Volunteers invited to help with maintenance at Richardson Preserve on Oct. 28

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Our next work party will be on Saturday, October 28, at the Deborah and Roger Richardson Nature Preserve, 577B Wilmarth Street, Attleboro, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.  If you are available, we would welcome your help, whether you are a seasoned volunteer, or this is your first time volunteering for the Attleboro Land Trust.

Various “housekeeping” tasks will include:
–Cleaning mildew off the sides of the Barrows House
–Raking up the seed husks that have fallen from the Chinese chestnut tree
–Sweeping leaves off the boardwalks
–Cleaning out the leaf matter that has built up between the slats of the boardwalks
–Washing grime off the trailside signs
–Touching up areas with peeling paint on the Barrows House and some signs

We will have tools and supplies, but please feel free to bring anything you think might be helpful, including containers of water for some of the cleaning tasks, as the site has no running water.

Dress accordingly for protection against poison ivy and ticks.  Please bring your own:
— Work gloves
— Water bottles

Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Charron Farm Work Party Postponed to Oct. 1

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Due to the rainy weather forecast, the work party at Charron Farm Preserve is postponed from Sept. 24 to Sunday, October 1, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Volunteer help is needed to dig post holes for boundary markers and regulation signs.  Also, trees and shrubs need to be trimmed along the edges of the hayfields.

Directions:
From downtown Attleboro, take County Street south for 3.8 miles.
Turn right onto Read Street and drive 1/2 mile.
Turn left onto Morse Avenue and drive 1/4 mile.
Stop next to the open field on your right, just after the recently-constructed home at 41 Morse Avenue.
Park on the edge of the road.
(Don’t rely on Google Maps, which mislabels part of Morse Ave. as Gillette Ave.)

Tools needed include:
— Loppers, pruning shears, pruning saws, and other pruning tools
— Pole saws
— String trimmers, weed whackers, brush cutters
— Tarps
— Chain saw
— Shovels
— Post hole diggers

We will have some tools, but please bring what you have.  If anyone has a mechanical auger, please let us know in advance by contacting:  attleborolandtrust@gmail.com

Dress accordingly for protection against poison ivy and ticks.  Please bring your own:
— Work gloves
— Water

Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Celebrate 25 Years of Community Gardening

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Update: Due to flooding at the Garden earlier this week and impending inclement weather, the event will be held at the Attleboro Public Library.

Join us in celebrating the Attleboro Community Garden’s 25th anniversary on Saturday, September 16. The event is free and open to the public.  It will run from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and will take place at the Attleboro Public Library, 74 North Main Street.The afternoon all-ages program will include:

  • 1:15 “Save Seeds- Save for the Future and Save the Past” presentation by Master Gardener Kathi Gariepy.
  • 2:00 “Preserving Your Harvest” presentation by Modern Homestead & Gardens founder Danielle Cournoyer.
  • A garden-themed drop-in painting activity for children will run from 1:00 to 2:30.
  • 2:40 A program celebrating the Garden’s achievements will take place.

Throughout the event:

  • Gardening information table
  • Raffles and light refreshments

For more information contact attleborocommunitygarden@gmail.com

When

September 16th at 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Where

The event will take place at the rain location at the Attleboro Public Library, 74 North Main Street.

 

It’s Time to Update the City’s Open Space and Recreation Plan – NEW DATE

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The City of Attleboro needs to update its Open Space and Recreation Plan. Citizens are invited to attend a public workshop at Attleboro City Hall, 77 Park Street, on Thursday, , at 6:30 pm. At this workshop, attendees will join in small groups to generate recommendations for actions the City should be taking to protect open space and to provide recreational opportunities.  (This event was originally scheduled for Sept. 13 but was not held on that date due to weather.)
More information at:  attleboroosrp.com

Celebrate 25 Years of Community Gardening on Sept. 16

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Join us in celebrating the Attleboro Community Garden’s 25th anniversary on Saturday, September 16. The event is free and open to the public.  It will run from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Due to flooding at the Garden earlier this week and impending inclement weather, the event will be held at the Attleboro Public Library, 74 North Main Street.

The afternoon all-ages program will include:

  • 1:15 “Save Seeds- Save for the Future and Save the Past” presentation by Master Gardener Kathi Gariepy.
  • 2:00 “Preserving Your Harvest” presentation by Modern Homestead & Gardens founder Danielle Cournoyer.
  • A garden-themed drop-in painting activity for children will run from 1:00 to 2:30.
  • 2:40 A program celebrating the Garden’s achievements will take place.

Throughout the event:

  • Gardening information table
  • Raffles and light refreshments

For more information contact attleborocommunitygarden@gmail.com

River Clean-up POSTPONED to SEPT. 23 30

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This event is POSTPONED to Sep. 23 30.

Help the City clean up the Ten-Mile River! Saturday September 30th meet at the Judith Robbins Riverfront Park at 8:00 AM to clean up around the River and the walking paths connected to the river. Free refreshments on the day will be provided by Dunkin. If you would like to get in the river, please remember to bring your own wet suit.
For more information contact Attleboro Conservation Agent Nick Wyllie at 508-223-2222 ext 3145.

New Garden Compost Unit Assembled by Point32Health Volunteers

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A group of Point32Health volunteers assembled a new compost system at the Attleboro Community Garden during the company’s annual volunteer week.

