Environment - Page 6

Energy Eco-Night

August 23, 2025
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Acton’s Sustainability Office hosted Energy Eco-Night on Friday, August 15th at the NARA Park Bathhouse Pavilion. The office’s summer fellow, Sophia Darsch, organized the event. Darsch’s position and programming were made possible thanks to funding from the state’s Department of Energy Resources. The event highlighted energy efficiency programs, fuel assistance, lower utility bills, and reducing emissions for local residents. Several organizations hosted tables, with literature, giveaways and games; Animal Adventures allowed up close interactions with their live animal menagerie; and pizza, drinks, and popsicles sated the families who attended. Lauren West, Environmental Analyst, and Andrea Becerra, Sustainability Director, were on…
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Two trash bins await pickup off a residential street.

Curbside Waste Pickup Presentation at the Acton Senior Center

September 14, 2023
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The possibility of town-wide curbside trash and recycling pickup, and the implications of that possibility for the future of the transfer station, was the topic of a presentation by Acton Department of Public Works Director Corey York, Acton Director of Sustainability Andrea Becerra, and Financial Solutions Analyst Ellie…
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Wetlands

Acton’s Wetlands Still Protected

September 11, 2023
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On August 29, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakened federal protections for wetlands by limiting which lands that are wet  qualify for protection under the Clean Water Act. The EPA’s new rules respond to a Supreme Court determination in the case of landowners in Idaho who wanted…
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View of East Acton Village Green

East Acton Village Green Commemoration

September 11, 2023
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A crowd of about fifty people managed to attend the East Acton Village Green (EAVG) commemoration event on Saturday, September 9, despite downed trees, closed roads, and power outages around town caused by Friday afternoon’s storm. Select Board Chair Jim Snyder-Grant welcomed those gathered and provided opening remarks,…
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A large fallen tree, its trunk horizontal, lies across a crushed car.

Severe Weather in Acton

September 11, 2023
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Severe thunderstorms moved through the Acton area Friday afternoon September 8, causing significant damage throughout the area, particularly Acton Center through West Acton, along with sections of Boxborough, Littleton, Stow and Maynard. The Acton police received numerous reports of trees fallen on homes and power lines in the…
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Two maps side by side, each showing a dashed line extending from Rt2A to "existing sewer."

Options for sewering Great Road discussed

August 19, 2023
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At their August 16, 2023 meeting, Acton’s Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) discussed and critiqued the July 2023 draft of the Great Road Wastewater Solutions report.  The report was commissioned by the town and prepared by environmental engineering firm Wright-Pierce for the purpose of providing “a technical basis…
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Trek to the Transfer Station

August 16, 2023
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Five families braved the rain to attend Acton’s Transfer Station Field Trip on Monday, August 7, organized by the Acton Memorial Library (AML), Department of Public Works (DPW), and the Sustainability Office. Robert Carter, AML Children’s Librarian, and Sustainability Office Fellows Lauren West and Hannah Arledge joined DPW…
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Plant-based Potluck Dinner at NARA

August 6, 2023
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Last Wednesday August 9, under the large pavilion at NARA park on a lovely cool evening, over 40 people gathered for a free potluck dinner to celebrate plant-based meals. The event, hosted by Energize Acton (a collaboration between Town and Acton Climate Coalition), Acton Memorial Library, and the…
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Photo of tree with species identified in Mandarin and English.

The Intersectional Environmentalist visits the Acton Arboretum

July 24, 2023
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This summer, Acton residents are joining together in the first annual Community Read, part of a program called “Stories Connect Us.” The book for this summer’s read is The Intersectional Environmentalist, by Leah Thomas. The author examines the intersection of environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and makes the case…
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Photograph of a large owl sitting on a branch of a tree

Saved an Owl Today

June 28, 2023
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A couple of weeks ago when the phone rang in the Acton Conservation Office at Town Hall where I work, I was very happy I was there to answer it. A lady said that she was parked on the side of Pope Road next to a baby owl–…
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Kitchen faucet with PFAS icon suggesting unhealthy tap water

Home Filters for PFAS Removal from Tap Water

June 28, 2023
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Since new regulations for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were established by the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) in 2021, the Acton Water District has issued several advisories that include the words “consumers in a sensitive subgroup are advised not to consume, drink, or cook with water…
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Feeding the Birds

June 28, 2023
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“Feed the birds, ‘tuppence’ a bag” is a familiar Mary Poppins song. People feed the birds for lots of reasons, the least of which is the gratification that we are supporting and supplementing food sources for our feathered friends. After all, humans build on land, replacing trees, shrubs,…
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Sign at the entrance to the Nagog Park commercial zone

Acton Select Board – Nagog Park redevelopment hearing

June 28, 2023
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At the June 26, 2023 meeting of Acton’s Select Board representatives for McGovern Auto Group, as well as their law and engineering firms, presented a substantially revised redevelopment plan for Nagog Park. The first Nagog Park redevelopment plan that was submitted to the Town in February 2023 aroused…
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Entrance to Acton Water District office

New Leadership at the Acton Water District Finance Committee

June 19, 2023
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Laboring in relative obscurity, the Acton Water District Finance Committee (AWD FinCom) grapples with tough problems and big price tags. Their work is becoming more complicated and possibly more consequential as the Water District faces escalating capital and operational costs to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and…
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Blueback Herring

Will Migratory Fish Swim to Acton from the Atlantic?

May 29, 2023
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All the brooks and streams in Acton flow into the Assabet River, which flows into the Concord River, which flows into the Merrimack River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At one time, migratory fish swam back and forth along this pathway. During the Industrial Revolution, many dams…
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Man and woman in a basement with large tank and heating equipment. Man gesturing.

Environmental Education for Acton Residents

May 1, 2023
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From conserving water resources to adopting renewable energy in our homes, Acton residents are learning and acting. On Wednesday, April 26th, the Acton Water District led a “Water Wise Nature Walk” about Acton’s water supply while touring the key conservation land along Brook St and 459 Main St…
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