By Meg Muckenhoupt
Environmental News, Notes, and Events
Ah, January and February—regularly voted “months most likely to make me want to move far, far away from Massachusetts.” January’s cold and February’s snow are hostile to human undertakings (continually testing our mettle, as mentioned in the “Frozen Water” article in this issue), but January is also the month when five different species of witch hazel trees bloomed at the Arnold Arboretum in 2017. If there’s more than six inches of snow on the ground, voles, mice, and other rodents get busy digging subnivean tunnels in places like Rock Meadow and Habitat. And on warmish days in February—if there are any—maple trees start drawing sugary sap from their roots up to their limbs, launching maple syrup season. Perhaps it’s worth sticking around, if just for the pancakes. Here are some events to enjoy along the way.
Midwinter Walk
Saturday, February 2, 12:30–2:30 PM
Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 10 Juniper Road, Belmont
Join a Habitat hike and look for animal tracks, and if conditions are favorable, tap the first sugar maple of the season. If the trails are snow covered, participants will trek on snowshoes (available at the sanctuary). Members: $16; nonmembers: $20. Register at massaudubon.org, call 617-489-5050, or write to habitat@massaudubon.org.
Humans tend to stay indoors in the winter, so there aren’t a lot of nature walks this season, but it’s a good time to think about our role in nature and the impacts of our actions. For example, if you’re trying to melt the snow off your front steps or walkway, think about whether something abrasive like sand or sawdust would do the trick without resorting to chemical de-icers. If you do need to resort to stronger stuff—and honestly, this is New England, we don’t blame you—stay away from rock salt, aka the stuff you sow on the land of your enemies so they can’t grow crops. Potassium, magnesium, and calcium chlorides are kinder to plants.
You can make your ice melt more effective by spreading a small amount of it before the snow starts—the same way the town puts de-icer on the road. For maximum bang for the minimum ice melt buck, mix it with water and slosh it gently on your walk, getting as little on your lawn as possible. And if it’s under 5°F, don’t even bother—not even the perkiest ice melts will work at that temperature.
No ice melt is entirely safe for pets. Consider getting your dog winter booties or a curious substance called “paw wax” if you’re a heavy ice-melt user. Newsletter co-editor Sara McCabe swears by “Musher’s Secret” wax, available at LaundroMutt across from Fresh Pond.
And remember: everything you spread on your walkways will eventually end up on your lawn or wash into the Mystic or Charles, depending on exactly where you live in Belmont, so use as little as you can. For more information about safe ice melts, see www.gardensalive.com/product/plantsafe-ice-melting for pro-plant tips and for doggy advice, https://www.petmd.com/dog/care/pet-safe-ice-melts-are-they-really-safe. Once you’ve cleared that ice, more events await you:
Diversify Your Lawn
Tuesday, January 15, 1–2:30 PM
Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham
Who says lawns need to be only made of grasses? Learn how to identify the plants that already grow in lawn as “weeds” and to incorporate new plants that create a rich, wildlife-friendly tapestry. Member: $20; nonmember: $24. Register online at newenglandwild.org or call 508-877-7630.
Positive Eco-Ethics in a Human-dominated World
Monday, February 11, 6–7:30 PM
Cambridge Water Department, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge
Join Earthwise Aware to discuss the state of nature and environmental worldviews, including anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism. Donation requested. earthwiseaware.org.
This time of year tends to be a lot more exciting for wildlife than it is for humans. Dog walkers have already noticed that coyotes are busy setting up their mating territories, wandering farther and later in the day than in the fall. If they’re not moving away fast enough, John Maguranis, Belmont’s animal control officer, recommends shouting and waving your arms. He also recommends removing any pet-food bowls you have outside and cleaning up all the feed that spills out of your bird feeders. The seed attracts rodents, who attract coyotes. Owls are also out and about searching for mates and claiming territories—and they’re easier to see and hear when there aren’t any pesky leaves on the trees.
Adult Owl Prowl
Sunday, February 17, 2019 4–6:30 AM
Blue Hills Trailside Museum, 1904 Canton Ave, Milton
Make sure to set your alarm clock for this early Sunday morning program. Join Audubon staff and search the winter woods for signs of great horned owls, screech owls, saw-whets and other native owls, then warm up with bagels and coffee and meet some resident owls. Members: $15; nonmembers: $18. Register at massaudubon.org or call 617-333-0690.
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