Highlights
AUGUST 2021 - August Bioreserve Walk, Erosion, Pool Plan
ACTIVITY ALERT - WALKING THE LINE - AUGUST'S EXPLORING THE SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS BIORESERVE WALK
Meeting time, date and location: 8 a.m., August 14, Saturday, at the intersection of Yellow Hill Road and Fire Tower Road, Fall River, MA. Park along the east side of the road.
Due to the terrible condition of some of the roads in that area, approach the meeting location from the south. From White's of Westport Restaurant on Route 6 go north on Old Bedford Road to Blossom Road. North on Blossom Road to Indian Town Road. Right, east, on Indian Town Road to Yellow Hill Road. Left, north, on Yellow Hill Road to Fire Tower Road. We will meet near the gate at the entrance to Fire Tower Road.
Length of walk, approximately 2 1/2 miles. Water, snack and insect repellent are all good. Rain cancels walk.
We will walk a portion of the line that divides the two major Bioreserve watersheds. To the east and southeast of the line water flows to the Westport River and Buzzards Bay. North and west of the line water drains to the Taunton River and Narragansett Bay.
Interested in the Bio's fire tower? Check here: http://www.firelookout.org/lookouts/ma/fallriver.htm
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INFO ALERT - A BIORESERVE IN NAME ONLY
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation destroying our natural heritage one acre at a time!
DCR pushed by dirt bike riders, off-road vehicle manufacturers and dealers and some well meaning, but environmentally naive politicians are encouraging more forest destruction by expanding trails used both by residents and those from adjacent states. Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York have either banned entirely or have stricter regulations on riding dirt bikes on their public lands.
Recent damage to a geologically and topographically unique SMB trail limited to hikers only. No dirt bikes allowed. What is an esker and why is it unique? Eskers are serpentine ridges of rock, gravel and other sediment deposited by meltwater channels flowing through and from retreating glaciers many thousands of years ago. What it has taken Nature thousands of years to create is being destroyed by illegal dirt bike activity right now.
One of our members is also a member of Mass Audubon. After our previous alert on this DCR created and encouraged problem she emailed us this: https://www.massaudubon.org/our-conservation-work/advocacy/protecting-land-wildlife/forest-policy/massachusetts-state-forests-parks
Massachusetts Audubon is one of the oldest, most respected environmental organizations in Massachusetts. We invite them down to see for themselves and to play an active role in supporting good stewardship, because DCR just isn't doing it. "Mass Audubon plays an active role in supporting good stewardship of state lands." Email us at, info@greenfutures.org
This is an invitation to Mass Audubon and other environmental organizations to come down and view some DCR stewardship up close. Just email us and we'll show you the egregious land damage that has resulted from years of DCR stewardship. If you are reading this and are a member of another environmental group and this destruction troubles you too, we invite your group to participate also.
Read this from a DEM, now DCR, study from 25 years ago. DEM's study revealed:
“Significant problems surrounding ORV (off-road vehicle) use at DEM facilities. Impacts to wetlands, and rare species habitat have been widespread, as were accelerated soil erosion, mud holes, trail widening, and unauthorized cutting of new trails.” DEM also stated that, “ORVs also compact soil, which decreases the infiltration rate, causing standing water, and ultimate mudholes. All these impacts are cumulative and steadily worsen with continued ORV use. Conflicts between ORV users and other forest visitors have also been common, most often in the form of displacement – non-motorized users simply staying away from areas frequented by ORV users. “
In addition the study showed, "DEM did not have the capability to effectively manage an extensive ORV trail system given the vehicles’ disproportionate level of impact and the fact that only 7% of Forest and Park visitors use ORVs.”
The SMB is still waiting, ten years now, for DCR to repair this damage caused by their negligence in not enforcing their rules and regulations.
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE
The Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve finds itself in an area of the state that is, unfortunately, economically disadvantaged. Along with that disadvantage also comes low levels of educational attainment. Isn't this destruction in the Freetown State Forest just another injustice? If not, then why don't we see DCR encouraging dirt biking in their Blue Hills or Myles Standish State Forest or Mohawk Trail State Forest or in the Quabbin Watershed Reservation or at Middlesex Fells, etc., etc. etc.
Next "INFO ALERT" we'll list some native species vanishing from what is supposed to be a bioreserve and some alien invasive species appearing due to DCR's "stewardship."
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INFO ALERT - August's Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve Walk
This past Saturday we walked a small portion of the divide that separates the Narragansett Bay watershed from the Buzzards Bay watershed.
It was a very hot and humid morning and this summer has been, so far, extremely rainy.
All that rain not only has periodic brooks in the Bioreserve acting more permanent, but has also encouraged many species of fungi to magically pop up.
The following walk and fungus among us photos by Liz:
At Hog Rock. See the shape of the hog's head and snout?
Orange earth tongue.
Black earth tongue.
A coral mushroom.
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INFO ALERT - Another Massachusetts Dysfunctional Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) missed opportunity. They could do so much better.
DCR's Freetown State Forest is an integral part of the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve (SMB). Over the years DCR has had various shallow wading pools for small children at the forest entrance off Slab Bridge Road in Freetown. All of the past pools/pads were poorly constructed, urban-ugly in design and all were plagued by problems, so DCR is constructing a new one.
DCR's most recent wading pool, prior to the new one they are constructing now, was just a bowl of shallow water with one spray feature surrounded by a formidable, black chain-link fence plastered with "don't do" signs and all exposed to the brutal summer sun in an area devoid of trees and other vegetation. Something one might expect on a small lot in an inner city, but not expected in a bucolic setting.
In the summer small children love playing in pools and getting sprayed with water and we think that is great, but since this recreational water feature is located within the last large tract of forest in Bristol County, why couldn't DCR construct a more naturalistically designed pool/spray pad in harmony with its environment and also, since it is within a bioreserve, teach forest values to both the children and their parents/guardians while they are there?
Some of those forest values: Our forest cleans the air and supplies oxygen, filters water that flows into public water supply reservoirs and aquifers that provide clean water to thousands of people, provides wood for lumber and fuel, sustains native animals and plants and is the last natural area left for some state rare and endangered species, sequesters large amounts of carbon helping to slow climate change and provides passive outdoor recreation for local residents and visitors.
With a little creativity DCR, since they are an SMB partner, could create a wonderful environmental learning experience for children and their adults.
There are loads of ideas for children to learn environmental values while interacting recreationally and having fun in our natural environment. Here are three links to ideas from the Internet and there are many more out there.
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