Kids

06/10/2013

Weekly Outdoor Events: The Earth and Beyond - June 10-16

When was the last time you took time to stop and smell the roses? This week, reopen your eyes to the true beauty that makes up the world. On Wednesday, June 12 at 6 p.m., explore Myles Standish State Forest to catch a glimpse of the beautifully adorable whip-poor-will. As dusk falls, their voice grows; come listen to the songs they sing and the stories they tell. There may even be a few owls! For more information, and to preregister, visit http://www.meetup.com/friendsofmylesstandishstateforest/events/104183732.

Frequently forgotten in the bright city lights, the night sky has remained a source of inspiration, imagination, and fantasy. On June 14, in Halibut Point State Park, escape with the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club at 9 p.m. to gaze at the stars and other celestial beings. Telescopes will be available, and local astronomers will be present. So, bring your kids and a blanket and let your mind drift off into the cosmos. Call 978-546-2997 for more information.

Continuing on with your rediscovery of Mother Nature and join Adam Morris and Christine Ward as they lead an invigorating ID hike along the Tree-mile Hill Trail near Fountain Pond the morning of June 15. Listen for wildlife and investigate the diverse species of plants and trees over 1.5 miles of the trail (a shuttle will be provided for a ride back). A perfect family activity and it’s completely free! Bond with your beau, your brats, and your buddies, all while basking in Beartown State Forest. To register, please call the Berkshire South Community Center at 413-528-2810.

To cap off the events, don’t miss the summer solstice lecture in Western Gateway Heritage State Park June 15, beginning at 2 p.m. Titled “Yours Truly, Earth”, this year’s lecture centers around the golden record that was attached to the Voyager spacecraft. A sort of time capsule, on it is recorded 115 images, a variety of natural sounds, greetings in a multitude of languages, musical selections from different cultures and eras, along with other representations of the people on Earth. Come learn about this special, hope-infused piece of history, and listen and look at its portrayal of Earth and its people. Appropriate for adults and children high school and up.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of everyday life. But this week, turn off your cell phones and turn on your senses. The world is a wonderful, magical place, if we only take a moment to notice. Don’t forget to check out the Great Outdoors interactive Google calendar for a full calendar of Massachusetts’ outdoor events!

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06/02/2013

Weekly Outdoor Events: Coexisting with Critters – June 3-9, 2013

Recess is one of the most important times in a child’s life, a time for exploration and hands-on education. My recesses were usually comprised of dirty hands, frogs, worms, and other many-legged living creatures. Unfortunately, as you get older, recess slowly starts to disappear, becoming replaced with “study halls” and “lunch breaks.” For all those who can understand and sympathize with my feeling of loss, I have wonderful news – this weekend, it’s time to be that dirt-covered kid again!

On June 6, in Harold Parker State Forest, all ages are welcome to come and learn about their neighbors in the woods. From 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., a park interpreter will be teaching about the variety of animals that make their home in the forest, and their habits. For more information, call (978)475-7972.

It’s supposed to be a beautiful 70 degrees in Sandy Point State Reservation on Friday June 7, so make your way down and look beyond the beach you see.  From 10 – 11 a.m., hike along the seldom-explored side of the Western trail, and investigate the salt marsh and sand dunes, and associated ecology and geology. Get your hands dirty! For more information, call (617)372-6730.

Finally, to top off your Massachusetts creature feature, join Rick Roth of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team for a special event on Saturday June 8 in Halibut Point. From 1 – 2 p.m., you’ll be able to learn about snakes in New England, snakes in California, snakes in the tropics, and other slimy, scaled inhabitants.  For more information,  call (978)546-2997.

The end of this first week in June is sure to be a fun one, so grab your sunscreen, bug spray, and water bottle, and take a walk on the wild side of Massachusetts.

And don’t forget to check out the Great Outdoors interactive Google calendar for a full calendar of Massachusetts outdoor events!

 

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05/26/2013

Weekly Outdoor Events: WWTD (What Would Thoreau Do?) May 27 – June 2

One day doesn’t seem enough for a celebration of the brave men and women who serve and have served in the United States Armed Forces. Frequently filled with burgers, hot dogs, and s’mores, Memorial Day weekend has become, simultaneously, a weekend-long celebration of that service and an indicator that summer is just around the corner.

After the food is finished, what better way to relax and reflect upon the holiday than to take a walk around Walden Pond? On May 27 from 11am – 12pm and 2pm – 3pm, join a park interpreter to learn about Henry David Thoreau’s life and legacy. Perfect for all ages, the program incorporates a half-mile hike around the pond to the original location of Thoreau’s house.

