Kim Kastens

Senator Eldridge’s Green Advisory Council Meets with Municipal Sustainability Directors

November 20, 2023

On November 18, State Senator Jamie Eldridge convened the fall meeting of his Green Advisory Council at West Acton Villageworks. Residents and community leaders from across Senator Eldridge’s district assembled to share ideas about how to protect the local environment and respond to the global climate emergency. The…

Attendees at a Farmers Market stand before informational paperwork on a table.

Farmers Market Visitors Learn about Testing their Soil and Protecting Acton’s Streams

October 9, 2023

by Kim Kastens

On September 10 and October 1, visitors to the Acton Boxborough Farmers Market had a chance to learn how phosphate in fertilizer runoff can harm local aquatic ecosystems and how gardeners can test their soil to see whether phosphate is necessary as part of their fertilization plan. This…

Volunteers remove massive pile of invasive water chestnut from Ice House Pond

September 23, 2023

by Kim Kastens

On Saturday Sept 23, a flotilla of a dozen canoes, two kayaks, and one stand-up paddleboard set forth onto Ice House Pond in East Acton. More than forty volunteer “Pond Defenders” fought back against invasive water chestnuts, which have been clogging the north end of the pond and…

Trail in the woods blocked by fallen tree and two men working to clear the trail.

Land Stewards Clear Trail Blockages following Recent Storms

September 16, 2023

by Kim Kastens

Following the storms of September 8 and 10, regional headlines and newscasts were filled with photographs of downed trees across roads, railroad tracks, cars and buildings. Out of sight, the forested lands of Acton also suffered. Across the 1700 acres of Acton Conservation Lands, scores of trees fell,…

Acton’s Wetlands Still Protected

September 11, 2023

by Kim Kastens

On August 29, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakened federal protections for wetlands by limiting which lands that are wet qualify for protection under the Clean Water Act. The EPA’s new rules respond to a Supreme Court determination in the case of landowners in Idaho who wanted…

Two maps side by side, each showing a dashed line extending from Rt2A to "existing sewer."

Options for sewering Great Road discussed

August 19, 2023

by Kim Kastens

At their August 16, 2023 meeting, Acton’s Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) discussed and critiqued the July 2023 draft of the Great Road Wastewater Solutions report. The report was commissioned by the town and prepared by environmental engineering firm Wright-Pierce for the purpose of providing “a technical basis…

Photograph of a horseback riding arena with woman on horse in the foreground.

Choreographed Horseback Riding Benefits Equine Therapy Program

August 7, 2023

by Kim Kastens

On August 5 and 6, over a hundred horses and riders gathered at Bear Spot Farm on Pope Road in Acton to showcase their riding skills and raise money to benefit the equine therapy program of the Bear Spot Foundation. The equestrian discipline on display was “dressage.” In…

Photo of tree with species identified in Mandarin and English.

The Intersectional Environmentalist visits the Acton Arboretum

July 24, 2023

by Kim Kastens

This summer, Acton residents are joining together in the first annual Community Read, part of a program called “Stories Connect Us.” The book for this summer’s read is The Intersectional Environmentalist, by Leah Thomas. The author examines the intersection of environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and makes the case…

Space image with stars in foreground, Horsehead shadow.

Local Astrophotographer Marsha Wilcox Exhibits at the Griffin Museum of Photography

July 17, 2023

by Kim Kastens

The Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester is currently featuring Ancient Light, an online exhibit of nine spectacular celestial images created by Acton photographer Marsha Wilcox. The exhibit runs from July 10 through October 8, 2023, and can be accessed via https://griffinmuseum.org/show/marsha-wilcox-ancient-light/. [Editor’s note: As of October 29,…

Senator Eldridge’s Green Advisory Council Meets with Municipal Sustainability Directors

Farmers Market Visitors Learn about Testing their Soil and Protecting Acton’s Streams

Volunteers remove massive pile of invasive water chestnut from Ice House Pond

Land Stewards Clear Trail Blockages following Recent Storms

Acton’s Wetlands Still Protected

Options for sewering Great Road discussed

Choreographed Horseback Riding Benefits Equine Therapy Program

The Intersectional Environmentalist visits the Acton Arboretum

Local Astrophotographer Marsha Wilcox Exhibits at the Griffin Museum of Photography

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