News and Insights

Native Americans and Yankee farmers, like me and some of my ancestors, share a certain sense of honor to Mother Earth. Though separated by many centuries and very different cultures and histories, we do our best to respectfully treat the Earth and its creatures as almost a part of our families.

As a former teacher and high school principal, I retired to the role of running the 106-year-old Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury. We’ve been working for several years to bring it back to its full productive glory using sensible and Earth-friendly techniques.

The farm is adjacent to Indian Hill Reservoir, one of Newburyport’s water sources. We work at protecting the reservoir and follow versions of what the native Americans taught the Pilgrims by using variations of companion planting and avoiding monocultures. The Native Americans diversified and used the earth reverentially and in season. and we try to maintain the same “Love the Earth” attitude and ethos as they did.

We host two schools, River Valley Charter School and Heartwood Nature School, which bring kids to our farm fields and woodlands for active environmental learning programs. Two Newburyport high school student interns created a Tree Walk at the Indian Hill Reservoir exhibiting numerous native tree species in their original spots with well researched and executed infographics. Come by and take a walk and learn about these trees.

Two years ago, while on a Military Vehicle Preservation Association convoy traveling to the upper peninsula of Michigan, I visited the Museum of Ojibwa Culture in Saint-Ignace, Michigan, where I found a Native American author I’ve come to respect. His name is Nakoma Volkman, and he wrote this piece titled “Gift of the Earth.”

“Earth, Mother Earth, Gaia, is a blue gem of a planet, floating like an island in the primal sea of dark, sparkling space. A living organism in the sense of being a self-regulating body. We can understand her better by knowing her birth and growth. Earth is a very unique and life supporting paradise within an immense universe or cosmos … . In Native American spiritual terms, we say Father Sky, Grandfather Sun, Mother Earth, Brother Moon and so on. All things are family, relatives, connected, dependent. Earth grew from the spinning gases and dust of the Sun as did the other planets of the Solar System, forever circling.

The sun and spinning Earth create our day and night, dawn and dusk, our annual seasons. All life upon the Earth shares the same shoreline with the sky. Our precious planet sustains life, nurturing an amazing variety of species. Each has a birthright to inhabit Earth maintaining dignity.

Everything that grows has a lust for life, a surge to survive. Understand their struggles. All of nature is our cradle and benefactor. Benefit them in turn. Abuse none.

Earth has a delicate balance not to be tampered with. She can survive without our interference. She has all the exact amounts of elements for life to exist.

It is an honor to call Earth our home, to reverently live each day with appreciation for its gift. Be conscious to take responsibility for her care and that of all life upon her. Mother Earth is a masterpiece, to be admired, respected, cared for and revered.

As is said, “take care of Earth and she will take care of us.”

The last 400 years have been centuries of exploration and exploitation of Mother Earth. It helped the human family prosper, but also caused harm to the Earth. We can’t continue to exploit the Earth and water resources heedlessly. Our future generations need our help to heal Mother Earth.

Farmer John Elwell can be reached at johnelwell@verizon.net ACES Youth Corps team members ask readers to, in your own way, find things you can do to protect and enhance our Mother Earth. Please share any thoughts by sending us a note at acesnewburyport@ gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its initiatives, visit https:// www.aces-alliance.org.

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Gen Z isn’t getting the education we need to survive and adapt to a climate-changed world. When I was sixteen, I left my Advanced Placement Environmental Science class having a full-on panic attack. In a lecture on topsoil collapse, my teacher had told us that the world had 100 years of agricultural soil left (which was not accurate). When I asked him what we could possibly do about that, he replied that real change would require international cooperation in away that has never happened before. 

There are many impediments to transformative climate policies, and I was unwittingly experiencing one of them. It turns out that the problem-focused, panic-inducing AP Environmental Science class I took is the only standardized curriculum offered in the United States’ public school system, and only to high school students at select schools. 

When I started at University of California, Berkeley the next year, I realized very quickly that “doomsday sermon” would be the theme of my environmental education. So I started teaching a class of my own design called Sustainable & Just Future. By my last semester, I had broken the record for the largest student-led course in the university’s history, twice. This program, which has now enrolled over 1,800 students and counting, is popular because it offers what our professors failed to: hope, a path forward, a solutions-oriented vision for the future. 

Gen Z isn’t getting the education we need to survive and adapt to a climate-changed world. At the same time, 59 percent of young people are “very worried” or “extremely worried” about climate change, and millions have already lived through powerful climate-related disasters, some of which have wiped out entire communities. The existential threat of climate change has pushed us even further away from our textbooks, as thousands have committed to skipping school every Friday to protest climate inaction, waving signs that read, “Why should we go to school if you won’t listen to the educated?”

If adults want to get young people back into the classroom, they’re going to have to make some changes to the education they’re offering us. To do that, we need solutions-oriented environmental education that’s accessible to all. We could start children off with hands-on projects like gardening or foraging in elementary school, so they’re raised with essential life skills like food growing and plant identification. We could turn our public schools into havens for regional biodiversity, working to restore native species. 

By the end of high school, young adults should have a robust understanding of humanity's relationship with the Earth and the limitations of the resources that it can sustainably offer. An advanced curriculum would include a deep look at the environmental implications of the materials our lives are made of, always through a social justice lens. Who does the mining? Who does the harvesting, the sewing, the truck driving, and how must the system change to work better for them?

The goal of such an education system would not only be to revive the deep ties that we have to the places that raise us, but to also inspire people to be active participants in their ecosystems. A curriculum like this could drastically change our global society within a very short span of time. As children learn, so too could their caretakers and communities. And the next generation of people would have a drastically different set of priorities from those who came before them. We could have a school system that helps young people grow up well-equipped to adapt to a climate-changed world. It’s true that we need more than a handful of educated activists and scientists; we need billions of people working together to meet the challenge of the ecological crisis. A better world is possible, and the environmental revolution must start with education. It’s time for my generation to take control of our own education and demand that we have access to the information we actually need.

This column first appeared in February 2023 in The Progressive magazine. Sage Lenier, the founder and Executive Director of Sustainable and Just Future, can be contacted at hello@sustainableandjustfuture.org

ACES Youth Corps team members ask readers to consider the significance and importance of this foundational approach to education for our future generations. Please share any thoughts by sending us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

Atkinson Common was given to the city in 1873 by Eunice Atkinson Currier, and was transformed into the park it is today by the Belleville Improvement Society. This park is home to a wide variety of tree species. It is used by walkers and bikers, and provides courts for tennis players.

Due to its abundance and variety of trees, Atkinson Common is the most arboretum-like of all Newburyport’s parks. The many trees found here do not just provide a pleasant place to visit. They are also working for us! They create the oxygen we breathe, clean the air of pollutants and greenhouse gasses, provide cool shade and act as natural air conditioners, filter and clean water, capture and store rainwater after storms to reduce flooding, stabilize soil to prevent erosion, and provide vital food and habitat for animals.

Tree Species

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American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

The New York Stock Exchange was founded on the “Buttonwood Agreement” because it was signed under a sycamore tree located on Wall Street.

The American sycamore typically grows 75 to 100 feet tall, with some as tall as 140 feet, making it the largest deciduous tree in North America. The trees are easily identified by their mottled, scaly bark, which is brown on the outside and peels away to show a lighter inner bark color. They are often found with other deciduous trees and are native to Eastern North America. 

Sycamore trunks grow larger than any other native hardwood trees, reaching diameters of 11 to 15 feet. As the sycamore becomes older, its cavities are used as nesting habitats for birds. Smaller cavities are also used as dens by tree squirrels, bats, and other mammals and if the holes become large enough, they can house a black bear.

The American sycamore’s size and ability to withstand city environments has led it to be used primarily as a shade tree. Sycamore wood is used commonly for industrial purposes but not as much for furniture because the wood is very coarse and tough to work.

If climate change causes there to be more intense wet seasons, sycamore trees may suffer. Sycamore trees are prone to an infection called anthracnose and the fungus that causes this disease in the trees thrives in wet weather.

Cherry

Prunus serrulata

Looking at this cherry tree and the others across from it, you may notice some are slightly different in shape. Atkinson’s landscapers mistakenly mixed upright cherry trees with lateral cherry trees, and the close proximity of the two highlights this error.

Most Kwanzan cherry trees are grafted. This means that the branches of the naturally occurring cherry tree have been attached to the trunk of another cherry tree species, most often a 4-foot-tall bird cherry rootstock tree. They are grafted for multiple reasons; some are grafted to provide a healthier trunk, while others are grafted for a more aesthetic appearance.

Kwanzan cherry trees grow throughout most of the United States, excluding the northernmost parts. They grow at a rate of roughly one to two feet per year, and they can reach a height of 30 to 40 feet at maturity, with spreads of, also, 30 to 40 feet. The tree is fairly drought-tolerant, but it has a preference of moister soils with full sun exposure.

It is most recognizable by its flowers, blooming a deep pink color from April through to early May. The beauty of the trees often makes them the focal point of landscaping, and they last for 15 to 25 years. However, the tree produces limited to no fruit, decreasing its benefit within ecosystems.

Though cherry trees are sensitive to pollution, it is believed that a single 25-year-old tree has the capability to absorb 20 pounds of carbon emissions. The cherry trees in South Korea have the ability to absorb 2.4 tons of carbon, which is equivalent to the emissions of six thousand cars every year.

Eastern Hemlock

Tsuga canadensis

This tree is commonly confused with the hemlock flowering plant that killed Socrates, a famous Greek philosopher from Athens. However, this tree is not poisonous, and its needles have been used to make a tea which has a high level of vitamin C. Also, the hemlock’s seeds are commonly eaten by various birds.

The hemlock grows across the entire United States and can reach a height of 40 to 70 feet, with a spread of up to 35 feet. To attain this size, the tree grows at roughly one to two feet per year. It grows well in moist soils, with lots of water. Additionally, it does not do well in drought conditions.

The tree plays an important role in the water cycle of the ecosystems it is a part of. Hemlocks clean water by inhibiting nutrient runoff. Because the trees live alng lakes and streams, they regulate the amount of water going into these bodies. They shade the area below their canopy, cooling the temperature for animals and fish.

Currently, the trees in the eastern regions of the United States are being “eaten” by an invasive insect originating in Japan called woolly adelgids. The bugs suck the sap out of the hemlocks, diminishing the levels of energy, nutrients, and minerals fed to the tree. There are only female woolly adelgids in North America, but, because they reproduce asexually, the inscets don’t need a mate to reproduce.

Due to changes in climate, there have been less “freezes” to kill off the bugs in harsh temperatures. This increases the amount of woolly adelgids in existing ecosystems, and expands the insect’s population into the north, thus causing more harm to the hemlocks.

Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus

Take a look up in the canopy of this tree and you’ll see a hawk’s nest. A redtail hawk has nested in this pine tree for several years and, as a predator, it is likely the reason why you don’t see many squirrels in Atkinson Common.

