Highlights

MARCH 2018 - Pancake Fundraiser, John Ashcroft, April Hike

MARCH – Not your usual March 

March came in like a lion, stayed a lion for most of the month, and became just slightly more lamb-like toward month's end. Too late, we say. Four nor'easters helped March keep its reputation as a fickle weather month.

I guess we can blame our cold and stormy March on the ancient Romans for naming the first month of their year “Martius” after Mars, the god of war.

Mars, the poster boy for toxic masculinity? Like most of the randy Roman/Greek gods, especially head god Zeus, Mars spent considerable time running amok and seducing and/or raping goddesses and mortals alike.

Here's how Mars became the father of the founders of the city of Rome. Rhea Silvia, daughter of King Numitor and also a Vestal Virgin, became pregnant despite her celibacy vows. To avoid the death penalty for breaking her vows she declared the god Mars was the father of her twin sons, Romulus and Remus. 

At this time Rhea's uncle, having killed his brother King Numitor, was now king. Learning of the birth he spared Rhea, but ordered her draped in chains and imprisoned and he ordered her sons be killed.

The executioner took pity on the babies and placing them in a basket he sent them floating down the Tiber River. They washed ashore at the base of Palatine Hill where they were found, protected and suckled by a wolf. 

Shepherds eventually discovered the twins and took them in raising them as their own children. Upon growing up they decided to found a new city. That city was Rome.

Although the month of Mars is known for windy and rainy weather, with those four nor'easters it was really super windy and wet this year. There were very few March days perfect for exploring area forests, fields and wetlands. 

This is the first March we haven't found blooming pussy willows, spicebush, coltsfoot and skunk cabbage. One reason might be they spent most of the month buried under snow.

We even received a report of a dead woodcock in a snowbank. Woodcock normally return north in late February/early March. Hopefully most that migrated  back this March found shelter from the storms, survived, and will be out calling and doing their aerial mating dance in April.

Maybe we should rename March?

 

Photo – Wikimedia Commons

SHINRIN-YOKU – Give it a try

Locally, the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve is the perfect place to go to improve your mood and your health. Despite the fact that there are over a million people within an hour's drive, the Bioreserve is large enough for you to find a quiet trail away from crowds. It might take some effort and exploration to find your perfect trail away from hikers, bikers, dog walkers and others, but it can be done. Persevere.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/17/536676954/forest-bathing-a-retreat-to-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood

SAVE THE TRAIL'S MARCH PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER

The Alliance to Save the Trail, of which we are a part, held a very successful breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, March 25, at Applebee's Restaurant in Fall River.

The money raised from this breakfast will go to defray legal costs. We are also still seeking donations to on our website. Environmental legal representation is expensive. Please consider a donation or an additional donation if possible. Thank you!

Go here to donate: www.greenfutures.org

Photos by Brian Pearson

MARCH WALK TO BIG HEMI

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ACTIVITY ALERT - March's Exploring the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve (SMB) Walk and upcoming walk in April After all those recent nor'easters, this past Saturday dawned sunny, a little March-windy and cool. It was 34 degrees when we started our walk from Freetown State Forest Headquarters near the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) statue in Freetown.   We briefly talked about the three CCC camps that back in the 1930s were in what is now the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. For some CCC history, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps Our next stop was to visit and give a big hug to Big Hemi. Big Hemi is the largest eastern hemlock in the SMB. In a forest that has been cut-over and logged since colonial times, how did Big Hemi escape the wood cutter's ax and saw? Was Big Hemi spared because it served as a boundary marker on some early deed? Did some colonial sheep farmer, when clearing land for a pasture, leave that one large hemlock to shelter his flock during inclement weather? When we stop by and visit we do give Big Hemi a hug and it seems Big Hemi appreciates it since the old tree seemed to be a little greener than the last time we visited and we didn't see any deadly woolly adelgids on its lower foliage that was within reach. For more on the eastern hemlock and woolly adelgid, go here: http://www.greenfutures.org/?content=ue1qz84LopcdYNRz From Big Hemi we continued south and then west into the Terry Brook watershed viewing a few other notable trees along the way and hearing a few "clacks" from an optimistic wood frog in its cold vernal pool hoping for warmer weather and a mate. And, then we walked east, back to state forest headquarters and the parking lot. Total length of this walk was 4 miles. Big Hemi gets its hug. Next Exploring the SMB walk will be April 14. Watch your email the last week in March for more details on April's walk.

JOHN ASHCROFT – Always there when needed

John is the big guy, in the middle, in between the two short guys. John was a founding member of Green Futures.

John Ashcroft passed away March 15, 2018. John was always up for any adventure that included being outdoors. He loved boats and fishing and living on a knoll above the river. He was a keen observer of nature and always had a story to tell about his seasonal observations in and around his section of the Taunton River. John knew where the blue crabs would be hiding on a summer day, where the wild geese were feeding in the fall and when the first migratory alewife, ospreys and striped bass returned in the spring.

John was the go-to guy for many of the things we needed for our activities. If we were going on a canoe trip, but lacked enough canoes, John would find the exact number of canoes we needed. When we offered boat tours up the Taunton River, from Fall River to Taunton to advocate for Wild and Scenic River designation for the Taunton, John not only found a tour boat but also found out who to contact to open the old, seldom opened, turnstile bridge that connected Berkley to Dighton. 

For a presentation at an environmental conference at Tufts University John made a three panel, hinged, display of maple and pine on which to post our stuff. When we organized a coalition to clean granite ledge and rock defaced by paint vandalism John built a complex water control manifold to deliver a consistent flow from the pumps to the multiple power washers we were using to blast the paint off the rocks.

When leading canoe trips with people new to canoeing John, with seemingly unlimited patience, would take the stern seat keeping the canoe tracking in as straight a line as possible while his “students” paddled in circles until they figured out how to paddle correctly.

Kind and caring John also worked security at night time events held deep in the forest and drove the pick-up van to take hikers back to their vehicles on the first half dozen of the BIG WALKS. As can be seen, John loved helping people enjoy what he enjoyed. 

John's friendship, wisdom, love and ability to often “MacGyver” us out of difficult situations in field and forest will be sorely missed. Thank you, John!

BIKE FALL RIVER - BLUE MOON RIDE:

Saturday was a spectacular evening for a night time ride.  Seven hearty souls set out from the Warren parking lot.  We were met by Christian and Isaiah from the RI Bicycle Coalition.  The evening was cool and crisp with a north wind.  The ride to Providence was easy.  When we arrived the buildings in Providence unfortunately blocked the sunset.  Heading back was a bit more of a challenge.   Because the day had been so beautiful most of us had underdressed.  The North wind kept us working and chilled.  The Blue Moon came up on schedule and was worth the wait. 

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