Get Outside

Bay Circuit Trail

Did you know that the 230-mile Bay Circuit Trail travels through the northwest portion of Weston? Maybe you only want to walk through Weston’s portion in Ogilvie and Jericho Town forests, or maybe you’re up for the entire trek?

“The complete trail travels through 37 communities, through pastures and fields, woods and forests, farms and preserves, neighborhood roads and downtown streets, over and under highways, across bridges and boardwalks, below power lines, beside train tracks, across swamps and bogs, through backyards, across driveways and past some of the most beautiful and historic properties in the state. And it’s all right there for the hiking — a public path with a network of trail maps and descriptions and a devoted crew of volunteers who help to keep it clear,” writes Rich Harbert of the Milford Daily News.

Guided Trail Walks

Weston Forest and Trail Association (WFTA) leads guided trail walks each month from October to May to help Weston residents and their friends enjoy and appreciate the wonderful nature that surrounds us. Walks start at 2 p.m. (rain, snow, or sunshine!) and run 1–2 hours in different parts of town. Upcoming walks:

November 7: Elliston Farm to the Weston Reservoir. Visit four very different landscapes: Working farm, golf course, forest and reservoir. Park at the Elliston Homestead at 263 South Ave.
December 5: Sears Land and Melone Homestead. Enjoy a special holiday treat and explore remnants of the old Sears Estate. We will walk over the river and through the woods leaving right from town green. Meet at the old watering trough on the green and join us for a wonderful journey down memory lane.

Members, visitors, children and dogs are welcome, though dogs should be leashed and must be under control by their owners. Up-to-date information on upcoming walks can be found on WFTA's website.

Some Good Apples

Did you know there’s an apple orchard on Weston Conservation Land located on the northern property of Concord Road adjacent to the Campion Center campus? Apples are first come first serve. Residents can enjoy picking their own apples (for free!) thanks to dedicated volunteers that maintain the orchard.

Regis College students helping with land management activities in Highland Forest.

Protecting Weston's Valuable Assets

Stewardship Saturdays

Join the Conservation Department and Weston Forest and Trail Association (WFTA) on the third Saturday of every month for stewardship and camaraderie as we work collaboratively to manage nearly 2,000 acres of conservation land and over 90 miles of off-road trails in Weston. Both organizations rely on volunteers to assist with the management of these incredible resources. Participants will get an overview of the Weston Trail System, and enjoy some quality time in one of Weston’s natural gems.

Stewardship Saturday projects include invasive plant management, trail construction and maintenance, boardwalk and bridge construction, trash pickup, stone wall beautification, etc. The inaugural event was held on World Cleanup Day on September 18. Thank you to all volunteers who met at Highland Forest, and worked on water bars to improve the drainage on select trails.

We invite you to our next Stewardship Saturday event on October 16th. You may sign up by emailing Conservation@WestonMA.gov. Children at least 13 years of age must have parental supervision, ages 16+ do not need parents in attendance. No previous experience is necessary. We will provide all the know-how.

Founder's Day at Regis College

Shout out to the students and staff at Regis College for celebrating their Founder’s Day with us at Highland Forest. Together we continued installing new water bars as well as maintaining existing ones. This was a great opportunity to increase awareness and curiosity of Weston’s Conservation Land. We expect to collaborate on future events.

Deer Hunting Season Opens

Bow hunting has been permitted in Weston since 2014. The eighth season begins in early October and continues the ongoing effort to protect our forest from dense deer populations.

The Conservation Commission issues permits to approved hunters to bow hunt from temporary and stationary tree stands that are located well off the walking trails. Each hunter is required to pass a proficiency test as well as hold a Massachusetts’s hunting license. Bow hunting ends on December 31. Learn more about Weston's Deer Management Program on the Conservation web page. Information about hunting in Massachusetts is available from the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Stewardship at Home

Turn your Yard into a Carbon Sink

Our friends at Black Earth Compost, which manages the food waste composting program at Weston's Transfer Station, are issuing a challenge through a new service for Weston residents.

Right now, a global effort is being made to increase soil organic matter content by .4% per year in the top 30-40cm of agricultural soils. Think grasslands, pastures and forest soils. The folks at Black Earth Compost want to raise the bar and extend this movement to suburban lawns, because locally that is the lowest hanging fruit for pulling down carbon from the atmosphere. During the first week of October, residents can sign up to have a yard or more of compost delivered to their home. Learn more about how composting is great for soil and for combating climate change and order your delivery.