This type of pine is known as a white pine because of the white color of its sap when it dries. You can also identify a white pine by its long, green needles, which come in clusters of five, corresponding to the five letters of its name, W-H-I-T-E.

Eastern white pines, also known as northern white pines, range from southern Canada through the northeast United States, and down the Appalachian Mountain range to the north of Georgia.

Old growth white pines were the tallest trees east of the Rockies. 400-year-old trees stood 200 feet tall. One tree in New Hampshire, located where Dartmouth University is now, grew as tall as 240 feet. Maine’s dense stands of old growth eastern white pine made it the “lumber capital of the world” in the 19th century. Today, Maine is still known as “The Pine Tree State.”

These tall, straight trees were a perfect source of timber for European colonists. England declared that the largest trees be marked as the property of the King, to be used as masts for the Royal Navy. By the end of the 1800s, nearly every stand of old growth white pine in America had been logged.

Mammals like bears, deer, porcupines, and squirrels, as well as several species of birds and insects, use the eastern white pine as a home. The trees provide shelter as well as nourishing seeds, bark, and needles.

Eastern White Pines thrive in cool and humid climates. As the climate warms and ecosystems change, the range of the Eastern White Pine is expected to expand north and westward.

European Beech

Fagus sylvatica

On this European beech, someone has carved the name “Fred” into the trunk. These messages are commonly found on beech trees since they have such thin, smooth bark . However, carvings can cause damage to the tree bark and therefore disrupt its ability to transport nutrients. Bark plays a vital part in protecting the tree against the heat and the cold as well as a barrier from insects. 

European beeches grow outwards and develop a wider trunk more quickly, therefore appearing older than their actual age. Since these trees have such wide branches, some have been supported by cables across the canopy to help keep the branches upright and prevent them from falling. 

The European Beech tree can grow to be around 50 or 60 feet tall. They are mainly found across Central to Western Europe, and have been found across America as a result of planting in parks and public spaces like Atkinson Common. The differences between a European beech and an American beech include that the European beech’s leaves are shorter and more of a purple or bronze color. 

These trees produce sweet beechnuts that are enjoyed by chipmunks, squirrels, blue jays, and deer. Beeches can be used to make tonics that can help soothe poison ivy and relieve pain. Also, beechnuts can be ground into powder to help with headaches.

Climate change, particularly droughts, have impacted the European beech’s growth rate and lifespan, as well as causing leaf loss and dried leaves. This disrupts its habitat and negatively affects the surrounding animal and plant species. 

Green Ash

Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Starting in 2018, Newburyport began spending thousands of dollars on inoculating the city’s ash trees against the Emerald Ash Borer. Ashes are threatened by this invasive beetle from Asia. The larvae of the beetles feed under the bark of the trees. This disrupts the tree’s ability to transport certain nutrients necessary to its survival.

The bark of the green ash is smooth and gray when the tree is young. As the tree grows, its bark becomes cracked. The leaves of the tree grow in leaflets, typically ranging in number from seven to nine. The tree can grow to roughly 60 feet in height, with a canopy spanning 25 feet.

Green ashes are largely used as ornamental trees throughout Northern America. Their common use as decorative trees originated in the 1950s following the loss of American elms, which decreased dramatically in number due to Dutch elm disease.

According to climate change models, it is believed that the green ash will not be impacted by increasing temperatures in the foreseeable future. In a study done by researchers at Penn State University, it was found that the green ash can survive an increase in temperature of seven degrees fahrenheit.

Norway Maple

Acer platanoides

Norway maples are some of the only trees in Atkinson Common that are being actively removed by the Parks Department due to their invasive nature. Over thirty trees have been removed from the park this year alone.

The species was introduced to North America around 1756 and by the 1800s, it was a popular ornamental tree in North America. Due to the it’s tolerance of pollution, the Norway maple has become the most frequently planted tree in towns and cities. 

Unfortunately, Norway maples cast dense shade and outcompete other species for light, reducing biodiversity in the forests and woodlands that it invades. Native insects, birds and mammals do not thrive in Norway maple forests.  Stands of Norway maples are known as “green deserts.” They are illegal in New Hampshire and may become illegal in Maine in five years or less, and are banned from being sold for decoration in stores and plant nurseries.

The Norway maple is a large shade tree usually growing 40 to 60 feet tall but can grow up to 90 feet or more. In order to identify the norway maple from a sugar maple, you can take a leaf off of the tree and if the stem bleeds a milky white sap, it is a Norway maple.

Norway maples are found on both the western and eastern sides of the United States. It ranges from Canada in the north and down south to the Carolinas, but it is a native plant in continental Europe and the Caucasus region.

Many local maples are likely to suffer from climate change. As native species decline, the opportunistic Norway maple is likely to expand its range, take over more forest, and increase its invasiveness. 

Norway Spruce

Picea abies

Norway spruces can be found in clusters throughout Atkinson, as well as commonly appearing throughout the city of Newburyport as a whole. The Norway spruce is thought of as the “Christmas Tree” and has been displayed in Rockefeller Center during Christmas time.

The wood from this tree is a popular choice to use when creating soundboards for instruments. It has low density and a high modulus of elasticity that gives it good acoustic qualities needed for instruments like guitars and violins.

Norway spruces grow to be 40 to 60 feet tall and 25 feet wide, and can live to 300 years. They grow at a fast rate, at about 1-2 feet per year, making it the fastest growing of all spruces. The needles can grow up to an inch long and fall off after two or three years. Norway spruces can live under the shade from taller trees until they grow older and surpass the height of the surrounding trees.

These trees originated from Europe, but as people emigrated they brought trees with them to plant in their new home. So, these trees now cover areas across the Northeast United States and in East Canada.

Climate change can affect the Norway spruce by making it more vulnerable to drought and strong winds from storms. Also, increasing temperatures puts pressure on these trees. This can impact the lifespan and the population of these trees.  

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Red Oak

Quercus rubra

Red oak wood is durable and often used in timber industries. The wood is commonly used for kitchen cabinets and hardwoods because it is porous, allowing the stain or paint applied to it to soak in and hold the color.

Red oak trees can tolerate some air pollution and strong winds. They are also able to resist rock salt which can make them a popular tree to be planted along a street. They are one of the harder trees that can withstand different conditions.

A red oak tree can reach heights of 60 to 80 feet, growing at a fast rate of almost 2 feet per year when they are young, and can live to around 200 or 300 years. They grow best in full sun but can tolerate shade as well. These trees produce acorns that are enjoyed by squirrels, blue jays, turkeys, and many other animals.

During the Civil War, when there was a lack of conventional medicines, red oak trees were used in different ways to treat illnesses. The bark was used to help reduce fever and relieve pain. Also, the acorns could be boiled before eating.  

Red oaks are declining in parts of the United States due to droughts as a result of climate change. Although, they have also adapted and thrived with changing factors such as increased rainfall and longer growing seasons. This could result in them becoming a dominant tree species and pushing other trees out of their habitat.

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Red Pine

Pinus resinosa

These straight rows of red pine trees were likely planted by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers that worked in Atkinson Common during the 1930s. Both the WPA and Civilian Conservation Corps were known for planting millions of red pines during that era.

The red pine is a relatively large and long-lived tree, reaching up to 130 feet and living as long as 500 years old. The needles of this tree grow in bundles of two and extend four to six inches from the branch. Its long straight trunk and scaly red bark make it a handsome tree, but it is prone to disease and insect infestations, such as from the Saratoga spittlebug, which make them difficult to maintain.

The red pine is native to the greater New England region as well as the areas surrounding the Great Lakes. Because of its relatively low genetic variation, dendrologists believe that this species has been through a near-extinction in its recent evolutionary history.

Due the long and straight nature of their trunks, red pines were often used for utility poles, cabin logs, and posts. They are also a common source of timber for railroad ties, construction lumber, and pulpwood for paper. Just as eastern white pines were a valuable source of lumber for Maine, red pines were a primary source of lumber for Great Lakes states like Wisconsin and Michigan.

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Seven-Son Flower

Heptacodium miconioides

This shrub-like tree is native to China but has quickly gained fame amongst Western horticulturalists thanks to its decorative potential. Today, only nine populations of this rare tree remain in the wild where it is threatened by habitat loss.

The seven-son flower first drew the attention of the west when it was discovered in China by British explorer and plant collector Ernest Henry Wilson in 1907. It wasn’t until 1980’s Sino-American Botanical Expedition that western botanists were allowed to explore China’s forests alongside their Chinese colleagues, where they rediscovered the tree.

During the three-month expedition, American scientists catalogued hundreds of species, including the Zen magnolia, Hubei viburnum, and seven-son flower. They brought it back to America where it became beloved for its beautiful and fragrant flowers.

The seven-son flower is characterized by its notable bloomings which, despite what the name might imply, only contain six flowers in each grouping, The seventh “flower” is actually a continuation of the branch that holds the six flowers around it. Also notable is the tree’s exfoliating bark, which appears to fall away from the trunk in ragged strips.

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Sourwood

Oxydendrum arboreum

The Sourwood tree is one of the last trees to bloom, as its flowers appear in late summer. These sweet-smelling white flowers droop down and resemble lilies of the valley.

The honey produced from a Sourwood tree is very popular and regarded as one of the best honeys. Although, this is only true for Sourwoods at a certain elevation. The process for making this honey includes transporting and releasing bees in the area of Sourwood trees so they can pollinate the flowers and then create honeycombs to be harvested.

Sourwood trees are native to North America and appear mostly in the southern and eastern parts of the United States. They are most abundant in the central Appalachian Mountains with elevations of around 5,000 feet, and have been found to reach its largest size in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. It can grow to be 40 to 60 feet tall, and can live up to 100 to 200 years if planted in ideal conditions.

The sap of the Sourwood has been used to treat fevers, while the bark has been used to treat mouth pains. The leaves have been used to make tea as a thirst quencher for mountain climbers.

Sourwood trees can be impacted by climate change because they are vulnerable to air pollution. They could be unable to adapt to this and be damaged and harmed as a result.

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Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum

This allée of sugar maples was planted in the 1930s as a pathway to the new stone tower that was built by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers in 1936. The Belleville Improvement Society is currently planning a project to restore the tower to its original glory. 

The sugar maple tree grows to a height of 60 to 75 feet and a spread of 40 to 50 feet at maturity. Their leaves have 5 lobes, with three large, main lobes and one smaller lobe on either side. Sugar maples are deciduous, which means that the trees lose their leaves each fall as it gets colder.

These trees can be found throughout New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and the middle Atlantic States, through the western edge of North Carolina to the southern border of Tennessee. 

The sugar maple provides food and shelter to a large number of organisms, and mammals such as moose, porcupine and snowshoe hare commonly eat its bark, twigs, and fruit. Sugar maples also have important interactions with fungi, which aids in water and nutrient absorption for the trees.

