An Open Can of Worms: what homeowners need to know about invasive worms and insects
(From Acton Garden Club)
Sept 10, 2024 – 10:30 a.m.
Acton Town Hall, Acton MA
The Acton Garden Club welcomes Blake Dinius, Entomologist Educator for Plymouth County, to inform us about invasive insects, a new threat to our landscapes and gardens.
Have you heard of jumping worms yet? Jumping worms are just one of several organisms introduced into North America from other countries.
Over the past 150 years, non-native insects have accumulated in the United States of America at a rate of 2.5 insects every year. Invasive species impact our dinner tables, gardens, and, even, our health.
But, what impact do they have on managed landscapes, like gardens?
Join us as we discuss what homeowners need to know about invasive worms and insects.
· Is this a crisis?
· What worms and insects should we be concerned about?
· What can we do to slow the spread?
· What specific things can we do (or avoid)?
We encourage any landscapers, nursery owners, farmers, etc. to attend.
The Friends of Pine Hawk October and November Programs
(From The Friends of Pine Hawk)
The Friends of Pine Hawk 2024 Programs are presented with support from Acton Memorial Library and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.
Events are free but require registration at tinyurl.com/pinehawk-2024
Questions? Email friends.of.pinehawk@gmail.com
Archaeological Discoveries in New England Wednesday, October 9, 7-8:30 p.m., in person at the 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.
Ancient Winters at the Flagg Swamp RockshelterTuesday, October 15, 7-8:30 p.m., 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.
Adult Archaeology Walk Saturday, October 19, 10 a.m. to noon, in-person only.
Bettina Abe, Acton trail volunteer and retired member of Acton’s Conservation Division, will lead a brisk 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.
Burying the Trowel: A History of Controversy and Innovation in New England’s Cultural Stone Features Debate Tuesday, October 22, 7-8:30 p.m., in person and via Zoom.
Unusual stone features dot the woodlands and hillsides of New England, and their provenance has been subject to many theories and debate. Cultural anthropologist Caitlin O’Riordan will give an overview of the changing ways these features have been understood over time, and the friction this has caused between avocational researchers and professional archaeologists.
Changes in the Land Book Discussion Tuesday, October 29, 7-8:30 p.m., in person only.
Join a group discussion of this landmark environmental history by William Cronon, which offers an original and profound explanation of the effects European colonists’ sense of property and their pursuit of capitalism had upon the ecosystems of New England.
Community Service Day Sunday, November 10, 1-3 p.m., in person.
Assist with trail and site maintenance on the Nashoba Brook Conservation Land’s Trail Through Time, a multicultural heritage trail in North Acton. Local Scout troops are also invited to join. Rain date is Sunday, November 17. Limited to 25, ages 13 and up.
To see more programs in November and December, please visit the Events page on the Pine Hawk website https://www.pinehawk.org/
September 11th Ceremony
(From Town of Acton)
Please join the Town of Acton for a remembrance ceremony on September 11th.
On Wednesday, September 11th, 2024 at 9:55 a.m., the Town will hold a brief but poignant ceremony in front of the September 11th Monument at the Public Safety Facility, located at 371 Main Street. This ceremony will honor and remember the events of September 11, 2001 and pay tribute to all those impacted by this tragic day. In attendance will be members of the Fire Department, Police Department, and dignitaries who will come together to remember and honor the heroes and victims of 9/11. All are welcome to join as we reflect, remember, and vow to never forget.
Middlesex Conservation District 2024 Fall Plant Sale
(From Middlesex Conservation District)
Wildflowers, Bulbs, and More!
ORDER ONLINE NOW TILL SEPTEMBER 10th at middlesexconservationdistrict.org!
Pick up dates: Friday, September 13th, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM & Saturday, September 14th, 9:00 a.m.to 1:00 p.m..
Numerous options available including root bags and bat houses!
Cash sale for plants, seeds, and more on September 13th and 14th.
Pickup Location: Farrington Nature Linc, 291 Cambridge Turnpike, Lincoln, MA
We are a non-profit organization that is also considered a quasi-state governmental organization.
Information about us:
Discovery Museum Offers a Week of 1982 Prices October 1 – 6
(From Discovery Museum)
Visitors pay just $2.50 admission; EBT, WIC and other deeper discounts still apply
Discovery Museum announced today that from October 1 through October 6, 2024, the cost of admission will be $2.50 per person, in recognition of the Museum’s founding in October 1982 and to thank its community for more than four decades of support.
During “Pay and Play Like It’s 1982,” existing discount programs that offer deeper discounts—including $1 admission for EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare Card to Culture card holders, and free admission for active-duty military families, teachers, and children under 1—will continue to be honored. Standard admission prices are $17.00 for adults and children ages 1 and up; $16.00 for seniors 60+.
Advance reservations are recommended to visit and can be made 10 days advance through the Museum’s website www.discoveryacton.org. The Museum is open during the school year from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; it is open with free admission the first Friday night of the month from 4:30 to 8:00p.a..
Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for families that blends science, nature, and play.
Energize Acton events
(from Energize Acton)
Beginning Wed., Sept. 4th, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Acton Memorial Library, the Acton Memorial Library and Energize Boxborough hosts a four-part study group around the wonderful book, 2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration, by Australian filmmaker and climate activist, Damon Gameau. The optimistic book looks at everything that we can do right now to address climate change. Register on the library calendar under “2040: A Carbon CREW Discussion.” Haven’t read the book? Don’t worry . . . you can catch up. Mon., September 30th, from 5-7 p.m., drop in at Rapscallion for the EV Driver Meet-Up. Sponsored by Energize Acton as a part of National Drive Electric Week. InfoHERE.
