Environment

Students convert biogas to energy

September 27, 2025

Aakarsh TathacarandAaron HongandAndrew Wu

What began as a simple assignment for our school science fair as part of the Intro to Science Research elective has since grown into an award-winning research project. We three high school students from Acton Boxborough Regional High School were ultimately selected to compete at the 2024 Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF) at Gillette Stadium on April 5, 2024, where our project, entitled “Septic biogas purification with a microbial filter,” won first place in the category of environmental engineering among hundreds of top projects. Our team, supported by biology teacher Mr. Aaron Mathieu and research club advisor Mr. Brian…

Acton Nature Watch: Corn Moon (August 23-September 21, 2025)

September 27, 2025

by Rob Gogan

August Aug. 23: BARN SWALLOW fledglings, having learned how to catch flying insects over Fort Pond Brook, migrate south with their parents. Aug. 27: An insect lays tiny eggs in a circular pattern approximately 1 inch in diameter on a West Acton window screen. Aug. 28: SOLITARY SANDPIPER…

ABRHS wins $500K grant for clean energy

September 13, 2025

by The Acton Exchange Team

The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has awarded Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS) a $500,000 grant through the Green Communities Competitive Grant program, according to a press release from State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough), State Representative Simon Cataldo (D-Concord), and State Representative Danillo Sena (D-Acton). The funding will…

Red House Pocket Park Launch Event

August 30, 2025

by Karen Root Watkins

The Town of Acton and the Acton Water District celebrated a new resilience project on August 20, with the launch of the “Red House Pocket Park” at 468 Main Street, across Woodbury Lane from Town Hall. The Pocket Park, though small, is an inviting green space with gardens,…

Energy Eco-Night

August 23, 2025

by Alissa Nicol

Acton’s Sustainability Office hosted Energy Eco-Night on Friday, August 15th at the NARA Park Bathhouse Pavilion. The office’s summer fellow, Sophia Darsch, organized the event. Darsch’s position and programming were made possible thanks to funding from the state’s Department of Energy Resources. The event highlighted energy efficiency programs,…

Wildfire haze puts Acton at risk

August 23, 2025

by Susan Greene

This summer, Acton residents saw hazy skies overhead — but the smoke wasn’t from any local source. It had traveled hundreds of miles, carried on the winds from record-setting wildfires in Canada. What was once a rare event is quickly becoming a regular part of New England summers.…

Remembering Charlotte Sagoff, advocate for Earth and social justice

August 9, 2025

by Kim Kastens

At their meeting on July 27, the Water Committee of Green Acton welcomed the daughter and granddaughter of Charlotte Sagoff to share memories of their influential foremother. In the 1970s and 1980s, Sagoff campaigned successfully to get industrial pollution from the W.R. Grace facility in Acton cleaned up,…

Acton Water District restricts outdoor water use

August 9, 2025

by Ron Parenti

See Editors’ Note at the end of this article. After this edition of the Acton Exchange was sent to production, we learned that the outdoor water use restriction has been relaxed back to 2 days per week, effective August 8, 2025. The summer of 2025 has been unusually…

Grand opening of the Moritz Forest Conservation Land

August 2, 2025

by Susan Mitchell-Hardt

On July 23, a crowd of some 50 people assembled on Moritz Forest Conservation Land, formerly known as “Wetherbee Woods,” to celebrate the grand opening of the trail system on this newly preserved conservation land. They were joined by the stars of the show, “Phil” and “Kent”, a…

Acton Nature Watch: Buck Moon (June 25 – July 24, 2025)

August 2, 2025

by Rob Gogan

June June 7: A BOBCAT patrols a sun-dappled hemlock grove in E. Acton [click link to see Rebecca Harvey’s video]. June 17: A frisky WHITE-TAILED DEER explores the gap in a stone wall in N. Acton while its shy sibling lingers closer to the doe, who watches nearby.…

Girl Scout Suravi Bhatia creates pathway through Acton’s environmental history

July 26, 2025

by Kim Kastens

As her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Suravi Bhatia has created a self-guided environment/climate history walk along the path behind the Red House, across the street from Town Hall. This reporter toured the walk with Bhatia on July 13. The walk comprises twelve illustrated panels, organized chronologically, from…

OARS’ annual meeting: Elections, volunteers honored, Acton scientist speaks, and a new use for beet juice?