The maple tree is the best tree for maple syrup production and trees are tapped in early spring. The sap is boiled into a thick syrup or undergoes further processing to produce maple sugar. Sugar maple was also a main source of sweetener for Native Americans and early European settlers.

Climate change is affecting the health of maple trees, impacting their growth and decreasing the amount of sap they produce as well as its quality. Maple syrup producers are already reporting earlier and less predictable tapping seasons caused by changes in weather conditions.

Tulip Tree

Liriodendron

In 1863, at Old Ordinary Tavern in Hingham, Massachusetts, a tulip tree was planted by Henry Augustus Wilder, son of tavern-keeper Abiel Wilder. The tree grew on the property for 157 years, but, sadly, the tree was scheduled for removal in 2020 due to the risks it showed to the Tavern and nearby homes. According to an article in The Anchor written by Deirdre Anderson, the tree “has provided wonderful shade, colorful fall foliage, and botanical interest with its uniquely shaped leaves and tulip-shaped flowers…”

The tulip tree grows throughout the entire United States, and it can tolerate drought well. The flowers of the tree bloom in May and June, with colors of green, yellow, and orange. It reaches roughly 70 to 90 feet at maturity, growing more than two feet every year. Tulip trees thrive with full sun exposure, and it matures into the shape of an oval.

The wood of the tree is used to make furniture, instruments, and cabinetry. It is among the tallest of the North American hardwoods, making it a valuable and ideal for structural components of woodwork, as long as the wood does not split.

If climate change were to increase the severity and frequency of drought conditions, the trees would respond poorly, damaging the population.

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The variety of creatures on Earth is truly amazing. Their beauty, grace, and speed as they live out their lives. Their sizes range from the microscopic up to the largest mammal ever – the blue whale. What we may not think about is how diverse their sensory equipment is and how they have stretched the edges of their species category in so many ways. Some of these characteristics reveal the importance of saving the species and their contribution to biodiversity.

For instance, bird migrations may be facilitated by magnetism, according to Florida-based Crew Land and Water Trust. Some birds possess cells in the cone of their eyes that include iron oxide crystals which may give them the ability to sense magnetic fields. It appears that birds that are sensitive to magnetic fields have light-sensitive pigments in their eyes, known as cryptochromes. These serve as magnetic sensors distinguishing different magnetic fields through color changes. This capability enables them to be like a compass, distinguishing north and south as they migrate.

The platypus possesses a bird-like bill, flipper-like limbs, and a flat, beaver-like tail. With its mash up of traits, the platypus may be considered one of the strangest mammals on Earth today. Along with echidnas, this semi-aquatic animal is one of only five mammalian species that lays eggs. These monotremes, as egg-laying mammals are known, share another characteristic. They have a so-called sixth sense: electroreception. The bills apparently allow them to detect, with their eyes closed, the tiny electrical field surrounding living creatures, such as, their prey of worms and crayfish in muddy and dark waters.

Bats are another fascinating group of animals. They are one of the few mammals that can use sound to navigate --a trick called echolocation — using sonar. Of some 900 species of bats, more than half rely on echolocation to detect obstacles in flight, find their way into roosts and forage for food. According to Scientific American most bats produce a complicated sequence of calls combining different sound components. Although low frequency sound travels further than high-frequency sound, calls at higher frequencies give the bats more detailed information--such as size, range, position, speed, and direction of a prey’s flight.

Research on baleen whales, filter feeders, has discovered a new organ. It’s possible that whales can sense things that no other living creatures can. Scientists have discovered a grapefruit-sized mass of vessels and nervous tissues located in whales’ chins, and they believe it’s an entirely new kind of sensory organ. It’s possible the organ is what allows these massive creatures to eat using a lightning-fast mouth movement called “lunge feeding.”

A study’s lead researcher, paleobiologist Nick Pyenson, notes this sensory organ is just one more thing that makes whales like “mammals from space.” It’s not about sensing temperature, it’s not taste, it’s really about movement and pressure and closely aligns with nervous system and bone structure to precisely time swallowing krill.

“In blue whales, jaws can be up to six meters long, and those jaws open and close under water in less than 10 seconds,” explains Pyenson in an interview with io9. Speed is important, “especially if you want to capture a big swarm of krill before they disperse.”

Our call to action this week is to help everyone focus on your senses and preserving biodiversity right here where we live. Consider these opportunities:

Know your bird neighbors — Have a bird identification book handy to learn about your neighborhood birds’ habits.

Support pollinators — Add native plants to attract pollinators to your yard. Plus help them live and don’t use toxic herbicides and pesticides on your lawn.

Compost – Reduce the production of methane gas via your own compost bin and start composting at home or use free drop off or subscribe to a Black Earth Compost program.

Support bats — Make or buy a bat house to provide a home for these insect eating friends

Connect with our ocean’s mammals – Consider a whale watch to gain insight into the beauty of the wonderful creatures of the ocean.

One of the pleasurable and relaxing things you can do is to take public transit more often. We know that might sound odd given all the headlines about old equipment and schedule delays over the last few years but all that appears to be getting better. 
 
Newburyport is in a good location to take advantage of low cost and low parking fee transportation options. Maybe it’s taking the train North Station to see a doctor at Mass General or Tufts. Or better yet taking the kids to a Bruins game. Friends have been taking the train to Boston almost every other month on the weekends and look for and attend many interesting fairs, art shows and especially the Italian Saints festivals in the North End. The Peabody Essex Museum, a national treasure, is only a half hour away by train from Newburyport and the Public Libraries have low or no cost passes to enter the Museum. 
 
Newburyport’s Mayor Sean Reardon will be helping improve our state transit systems as a newly appointed member of the MBTA Advisory Board. And Newburyport was praised on WGBH News last week while commenting that the Newburyport/Rockport line is a great bargain, especially with ticket prices to Boston dropped dramatically to only $2.40 through August 31 !

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And all MVRTA bus rides are free! Yes free. In addition to the buses’ new festive and modern ‘trade dress’ colors, they have changed their name to MEVA a new branding that combines an abbreviation of Merrimack Valley with a linguistic echo to the Spanish meaning “I go”. And according to their web site they serve our northeast corner of Massachusetts with over 1 million miles of scheduled bus routes along with elderly and disabled transportation. And they measure themselves online on 8 measures of performance from on time routes, miles driven, revenue, maintenance expenditures, etc. While we hear about the “T” problems as one of the oldest systems in the country and its needed repairs, our local bus public transit, MEVA is modern, fit, and free and while its public awareness and informatics can be improved, it is a wonderful service.!
 
Of course, like everything in this decade, there are Apps to make it easy. You can get train tickets ahead of time if you want and all sorts of information by checking online. 
 
Next week some residents are headed to the Harvard Museum’s free exhibit of noted watercolor artists. They will get there by a morning train to North Station and taking the Green Line from there to Park St station then the Red Line to Harvard Sq in Cambridge. After the exhibit they plan a casual bite in Cambridge and then retracing their air-conditioned and free WIFI route back to Newburyport.
 
Destinations like Salem for the Peabody Essex Museum, Beverly for the Cabot Theater, the Encore Casino, or Boston for a Celtics, Bruins, or Red Sox game are all on the menu with the MBTA. As are the options with MEVA like the Haverhill arts district, an Italian pastry run to Lawrence, or Lebanese specialties in Methuen.
 
And while we are emphasizing trains and buses, let’s not forget our extensive - and enviable – Coastal Trails Coalition’s network of rail trials in our area. Why not take a walk on the rail trail behind McDonalds on Rt 110 in Amesbury for a beer at brew pub in downtown Amesbury? Or walk in the expanded shade of the newly planted trees on the Newburyport rail trail? In Newburyport, do you know you can walk from Atkinson Common to the Whittier Bridge/RT95 rail trail on cute little side streets that are not busy like Moseley Ave or Merrimack St?
 
The message here is simple: explore your mobility options and have fun doing so.
 
Here are some ideas for you to consider:
 
1. Driving a car into Boston is wasteful of time and money when there are better public transit options
 
2. Inexpensive and fun adventures await using public transportation.
 
3. Taking a train to Boston or Salem can be a great first date with plenty of time to chat and get to know each other.
 
4. As you know, our planet’s climate is in crisis and public transportation can help reduce emissions.
 
ACES Youth Corps team members ask you to consider the options of riding a train or bus or walking for their benefits. Please share any other ideas for the wellbeing of future generations and send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Mike Bloomberg, the UN special envoy for climate ambition and solutions and founder of Bloomberg LP (and owner of Newburyport/ Boston Radio station 106.1 FM) interviewed at COP27 recently said “From flooding to extreme heat to wildfires, we’re already experiencing the catastrophic consequences of climate change. Local leaders have built serious momentum through the #RaceToZero campaign, but the work is far from done.”

Mike is right about local action building momentum in dealing with climate change but more needs to be done. That’s why we all need to help by adopting a personal resolution about localizing our lives. Growing, making, sourcing, and buying as much as possible locally –localizing – as close as possible to home is a climate virtue. Why? Because transporting things from far away is harmful for the climate. and the destruction of natural environments, whether forest or prairie, for industrialized farming is harmful. For those of us living in New England there are ways to increase the amount of localization of our spending and consuming that can be good for the planet. In fact, we have some remnant skills and places where we always did things locally before. And we can choose to do so again.

Historically, New England was very self-sufficient in its food sourcing with exceptions like citrus fruit, tea, and coffee. We raised our own meats and dairy and caught our own seafood. Now after the 100-year rise of industrial agriculture in the south and west, we’ve outsourced food production to the lower labor cost, but energy and chemical intensive global system.

But now a better paradigm is emerging as many new innovations extend our growing seasons using solar power and LED lighting make growing many crops possible year-round. So called vertical farming, where old factories or new buildings are equipped to grow floors and floors of vegetable and fruit crops indoors and in winter. Companies have retrofitted old shipping containers which did duty transporting furniture from Asia into growing rooms parked next to restaurants and supplying herbs and greens and mushrooms for the chef to choose. Some of these containers are actively growing food in Boston under the Southeast Expressway just blocks from the South Boston Broadway MBTA station.

Beyond food, we have history here as makers. A history of making cloth, clothes, and shoes. Furniture and silverware were made in greater Newburyport. We made beer and we made rum. We made carriages and we made silverware. The Merrimack Valley was the epicenter of worldwide textile and shoe manufacturing. Massachusetts was a premier furniture design and making region. We still can grow that business cluster. We are now making craft beers and ciders all over the region as well as rum, vodka, and whiskeys in several north shore communities.

Sourcing locally also means trying to buy what is already here, like secondhand and vintage tools, furniture, and clothing. When we buy used items, we save the transportation and manufacturing climate costs it took to make it and get it here. It’s here already and a new one won’t need to be made again.

