Commonwealth Conversations: The Great Outdoors

Christmas tree cutting

Commissioner Scott Soares

Commissioner, Department of Agriculture Resources (DAR)

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Last week, I joined Pierce Tree Farm co-owners Russ and Dan Pierce (father and son) at an annual tree cutting ceremony at their farm in Lunenberg to kick off the holiday season. Christmas tree cutting outings at Massachusetts farms make for a great family adventure!

From Cape Cod to the Berkshires, Massachusetts has 280 Christmas tree farms where residents and visitors can pick out their own locally grown tree. Most farms offer popular varieties including Balsam, Concolor, Fraser, Noble Fir, Scotch and White Pine. Click here to find a Christmas tree farm near you.

The upside to purchasing a tree from a Massachusetts Christmas tree farm is that working landscapes help preserve our open space as well as ensure a vibrant agricultural future for the Commonwealth. Also, locally grown trees are a renewable and recyclable resource. For example, after the holidays, trees can be chipped for mulch unlike artificial trees that contain non-biodegradable plastics.

Check out some photos of me at the ceremony when the Pierces donated a tree to Command Sgt. Maj. Vince Collins and his family. Vince will be redeployed to Afghanistan within the next month. In the photo is me, with Vince and Dan. I got wet and muddy but I’ll take a little drizzle for the fresh smell of Balsam Fir any day!

Vineyard outing

Anna Waclawiczek

Chief of Staff, Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR)

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Did you know that Massachusetts is home to a growing number of wineries? Today, there are 29 Bay State wineries that bottle over 235,690 gallons of wine, compared to 170,550 gallons just two years ago. These local winemakers produce a host of vinifera varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, as well as American Hybrids such as Vidal Blanc and Cayuga. Westport Rivers Winery is hosting its annual holiday open house on Saturday, November 28, 2009 from 11 am to 5 pm at 417 Hixbridge Road in Westport. This is a fun-filled, family favorite featuring live music, hay rides, vineyard walks, kettle fires, kids’ activities, and more.

DAR’s MassGrown & Fresher recently published a Wine & Cheese Trail Brochure that features many of the diverse wineries (and cheese producers) open to the public for tastings. Click here for a complete listing of Massachusetts wineries.

Fabulous fall, be safe

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

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Fall is a fabulous time to be outdoors with its dazzling colors, crisp air and increased wildlife activity. Whenever I’m hiking, birding or hunting, I try to be sure I’m properly prepared. Weather changes in the fall can be quick and extreme, so I’ll tie a windbreaker or fleece top around my waist in case temperatures drop or winds start to pick up. Carrying water (in refillable bottles) is always part of my gear. Now that hunting seasons have opened, I’ll also pull on my blaze orange cap or vest for my weekend jaunt up Mt. Wachusett or short walk in the Westborough Wildlife Management Area. Hunters and other outdoor folks appreciate the safety aspects of visibility! Whatever outdoor activity you choose this fall, taking some simple safety precautions will make for a more enjoyable experience.

Click here for other autumn outdoor safety tips.

What do you do to prepare for an outdoor adventure? What do you take with you?

Enjoy the season!

A Family Thanksgiving Tip

Anna Waclawiczek

Chief of Staff, Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR)

View Anna's Complete Bio

Rick LeBlanc, who’s in charge of the DAR’s MassGrown and Fresher program, just emailed me with a really great tip for a Thanksgiving festivity that must be shared!

Each year, the weekend before Thanksgiving, over 20 local farms and businesses come together at Red Apple Farm in the North Quabbin Region (Phillipston) to offer a mouth-watering array of food products that will satisfy even the most discerning of Thanksgiving dinner tastes, as well as all sorts of family-friendly activities. Rick has been taking his family to Red Apple Farm for many years and reports that it keeps getting better and better. They have added Harvest X-Games that include a World Wood Stacking Competition, Archery Turkey Shoot, Hay Bale Tossing Championship (see photos above), and the Homebrew and Hard Cider Competition!

Red Apple farmer Al Rose does a great job making this a wonderful fall family event. You can warm yourself in his barn beside a grand fireplace while sipping hot cider and listening to music. There are also walking trails and hay rides. This year’s harvest event is November 21st and November 22nd. Go to 7th Annual Thanksgiving Harvest Event, Red Apple Farm, Phillipston to find out more.

Dog sledding, walkabout anyone?

Commissioner Rick Sullivan

Commissioner, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

View Commissioner Sullivan's Bio

Autumn is one of the best seasons to be outdoors (but then so are winter, spring, and summer), and the 450,000 acres of DCR properties are great outdoor places to be. Castle Island on Boston Harbor was my mother's favorite picnicking spot when she was a kid. With Fort Independence behind you, grass leading to the water's edge, and small boats and big ships passing by, what's not to love?

