Pitch In to Help Clean Up Weston!

The coming weeks are all about the small things we can do as a community to protect our native plants, wetlands and conservation areas, and public spaces. Take 15 minutes to make a big difference.

Remove Invasive Garlic Mustard

Make a difference by ridding the Town Green of this invasive weed. Join Conservation Commission members on the Town Green during the annual Spring Fling on April 28th from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. A bucket and nitrile gloves will be provided. With many hands helping, the first crop of garlic mustard can get cleared. If you are not available on Saturday, you can still help out by heading out for a walk with a bag and gloves and pull the weed as you go. The picture on the left is a first-year plant, which has kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped margins.

Garlic mustard takes two years to mature and form seeds. The image to the right shows a second-year plant where the leaves are more triangular and alternating on the stems. Small white flower clusters also appear. Seeds develop in May at an average of 600 per plant, so now is the time to attack!

If we all pitch in, we can stop this invader from over-running our native plants. For more information on this invasive pest, read the April 2018 Conservation Connections online.

A Community of Over 1,100 Residents with No Sewer System!?

That’s right! Over 1,100 dogs live in Weston, and of course, do not use the toilet. Pet waste washes into our wetlands/streams/waterways if pet owners do not dispose of it properly. When it rains, animal waste left uncovered or stored improperly near wetlands and storm drains can flow, untreated, directly into streams and our water supply. Animal waste contains bacteria, which is detected in pond/stream sampling and can trigger public safety advisories.

How You Can Help

On a walk - Picking up after your pet ensures that waste will not wash into Weston’s streams, wetlands and catch basins (which directly drain to streams and wetlands).

Remember, it is illegal not to pick up your dog’s waste on Weston Town Land (i.e. sidewalks, Town Green, parks, conservation land, and other open spaces).
Always carry a plastic bag with you when you take your dog for a walk. Although some conservation areas provide plastic bags and trash receptacles, most do not. don’t assume you will find a public dispenser. Carry in, Carry out.
Plastic grocery and vegetable bags work well. Place your hand in the bag, pick up the waste. Turn the bag inside out, and then drop it in a trash receptacle.

Clean up at home - Pet owners have many different ways of cleaning up after their pets at home. Here are a few that are wetland and forest friendly:

Smaller quantities of pet waste can be raked or turned into the soil of lawns or gardens to decompose slowly.
Larger amounts should be scooped and placed in the trash. One method suggested for this is to place a plastic bag in a 5-gallon trash can with a lid. When you pick up dog droppings in your yard, put them in that trash can, then cover them with a sprinkling of powdered lime (available at building supply stores) and close the lid. Each time you clean up the yard and add droppings to the container, add more lime. When the container is full, tie the bag closed and put it in your regular trash container

Weston's Dog Regulations

For the full text of Weston’s Dog Regulations (Article XX of the General Town Bylaws): www.weston.org/221/Dog-Walking

Weston’s Animal Control Officer can be reached at the Police Department: 781-786-6200.

Please report dog walking violations, dog safety issues, and inquire about Commercial Dog Walking permits there.

Town Clean Up Week

Sustainable Weston is organizing a week-long effort for all, by all, who wish to participate in keeping our community green and clean. Pick up a small section of your street with a pledge to fill "just one bag-full" or join a group event to work together with your neighborhood, sports team, school or church friends.

Find instructions and group postings for different times and locations on the Sustainable Weston Facebook page. Share your success with a picture online via email and/or bring your collected trash to the Sustainable Weston table at the Spring Fling on the Town Green on April 28th from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m.

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