Halfway through the week, on Wednesday May 29, let Mother Nature give you a natural energy boost. Take a stroll through the blooms in Maudslay State Park. Beginning at 6pm, this program lasts an hour; forget your woes of work in the ambiance of these annual blossoms and their spectacular array of colors, scents, and sights.

Grab your worms and work your way to the water - June 1 and 2 is Statewide Free Fishing Weekend!!! For these two days, you won’t need a license to fish in any body of water throughout the state! Parents, this is the perfect time to help your kids learn the merits of patience: Walden Pond is hosting a free fishing clinic for children ages 8-15 from 8am – 10:30am. If you’re a beginner, make your way out to either Family Fishing Day at Turner Falls, or the 22nd Annual Horn Pond Fishing Festival (from 10am-2pm and 9am-1pm respectively), where amateurs can learn about regional fish, safety, ethics, and equipment.

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05/25/2013

Preserving the Massachusetts Landscape

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has deep roots in the preservation of the Massachusetts landscape, growing from the former Metropolitan Park System (1893), the nation’s first regional park system, and from one of the country’s first state parks systems (1898). Built over a century of preservation and stewardship, the Massachusetts state parks are a rare collection of buildings, sites, monuments and landscapes that reflect our shared history. As a leader in landscape preservation, DCR has developed innovative programs to preserve the cultural landscapes in the state parks and beyond, which we celebrate as part of Preservation Month: Stories in Stone.

This year DCR is pleased to partner with the Friends of Borderland State Park in preserving the historic Rock Garden at Borderland State Park. The garden had become severely overgrown, and a 1977 planting scheme had introduced hundreds of maintenance-intensive plants. With the goal of returning the balance of vegetation and stonescape and lessening the maintenance burden, DCR developed a rehabilitation plan. Contributions from the Friends were matched by DCR, and work began last fall. This spring work will be complete with additional plantings and iron fencing.   

The award-winning Terra Firma technical bulletin series is a cornerstone of the public education arm of DCR’s Historic Landscape Preservation Initiative. The bulletins cover landscape preservation fundamentals as well as emerging issues. Delivered in a non-academic format and beautifully illustrated, Terra Firma gets information into the hands of professionals and non-professionals alike. This year DCR was pleased to reissue a revised and updated version of Terra Firma #2: Caring for Mature Trees covering basic tree care as well new information on threats to historic trees such as the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer. All publications are free. To be added to our mailing list, please visit the program website http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/histland/publications.htm.

DCR’s Historic Cemetery Preservation Initiative has helped communities and our own park staff tackle the tough job of preserving historic burial grounds and cemeteries. DCR’s own inventory includes 70 cemeteries – from the Shurcliff-designed Quabbin Park Cemetery to multiple family plots in our forests and parkland. This spring DCR will once again work with a professional conservator to stabilize priority gravestones at Quabbin Park Cemetery as part of an ongoing preservation maintenance program. DCR’s Cemetery Preservation Guidelines have been distributed to cities and towns in Massachusetts and used as a model for cemetery preservation across the nation. A CD-Rom of the Guidelines was included in the 2011 release of Terra Firma #10 Mourning Glory: Preserving Historic Cemeteries at a DCR sponsored Historic Cemetery Preservation workshop attended by over 200 people.

DCR’s projects and educational programs promote the preservation of the Massachusetts landscape and the protection of special places that improve our quality of life. But everyone can be a steward of our cultural heritage. Start by learning more during DCR’s Preservation Month.

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05/12/2013

The Guard Life: Do you have what it takes?

Katie McGuireKatie McGuire

Press & Social Media Intern, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)

View Katie's Bio

When you grow up a Long Island kid, it’s pretty much understood that you will take swim lessons and you will find a teenage career in aquatics. From the time I was fourteen, my summer revolved around the local pool. The time I spent instructing and guarding helped me build my résumé (and my confidence), introduced me to so many new people in my hometown, and gave me a comfortable amount of money for my first year away at college. 

Beginning my first office-based internship with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) seemed to signal an end to jobs that primarily involved wearing bathing suits and chatting with pool visitors, but the chlorinated water never really washes out of your blood.

To an agency that operates 40-plus manmade aquatics facilities and oversees miles of shoreline, a press intern applicant who could write and tweet about as well as explain pools to DCR’s hockey playing press secretary… well, my guard life may have sealed me this internship!

DCR needs to staff 86 of its waterfront properties for the Summer 2013 season, in order to provide the Commonwealth with the safety and peace of mind all residents deserve in the hottest months of the year. More than 700 professionals will staff coastal beaches, inland beaches, and swimming pools, allowing for a change of scenery, new friends, and a summer under the sun. Want to spend your summer building your personal strength, practical knowledge, and, yes, your bank account?

