Tag Archives: past-events

ALT Members Celebrate Achievements at Annual Meeting

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On November 16, 2023, we held our Annual Meeting. The event was a great success, with a fantastic turnout and a lot of positive feedback from attendees. The event featured a keynote speaker, updates on land acquisition, financials, and election of directors new to the board or continuing for another three-year term.

The event started with a warm welcome from our president Jay Burby. Our keynote speaker, Eva Vaughan, an environmental analyst for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, then took the stage and delivered an engaging talk on backyard green infrastructure.  Eva explained how simple landscaping modifications can turn a backyard or home garden into a rain garden, thus helping to control and purify stormwater runoff.  A few native plantings can then attract pollinating insects, helping to preserve biodiversity.

After Eva’s talk, ALT President Jay Burby reviewed highlights from 2023, including the most recent donation of land from the Charron family, that put us above 500 acres owned by the ALT with an additional 236 acres protected for a total of 740 acres. The 12-acre Charron Farm Preserve will continue to be used for the production of hay, but will also be used to complete a trail that will connect to the adjacent Shaw-Denham Memorial Forest.  The trail will open to the public once completed.

Ted Leach nominates new and returning board members while President Jay Burby looks on.    Image credit: Erin Connell

Veteran board member Ted Leach nominated members Brian Hatch, Roy Belcher, Paula Murphy, and Dawn Bender, whose terms expire in 2023, to serve for another 3-year term.  Tarah Kinniburgh was nominated to her first term.  Members present voted unanimously to elect all the nominees.

Juliet Teixeira, who is stepping down as ALT Vice President and Community Garden Lead, was thanked for her service and dedication to the work of the land trust, and the community garden, over the past ten years.

The ALT hopes to give renewed emphasis to education and outreach in 2024.  Erin Connell, who joined the board last year, has agreed to chair the Education and Outreach Committee.  Membership in this committee is open to any ALT member.  You don’t have to be on the board.  The same is true for most of the ALT standing committees.

Overall, the ALT Annual Meeting was a great success, and we are grateful to everyone who attended and made it such a memorable event. Thank you for your continued support of the Attleboro Land Trust!

15th Annual River Clean-Up to be held September 25th.

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Please join us in supporting the Ten Mile River cleanup on September 25th. (8am -11am)

(Information below from the Sun Chronicle Article)

Members of the general public, conservation commissioners, Attleboro Land Trust members and other local groups will work alongside elected officials including Mayor Paul Heroux and members of the council.

Volunteers can sign up on the day of the event at a tent in the Community Gardens on Riverbank Road.

The GPS address is 37 Hayward St., Attleboro.

Some supplies will be available, although anyone wanting to be a “River Rat” should bring their own waders or wetsuit.

Families and children are welcome to collect trash along the river walkways.

Free refreshments will be supplied by Dunkin’.

Sponsors are Heroux, the land trust, conservation commission, Dunkin’ and Friends of the Ten Mile River.

For more information contact Nick Wyllie at 508-223-2222, ext. 3145.

Earth Week Activities for Families

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Earth Day is normally celebrated on April 22nd.  The Attleboro Land Trust will be stretching its observance into an “Earth Week” with free activities for families from April 19th to 23rd.  The activities will be geared to children aged 6 to 13, but all ages are welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult for the entire duration of the event.

Three time slots will be available on each day of Earth Week. The time slots are 11am-12:15pm, 12:30pm-1:45pm and 2pm-3:15pm. Click on one of the links below to sign up for an activity at your chosen time.

Monday, April 19: “Slow Down and Look Around #1” Discover the natural features that exist right in your backyard with this nature scavenger hunt. (Nickerson Walking Woods Preserve) SIGN_UP

Tuesday, April 20: “How Curious Are You?”  Learn to see nature through the eyes of a curious naturalist while gathering nature items. (Larson Woodland) SIGN_UP

Wednesday, April 21: “Letting Nature Inspire Your Art” Focus on the beauty around you and create your own artwork with materials obtained from nature along with provided materials. (Deborah and Roger Richardson Nature Preserve) SIGN_UP

Thursday, April 22: “Slow Down and Look Around #2” Discover the natural features that exist right in your backyard with this nature scavenger hunt. (Nickerson Walking Woods Preserve) SIGN_UP

Friday, April 23: “Can you Identify these Trees/Plants?” Practice and learn how to identify certain types of trees and plants found in these areas. (Deborah and Roger Richardson Nature Preserve) SIGN_UP

For more information or questions, contact Evan Foster at evanfosterALT@gmail.com.

Virtual Mythology “G-Odyssey” Scavenger Hunt

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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.)

 

Fairy House Exhibit During Big Read Event on October 5

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 Make a Port side Fairy House For the Attleboro Land Trust Big Read Fairy House Exhibit

Saturday, October 5

Deborah and Roger Richardson Nature Preserve

577B Wilmarth Street

 

In keeping with this year’s Big Read selection, In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, you are invited to create and exhibit a “portside” fairy house. The whalers visited many island ports on their whaling expeditions out of New Bedford and Nantucket, Massachusetts. They found colorful houses with flat grass and bamboo roofs. Your fairy house may need a fishing dock with bright flags and of course shells! Whatever you can you gather at the beach will be great materials for your house. It’s up to you to add an island flair!