These special places are also home to great outdoor events - from skiing and sledding to sailing and concerts - throughout the year.

This weekend at Houghton’s Pond in DCR’s Blue Hills Reservation, the Yankee Siberian Husky Club will host an event about dog sledding. On Saturday, November 21, at 1 pm, they’ll demonstrate the keen abilities of these dogs that are in training for the winter season. It's a great opportunity to see these amazing animals at work.

At noon on November 21, a DCR ranger will lead a walk looping around the Babson Farm quarry at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport. Participants will learn about the quarry industry while taking in the breathtaking views of this seaside park.

For more information about these events check out the complete DCR Events Calendar.

See you out there!

Big broody salmon lurking

Marion Larson

Outreach Coordinator, MassWildlife

View Marion's Bio

For avid anglers out there, I recently got some great news from our Chief of Hatcheries, Ken Simmons. Over 450 broodstock salmon were stocked in selected lakes and ponds across the state in late October. These big, beautiful fish weighing several pounds apiece are referred to as “retired” broodstock salmon because they can no longer produce eggs in quantity for hatchery needs. To get an idea of the size of these fish, check out the image from a stocking event earlier in 2009 with Environment Undersecretary Phil Griffiths holding one of these big beauties.

This particular batch of fish came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's White River National Fish Hatchery in Vermont, a federal salmon hatchery involved in the restoration of Atlantic salmon in the Connecticut River. State fish and wildlife agencies partnering in the salmon restoration effort have an option to picking up the “retirees” and stocking them in their own state for a bonus fishing experience! We never know how many fish will be available, but it looks like another truckload or two of fish will be stocked sometime in December. For a fishing adventure this weekend or during Thanksgiving week, click here to see which lakes and ponds contain a big “broody” fish lurking in the water!

Blogging about bogs

Tim Purinton

Acting Director, Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration

View Tim's Bio

Thanksgiving is around the corner and it’s got me thinking about family, friends and cranberries. Last month, I visited the site of an abandoned Plymouth cranberry bog to kick-off a project to restore the wetlands and the river that runs through it. What an amazing spot. As the Acting Director of the Division of Ecological Restoration, I get to visit some of the state’s most beautiful landscapes. It’s our job to restore the Commonwealth’s critical aquatic ecosystems, like these wetlands and rivers. Fall is a great time to get out and see these special places…and most of all fish them!

If you’re interested in seeing a completed bog restoration, visit the Lyman Reserve , a Trustees of Reservations property in Wareham and Plymouth. There you will see a former cranberry bog landscape restored with the help of A.D. Makepeace, the region’s largest cranberry grower. Today, the Red Brook there is home to “salter” brook trout and other native species.

Southeastern Massachusetts has 25,000 acres of cranberry bogs. A fraction of these bogs have been purchased or donated for wildlife conservation. Ecologists, biologists and engineers are restoring bogs that are no longer in production to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Click here for some photos of my trip to Plymouth to visit the 40-acre Eel River restoration project.

Tippy top b-day

 

Gary Briere

Recreation Bureau Chief, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

View Gary's Bio

DCR parks play a prominent role in the lives, celebrations, and aspirations of Massachusetts families. Just ask Duxbury resident Terry Doherty. This fall, she chose to celebrate her 50th birthday by climbing the Commonwealth’s highest peak – Mt. Greylock – with her husband, Michael, and daughters Elizabeth, Christine, and Rosie. Terry said she wanted to “bag” the 3,491-foot summit as part of her goal to climb the highest peak in each of the New England states. The family wasn’t deterred by the cool and cloudy morning or the rainy forecast when they set out on the Cheshire Harbor Trail in Adams for the 3.5-mile hike to the summit. By the time they reached the top, the rain was falling but the Dohertys were having a great time.    

“The girls love to hike!” said Terry. “The Veterans Memorial is really wonderful and the warm food in Bascom Lodge is great on a day like this.”    

Happy Birthday, Terry, and thanks for choosing one of DCR’s wonderful parks to celebrate your milestone birthday with your family!

Welcome to The Great Outdoors!

Secretary Ian A. Bowles

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs

View the Secretary's Bio

This blog is dedicated to Massachusetts wildlife, parks, and agriculture, and outdoor activities and events held across the Commonwealth. Posts will range from tips about the greatest state park hikes and how to help wildlife biologists spot bald eagles to recipes for preparing seasonal, locally grown produce and photographs of native fish species. Our bloggers are employees of EEA agencies who are experts in wildlife biology, wetlands protection, farmer’s markets, and outdoor recreation. Click here to meet them. I hope you will read and comment on this blog, but most of all, I hope you will use the information here to go out and enjoy all that Massachusetts has offer outside.