Messy is Best

A manicured lawn might look nice, but messy is best for birds and bugs. Native plants provide birds with the food and shelter they need. Gardeners may snip the stems of perennials in the flower garden to neaten up the garden. But the seed heads of coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and other native wildflowers provide a helpful food cache for birds. If you want to make your backyard a welcoming winter haven for birds, take a break from outdoor chores and relax. A win-win for you and the wildlife! Learn more from the Audubon Society.

Nymphs of the spotted lanternfly, from left to right, youngest to oldest

Spotted Lanternfly - Early Detection is Key

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) recently discovered a small population of the invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF) in Fitchburg. This represents the easternmost spread of the pest. While MDAR has not been able to determine the origin of the infestation, SLFs may travel out of infested areas on vehicles, during shipments of produce, sheds, and gazebos, trees and shrubs for landscaping, and many other items that are regularly sent from states with known infestations.

As a result of this new find, MDAR is urging the public to be on the lookout for the pest. SLFs may be found on sides of buildings, in or on vehicles, and on their preferred host plants: tree of heaven, grape vines, and maple and walnut trees. Anyone who has recently received goods or materials from states where SLF is known to have been introduced (including Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) should be on the lookout.

“The spotted lanternfly can have devastating impacts on Massachusetts’ agricultural industry, including on a number of farms and orchards in this part of the state that we want to protect from this pest,” said MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux. “Early detection and reporting is the best way to slow the spread of spotted lanternfly. Members of the public, particularly those in the Fitchburg area, have seen this pest, they are asked to report it as soon as possible.”

If residents find anything suspicious, you are asked to take a photo or collect the specimen, and report the sighting using MDAR’s online reporting form. Residents should look for both adult insects (large, gray bugs, about one inch long, with black spots and red underwings) and egg masses (inch-long, rectangular masses, yellowish-brown, and covered with a gray waxy coating). The egg masses may be found on any flat surface.

While individual spotted lanternflies have been found in several different parts of the state over the past several years, this is the first evidence that Massachusetts has a breeding population. An online map is available that shows towns and cities where SLF has been found.

Managing Stormwater

Don’t Dump Yard Waste

A lot of people think that because leaves, grass clippings, brush, and other yard waste are natural, it is OK to dump huge piles in the woods or wetlands. However, dumped yard waste destroys the underlying vegetation and wildlife habitat; and prohibits new trees and shrubs from growing. Leaf dumping near water bodies has resulted in flooding problems upstream. Roadside ditches, used to remove road run off, can get clogged from leaves dumped there by residents and landscapers. And further, the excessive nutrients left by waterbodies increase nitrogen levels and contribute to harmful algae blooms.

Homeowners are encouraged to utilize the natural fertilizer from fallen leaves in their yards and landscapes or to make room in their yards for a small composting bin or area. A small area can be left in a natural state and managed as natural mulch, as well as creating a important over-winter habitat for small animals, birds and pollinators. Homeowners looking to dispose of leaves and brush may bring their yard waste including leaves, grass, and brush to the Transfer Station off of Church Street or the Yard Waste Composting Facility (Brush Dump) on Merriam Street, which opens on October 16th for fall cleanups. A current Transfer Station permit is all that is needed and they are free to all residents.

Scoop the Poop

It’s a dirty job, but if you don’t do it, you’re directly contributing to local water quality problems. Pet waste contains parasites that can cause human (and pet) health problems and be harmful to our wetlands and streams. Learn more about the harm dog waste does to the environment. Please pick up after your pet and throw it away responsibly. Never throw pet waste into a storm drain, waterway, or deep into the woods.

Become a Volunteer Bark Ranger for the Town of Weston and help protect our trails and local waterways.

Drain Swimming Pools Wisely

Never drain pool or hot tub water directly into a body of water. The best option is to discharge chlorinated water over landscaping using the following steps:

shut off the chlorination system or stop adding chlorine one week before draining pool water;
make sure the pH level is between 6.5 and 8.5, the normal pH range of surface and ground waters; and
drain pool water where it will not flow directly into a street, gutter, someone else’s property or wetland.

