Environment

Pizza + Heat Pumps in Acton

December 13, 2024

On Wednesday, December 4, the Town of Acton Sustainability Office, in collaboration with Energize Acton, hosted a Heat Pump Pizza Party in Room 204 of Acton Town Hall to educate residents about the benefits of heat pumps as a sustainable alternative for home heating and cooling. (Yes, heat pumps do both!) The event drew approximately 130 participants, including State Senator Jamie Eldridge and State Representative Dan Sena, who joined residents eager to learn about heat pumps. The event featured presentations from David Martin, one of Acton’s Clean Energy Coaching Program coaches, and Kit Wu of the Laminar Collective, a group…

January 2025 (Wolf Moon): Acton Nature Watch

February 8, 2025

by Rob Gogan

December December 15: A CRAYFISH scuttles across the gravel bottom of Nagog Brook, still free of ice cover. Kyran Vig, a student at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School who monitors stream depth weekly for the Green Acton Water Committee, noticed the crustacean next to the stream gauge. Biologists at…

A map of the New England coast. A yellow star shows off the coast of Maine and many little dots show where people reported feeling the quake. The dots extend from north of Portland to south of Providence, RI and west of Springfield, MA.

Earthquake felt in Acton

February 1, 2025

by Kim Kastens

On Monday, Jan. 27, at 10:22am EST, an earthquake shook the seafloor offshore York, Maine, sending out shock waves that were felt throughout New England, including in Acton. For the next two days, I asked every Actonian I met if they had felt the earthquake and I asked…

Candid Camera in the wild: an interview with Rebecca Harvey

January 25, 2025

by Tom Wolf

Rebecca Harvey has captured hundreds of wild animals in Acton. Wait, I mean captured on video – on her trail cameras. Trust me, no animals were harmed in pursuit of her hobby. I sat down with Rebecca on Saturday, Jan. 11 to learn more about her trail camera…

Doug Tallamy speaks (virtually) at conservation meeting in Acton

December 13, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

The Middlesex Conservation District (MCD) held its annual meeting in the Faulkner Room of the Acton Town Hall on Dec. 9, 2024. The event featured a virtual presentation by Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor of Agriculture at the University of Delaware, discussing his recent book, Nature’s Best Hope. Dr.…

Open House about WR Grace Superfund Site draws large, curious crowd

November 27, 2024

by Kim Kastens

More than 50 townspeople came to Town Hall on November 12 to learn more about the history, status, and future of the W.R. Grace Superfund Site along the southeastern edge of Acton. The timing of the Open House followed upon the recent release of the Sixth Five-yearly report,…

Environment Massachusetts launches campaign to save the bees

November 22, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Native bee populations are facing a sharp decline due to climate change, habitat destruction, disease, and pesticide exposure. Neonicotinoids, a specific class of pesticides, are especially harmful to bees and contribute significantly to bee mortality. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate neonic-coated seeds, further endangering bees.…

Acton is in “critical drought” and “red flag” fire warning status

November 9, 2024

by Kim Kastens

The northeastern region of Massachusetts is now in a “Level 3: Critical Drought,” according to the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force. In announcing this designation on November 7, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper called attention to the low streamflow, below average precipitation, and high fire danger…

LAND grant for Wetherbee Woods

November 2, 2024

by Janet Furey

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge has announced that the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has approved a Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) grant of $500,000 to help Acton preserve Wetherbee Woods. Working as the Acton delegation, Eldridge and state Reps. Simon Cataldo and Dan…

Invasive aquatic species invade Acton Town Hall

November 2, 2024

by Kim Kastens

On October 22, Town Hall was transformed into a plant identification biology lab, as thirty-five lovers of local ponds and rivers gathered to learn to identify invasive aquatic species. The Workshop on Invasive Aquatic Species attracted environmentalists and municipal staff from seventeen towns throughout the SuAsCo (Sudbury/Assabet/Concord) watershed.…

A group of people standing in the woods with dappled sunlight.

Acton Conservation Trust Fall Community Service Day

November 2, 2024

by Jody Harris

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…

How and why to recycle batteries in Acton

October 12, 2024

by Rob Gogan

Every day, we use devices powered by batteries – and these batteries contain hazardous materials. This article reviews how Acton residents can dispose of used batteries safely right here in town – and why it is important to do so. Batteries in our devices contain a variety of…

Low water flow in Nashoba Brook triggers outdoor water use restrictions

September 21, 2024

by Kim Kastens

Effective September 11, the Acton Water District (AWD) has announced more stringent restrictions on water use. The new restrictions were triggered when streamflow in Nashoba Brook dropped below 0.57 cubic feet per second (cfs), an indicator of dry conditions in our region. Each AWD customer is now limited…

Bears, bears, everywhere

September 14, 2024

by Tom Wolf

In a recent video posted on Facebook from East Acton, a hulking figure ambles across the lawn, unaware they are being recorded by a doorbell camera. No, it is not a criminal casing the neighborhood. It is an Ursus americanus, also known as an American black bear. The…

Human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis detected in Acton

September 7, 2024

by The Acton Exchange Team

The Town of Acton and the Acton Board of Health report that a human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been confirmed in Acton, and that the community is now at high risk for mosquito-borne infections. The Department of Public Health notified the Town of Acton of…

Volunteers pull 355 basketfuls of invasive water chestnut from Ice House Pond

July 26, 2024

by Tom Wolf

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire? More like chestnuts choking out the wildlife. Invasive water chestnuts, that is. That is why a group of volunteers met at Ice House Pond on Saturday July 20, to try to control this vigorously spreading, invasive, aquatic plant. According to Massachusetts Department…

Revision to Massport charter includes climate objectives in Hanscom planning

July 26, 2024

by Kim Kastens

In a press release dated July 17, 2024, one of Acton’s state representatives, Simon Cataldo, wrote: “The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted favorably on omnibus energy and climate legislation that incorporates Representative Simon Cataldo’s…amendment to enact a landmark change to Massport’s charter. The amendment, filed with [representatives of…

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Environment

Pizza + Heat Pumps in Acton

January 2025 (Wolf Moon): Acton Nature Watch

Earthquake felt in Acton

Candid Camera in the wild: an interview with Rebecca Harvey

Doug Tallamy speaks (virtually) at conservation meeting in Acton

Open House about WR Grace Superfund Site draws large, curious crowd

Environment Massachusetts launches campaign to save the bees

Acton is in “critical drought” and “red flag” fire warning status

LAND grant for Wetherbee Woods

Invasive aquatic species invade Acton Town Hall

Acton Conservation Trust Fall Community Service Day

How and why to recycle batteries in Acton

Low water flow in Nashoba Brook triggers outdoor water use restrictions

Bears, bears, everywhere

Human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis detected in Acton

Volunteers pull 355 basketfuls of invasive water chestnut from Ice House Pond

Revision to Massport charter includes climate objectives in Hanscom planning

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