The compost system is an important part of the garden, it serves as a way for both gardeners and the community to recycle food waste and plants. This is a three bin compost, where raw materials are chopped into small pieces and given time to decompose in the first bin (left side). Worms, bugs and microbes feast on the material, breaking it down into small pieces. The middle bin is where the compost material has a chance to heat up and ‘cook’ the material. This is the stage where visually the most transformation happens, leaves, plant stalks, spoiled vegetables all are broken down and begin to look like soil. Finally, the third bin (far right) is where the compost is sifted to remove large pieces of material, rocks and other materials. Producing healthy soil that gardeners can re-use in their plots to fuel plant growth.

Work started months in advance, with the support from Phil at the Attleboro Land Trust and garden committee member Monica, designing and purchasing supplies for the new system. Many gardeners supported the efforts of disassembling the existing compost system, which was nearly 10 years old and had served its time well. The work of Point32Health volunteers was important as many hands were needed to assemble the compost bins. From the assembly of the wood frame, to attaching galvanized wire, all hands were busy. Many trusted advisors supported this project, both from the Attleboro Land Trust and active community gardeners the ensure the project went smoothly.

Gardeners are already using the new compost system. Soon, the finishing touches will be completed, including educational signs and lids to complete the project.

Feel free to stop by the community garden to see this completed project at the corner of Riverbank Road and Mechanic Street.

 

 

Site Stewards Wanted

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The Attleboro Land Trust is seeking volunteers who would like to serve as site stewards by “adopting” one of its nature preserves and helping to care for it.  The duties of a site steward are to walk their property once a month, pick up litter, report vandalism, and help with routine trail maintenance.

A site steward may be an individual or a group, such as a group of neighbors, church group, youth group, or fraternal organization.

For more information on the site steward program, members of the public are invited to attend an orientation led by Charlie Adler, chair of the land trust’s property management committee, at the Richardson Preserve, 577B Wilmarth Street, on Sunday, July 23 at 1:00 pm.  The orientation will include a walk around the preserve, a discussion of the challenges faced by an all-volunteer organization managing over 500 acres of conservation land, and time for questions.

If you can’t attend the orientation, but are interested in becoming a site steward, email the Attleboro Land Trust at attleborolandtrust@gmail.com.

Charron Family Land to be Preserved

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Attorney George Spatcher, Attorney and ALT Board Member Patrick Sullivan, Land Donor Ted Charron, ALT President Jay Burby, and ALT Board Member Charlie Adler, at the closing for the donation of the Charron Farm Preserve.

The Attleboro Land Trust has received a gift of 12 acres of land on Morse Avenue in Attleboro.  The land was donated by Morse Avenue resident Ted Charron and other members of the Charron family.  It was farmed by Ted’s parents and grandparents, and it is still used for the production of hay.

The donated land will be permanently conserved as the Charron Farm Preserve.  The land trust plans to complete a trail beginning at Morse Avenue, crossing some wetlands, going around the hayfields, and connecting to an adjacent preserve, the 28-acre Shaw-Denham Memorial Forest.  The Charron Farm Preserve will not be open to the public until this trail is finished, which may take a year, as boardwalks will be required.  Completion of the new trail will also mean that the Shaw-Denham Memorial Forest will for the first time be open to the public, as it has been landlocked from the time it was donated to the land trust by the Denham family in 2013 until now.

Ted Charron, an artist, has had a long association with the Attleboro Land Trust, having served on its board from 1997 to 1999, edited its newsletter, and designed its logo.  Ted knows every inch of the donated land and has observed how it serves as habitat for a variety of wild animals.  Guaranteeing that the land will be forever protected has long been his goal.

This acquisition brings the total number of acres owned by the Attleboro Land Trust to 504.  Conservation restrictions are held on an additional 236 acres.

How to Prevent Injuries When Gardening hosted at the Attleboro Community Garden

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Join us for an engaging and informative presentation on “How to Prevent Injuries When Gardening,” hosted by the Community Garden. This event will take place on Thursday, June 15th, at 6pm, right in the Community Garden,

In this presentation, we are delighted to have Todd Houghton, P.T., the CEO/Owner of Houghton Physical Therapy, as our guest speaker. Todd is an expert in his field and will guide you through the essential do’s and don’ts of body positioning while gardening. He will share valuable exercises and tips to activate key muscles, enabling you to maintain a proactive approach towards gardening without experiencing pain or injury.

During the presentation, Todd will demonstrate correct body positioning techniques that will help you prevent strain and injury. He will provide you with key exercises that can easily be incorporated into your daily routine, ensuring a lifetime of happy and pain-free gardening.

Please note that in the event of rain, we have made arrangements to move the presentation to the Houghton Physical Therapy clinic located just down the road at 80 Park Street.

We are excited to have you join us for this valuable presentation. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an expert and gain insights into cultivating healthy gardening habits. We can’t wait to see you there!

When

Thursday, June 15th at 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Where

Hosted by the Attleboro Community Garden, located at the juncture of Mechanic Street and Riverbank Road, Attleboro.

(or Houghton Physical Therapy clinic if it rains) Address: Houghton Physical Therapy – 80 Park Street

 

Please RSVP to Organizer attleborocommunitygarden@gmail.com to confirm your attendance. We look forward to your participation and creating a proactive approach to gardening for a lifetime of enjoyable and pain-free experiences.