Per tradition, the Harvard Conservation Trust will ring in the New Year with a stroll among Harvard’s forests and fields. Nothing sets the tone for the year ahead like a leisurely walk with friends and neighbors in the crisp rejuvenating air of January. The walk will take place at 11:00am. HCT Membership not required. Location details will be provided at sign up. The walk will require a moderate level of fitness. Hiking poles, or good foot traction will be helpful if conditions are icy. Expect the walk to take approximately 1 hour. Dress for comfort and warmth. In the event of hazardous weather, the walk will be cancelled. Registration is necessary at : http://bit.ly/HCTNewYear.  Happy New Year from HCT!

The Harvard Conservation Trust (HCT) manages over 325 acres of land in the Town of Harvard.  As stewards of this land, we have a responsibility to take a holistic and long-term view in caring for our natural heritage.  While passive land management has often been the default approach, it is not always sufficient or responsible.  Managing land well is an adaptive endeavor that requires careful consideration of complex and dynamic natural systems.  For this reason, we endorse maintaining all of the options and tools available, for the long-term.  At the October meeting of HCT’s Stewardship Committee, a recommendation was made to oppose the Citizen’s Petition to ban hunting on Town Conservation land in Harvard as it removes a potentially important management tool from the Conservation Commission’s land management tool box.  The Board of Trustees voted on October 16th to support a recommendation to oppose Article 18 at the October 28th Special Town Meeting.  While the Citizen’s Petition to ban hunting on Town conservation land does not apply to HCT’s land, natural systems function across property boundaries, and limiting the Conservation Commission’s options for managing Town land could result in negative consequences for HCT conservation lands by extension.

Thursday, November 1st, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at the Harvard Historical Society (PLEASE NOTE THE LOCATION OF THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO THE HARVARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 215 STILL RIVER ROAD)

Celebrity chef and raconteur Paul Correnty, author of The Art of Cider Making and founder of the largest hard cider festival in North America will be the guest speaker at the Harvard Conservation Trust’s annual meeting on November 1, 2018. In his talk, Chef Paul will examine the history, the science, and the pleasures of hard cider, a beverage with deep roots in New England’s heritage. Along with enthusiasm, Chef Paul will bring an assortment of hard ciders for the audience to taste. The meeting will be held at the Harvard Historical Society on Still River Road. From 7 -7:30 pm, HCT business portion of the annual meeting with election of new trustees and at 7:30 pm Mr. Correnty will take the floor.

Please join us for the 9th annual Run for the Hills 5K trail race! Sunday October 21st; registration opens at 9:00 a.m. with 10:00 start.

New Location! Run starts and ends at Community Harvest Project orchard (115 Prospect Hill Rd) and traverses the scenic and challenging Prospect Hill Conservation area. As a less strenuous alternative, participants can register for a 2K “Orchard Walk” featuring some of the best views in Harvard.
Easy online registration at: https://www.lightboxreg.com/2018-run-for-the-hills-5k_2018. 5K registration fee is $30, with special rates for HCT members and early bird registration before 9/8, and youth ($20), orchard walk only ($20), and families ($60). Free T-shirt to all runners and walkers registered by Friday  October 5th.

All proceeds from the 5K trail race and orchard benefit the Harvard Conservation Trust!

Monday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. in Volunteers Hall, the Garden Club of Harvard and the Harvard Conservation Trust will co-host author and landscape designer Kathryn Aalto. Aalto will discuss her book, “The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh,” exploring the real landscapes of Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood and the influence of landscape in shaping the classic tales of Winnie the Pooh.   Aalto was related to the late Erhart Muller, a long-time Shaker Road resident and Harvard Conservation Trust co-founder.  The presentation is free and open to the public; donations to HCT’s Muller Conservation Collaborative are encouraged; copies of The Natural World of Winnie the Pooh available for purchase.