Buying locally instead of online creates jobs for your neighbors or yourself and it avoids lots of surplus packaging that needs disposal. If you consider a local retailer ordering and receiving say 12 blouses in a single large box that creates a lot less wasteful plastic and paper debris than 12 packages from Amazon.

Lastly, buying things grown and made locally is good for your social life because conversations at Cider Hill, Maple Crest Farms, Colby’s farm stand, the Newburyport Farmer’s Market or Gentry’s keep you connected with the community and that’s good for our mental health as well. The same holds true for art from local artists at local art galleries; such as, the PEG Gallery.

Our Youth Corps asks you to please try to do a bit more localizing of your purchase choices and little by little we can make the climate better, locally, together. Please share any thoughts about a project or practice that could foster more local purchasing and send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Environmental groups are calling on state officials to take steps to stop sewage overflows and pollution runoff amid newly released data showing pathogens posing health risks at more than half of the state’s beaches.

In 2022, 274 Massachusetts beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one testing day, according to Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center’s latest report on bacteria testing. That’s nearly half of the state’s public beaches.

At least 30 Massachusetts beaches exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s safety threshold for fecal bacteria on one-quarter of days tested last year, according to the groups.

At King’s Beach in Lynn, bacteria levels are often hundreds of times higher than what is considered safe for swimming, prompting frequent shutdowns for swimmers. Tests of King’s Beach water found unsafe bacteria levels on at least 60 out of 96 testing days in 2022, or about 63% of the samples, according to the report. Sandy Beach on Plum Island tested for unsafe levels of bacteria on at least 12 of 16 testing days last year, or about 75% of the samples, the report’s authors said.

John Rumpler, Environment Massachusetts’ clean water director and co-author of the report, said pollution is “still plaguing too many of the places where we swim.”

“While past infrastructure investments have resulted in cleaner water in many places, we still have work to do to stop the flow of pathogens at some of our beaches,” he said.

Nationwide, at least 1,761 out of 3,192 beaches tested in 2021, or 55%, had at least one day on which fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels, according to Environment America.

Environmentalists blame stormwater runoff, combined sewage overflow systems, suburban sprawl, and in some communities manure from industrial livestock production for the contamination, among other causes.

The report makes a number of recommendations to protect beaches from pollution, such as tapping into federal infrastructure funding to close off combined sewer systems, like those along the Merrimack River, that often discharge raw and partially treated sewage into waterways during heavy rain events.

Beach water pollution can cause a range of illnesses in swimmers, including skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, respiratory ailments and other serious health problems, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which monitors water quality in the state.

For senior citizens, small children and people with weak immune systems, the results can be fatal, according to state health officials.

The incidence of infections has been increasing over the past several decades, and the numbers are expected to climb with coastal populations growing. Nationwide, an estimated 57 million Americans become sick each year from swimming in polluted waterways, according to federal data.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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Those concerned about pollution in the Merrimack River should be aware that billions of federal dollars are available now to help clean the waterway. President Biden’s infrastructure bill included close to $50 billion for communities to improve and expand their sewage treatment operations and clean-water facilities.

It is the largest amount approved to clean rivers, lakes and the oceans since the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Now is the time for elected officials and clean-water professionals in the Merrimack Valley to launch the complicated process of obtaining some of this funding.

The 117-mile-long Merrimack is regularly fouled by combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that take place after heavy rain. Communities, including Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Nashua, New Hampshire, and Manchester, New Hampshire, emit CSOs.

A CSO occurs when stormwater from heavy rain reaches a community’s sewage treatment plant. The plant can’t absorb both sewage and stormwater, so the entire amount is released into the river. Hundreds of millions of gallons are sent into the river each year.

This is alarming, since the Environmental Protection Agency says that close to 600,000 residents get their drinking water from the Merrimack, including those in Lawrence, Lowell and Andover.

The EPA monitors these emissions. Indeed, the above communities are under “consent” agreements to make improvements to their riverside plants.

But with the exception of Manchester, they have been slow to generate funds to rebuild or expand their treatment plans.

Now is the time. Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury do not emit CSOs but they feel the effects. CSOs, which sometimes include human fecal matter, arrive in Newburyport Harbor. It is a significant detriment to summer activities like boating and fishing. (Swimming should be avoided after heavy rain). and this pollution is a threat to the prosperous tourist trade that has developed in recent years.

Regarding funding to limit CSOs, federal funds are being administered by the regional EPA through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Government agencies are generally the applicants.

Local residents interested in spurring the process can contact congressional representatives Lori Trahan and Seth Moulton to urge their cooperation. Trahan, who represents the Lowell area, has been especially active in working for a cleaner Merrimack.

Gov. Maura Healey, who has ties to Newburyport, can also be contacted, as can Sens. Warren, Markey and state senators and representatives.

Closer to home, Newburyport is a polluter when it comes to surface water runoff. Scores of pipes throughout the city collect rainwater with butts, oily dirt and fertilizer residue, and send it into the river. Several of these pipes are visible when one walks on the Clipper City Rail Trail.

City officials should increase their existing program to limit these streetside emissions.

Also, the EPA recently has announced that “forever chemicals” are present in American rivers, and they can cause cancer. So local officials and hydrologists should learn more about the so-called PFAs to determine if they are detrimental to those who use the Merrimack.

Many residents of the Merrimack Valley know the river is polluted but they don’t know what to do about it.

Right now is a good time to approach local, state and federal officials to urge action to obtain funding to clean the river. Billions of dollars are available for cleanup, the most since 1972.

It appears that big-time funding for clean water comes along only about twice in a hundred years. Now is the time to pursue it!

Dyke Hendrickson is a resident of Newburyport and the author of five books focusing on the Merrimack River and/or Plum Island. He is also running for the Newburyport City Council.

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Ecopreneurs are entrepreneurs whose business efforts are not only driven by profit, but also by a concern for the environment. There is also significant money being made by innovating in the things and processes that are causing much of the global harm to our earth from our 1st industrial revolution. That highly productive human surge forward also produced some toxic side effects due to its waste products and means of production. But now most countries are recognizing the dire threats of climate change and are taking steps to reduce greenhousesgases and pollution. This is shoring up and otherwise protecting vulnerable civic infrastructure. And design and innovation are playing a big part in that effort.

As the Ellen MacArthur Foundation writes in its introduction to the “Circular Economy” “we take materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste being produced in the first place.”

They along with the EPA and others offer a solution framework based on three (3) principles that tackles global challenges: Climate change, Biodiversity loss, and Waste -Pollution. It starts where we have begun working locally on its first principle; by eliminating waste, recycling, composting, and buying vintage, furniture, clothing, and decor. Greater Newburyport people and businesses have started in this direction as people begin to bring their own shopping bags, recycle, and compost and many shops offering vintage and secondhand home goods and fashion.

The 2nd principle of the Circular Economy is to circulate products and materials at their highest possible value driven by design of processes and products in an innovative way. We need entrepreneurs to build new businesses and create jobs to tackle this aspect of the challenge. 

Take the simple example of wooden skids. Look behind and around our industrial parks and you’ll see lots of disused and damaged skids. Can a small firm offer to pick them up for free and in disassembly line process separate the runners and blocks, remove nails. Some pieces can be made smooth and converted to vertical planters, flooring, or wall paneling. What can small scale house builders do to recirculate and repurpose the demolition materials before replacing an old 50’s ranch with a modern 4-bedroom home? Can small subcontractors arise to fill that need. While preservation and good maintenance of existing buildings is the first and best step as the Newburyport Preservation Trust advises, how can the parts of that be conserved and reused in some way. There is a small business near Cider Hill Farm that concentrates on ‘architectural salvage”, the timbers and corbels and panel doors of the past. 

The 3rd principle of the circular economy is to help regenerate nature. Locally we have ACES Allies like The Trustees, Greenbelt, Audubon, and each community with parks that have set aside and manage lands to preserve nature. Local farmers fertilize with their livestock manure to use less chemicals in their fields. We can plant trees and pollinator gardens.

It’s a simple concept, the Circular Economy. And it has many niches people can make their mark by starting a business. Eco-product retailer, Eco-friendly landscaping, or maybe design software or an online marketplace to help preserve, reuse, repurpose, and design new ways to keep the circle going. You can find more on the Circular Economy here: https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/what-circular-economy

ACES Youth Corps team members ask readers to consider what you might do to create pathways for the circular economy and the wellbeing of all generations. Possibly become an “ecopreneur” around what you value and want to perpetuate. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

As the birthplace of the Coast Guard and a Revolutionary war navel combatant, Newburyport has always responded to calls to action in time of emergency. And on this July 4th the Earth is facing drastic impacts from climate change as we see and hear in the news and on our daily weather reports.
 
Global ecosystems are being threatened. Ecosystems are formed in the interaction of all the components of the physical space considered. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. We are all capable of impacting those small adjustments needed to help climate. But we will need all “all hands-on deck” working on these multiple issues.
 
Like all ecosystems our local communities are complex and dynamic. Each element of the ecosystem impacts every other element. Are there pollution sources near our homes that impact health and wellbeing, like gas leaks under your streets? Is plastics waste a problem? Are there parks, playgrounds, community gardens and open spaces nearby for families and seniors to enjoy? How well protected are our water sources, including the Merrimack River?
 
Is the community well designed to minimize car use and driving. Can people walk or bike to places. Are there in fact places, destinations for them to walk to? Destinations like shops and services that can be close enough to their neighborhoods so that walking and biking on an everyday basis is possible. Is public transportation well used? Density, both as historically developed, and within later twentieth century zoning ordinances is a key marker of environmental health. Newburyport's historic core, including the South End especially, is dense and that density has produced variety and walkability that makes it so attractive.  Unfortunately, as big chain retail businesses and automobile-based malls came along, neighborhoods like these were damaged a bit as "corner store" culture declined.
 
So where are these ideas taking us? Every decision by you for your family, by the local government, and every independent business decision has an environmental impact. Here are somethings you can do to help climate recover:
 
*** Drive a little less and walk a little more.
*** Eat a little less meat per week.
*** Have a Mass Save audit of your home's energy usage.
*** Mow your lawn a little less often.
*** Go thrifting and closet swap with friends especially as kids grow.                                                                 
*** Patronize local farms, they are a bulwark of environmental stability.
 
With a city as historic as Newburyport, there are lots of layers of practice and regulations that can slow down sensible adjustments for example to building codes for our looming climate crisis. What changes are possible to encourage modern upgrades for insulation, heating, and cooking? All those, and zoning that may have a priori limits on density, building height etc. should be revisited and maybe minor changes made that can help meet both climate and housing needs.
 
The world is facing a very complicated set of climate and environmental problems on many levels. But there are ways to work on these problems together. Ways that will involve many micro interventions on a community level. A pollinator garden here, a few more walkable stores or restaurants there, a little more density flexibility where that might make sense. Teaching kids how to use our free MVRTA services to meet friends sometime. Finding local resources for produce, such as backyard gardens and farm shares. 
 
