance registration required). to register click on tiny url,com/Acton-bylaw-dec7A own Archaeology Bylaw, will allow an archaeological study to be done on any large parcel of undeveloped land (3+ acres) as part of the Town’s permitting process. This bylaw is being formulated by a subcommittee of the Acton Historial Commission.
Sunday, March 13 Preview of ACT Annual Meeting: New Conservation Strategies for the 21st Century – presented by Claudia Thompson6:15PM Business Meeting; 7 PM – PresentationActon Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Room 204, and/or Virtual Fight Climate Change with the following Nature Based Solution. Climate change and loss of biodiversity are the critical ecological challenges of our time. To address these crises, conservation efforts must become much broader and more inclusive than has been the norm, so that they engage virtually all citizens throughout our communities. The extent of our current human impact, and the fragmentation of our landscapes over the past one hundred years, clarify the need – every piece of land, large or small, public or private, deserves careful stewardship so that it becomes part of the solution instead of contributing to the problem. Using her garden as a case study, Claudia will discuss valuable lessons learned over several decades was she transformed her small urban property into a landscape rich with habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Much can be achieved. Indeed, the significant challenges before us are motivating many people to action. The growing native plant movement, with its focus on landscapes as ecological systems, instead of gardens as adornments, is an essential component of 21st century conservation strategies.
From Boston Area Gleaners: The farming seasons is ending, but our volunteer projects will continue, and we could use your help! While there may be fewer harvesting opportunities at this time of year, we plan on continuing to sort and pack food at Stonefield Farm every week. This includes our ‘Just Eats’ grocery box packs every Wednesday and Thursday, where we work together to fill family-sized boxes with produce and grocer staples. Volunteer with the Gleaners! Register here https://www.bostonareagleaners.org/volunteer.htmlWe are also always looking for more ways to connect with more communities and new volunteers? If you are part of a community that may be interested in working with the Gleaners, or have suggestions for volunteer outreach, please email us atoutreach@bostonareagleaners.org
Volunteer Opportunities for Acton Residents
ASSOCIATE LAND STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBER NEEDED FOR ACTON CANOE LAUNCH AND THE ASSABET RIVER BLUE AND GREEN TRAIL. Duties are occasional summer mowing, periodic cutting of invasive knotweed, trimming overgrowth. Walking the trail, picking up litter. Average time required 1-2 hours per week year ‘round.
Seeking stewards to assist with Great Hill Conservation Land and Nashoba Brook Conservation Land.Please email Bettina Abe for more information babe@actonma.gov or call 978-929-6634.
Support Acton Conservation Trust while you make purchases on AmazonSmile! ACT will receive a small payment, and these add up!From your desktop or laptop computer, AmazonSmile is available at at smile.amazon.com on your Web browser. Bookmark it for easy use! AmazonSmile is available from your mobile phone as well. To activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app, simply tap on “AmazonSmile” within the Programs & Features menu or Settings and follow the on-screen instructions. Attached are directions for setting up AmazonSmile on a computer or phone.