Acton Conservation Trust ‘s (ACT) 2024 Fall Community Service Day volunteers worked in the 176 Central Street Conservation Restriction (CR). A conservation restriction is a “legal agreement that prohibits certain acts and uses while allowing others, on private or municipally-owned property in order to permanently protect conservation values present on the land.” ACT holds eight CRs, and is required to monitor each of them annually. ACT monitors note action items such as invasive growth and boundary encroachment issues that require work. Invasive growth is an ever-present problem in our conservation lands, and we often focus on keeping that growth under control in manageable locations.
We were assisted by fourteen volunteers, including members of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 1. Volunteers were given a brief tutorial on identifying glossy buckthorn, Japanese barberry, multi-flora rose, and bittersweet, complete with examples of each. Tools were simple: gloves and pruning shears. ACT also brought an Extractigator, a specialized piece of equipment designed to pull out small shrubs or trees, including the root. Volunteers loved learning to use the Extractigator!
Jody Harris is a Board member and Events Coordinator for the Acton Conservation Trust (ACT). She is the Acton Exchange correspondent for ACT.