Solving the climate conundrum won’t be accomplished with just one big change at the national level. It will need small communities like ours to grow more of our own food, consume more sensibly with the climate in mind, and save energy. It needs a new generation of climate patriots. It will take all of us. And having the nautical DNA that Newburyport has, we should declare “All Hands-on Deck For Climate”.
 
ACES Youth Corps team members encourage you to foster these climate friendly habits in your own routine, and to engage in the ways that you are able. Every bit counts, and your contributions and choices are important. Please provide any thoughts about other habits and practices could benefit our environment and send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Biodiversity is a term that may sound dry and boring to some people. We have been emphasizing it as it’s an important one to life itself on earth. It may be easier to envision how deeply entwined biodiversity is with our everyday experience when you think about it in more personal terms by using words that capture the pleasures it suggests in a local Newburyport dining experience.

For context, biodiversity refers to the variety of living species on Earth, including all plants, all animals, bacteria, and fungi. So, for us humans, it includes veggies and fruits, meats and seafood, mushrooms, fermented products of all kinds ranging from beer, wine, and sauerkraut to kimchee and blue cheeses.

Let’s begin looking at biodiversity with an appetizer from Newburyport’s Brine restaurant’s winter menu: tuna, hibiscus, cranberry, sesame, scallions and pink peppercorn.

Lots of biodiversity in this example. Tuna, a high on the food chain ocean caught species that delivers both taste, protein and omega-3s. Hibiscus is a tropical flower that tastes and looks good, and it feeds hummingbirds. Cranberries, the low-growing bush in Massachusetts bogs, is the iconic Pilgrim ingredient.

Sesame, the next ingredient, may seem like a simple one but it’s historically a very important species. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the sesame plant likely originated in Asia or East Africa. The ancient Egyptians used the ground seed as grain flour.

The seeds were used by the Chinese at least 5,000 years ago, and for centuries they have burned the oil to make soot for the finest Chinese ink blocks.

That means this one species helped nourish the builders of the pyramids and make the inks that produced elegant Imperial scrolls and likely the Buddhist texts. One little species, whose name is peeking out of a local menu, shows just how subtle and important biodiversity is in human history.

Next is scallions. According to WebMD online, it’s high in fiber and one of its components called “allicin” seems to be cancer fighting, and they are investigating how it does that.

Just one more example of the fact that as humans we are surrounded by other many other species – biodiversity – and that we and they have evolved to form a mutual benefit. We have species mutuality because they help us and therefore, we plant more of them.

Lastly on the plate is pink peppercorn a species from South America and Madagascar. While the pink variety is unique, pepper has been on the human tastiest list for a long time. Pepper’s popularity in Europe rose dramatically in 30 BCE after Rome’s conquest of Egypt, and its use spread rapidly becoming an essential ingredient in food in the Roman world.

Six enticing ingredients on one plate in a Newburyport restaurant is almost a microcosm of history and biodiversity.

The species represented include a high on the food chain predator, tropical plant that feeds humming birds, a wild berry introduced to the Pilgrims by Native Americans, an ancient grain that fed Moses and the Israelites, a cancer- fighting relative of the onion, and spice that was one of the drivers of worldwide exploration and spice trade that made global sea trade profitable and likely paid the bills for Clipper Ships built right here in Newburyport.

The word biodiversity may feel like jargon to some but it has supported our evolution and nourishment for eons. It may be easier to digest the concept if you view it through the lens of history, geography, and your own taste buds.

You might like to learn a bit more about biodiversity by subscribing to our ACES newsletter. and you can add to our biodiversity by keeping your home grounds as natural as possible.

Our Youth Corps asks you to think about the significance of biodiversity and the importance of what we eat. They ask that you provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthier environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To receive the newsletter or learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org/.

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To the editor:

This letter is from the Pre-K/K class at Heartwood Nature School at Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury.

Being so close to the Artichoke Reservoir and the farmland and forest at Maple Crest, the children have taken a keen interest in nature and its cycles, but particularly that of water. The severe drought last year was apparent in so many ways and very noticeable by the children over the course of our school year, both in the depth of the reservoir at the end of last summer and the lack of strawberries Farmer John (Elwell) has this year, for example.

These students have taken it upon themselves to learn about water, the water cycle, weather patterns, and the consequences of drought. In their own daily lives and in the farming we do as a school community, the children have learned about ways to conserve water and wanted me to share their ideas with the broader Essex County community.

Their words follow: Drought is when we don’t get enough rain to make the plants healthy. It’s bad for animals and people, too, and especially farmers. When we don’t get rain, the ground is really dry and fires can start easily like last year when the forest fire happened near the farm (in South Street Woodlots Greenbelt land).

Please don’t leave fires unattended. Please don’t waste water. If you need to water your plants please do it in the morning and only on the roots. You can use a drip hose like Farmer John does and the water goes only on the roots. The roots are what needs the water most and how the plant drinks it up. If you water in the middle of the day, it will evaporate.

Evaporation means that the water turns into mist and goes into the sky and not the plants. You should take short showers. Please turn off the water when you brush your teeth, wash your hands, or when you wash dishes. If you are throwing out old water from your water bottle or a cup, don’t throw it down the drain, use it to water your plants.

MARTHA BURKE Director & PreK/K teacher Heartwood Nature School West Newbury

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As society struggles to reduce the amount of plastics pollution flowing into our landfills and water ways, one lesson is becoming clear. We shouldn’t be buying clothes made of plastic.

Per the National Institute of Health, micro-plastic fibers, like from polyester clothing, make up a large proportion of micro-plastics found in the environment. There is good reason to consider synthetic textiles a major source of micro-plastic fibers, and it will not diminish since the use of synthetic fabrics, especially polyester, continues to increase.

Micro-plastics from textiles are called microfibers only because of their shape. The cloth is still a plastic product. Checking some of your clothes you will find words like “polyester,” “nylon,” “polyamide,” “acrylic.” These are examples of plastic materials very commonly used in clothing. When washed with your laundry, worn, or dried, they release tiny plastic fibers into the water and the air. These microfibers have been found in almost everything we eat and drink: fish, seafood, chicken, tap water, bottled water, salt, beer. They have deeply entered our food chains.

It’s a global problem. A morning editorial in the India Times on June 15 addressing the impact of micro-plastics on human health globally said “micro-plastics make their way into the human bloodstream directly through products that use micro-plastics as an active ingredient or through secondary sources such as drinking water or the food chain. “

But the world seems to be slowly waking up to the problems and according to the International Business Times on May 25, “Some 175 nations pledged last year to agree by 2024 a binding deal to end the pollution from largely fossil fuel-based plastics that is choking the environment and infiltrating the bodies of humans and animals. A global ban on single-use plastic items and “polluter pays” schemes are among the measures under discussion.”

Unfortunately, the demand for cheap and “fast fashion” has designers and manufacturers taking the path of least resistance and making most clothes with these heavily polluting plastics materials. and according to a study published in 2021 the statistics are startling: The global production of synthetic textile fibers requires as much oil as Spain annually.

Plastic microfibers have been found falling in the form of plastic rain, mostly from synthetics fibers used for clothing, on protected areas, deposited there by wind and rain.

Plastic microfibers have been found in the deepest point of the earth, the Marianas Trench under the Pacific Ocean, and on the peaks of the Himalayas and in the melting Arctic ice.

Personally, you can take action to reduce this problem by adopting these habits for your clothing choices that can make a real difference in the world’s ecology. First, buy good quality long lasting clothing made with natural fibers like silk, cotton, bamboo, or linen fibers. Second adopt the youthful trend of “thrifting” by buying vintage or second-hand clothing made with non-plastic fibers whenever you can.

Luckily, we see a glimmer of good news locally as many of our area retailers participating in Forever Green Newburyport, a Chamber of Commerce sustainability initiative, are emphasizing clothing and other products that reduce the use of plastics. For example, newcomer retailer Leallo on State Street, Newburyport emphasizes clothing made with natural fibers. And of course, our area has a wide array of thrifting opportunities like Gentry’s or A Touch of Naples at the Tannery to find long lasting high quality natural fiber items.

You can help also by changing the way you wash your clothes. Wash them a bit less often and use the cold water setting to help reduce the amount of broken fibers entering our water and air. While the plastic debris floating on the world oceans and onto its beaches is highly visible and is raising people’s awareness of the problem with single use plastics for example, every load of wash you do sloughs off lots of plastic micro particles into the rinse water and the dryer vent.

A simple solution exists ultimately for individuals. Buy sustainably made natural fiber clothing and don’t buy any more clothes made with synthetic fibers and slowly ween your closets of plastic clothing.

Our Youth Corps asks you to help reduce the volume of plastic pollution from clothing – be proactive and buy natural fiber items. Please provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could foster less plastic pollution and send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Advertisers know that they need to appeal to emotions to motivate action for people to purchase something. They know people are moved by beauty, love, fear, or just plain free stuff to promote them to act. And of course, they do a good job if they can back it up with some logical explanation to satisfy our internal sensors. That’s why you’ll see photos of good-looking people in romantic situations, or cute babies or puppies all while communicating why their product will make your life better. 
 
If we want to convince people to preserve biodiversity on our little planet Earth, we’ll need to enlist similar motivations. When they think about it humans are fascinated by animals of all sorts. Somehow the biodiversity of the birds and flowers and lions and gazelles captures our attention. Environmentalists can talk the science all week long and it won’t be as effective in motivating action as good tales and visualizations of elephant moms or rescued sea turtles.
 
For examples of how to do that environmentalists might want to look back to Charles Darwin who was the 19th century naturalist famous for his global travels observing wildlife. In his travels and observations, he came to his insights about the dynamics of biodiversity which he wrote in “On the Origin of the Species”. 
 
He had real science thought processes, but he also had a way with words that helped his readers understand his findings. For example, “Building a better mousetrap merely results in smarter mice.” He meant the mice which didn’t get caught survived to reproduce and make the next generation that little bit smarter. He communicated a complex topic with simple word visuals of little mice.
 
His analysis of the plants and animals he gathered piqued his curiosity about how species form and change over time. This work convinced him of the insight that he is most famous for — natural selection. The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive in their environment and pass on their genes to the next generation when they inherit traits from their parents that are best suited for that specific environment.
 
There are many real messages to the 21st Century in Darwin’s insights, especially in political or economic levels realms. His quote captures some of that:
 

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available and works co-operatively against common threats.”
 
Adaptability, the willingness to cooperate, living within its means and the ability to change, those are the keys to survival on earth in the age of the Anthropocene - the age of human domination of the Earth. 
 