DCR is conducting lifeguarding tests and hiring lifeguards now through June. If you’re interested in building your resume—along with your tan—and think you’ve got what it takes, don’t hesitate:  check out  DCR’s Lifeguarding program website or contact the Office of Aquatic Resources at 251 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114 or (617) 626-1224. 

Lifeguard applicants must be at least 16 years old at the time of employment and possess current certification in several areas. For details on these requirements visit the website at: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/l-guard/index.htm.

For those interested in pool management, lead lifeguard positions, and related aquatics seasonal work, please contact DCR’s Boston Aquatic’s office at the number above.

Come on in, take a swim, try it out, and you too might find yourself working for DCR this summer!

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04/18/2013

Weekend Outdoor Events: April 19-21

On Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., head over to the Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth for a day of gardening workshops and demonstrations. Spend Saturday brushing up on your gardening skills to get yourself ready for the gardening season ahead, whether growing plants in containers outside the classroom, in a school garden or in your own backyard. Workshops will cover digging in-ground garden beds, building raised beds, gardening in containers, seeding and seed saving, skills for planting a tree, pruning and more.

Sponsored by Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom in collaboration with Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth, this event is free and open to educators, school gardeners and the public. Bring your own lunch. For more information visit www.aginclassroom.org or call (508) 336-4426.

Also on Saturday, Noticing Nature: A Guided Nature Program for Families is taking place at Mount Tom State Reservation; 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. See, smell, touch and hear what Mother Nature is up to in the woods and along the edges of fields. Suitable for families and curious adults, the tour will take place over short distances on gentle terrain. Meeting will take place at the Stone House Visitor Center, 77 Christopher Clark Road, at its junction with Reservation Road. Please dress for the outdoors – and possibly wet or muddy conditions. Heavy rain will cancel the event. For more information call (413) 584-6788.

On Sunday, April 21, Find Inspiration Through Nature at Miles Standish State Forest; 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Are you suffering from nature-deficit disorder? Would you like to slow down, observe the world around you, and feel a connection to the natural landscape that surrounds you? Come along on a silent walk through the woods to experience nature in a new way – through thoughtful prose and reflection.

Meet at Headquarters parking lot at 194 Cranberry Road in South Carver. This is best for adults. Dress for the weather. Call (508) 866-2580 x162 for more information and weather cancellation.

For those who live near Breakheart Reservation, one of Ranger Dan’s Nature Walks is also happening on Sunday. From 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. explore the reservation at a family friendly pace. Meet at the Dunne Visitors Center, located off Lynn Fells Parkway near Route 1 at 177 Forest Street in Saugus. CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT. Please call DCR staff at (781) 233-0834 or email lynn.hildenbrand@state.ma.us for additional information.

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03/05/2013

Weekend Outdoor Events - March 8-10: Celebrate Maple Month!

March is Massachusetts Maple Month and all this month we’re having events throughout the state to celebrate!

This weekend celebrate Maple Sugar Festival at the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton! Join us Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as we make maple syrup in the traditional way at beautiful DCR Brookwood Farm in Milton. There are activities for all ages. Ride the free shuttle ride aboard the Maple Express Trolley. Smell the wood smoke as you watch clouds of steam rise from the bubbling sap. Savor the taste of real maple syrup. Events include Kids games, warming fire and a snack bar too! It’s $6.00 for adults and children over the ages of 2.

The Maple Sugar Festival is run jointly by Department of Conservation and Recreation and Mass. Audubon Trailside Museum. Proceeds benefit the Trailside Museum. For more information, please call (617) 333-0690

Also on Sunday, March 10, 1:30-3:30 p.m., the Fitzpatrick Skating Rink in Holyoke is hosting Adaptive Skating – Games on Ice! Use your wheelchair, an ice sled, or conventional skates on the ice! Spin, slide, race, sla-lom, socialize and play gently competitive games with others! Ice sleds and conventional skate are available. For more info and to sign up, call 413-545-5758 email Marcy.Marchello@state.ma.us, or talk to Mike Mastrototaro, the rink manager.

And don’t forget to check out the Great Outdoors interactive Google calendar for a full calendar of Massachusetts outdoor events.

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02/27/2013

Weekend Outdoor Events - March 1-3: Maple Sugar Days and More!

It’s Maple Sugar Days at the Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park this weekend! On Saturday & Sunday, March 2 and 3, 11:00am – 2:00pm, park staff and volunteers take you through the art and science of producing maple syrup. See trees being tapped, participate in gathering sap, and visit the steamy sugar house to watch syrup being made.

Tours include both indoor and outdoor elements. Please dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear for a short walk. The program is free for all ages and open to the public. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. To check on event status, please call River Bend Farm Visitor Center at 508-278-7604.