Weston Invasive Plants Advisory Group (WIPAG)

Not just another catchy acronym – but an important new committee in Town. WIPAG was recently formed to address the ever growing (pun intended) problem of invasive plants. Current participants represent Conservation staff, Conservation Commission, Weston Forest and Trail Association, Board of Health, Facilities Department, Department of Public Works, Select Board, Planning Board, Tree Advisory Group, and the Weston Plant Pollinator Alliance. WIPAG is collaborative and open to participation by any member of the public concerned with the preservation of Weston’s biodiversity and natural ecosystems. If interested, please reach out to Conservation@WestonMA.gov for more information.

Decorating? Avoid Invasive Plants

Resist the urge to decorate for the holidays with invasives. Skip the multiflora rose and Oriental bittersweet when decorating this holiday season. Invasive plants can cause severe environmental damage, invading habitats and crowding out native plants. Bittersweet can kill mature trees through strangling.

Energy Efficiency

By Sustainability Coordinator Kortni Wroten

Fall is finally here and as the cooler weather creeps in, it’s a good time to assess your home to make sure you’re ready for the season’s chilly temperatures.

In New England, two-thirds of our net electricity usage comes from natural gas-fired generators. While natural gas is less harmful than coal and oil, electricity must be used as soon as it is generated, so more power plants need to be turned on when there is higher demand on the grid. This leads to our utilities firing up power plants that are costlier, less efficient, and dirtier for the environment. Consequently, each and every one of us has the power to reduce our electricity usage at home. Luckily, there are many ways to do so, and they benefit our wallets.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems use the most electricity in the home. The best way to reduce this energy usage is by using efficient technology and using technology efficiently. Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) mini-split systems are very efficient because they are ductless. They only connect two small poles to a compressor outside your home. These are much more effective than the traditional ducted home, which can lose up to 40% of the air before it even reaches the rooms in your home. The mini-split system can also be zoned, meaning you can put the heads in any room and only heat/cool that specific room. The best way to control this system is with the smart thermostat, which can help you to better control the settings on your system, even with a mobile app when you’re away from home.

Another easy way to reduce energy consumption is by switching out your incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDS). CFLs can last 10 times longer and use up to 75% less energy. LEDs last up to 25 years and use 80% less electricity. You can choose the warmth, brightness, and appearance of light in your home while still saving energy with LEDs and CFLs. This month, the Town of Weston received $258,000 from Eversource to retrofit the streetlights to LED, which will save the Town hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next decade alone in reduced energy costs and maintenance bills.

Another tip is to look for the blue Energy Star label when purchasing new electronics or appliances. Energy Star is a government-backed label that helps consumers choose technology that will save them money and protect the environment. In fact, in 2019 alone, Energy Star helped Americans save nearly 500 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and avoid $39 billion in energy costs. MassSave is a program offered through our utilities that offers no-cost home energy assessments, rebates, and incentives for energy efficient technologies in homes and businesses. MassSave often gives rebates for LED light bulbs, Energy Star rated appliances, smart thermostats, and more – so it’s worth checking out!
Try these tips at home, and share your own with friends and neighbors. By reducing our energy demand, we can save money, increase our comfort in our homes, and protect the environment.

A Tribute to One-of-a Kind Paul Penfield

excerpt from The Weston Owl, written by Kristin Barbieri (WFTA member)

When a tree falls in the forest, can you hear the sound? Yes, if that tree is one of the titans of Weston. Among those residents who have preserved, protected, and enhanced our town’s open spaces and access to them, Paul Penfield stood among the tallest. This summer Paul Penfield passed away at the age of 88, leaving his many friends and neighbors shocked and saddened.

As the town reels from the news, many are commenting how recently they saw him and in such good health. Of the many Weston Forest & Trail Association (WFTA) walks held over the decades, it was rare to have one without Paul’s attendance.

Many a story is coming in about all he did for the town, including grappling hooks to clear culverts, pollinator plants on the rail trail, and perhaps his greatest gift to Weston – his tireless championing of the rail trail. He was a long-time active member of the First Parish Church of Weston. Recently he was one of the founding members of the MetroWest Climate Solutions Group. It is fair to say that not much stopped Paul Penfield, and definitely never his age.

Joel Angiolillo, President of WFTA, commented: “I met with him last Saturday at the Rail Trail. He was in the process of making pollinator garden signs and the signage for the new murals under Concord Road. He came prepared with samples of laminated signs for plant identification, backed by working URLs on a website he set up..."

Rest in peace, Paul. Weston is a better place because of you.