ACES urges everyone to learn about and promote the importance of biodiversity for the wellbeing of future generations. More importantly, we all need to act individually to do what we can to support that diversity. 
·  Let part of our yards grow a bit wild so pollinator bees and butterflies can have
an island of life nearby. 
·  Encourage your community to plant more trees.
·  Replace harmful pesticides and herbicides with organic substitutes.
·  Reduce heavy, organic, methane-producing waste by composting.
·  Support incorporating Environmental Literacy into our schools in every grade.
·  Support local land and water conservation efforts and join or re-join important
environmental organizations committed to this end. 
  
Our Youth Corps asks you to help care about biodiversity for the future of our planet and provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could foster more diversity. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Lots of people recognize the need to dramatically reduce the amount of plastics in our lives and in our oceans. We’ve all seen plastic debris wash up on our local beaches. Many have seen pictures of pathetic sea turtles with six-pack rings caught in their beaks. Also, autopsies of many marine creatures show stomach contents that contain plastics. Much of this debris is from single-use plastic items—beverage bottles, packaging, and bags.

The fossil fuel industry has taken advantage of our desires for convenient and inexpensive solutions and has successfully integrated plastic into nearly every aspect of our day to day. The literal sea of plastic around us has become so massive that it feels unsurmountable. How do we even begin to address it?

There are efforts in the civic realm to encourage recycling and bottle return. So far those appear to be only marginally helpful, even in a state like ours that seems to have higher awareness of the problem and processes to try and get a grip on it.

As useful as modern recycling is, it is far from perfect, especially in terms of plastic. Plastic, unlike glass and aluminum, can only be repurposed into lower-grade materials. As a result, plastic recycling is not often lucrative enough for some companies and is a half-measure against a more monumental problem. This shines more light on the need to reduce the volume of plastic that enters our ecosystems daily. To do this, we need systemic change in regard to our personal and cultural dependency on plastic.

In the last session of the Massachusetts Legislature, a bill was introduced to identify possible health detriments from plastics, limit their production, and set nationwide reduction target.

Several Massachusetts communities already ban the sale of all single-use plastic beverage bottles. Of course, these efforts are met with strong resistance for both cultural and commercial reasons. It’s hard for families to give up something so useful as a lunch bag water and it’s hard for supermarkets to ignore the demand of the public and sales and profit pressures that “big soda” encourages. Plastic bottles represent only a portion of the plastics issue, yet a ban on them is a critical step towards tackling the crisis. The bans help to change plastic consumption habits and cause consumers and retailers to be more open to alternatives—such as installing water refill stations.

In current day-to-day systems, it is far easier to accumulate an entire garbage bag full of packaging and single-use waste in a day than it is to avoid it. For example, it takes conscious work and habit change to remember your travel mug so you can avoid getting the “to-go” cup for your morning coffee. Every time you make that choice to use a refill container, you are requiring that business to allow you to live in a system that avoids single-use items.

To effectively address the plastic crisis, it’s critical that the issue is addressed both personally and systemically, it cannot be one or the other.

West Newbury resident and ACES Board of Directors member Megan Chiango is committed to making meaningful contributions to the health of our local environment and believes that there are countless ways each of us can make a difference in reducing waste of all types.

Our Youth Corps asks you to consider the significance of the overwhelming plaque of plastic and participate in effecting change. Please take action as an individual, a family, and a community. They ask that you provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthier environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org/

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We have 100,000+ patents created each year, and wow, that’s a lot of innovation propelling us forward! But how can we be sure it’s elevating our human experience and the planet we inhabit? The first step is in shifting ourselves from the traditional chemical enterprise focused on price and performance, toward Green Chemistry, to include not only price and performance, but also environmental, social, and economic factors.
 
Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances, thus preventing pollution at the molecular level.

Let’s dive into one of today’s most well-known environmental initiatives: renewable energy, but through a product lens. Solar panels play a large part in renewable energy and are a product consumers, commercial companies, and governments are pursuing as a method to improve our planet by weaning ourselves from fossil fuels and strengthening our energy security; making our country and military less vulnerable to regional hegemons like Russia and China.

In 2013, researchers found a sustainable alternative to replace Iodine, which served as an electrolyte to transport electrons and turn light into energy. The alternative discovered was Cobalt, found to be 50 times more abundant and slowed the degradation process of the cell. That’s a win, but how can we incorporate the economic, environmental, and social factors? This is where Green Chemistry comes to play. Cobalt’s chemical profile has 10 human and environmental risk hazards, ranging from acute and chronic inhalation hazards, to carcinogenicity, aquatic toxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, as well as being a carcinogen, a word we’ve become desensitized to as a society.

When looking at Cobalt in the context of a solar cell, there should be no risks of exposure to the user because it’s locked within a cell, resistant to water and not something we can breathe or even touch. It’s also a technical product, meaning it should be sent back to the manufacturer for disassembly to maximize the use of our finite resources. And over 70% of our cobalt comes from the Republic of Congo who rekindled diplomatic relations with China after becoming independent from France in 1960.

When looking at the mining and sourcing of Cobalt through the lens of Green Chemistry, the extraction process involves people, many of whom are children, using buckets and bare hands with no proper PPE usage to prevent exposure to toxicity. It is now apparent that critical due diligence processes were overlooked in the cobalt boom, but we play a role, and it's within our power to be conscious consumers who own the impact of our purchases. On power, I share with you words by Gerry Spence: “What is Power? The power peculiar to each of us is that force that distinguishes us from all other beings. Our power permits us to grow and fulfill our own potential. It is the surf, the swell, the wave, the storm we feel in our veins that propels us into action. It is our creativity. It is our joy, our sorrow, our anger, our pain. This energy is our personhood – the extraordinary mix of traits and talents and experience that makes up the fingerprint of our souls. This power belongs to us, and only us. Although there is a bountiful supply of power, it ought not to be wasted. It must never be destroyed, else it will come back to destroy us. It can never be abdicated or denied, else we will have lost our very selves in the process.” Many chemists are now looking for green alternatives.

We all can make a difference! It’s hard for a raindrop to feel responsible for the ocean: we fill so many roles on a day-to-day basis and have limited psychological bandwidth, so adding conscious consumer to the list might be overwhelming. If I had any advice or actionable takeaways, it would be to make space for traits and talents and experiences that make up the fingerprint of your soul, so this message and these insights do not scare you, but instead empower you!
 

The cascading benefits of Green Chemistry are countless; hopefully in this example you can see how it can do things like prevent war and improve communities. Every purchase you make has power, and your power has an impact. 
 
Peyton Laine is a founder and CEO of Mind the Chain, an environmental services company. She is a featured speaker at international environmental and chemistry conferences. With family connections in Newburyport, she resides in Stuttgart, Germany. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peytonlaine/
 
Our Youth Corps asks you to consider the potential positive impact of green chemistry solutions to pollution. They hope you care about the future of our planet and will provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthier environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org/

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As someone who has spent considerable time thinking about how to address plastic pollution, I relate to the feeling of the issue seeming insurmountable. In a search towards positive change, I discovered the work of Laura Ludwig, the manager of the Marine Debris and Plastics Program at Provincetown’s Center for Coastal Studies. Laura’s goal has been to remove and process the most amount of ocean debris possible. To best achieve this, a cornerstone of her programming has been built on a strong community network where all parties benefit. It gives me hope to imagine how similar models could bring successful outcomes to other aspects of our communities as well.

Last May. I took a trip to visit Laura at the Provincetown harbor where she was processing her program's recent haul of marine debris brought in by local fishermen. Through the Center for Coastal Studies, she employs these fishermen during their off-season to help retrieve lost and abandoned gear. Her program then extends the community further by networking with artists and craft manufacturers to make use of the material retrieved from the ocean. This diverts it from the waste stream and gives it new life.

Ludwig’s systems stood out to me because of these partnerships. It's no secret that tensions between the fishing community and environmental initiatives have been high. In large part, this has been due to media coverage and legal battles blaming the fishing community for harming the Northern Right Whale population. In contrast to exacerbating division through finger-pointing, Laura's programming works in collaboration with the fishing community to find mutual systems of benefit—an approach that has delivered profound success. Not only has her work successfully processed over 250 tons of debris from the ocean—it also works to mend detrimental divisions in our coastal communities.

In early April of this year, I had the opportunity to join Laura, 4 artists, and students from Cornell University to spend spring break on Cuttyhunk Island, located off the southern coast of Massachusetts. We spent our days working together to chip away at the massive amounts of detritus that had accumulated on the shorelines of this 1.5-mile-long piece of land. Despite the seemingly impossible task, our team of 26 individuals successfully removed over 8 tons of debris from the island in 6 days—these are some powerful numbers.

Laura's collaborative approach to marine debris removal is not only effective, but it also fosters connection. As she said to me, "There is no way I could do this all on my own—the volunteers and support from this network is essential to making it happen." It's through these systems of mutual benefit that we can sustainably mend both our coast and community.

If you're interested in learning more about Laura's work, she'll be sharing her insights at the Newburyport Senior/Community Center on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 7pm. Her presentation, hosted by Storm Surge, will be broadcast live on local cable access NCM-HUB channel 8. I'll also be on-hand sharing my artwork and sharing my perspectives on successful collaborative programming. You can register for this event at storm-surge.org.

West Newbury resident Megan Chiango is committed to making meaningful contributions to the health of our local environment. She most recently directed the "Windows for Change" program which engaged youth in creating 24 creative stewardship displays at city retailers as part of the Chamber of Commerce's "Forever Green Newburyport" campaign.

Our Youth Corps asks you to consider the significance of this ocean waste and participate in effecting change. They ask that you provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthier environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org/

The selected books provide the reader with insights into books that honor environmental stewardship to create a more sustainable planet and healthy environment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

C-10 recommends Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator by Gregory B. Jaczko

Citizen's Climate Lobby recommends Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmer

Essex County Greenbelt Association recommends Just A Dream by Chris Van Allsburg

Extinction Rebellion recommends This is Not a Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook by  Extinction Rebellion

Friends of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge recommend On Fire - The (Burning) Cas for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein

Greater Newburyport Green Expo recommends This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein

Gulf of Maine Institute recommends Farming White Black; Soul Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation of the Land by Leah Penniman

Ipswich River Watershed Association recommends The Run by John Hay

Merrimack River Watershed Council recommends Mastering Boston Harbor: Courts, Dolphins, and Imperiled Water by Charles M. Haar

Merrohawke Nature School recommends How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott Sampson

Newburyport Livable Streets recommend Street Design - The Secret to Great Cities and Towns by Victor Dover and John Massengale

Our Neighbors Table recommends Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal by Tristram Stuart                                                            

Parker River Clean Water Association recommends Unquenchable by Robert Glennon                                                                                                                  

Transition Newburyport recommends The Transition Companion by Rob Hopkins                                                                                                    

Women in Action Huddle recommends World as Lover, World as Self: Courage for Global Justice and Ecological Renewal by Joanna Macy

The Transition movement is about acknowledging these existential crises and taking action to address them at the local level, by examining how the systems and activities our community needs to sustain itself and thrive can be reimagined. How can we transition from fossil fuels, live in harmony with resource limits and build equity for all, by modifying “business as usual” approaches to food, water, waste, transportation, energy, economy, housing and education in order to create sustainable and resilient systems?