Acton 250 Committee’s Isaac Brown Ale Release Party
(From Acton 250 Committee)
Come join us in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution! We can’t wait to share our new Colonial Style Brown Ale brewed with molasses.
When: September 11th, 3 – 11 p.m.
Where: Dirigible Brewing Company, 24 Porter Road, Littleton, MA
Food truck: Twizted Pickle; Hand Crafted Sandwiches and Pickle Specialty Food Truck
A portion of ale receipts fund Acton 250’s programming. See https://tinyurl.com/ActonMA250 for all of our programming. We have a busy fall!
Historic Homes Open Houses
(From Acton 250 Committee)
The Jonathan Hosmer House 09/08 and 10/06 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.; see https://www.actonhistoricalsociety.org
The Hosmers were an early Acton family, serving the town from its beginning. Jonathan Hosmer (1712-1775) was a selectman and town clerk for many years as well as one of the first Deacons of Acton’s church. Jonathan Hosmer (1734-1822), like his father, was a brick mason and farmer. Jonathan married Submit Hunt (1737-1812) in 1760 and built the Hosmer House. Though records are not perfect for the time period, it appears that Jonathan and several of his brothers did military service during the Revolutionary War. His younger brother Abner was killed at the North Bridge in Concord, April 19, 1775. In addition to other roles in Acton, Jonathan served on the town’s Committee of Correspondence in 1777 and as part of a committee to provide for soldiers’ families in 1779 and 1780. Seven children were born to the family of Jonathan and Submit Hosmer. Their eldest, Jonathan, died in service in Bennington in 1777.
See https://www.actonma.gov/250 for programming as well as other open house events in town. We are adding events frequently & plan a busy fall!
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Nashobah Praying Indians: A Living People, A Living Landscape
(from Friends of the Nashoba Praying Indians)
Strong Bear Medicine of the Nashobah Praying Indians and local historian Daniel V. Boudillion will be speaking on September 17, 7:00 p.m., at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 164 Newtown Road. The event is sponsored by the Sudbury Valley Trustees in their Outdoor Voices Speaker Series. This will be the first time Strong Bear has presented in Acton.
Strong Bear Medicine is Sagamore of the Nashobah Praying Indians, and the founder of the Friends of the Nashobah Praying Indians. A noted Native performer in the United States and in Europe, Strong Bear Medicine is a Native dancer, singer, and craftsman, and public speaker.
The event is open to the public and free of charge, but the Trustees ask you to register in advance. For more details and to register visit https://www.svtweb.org/outdoor-voices-speaker-series.
Crown Resistance Day in Acton, 1774 with Historian Mary Fuhrer
(From Acton 250 Committee)
Historian Mary Fuhrer returns to the Acton 250 lecture series on Wednesday, September 25th at 7 p.m.in Acton Town Hall, Room 204 to explore Crown Resistance Day, 1774, a critical point in Acton history, in the next edition of the Acton 250 lecture series.
What happened in Acton on that fateful day, and why was it considered so momentous? The talk delves into the character of the town and its leading citizens at this time, how and why they responded to the growing crisis with the Crown, and what brought them to the point of revolution. By zooming in to focus on the distinct character of Acton and the personalities of its leading citizens, we will see how important personal convictions and individual actions were in shaping history. Every town’s story was different, and Acton’s story was unique – and inspiring.
Mary Fuhrer is an Acton resident and Ph.D. social historian. For the past 30 years, she has interpreted village life in colonial and early Republic Massachusetts. She has authored two books and numerous articles on daily life and change in small town Massachusetts, presented at history conferences and institutes, and served as a consulting historian to Freedom’s Way, Massachusetts Humanities, and the Massachusetts Historical Society, as well as serving as the co-author of MassMoments.org. She was awarded the Massachusetts History Commendation for her work in public history.
Remote Participation: You can participate in the Q&A using ZOOM http://tinyurl.com/Acton250-ZOOM or watch live at Acton TV http://tinyurl.com/Acton-TV.
Generously supported by the Acton Lions Club.
See https://www.actonma.gov/250 for programming as well as other open house events in town. We are adding events frequently & plan a busy fall!
Acton Boxborough Democratic picnic
(from Acton Democratic Town Committee)
Please join local Democrats and elected officials at the 37th annual Acton Boxborough Democratic picnic on Sunday, September 15, 2 – 5 p.m. The picnic will take place at the Boxborough Community Center, 30 Middle Road in Boxborough.
Come enjoy an afternoon picnic with great food, great friends, and great elected officials, all for a great Democratic Party! Please help us support the Acton Boxborough Food Pantry and bring a non-perishable food item to the picnic.
You can register, pay, and find more information at ActBlue Acton Boxborough Dems Picnic.
Bicyclists Gear Up to Conquer Cancer
(From American Cancer Society)
The American Cancer Society’s Bicycles Battling Cancer ride on Sunday, September 22, is a fun, scenic 30, 50, 63 (100 km), or 100-mile ride through Central Massachusetts and New Hampshire, starting and finishing at the YMCA Camp Lowe in Lancaster, Mass. Riders of all levels are encouraged to join and participate individually or as a team. After the ride, there will be a post-ride celebration with our riders, their families, friends, volunteers, and community members. There will be a robust celebration with music, food, activities, and a fun zone.
The ride is in its 16th year. It has raised over $1 million for cancer research, patient support, such as rides to treatment and the Hope Lodge in Boston, a 24/7 hotline for cancer support, and advocacy for laws that will benefit those with cancer and in treatment. To join the ride or support Bicycles Battling Cancer by volunteering at the event, please visit www.bicyclesbattlingcancer.org.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.