This post features some of the volunteers who helped the land trust with outdoor maintenance projects this fall.
Alan Henry
Russ Pray
Mike Davis
Dawn Bender
Ken Drucker
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Fishing for Answers at Larson Woodland
Staff and volunteers from the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in Rhode Island paid a visit to the Attleboro Land Trust’s Larson Woodland on September 17 to take a census of fish species in the Ten Mile River. They came at the invitation of Keith Gonsalves of the Ten Mile River Watershed Council. Keith has long been concerned about the health of the river and its inhabitants and has been arranging these scientific surveys annually for a number of years to monitor the river’s condition.
Volunteers helped collect the fish, using a device which temporarily stuns the fish with a slight electric shock. The fish are counted and measured, then returned unharmed to the river.
In this video clip, ranger Jacob Gorke measures a baby largemouth bass.
This is a Yellow Bullhead Catfish.
Other species found in the river were Golden shiner, Tesselated darter, Pumpkin seed, Bluegill, Redfin pickerel, Crawfish, and Chain pickerel.
Be like Sisyphus
As noted in a previous post, the Attleboro Land Trust is participating in the annual Big Read program of the Attleboro Public Library. This year, the entire community is reading the book Circe, a story about Greek gods and goddesses by Madeline Miller.
If you are visiting the Phil and Ginny Leach Wildlife Sanctuary to do the Virtual Mythology Scavenger Hunt, be sure to visit Big Rock before you leave. This glacial boulder serves as a reminder of Sisyphus, a character from Greek mythology not mentioned in the book. Sisyphus was a dishonest and greedy king who was punished by being forced to roll a huge boulder up a hill, over and over again for eternity. Whenever Sisyphus got to the top of the hill, the boulder would roll down again.
We invite you to take a selfie with Big Rock and post it on our Facebook page or send it to us.
Virtual Mythology “G-Odyssey” Scavenger Hunt
The Attleboro Land Trust is again hosting an activity for families as part of the annual Big Read program of the Attleboro Public Library. This year, the entire community is reading the book Circe by Madeline Miller. The activity is a Scavenger Hunt to find hidden gods and goddesses from the book using the free GooseChase EDU smartphone app. You may participate in this activity on your own schedule from dawn to dusk today through October 18 at the Phil and Ginny Leach Wildlife Sanctuary.
On your smartphone, go to your app store and search for GooseChase. Download and open the app. You can “Play as Guest” without needing to open a new account. Search for “Circe” and you will find the Circe Mythology G-Odyssey Scavenger Hunt.
You will be asked to name your team, but it is OK if you are just one. Follow the directions and enjoy the game.
Here is a map if you need it: Leach Sanctuary Trail Map
(This event was originally going to be at the Richardson Nature Preserve, but that site is not available due to a construction project.)
Construction underway at the Richardson Preserve
Construction of a gravel parking lot near the street at the Richardson Nature Preserve has been in the planning stages for several years, and has now begun. Cryan Landscape Contractors are doing the work. The plans have been approved by the Attleboro Conservation Commission and the lot will be similar to gravel lots at the Colman Reservation and the Nickerson Preserve. This will solve the issue of cars getting stuck in the mud, as typically happens in early spring.
The main entrance to the preserve may be closed during construction. Pedestrian access will still be available on Wilmarth Street about 200 yards east of the main entrance where the Vernal Pool trail enters the preserve.
We estimate the work will be completed by October 17.
Cleaning up after a storm
Severe winds have taken their toll on land trust properties in recent years, and we are surveying our lands now for any damage that might have been caused by Tropical Storm Isaias. Thanks to site steward Alan Henry, we already have one report of a downed tree blocking the Charlie Wyman Loop Trail on the Richardson Nature Preserve. Volunteers will be clearing the trail in the next few days.
If you would like to help keep our conservation lands well managed, there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers. Contact us to find out more.
When hiking our trails, don’t forget to bring insect repellent
In Massachusetts, mosquitoes can give you eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus or West Nile virus (WNV). Today’s Sun Chronicle reports that West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Attleboro.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there are simple steps that you can take to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites, and the illnesses they can cause.
Protect yourself from illness by doing simple things:
- Use insect repellents any time you are outdoors
- Wear long-sleeved clothing
- Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hours from dusk to dawn during peak mosquito season
- Repair damaged window and door screens
- Remove standing water from the areas around your home
More information is available here.
Thanks to our volunteers
On Tuesday, May 26, a work party of nine volunteers helped with the maintenance of Nickerson Walking Woods Preserve. The work was peformed with coronavirus precautions and the size of the group was limited to a maximum of ten people.
Most of the work focused on the meadow, which had become overgrown with invasive buckthorn saplings.
The invasive plants were removed by the roots to prevent them from growing back.
One of our volunteers helped to extend the life of a boardwalk by removing leaves and dirt that had collected between the slats.
If you would like to help with future work parties, contact us.
Thanks to Our Donors, 2019-20
We are grateful to the following organizations and individuals for their financial support of our mission through donations and in-kind contributions.
Corporate Sponsors and Institutional Partners, 2019-20
American Legion Aux Unit # 312
Attleboro Arts Museum
Attleboro Foundation/Bank of America, N.A.
Briggs Garden and Home
Casey Law Offices, P.C.
Cryan Landscape Contractors, Inc.
Duffy-Poule Funeral Service Inc
Faulkner Family Foundation
Fredric J Hammerle Charitable Trust
Gilmore Insurance
Houghton Physical Therapy
Lewis & Sullivan, P.C.
Liston Portables
Plymouth Rock Foundation
Reeves Company
Sensata Technologies, Inc.
W. Walsh Company, Inc.
Woodard & Curran Foundation
Zumalt Tree Experts
Individual Major Donors, 2019-2020
Sponsors
Ted and Debby Leach
Caretakers
Don and Laura Ouellette
Trail Blazers
Lucia and Bruce Field
Richard Harris
Brian Hatch and Kelly Neil
Rev. David Hill
Tim and Gloria McGinn
Michael and Patricia Murphy
Protectors of Flora and Fauna
Denise Antaya & Clif Ennis
Roy Belcher and Bertha Young
Victor and Karen Bonneville
Laurel Carlson
Anne and Mike Newquist
Gretchen Reilly
A Grant with Fond Memories Attached
Applying for a grant is usually a laborious process, requiring pages of applications, documents, and financial statements. Usually! The Attleboro Land Trust recently received a $2000 grant that came to us through a different set of circumstances.
Enter Sherri Peak-Palermo, who works for Woodard & Curran, an environmental consulting firm with an office in Providence. The firm, together with its employees, has set up a foundation to support non-profit groups across the country in their efforts to protect the environment.
Sherri is the daughter-in-law of the late Paul Palermo, Sr., who passed away in 2019. Palermo was widely-respected as the City of Attleboro’s electrical inspector, serving in that capacity for 30 years. Sherri nominated the Attleboro Land Trust for the grant in memory of her father-in-law and in recognition of his love for the city.
Our thanks to the Woodard & Curran Foundation for this grant, and to Sherri for nominating us. Stay tuned for more about the specific project on which these funds will be spent.