The approach is empowering to those who become involved, facilitating their ability to work in community with fellow concerned citizens. It changes individuals’ relationships to the challenges within a caring, supportive culture, weaving webs of connection between self, others and nature.

Since the group formed, we have organized, both alone and with other groups, many awareness-raising programs through speakers, films and study groups. From these groups came a number of both short- and long-term projects, the results of which are still visible in the community.

To name a few:

In 2009, the North Shore Permaculture Collaborative was formed by a group of individuals inspired by the Transition movement. They primarily offer skill development workshops on food production and preservation.

In 2011-12, we co-sponsored two Community Resilience Circles — study groups designed to raise awareness and support individuals who wanted to take local action. Participants were encouraged to join together to choose a project that inspired them. One group went on to launch the plastic bag ban initiative and another chose to organize the Time Trade Network of Greater Newburyport, our local time bank — a community of individuals who support one another by sharing their skills and time.

Since 2012, we have co-sponsored and helped organize the annual Earth Port Film Festival, highlighting short films (20 minutes or less) that tell engaging and inspiring stories of people around the world taking action to address the environmental challenges facing their communities.

Most recently, we have been TeamTomorrow collaborators organizing screenings of the documentary film “Tomorrow” in the North of Boston area. “Tomorrow” is an inspiring film about how people in many corners of the world are changing fundamental systems to address global climate, resource and economic challenges.

Inspired by this film, a group is forming to advocate for growing food in publicly accessible spaces in Greater Newburyport. In addition, a small group is looking into starting a local, complementary currency.

Transition isn’t a solution. It is groups of people developing and testing demonstration projects, aligned with their passions, in their community. What they learn — challenges, successes and failures — can be shared with others.

The Newburyport area is a community of activists, many of whom have been working on “transitioning” activities for years. We recognize the important work that these individuals, organizations and municipalities are doing to address the challenges to our communities.

We are excited to see the emergence of two new local grassroots organizations: Newburyport Livable Streets, which seeks to make it easier and safer for people to bike and walk throughout Newburyport, and Tinkerhaus, where makers of all ages and skill levels can share tools, space, ideas and knowledge.

Transition Newburyport and Storm Surge co-sponsor an online calendar listing programs and events put on by over 30 local organizations to help build more resilient, sustainable communities. You can find it at https://grtrnbpt.wixsite.com/rscalendar.

Elizabeth Marcus and Conrad Willeman are Transition Newburyport initiators. You can learn more on the website, www.transitionnewburyport.org, and on the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/TransitionNewburyport.

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HAVERHILL – Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to share that Whittier Tech Carpentry students built birdhouses for the Parker River Clean Water Association (PRCWA) NestWatch program.

Senior carpentry students, Odelys Morel, Maria Garcia Rojas, and Karlenny Garcia, all from Haverhill, built four birdhouses for the program to replace old and deteriorating nesting houses.

The new birdhouses will become home to Eastern Blue Birds and Tree Swallows. Through the NestWatch program, PRCWA will observe and collect data from these boxes to monitor nesting patterns, to help restore the population of these mitigatory birds to the New England area.

“It is a great feeling knowing that these boxes will provide a safe haven for migratory birds,” said senior carpentry student Maria Garcia, of Haverhill. "I'm making a difference in my community, particularly in my community's ecosystem."

The program was coordinated by Whittier Tech Science Instructor and Environmental Club Advisor Ryan Burke and Carpentry Instructor Mike Sandlin.

"I want to thank Parker River Clean Water Association for allowing our students to make an impact within their community," said Sandlin. "It was wonderful to see our students get excited while creating these birdhouses, knowing they are truly making a difference."

"This was a great experience for our students and faculty," said Burke. "Creating sustainable birdhouses for the NestWatch program truly makes a difference for these animals and it was amazing to see our students get involved."

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As I consider the significance of International Compost Awareness Week (May 8-13), I reflect on the importance of this meaningful waste reduction program for our community. When I first started teaching at Bresnahan Elementary School in 2019, I felt very fortunate to work at a newly built school building; with beautiful, colorful classrooms, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, and fun, modern playgrounds. But there was something missing: a garden. A space to gather, grow, and reap all the benefits a school garden can bring. Not to mention the immense opportunity for curriculum connections, interdisciplinary learning, problem-solving skills, mindfulness, and most importantly, an enriching environmental ethical awareness experience about the importance of conserving natural resources. And so, with the help of our incredible Newburyport PTO, my proposal was approved, and we purchased and installed four raised garden beds from Black Earth Composting.

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As the daughter of a professional gardener, I knew a thing or two about what can make or break a garden. Growing up, I watched my mom work her magical green thumb, admiring how seemingly effortless it was for her to grow all kinds of vegetables, plants, and flowers for her clients. I knew our potential for a successful school garden hinged on one key factor: the soil. As little hands got busy sewing the first seeds in the garden, our school community started exploring composting, what it means, how we do it, and why it’s so beneficial for the gardens. We created an on-site outdoor compost bin to utilize for garden maintenance; clippings, dead foliage, rotting fruits and vegetables. That was a good start… but could we do more?

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Over the summer, the gardens exploded, and we had an incredibly successful first harvest, which I attribute largely to the richness of the composted soil we used. It got me thinking…. How can we make this come full circle for students? Can we start composting in our school to then continue to use the composted soil in our garden beds? I knew that students would have more buy-in with the idea of composting if they could directly see it benefit their very own garden beds. So, with the help of Molly Ettenborough and Newburyport’s Sustainability Office plus our principal, Kristina Davis, some amazing parent volunteers, and our custodial staff, we have recently implemented a composting program. 

Over the last few months, students have been working hard to learn how to properly separate their waste in the cafeteria. Not only are they successfully composting, but they are inspired, engaged, and already are developing that green mindset that we need all people to adopt to be true environmentally aware citizens. It is incredible to witness these future change-makers in action, with a new passion and awareness for the role they can play in sustainability stewardship. And the effects are already spreading. After the holiday break, one student in my class shared that her favorite Christmas gift she received was her very own compost bin so her family could start composting at home. Another one of my students took it entirely upon herself to spend her time off from school writing an essay about the benefits of composting, totally unprompted or provoked. Her mom sent me a photo of her writing, stating “She’s obsessed!” These kids are 7 and 8 years old, and they are already encouraging and promoting change. Imagine what they will do 10 years from now? In 20 years? This generation holds the future of our world in its hands. If we want it to continue to be habitable, it is critical that we continue to model how to live consciously and harmoniously with nature.

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Katara Harding is a 2^nd grade teacher at Bresnahan School and serves as the NPS Green Team Coordinator to help the overall community to increasingly compost its waste. 

‍Our Youth Corps members ask you to consider the importance of composting all organic waste.  They hope everyone will care about the future of our planet and provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could also contribute to a healthy environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org

Now past sunset the tide will flood until midnight. The softest zephyr of a breeze barely wrinkles a
reflected full moon, now just clearing the horizon. A shimmering alee’ of moonlight extends from
the dune upon which I stand, to an indigo sky, shattered for an instant by a sharp spark of
brilliance, and then calm again, a breaching Atlantic Sturgeon. This magnificent scene: a sturgeon
breaching by moonlight had occurred for many millions of years before human eyes had even
evolved, anywhere on planet earth.

Ten thousand years ago, People of the First Nations stood on Atlantic sand dunes. They too
witnessed the ascending full moon and that sharp spark of brilliance. Naturalist and paleontologist
Dr. Loren Eiseley, writes about First Peoples on these shores: “Scarcely had they stepped across
the old instinctive world when they began to create the world of custom. They moved in a patient
renewed orbit with the seasons... a structure, like nature, reasonably secure.” In other words,
these First Peoples had created their Garden of Eden.
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Soon following the arrival of Europeans, the great Atlantic sturgeon, along with most of its
ancient oceanic ecosystem had been depleted. Extinction would certainly have been the fate of
the Atlantic sturgeon except, for now, being protected by law. Records dating from 1634 describe
sturgeon as “all over and best catching them in the river of Merrimacke, where much is taken,
pickled and brought for England, some to be 12, 14 and 18 foote long.” Sturgeon suffered
overfishing in the 20th century when they were harvested for eggs: caviar. By 1950 the sight of a
breaching sturgeon outside of Gloucester Harbor was deemed to be newsworthy enough for
publication in the Boston Herald. Now the sturgeon are back, in numbers just enough, to remind
us of their recent demise. Sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine rivers are listed as threatened; in other
U.S. rivers they are listed as endangered. In the Merrimack River, Haverhill is the only place where

sturgeon lay their eggs. Researchers say that for much of the year, sturgeons are looking for food
in the lower part of the Merrimack — from Amesbury to the Joppa Flats in Newburyport.
Future prospects for the bottom feeding sturgeon, despite its millions upon millions of
years of existence, are uncertain; ingesting mollusks by rooting in mud and sand that is littered
with oceans of plastic, washed overboard as waste from human consumption. Supermarket aisles
are walled with plastic packaging, only a small percentage of which is actually recycled. Even with
the best of intentions, plastic becomes waste because the chemical compounds from which much
plastic packaging is made are often incompatible for reuse. It would seem that there are only two
alternatives to eliminate plastic from our environment: demand smarter packaging and/or
reduced consumption and waste. The choice is ours to make. Again and again, Dr. Eiseley has
appealed to humanity’s sense of reason, to exercise a collective sense of self-discipline for the
sake of preservation, not just for Nature, but for Humanity as well.
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So come stand on your own sand dune and scan the horizon. With patience and with luck
you too will witness a sharp spark of brilliance, perhaps that of the breaching sturgeon. Yet be
always mindful that only through reason and our collective sense of self-discipline, will your
children know that spark of brilliance on their future horizons. Teach them well and fear not the
future, rather prepare for the future. And know too that their children’s children, in just a brief
span of years to come, may or may not, ever have their chance to witness that spark of brilliance.
But know well, that if they do find that spark, they will have then inherited from us, the Garden of
Eden.

C. Peter Erickson lives on Plum Island and has long been an active steward for a healthy Merrimack
River.
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Our Youth Corps asks you to think about the significance of this species and the future of our
planet. Please provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthier
environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its
Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org/

In the U.K., a “turf accountant” is, or was if old movies were right, basically a legal bookie. They were independent but licensed bet takers on tracks around the kingdom.