July 5, 2025

by James Conboy

June 23, Pompositticut Community Center, Stow: A new slate of board members was elected tonight at the OARS annual meeting, emceed by Executive Director Matt Brown, and five members were honored for their volunteer work during the past year. (OARS is the Organization for the Assabet, Sudbury, and…

Advice on keeping a green lawn and an eye on the environment

July 5, 2025

by Bettina Abe

Loving green grass is a common sentiment. It’s lush and alive, smells good, invites whiffle ball games, allows one to lie back and stare at the clouds floating by in the sky… or the stars at night. Green lawns are often appreciated for their aesthetic and recreational value.…

Acton Nature Watch: Strawberry Moon (May 26, 2025 – June 25, 2025)

June 28, 2025

by Rob Gogan

May May 23: WOOD DUCK mother leads a clutch of a dozen ducklings down an Acton forest stream several times…GREAT BLUE HERON wades, flies briefly, and continues walking downstream in N. Acton brook [Click links to see Rebecca Harvey’s spectacular videos]. May 24: BLUEBIRD eggs laid one per…

A map of the garden plan that was used to determine which plants go where. The key includes both different patterns and colors.

Wilde Garden blooms alongside Memorial Library

June 14, 2025

by Miriam Lezak

On June 4, the space next to Acton Memorial Library that faces Town Hall was transformed from a tarp-covered visual blight to a wood-chipped desert, and finally to a fully-fledged garden. Before planting day, interested parties, including Garden Club members Barbara Wissell and Cathy Fochtman, Teen Librarian Chris…

Ten years of give-and-take at Acton Swap Shop

June 7, 2025

by Rob Gogan

The Acton Swap Shop opened for the season Thursday, May 8. Despite the rainy weather, visitors to the Acton Transfer Station dropped off and picked up hundreds of reusable items at no cost to them or the Town of Acton. This begins the tenth year of this local…

Acton Nature Watch: Flower Moon (April 27 – May 25)

May 31, 2025

by Rob Gogan

April April 24: TROUT LILIES show their yellow face-down flowers for a few short days near Mass. Ave. in West Acton. April 26: PILEATED WOODPECKER climbs CHERRY TREE in Acton condo and casts a suspicious glance through a window at their human spectator. April 27: NORWAY MAPLE blossoms…

Acton hailed as Climate Leader Community

May 18, 2025

by The Acton Exchange Team

Acton’s longtime commitment to sustainability was recognized on Friday as state officials designated the Town as a Climate Leader Community. The Town was one of 19 communities honored at a ceremony on Friday, May 2, at the construction site for Watertown’s new net-zero High School. To be recognized…

Town Meeting Articles 30, 31: Amend zoning bylaws concerning accessory dwelling units and “Habitat for All”

May 10, 2025

by Tom Beals

Acton has two sets of detailed bylaws, the General Bylaws of the Town of Acton and the Town of Acton Zoning Bylaw. At the 2025 Town Meeting, Articles 30 and 31 proposed changes to the Zoning Bylaw. Article 32 and 33, covered in a separate Acton Exchange story,…

Town Meeting Articles 32, 33: New Leaf blower and tree clearing bylaws

May 10, 2025

Jeff BrownandMiriam Lezak

The general bylaws of the Town of Acton direct how various aspects of the town are to be governed and administered. Article 32: Town Meeting outlaws 2-cycle gas powered leaf blowers, partially in 2028, completely in 2029 To reduce noise and air pollution, Article 32 prohibits the use…

Pink Moon Nature Watch (March 29 – April 26)

April 26, 2025

by Rob Gogan

March March 30: Vernal pool in Spring Hill Conservation Area hosts several animals over the course of the Pink Moon: BARRED OWL (ten times!), RACCOON, WOOD FROGS, WHITE-TAILED DEER, and more. Thanks as always to Acton’s trail cam guru Rebecca Harvey for these and all videos in this…

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Environment

Students convert biogas to energy

Acton Nature Watch: Corn Moon (August 23-September 21, 2025)

ABRHS wins $500K grant for clean energy

Red House Pocket Park Launch Event

Energy Eco-Night

Wildfire haze puts Acton at risk

Remembering Charlotte Sagoff, advocate for Earth and social justice

Acton Water District restricts outdoor water use

Grand opening of the Moritz Forest Conservation Land

Acton Nature Watch: Buck Moon (June 25 – July 24, 2025)

Girl Scout Suravi Bhatia creates pathway through Acton’s environmental history

OARS’ annual meeting: Elections, volunteers honored, Acton scientist speaks, and a new use for beet juice?

Advice on keeping a green lawn and an eye on the environment

Acton Nature Watch: Strawberry Moon (May 26, 2025 – June 25, 2025)

Wilde Garden blooms alongside Memorial Library

Ten years of give-and-take at Acton Swap Shop

Acton Nature Watch: Flower Moon (April 27 – May 25)

Acton hailed as Climate Leader Community

Town Meeting Articles 30, 31: Amend zoning bylaws concerning accessory dwelling units and “Habitat for All”

Town Meeting Articles 32, 33: New Leaf blower and tree clearing bylaws

Pink Moon Nature Watch (March 29 – April 26)

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