On March 2, as part of a series of Winter Talks offered by the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, MassWildlife's Natural Communities Ecologist Pat Swain will talk about the natural (common and uncommon) communities in the Wales/Monson area. Find out what a natural community is, what types are in the area and some general information on the rare species that live in these community types. The free presentation will be at the Sanctuary at 1:30pm. Reservations are required as seats are limited. Please call 413-267-9654 or email Lduthie@norcrossws.org for reservations and information.

And on Sunday, March 3, 1:00pm - 2:30pm, join a DCR forester and a DCR naturalist for the Winter Greens Walk, a fun and frosty trek exploring our winter trees, shrubs, and groundcover! Take a hike through the forest and near wetlands to learn about Myles Standish State Forest’s winter greens. After the hike, warm up with a cup of hot chocolate and a snack!

This event is co-sponsored with the Friends of Myles Standish State Forest. Meet at the state forest’s headquarters parking lot at 194 Cranberry Road in South Carver. This event is best for adults. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy winter footwear. The walk is about 2 ½ miles; weather and ground conditions will determine route. Call (508) 866-2580 x164 for more information and for weather cancellation.

And don’t forget to check out the Great Outdoors interactive Google calendar for a full calendar of Massachusetts outdoor events.

For more great events happening this and every week, check out our outdoors calendar for events near you. - See more at: http://environment.blog.state.ma.us/blog/#sthash.tr8PLFpS.dpuf
For more great events happening this and every week, check out our outdoors calendar for events near you. - See more at: http://environment.blog.state.ma.us/blog/#sthash.tr8PLFpS.dpuf

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02/19/2013

Weekly Outdoor Events - February 18-24: School Vacation Fun!

Looking to get outside with the kids during the February school vacation week?

On Thursday, February 21, you can learn about the wildlife that lives in and near your neighborhood from Southeast District Wildlife Manager Jason Zimmer at the Plympton Public Library located on 248 Main Street, at 10:30 a.m. This is a free presentation for families and others interested in learning about their wild neighbors.

Also on Thursday, head over to the Quabbin Reservoir at 10 a.m. for the Aquatic Critter Open House! Join DCR Aquatic Biologist Paula Packard for a hands-on look at skulls, birds and some of the other small and large critters that live in and around the Quabbin reservoir. Please call (413) 323-7221 for more information and reservations.

On Saturday, February 22, head over to the DCR Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park to join the Boston Snow Dogs and the Yankee Siberian Sled Dog Club in a fun and educational presentation on dog sledding in New England. Meet some furry sled dogs and cheer them as they run. The event is happening 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the 75 Turtle Pond Parkway.

For more great events happening this and every week, check out our outdoors calendar for events near you.

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02/01/2013

Animals Can Get Help This Tax Season

There’s nothing that brings a smile to your face like watching a dog sprinting across a field to catch a flying Frisbee. Or glimpsing an adventurous cat prowling the garden for adventure.

Fred IMG_4025And what do dogs and cats have to do with agriculture you ask? Well what you may not know is that the Department of Agricultural Resources is also responsible for the health and safety of all of the Commonwealth’s domestic animals. Dogs, cats, chickens, goats, cattle, horses, and more – DAR’s Division of Animal Health helps to ensure the general welfare of companion and food-producing animals across the state through inspections, licensing, awareness and education.

As to our canine and feline friends, dogs and cats enjoy the Great Outdoors as much if not more than we do. And now thanks to a new law recently passed, some of our less fortunate companion animals can receive the responsible care they need.

The Homeless Animal Prevention and Care Fund is part of a new law that took effect on October 31, 2012. Massachusetts residents may now check off a donation on Line 32f of their 2012 tax return; contributions to this fund will:

  • Help reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs by spaying/ neutering animals in shelters and animal control facilities, and provide vaccinations
  • Assist families who would not otherwise be able to afford these services for their pets
  • Provide training to municipal animal control officers so that they can safely and effectively protect animals and people in their communities

Fund_Postcards-4

The text of the authorizing statute can be found here.

Looking for a great dog park or hiking trail to go to?  Check out the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s parks page: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/forparks.htm (dogs should be on leash) or there are also a number of off-leash dog parks to explore. These include:

Beecher Street Park, Jamaica Plain
Boston Harbor Islands Dog Cruise, Boston
Charlesgate Dog Run, Boston
Corey Hill Outlook Park, Brookline
Dufresne Park, Granby
Medway off Leash Dog Park, Boston
Peter’s Park, Boston
Pilgrim Bark Park, Provincetown
Sheepfold, Middlesex Fells Reservation, Stoneham
Stoddard Neck, Weymouth
Vietnam Veteran’s Park, Billerica

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