Create a fairy house on your own and bring it to the Preserve for set up and display at 9:00 am. Or come and enjoy the one day exhibit from 10:00 am through 12:00 noon. Either way you will have a chance to make and take a fairy garden at the event.

Fairy houses will be exhibited at the creator’s own risk and be removed at the end of the 1 day, 2 hour exhibit or left in the woods for the fairies and removed when needed by the land trust.

Register at attleborolibrary.org

You may want to make and bring a stand for your house so it isn’t sitting on the ground and hard for viewers to see.

 

Walking Our Watershed

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On August 10 Ben Cote of Friends of the Ten Mile led a walk along a portion of the Ten Mile River in Attleboro, beginning at Larson Woodland.  Ben explained the pivotal role the river played in the Industrial Revolution two centuries ago, when factories were built alongside the river and dams were created with water wheels providing a source of mechanical power.  In the 20th century, the river also became a convenient place to dump industrial waste, until environmental awareness eventually took hold.  Today it is illegal to dump waste into the river, but stormwater running off lawns carries fertilizers into the river, leading to algae blooms which rob fish of oxygen.

As the group moved up the watershed towards the Water Street bridge, it was joined by longtime watershed advocate Don Doucette, who shared some of his knowledge of the river and its history.

Watershed advocate Don Doucette points out the confluence of the Bungay and Ten Mile Rivers from the Water Street bridge.    Image credit: C. Adler

Garden To Celebrate 20 Years on Sept. 8

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The Attleboro Area Community Garden’s 20th Anniversary Celebration will be held on September 8, 2018 from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Garden on Hayward and Mechanic Streets in Attleboro, with a rain location at Murray UU Church, 505 North Main Street, Attleboro.

The afternoon program will include:

  • A workshop presented by Master Gardener Kathi Gariepy on “Preparing for Next Year’s Garden – Tips and Tools.” The workshop will explore how to put the garden to bed, looking at what went right this season, and how to improve the garden for next year.  In addition, a few tools will be shown that will help make next year a great and productive year in the garden.  The workshop is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.
  • Bloom Gardening for Good will host a garden-themed rock painting activity for children from 1:00 to 2:15.
  • At 2:30 a program honoring the Garden’s achievements and volunteers will take place.  Light refreshments and a cake will be served.
  • Donations of fresh produce and non-perishable food will be accepted during the afternoon and will be donated to the Murray UU Church Food Pantry.

For more information, contact Juliet Teixeira, texjade@yahoo.com, 508-222-2569 or visit the Attleboro Community Garden’s Facebook page.

A Day of Celebration

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June 9th at the Deborah and Roger Richardson Nature Preserve was a day for education, recreation, and celebration as more than 200 visitors participated in walks, talks, games, geocaching, and expressing appreciation to those who made it all possible.

Following acquisition of the property in June, 2016, the event was two years in the making.  New trails have been marked and boardwalks have been installed.  Signage has been put up to recognize and thank the major donors.  Interpretive panels describe the site’s history, flora, and fauna.  A new split rail fence marks the west edge of the property.  The 18th century Barrows House has a new coat of paint and is enhanced with historically-appropriate plantings.  Years of untamed growth have been removed to reveal an expansive lawn dubbed The Glen.  More overgrowth has been removed to reveal hardy perennials not tended for decades in Deborah’s Garden.

Visitors participated in various guided walks–viewing vernal pools, wetlands, fields, forests, gardens, and foundations of farm outbuildings.  Children petted a visiting herd of alpacas and went on a nature scavenger hunt.  Local residents interested in the history of the site could hear a historical narrative by Bill Lewis and then view the evidence with their own eyes.  Geocachers sought their own treasures.  And those with energy to burn could circle the trails in either low or high gear.

The weather could not have been better–showing the preserve in a perfect light.

Opening ceremony in the Glen at the Richardson Preserve.    Image credit: C Adler

A sign recognizing the many significant donations and grants that made acquisition of the preserve possible.    Image credit: C Adler

Land trust president Roy Belcher with Richardson family friend Robin Pantuosco, dedicating a tree in memory of Deborah and Roger Richardson.    Image credit: C Adler

Ted Leach thanks Charlie Wyman, Mass Audubon Land Protection Specialist, for his key role in preserving green spaces in Attleboro.    Image credit: C Adler

Opening Celebration attendees took an inaugural walk of the Charlie Wyman Trail.    Image credit: C Adler

Peonies in Deborah’s Garden.    Image credit: C Adler

Deborah’s Garden is one of the last stops on the Charlie Wyman Trail.    Image credit: C Adler

A side trail passes by this vernal pool.    Image credit: C Adler

This eighteenth century tableau prepared by local historian Bill Lewis could be viewed by any visitors curious enough to peek into one of the front windows of the Barrows House on June 9th.    Image credit: C Adler

The owners of Happy Snowman Alpaca Farm in Attleboro kindly brought their alpacas and demonstrated wool spinning techniques to the delight of all.    Image credit: C Adler

Read more about this event in an article published in The Sun Chronicle.