But today, one of the first hot days of 2023, we can reflect on a Readers Digest article about a different type of ‘turf accounting’. Specifically, how our American lawn culture is not environmentally friendly or good for biodiversity and our health. The title of their piece is “Lawn Gone” and they pose the question abstracted from The Washington Post story by Dan Zak. In the article they post reasons to think that the case including:

Lawns are thirsty – With most U.S. states in drought conditions, they tell us that an hour of typical lawn watering uses about 1,000 gallons of water. This makes lawns our largest single irrigated “crop.”

Maintenance is noxious – In 2018, all the gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers used 3 billion gallons of gas in the U.S. alone. That’s roughly the same amount as consumed by driving 6 million passenger cars in a year! Talk about noxious fumes and greenhouse gases.

Fertilizer pollutes – Imagine one big pile of chemical fertilizers used annually. It’s a mountain really. Now imagine that mountain of fertilizer is just a foothill to the mountain ten times larger in the background. That’s right our lawns consume 10 times as much chemical fertilizer as all our farm crops do! and the runoff from that fertilizer pollutes streams and damages fish and wildlife, de-oxygenates the oceans and supports toxic algae blooms.

ACES and all our allies are especially attuned to the benefits of minimizing or at least reducing the size of our lawns. Less lawn is positive for biodiversity. We reduce the 80 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides we, or our lawns services, spread. We help bees, butterflies, and other pollinators which are critical for practically every food chain we depend upon. Many of the chemicals used are harmful to humans’ health as noted when lawn care companies put up those little flags after an application to keep kids and pets off the newly treated lawn.

How to start reducing the size of your lawn while adding beauty to your yard? Make a little picture frame around your lawn. Plan to not mow a 2-foot margin around the perimeter of your lawn, or maybe not mow the corners but rather visualize a rounded little wild place. Along the sides of the frame as you see what native plants might pop start digging up sections strategically and planting a pollinator garden.

Using native perennial flowering plants, small shrubs and grasses you will soon see the good results of your efforts. Need help getting started? Check out one of our local town’s garden clubs and for sure check out ACES Ally, Pollinator PowerWorks at https://www.aces-alliance.org/post/planting-a-garden-can-help-save-the-planet.

Lastly, have fun with the kids or grandkids doing stuff like this. Let them dig up the picture frame edges, make little sculptural piles out of stones and sticks in the corners for chipmunks to hide. You can look at the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy online to get some imaginative ideas. His are too big and too good perhaps for the average home yard conversion, but you’ll get some good ideas as you visualize spring planting season.

Thanks to The Washington Post, as relayed by The Reader’s Digest, we know good reasons to reconsider our lawns and lawn care.

Our Youth Corps asks you to consider these ideas. They hope everyone will care about the future of our planet and provide any thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthy environment. Send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org

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Last year when I reflected on Newburyport’s climate and environmental accomplishments on Earth Day, I was still new to the mayor’s office. A year further into my term I realize just how much more has been building and working and progressing in our community. My colleagues in City Hall and many citizen volunteers have achieved a great deal in previous years and have built a foundation that we are activating even further in 2023.

For example, as we celebrate Earth Month, we are proud of the work of the Newburyport Energy Advisory Committee and the Newburyport Resiliency Committee as they share several resources to help our community take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), as well as to understand how the city is preparing for an already changing climate. EnergizeNewburyport is an interactive website designed to help our community reduce GHGs and mitigate the effects of climate change. EnergizeNewburyport provides information, resources, and tools to assist our community on the path toward cleaner energy use.

Newburyport has been designated a Green Community by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and is committed to the goal of becoming a net-zero city. Ever-increasing energy costs and the continued damaging environmental impacts associated with climate change make this goal more important than ever.

The Newburyport Resiliency Projects Interactive Map provides an overview of the city’s infrastructure projects that will help protect and preserve Newburyport against the effects of climate change. This site includes a description of the projects that are in design, as well as those that have been completed. It will be updated regularly to ensure the status is always known.

At the end of 2020, the Resiliency Committee published a plan to increase community resilience related to sea level rise, storm surge, flooding, and extreme weather events throughout the city. The committee’s mission is now focused on advocating for and overseeing implementation of the plan’s recommendations.

In addition to city staff and volunteers, there are many involved environmental groups such as ACES and its allies like the Livable Newburyport Streets and the Merrimack Valley Watershed Council. Over the past three years, ACES conducted surveys of over 500 users of the Merrimack River and produced a survey report in detail which has been brought forward to state agencies and commissions to focus on combined sewer overflows (CSO) and per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFA).

I’ve been in those meetings and working with Senator Bruce Tarr, and other mayors along with agencies and ACES folks and I’m very pleased to see that that work has motivated action as elected representatives from both MA and NH have picked up the banner and have introduce Federal legislation to fund CSO mitigation.

One of the things that is clear from these three examples is that collaboration is the way things get done. Collaboration between governmental entities and businesses and volunteer groups such as Storm Surge, Merrimack River Beach Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, and others continue to help us make progress on these tasks that are too difficult to take on alone. Another new partner is Pollinator PowerWorks, which is helping to reclaim our newly acquired old pasture open space by Colby Farm Lane into a butterfly and pollinator native plant refuge. We look forward to continuing to work with all our talented partners.

The most powerful “gear” of all in this clockwork of climate and environmental care, especially on Earth Day 2023 is you. We need each of us to commit to doing something, however small, every day to help us heal the planet and protect our own region from severe damage.

A great place to start is to take 10 minutes to visit our EnergizeNewburyport website (https://community.massenergize.org/NewburyportMA) and see how you can best save money while reducing greenhouse gases. On our website you won’t see generalizations, but specific actionable things you can do to save money and do good for the planet.

And please come tomorrow, April 22, to downtown Newburyport to celebrate Earth Day. I share my birthday with Earth Day, so there will be cupcakes for any kids attending, and we look forward to celebrating the day and our commitment to a green planet.

Sean Reardon is the mayor of Newburyport.

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More than individual action is required to address global climate issues, but that doesn’t mean
we can’t act locally to inspire change. This idea and the following perspective is based on a
sermon that I gave at the FRS Unitarian Universalist church’s Earth Day service on April 16,
2023.

While I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Environmental and Water Resources
Engineering, several summers ago, I spent some time on the north slope of Alaska researching a
specific kind of stream unique to the Arctic. More specifically we were studying the permafrost
underlying these streams, which is the layer of soil which remains frozen throughout the year; it
is not only vitally important to the arctic ecosystem, but also to the infrastructure constructed
atop of it. Climate change and global warming has and is projected to majorly effect permafrost
thawing and the environment of Northern Alaska and other Arctic areas, effects which are
having a disproportionate impact on the indigenous communities who live in these remote
areas of Northern Alaska. Eriel Lugt, a 19-year-old Inuit indigenous activist from Tuktoyaktuk
told UN News “Here in Tuk our whole land is on permafrost. The thawing is completely
changing our land structure, and with that our wildlife is also being affected” some of her
neighbors have even been forced to move because the ground was caving in under their
houses.

During my short stint in Alaska, we did not make any significant findings about permafrost,
streams, or the climate, and were not able to contribute to solving this problem. But I did gain
an immense appreciation for the beauty of the land and remoteness of the North Slope. There
would be days where we walked miles away from the road and there was absolutely zero sign
of any human civilization- just the rolling hills around us, the tundra vegetation, and the slow-
moving stream that we were studying that day. It is beautiful and very rare, at least in my
experience, to experience a place that is completely untouched. Today some of that land is
under attack; just a month ago the Biden administration approved the Alaska Willow oil project
which is the largest proposed oil drilling on U.S. public land and is located on the North Slope of
Alaska.

We consistently see projects such as this get approved, and it seems that for every supposed
green initiative there are many more going in the opposite direction. It is extremely
demoralizing at times. How are we as individuals supposed to make a dent?
I have been disheartened in the past, confused about what actions I can take to support climate
justice issues such as this one. Especially for global issues such as this it seems like my individual
actions pale in comparison to the impacts that giant corporations and governmental
organizations have. Of course, our individual actions are important especially for preserving our
local environment, but the type of structural change which is needed globally comes from more
than individuals. There are already many amazing voices and organizations who are advocating
for change both locally and globally, but the power of the movement comes from the many
more voices which show up to support, educate and mobilize those around them, and to give
those in charge no choice but to listen.
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Previously I have fallen into the trap of believing that since I am not speaking in front of the UN
or giving viral speeches, I am not making a difference, but the reason that these speeches go
viral and governmental organizations are willing to listen (although not enough) is because of
the work that goes in on the ground locally. The everyday conversations which normalize
discussing climate change, the local movements and policy which spread across the country,
the votes cast, and money donated all can be influenced on a local level by everyday people
and can have a much larger impact than any individual’s actions. We just need to act with some
more urgency.

Our Youth Corps asks you to consider this perspective of a young steward and participate in
effecting change. They hope you care about the future of our planet and will provide any
thoughts about a project or practice that could contribute to a healthier environment. Send us a
note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com . To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit
https://www.aces-alliance.org/

Why celebrate Earth Day, especially with all the bad news lately? and why, especially here in Greater Newburyport?

There are lots of reasons including the self-preservation of humans and the health of all Earth’s creatures.

This special day coming up on Saturday, April 22, was started in 1970 by late Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson. The senator believed that change comes “generationally.” As youth grow up and assume their places in the world, they become responsible for adopting necessary changes, in this case, environmental changes.

According to EarthDay. org: “The 1970 event mobilized millions of Americans from all walks of life, giving birth to a broad new movement to protect the planet. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Earth Day is now recognized as the planet’s largest annual civic event, celebrated each year on April 22nd”.

At its inception, Earth Day was started in the form of “teach-ins” across college campuses. At “teach-ins” talks and soap box speakers rallied campus crowds, presenting the reality of Earth’s slow destruction by the excesses of modern technical and business models. Those students committed to taking care of the Earth, pushing toward advances, such as the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, and the banning of DDT pesticides in many countries throughout the 1970s.

The Merrimack Valley directly benefited from those changes brought about by the banning of DDT, as the eagle population recovered and today brings nature photographers and bird watchers to our region as eco-tourists. Earlier, the Merrimack River was a manufacturing wastewater stream for textile mill dyes and tannery chemicals. Cleaning the water and helping the birds thrive can be directly linked to the student activism on the first Earth Day.

As disheartening as the news of sea level rise and climate change can be, there are actually a lot of good things happening locally to turn that around, from two species of sturgeon returning to the Merrimack River to the community’s acceleration towards renewable energy and conservation and care of open spaces.

A number of Massachusetts communities, including Newburyport, have made strong progress in sourcing electricity from renewable sources, advancing energy and cost saving in cooperation with “Mass Save” to help pay for residential insulation and heat pumps as examples. and around the country individual citizens working locally and acting personally have taken a basketful of other steps to protect our homes and our planet from climate change.

There is still lots to do to preserve this beautiful planet for future generations. But we need to take time to recognize all the good work that’s being done locally already, especially by ACES Allies and refresh ourselves to keep the work moving forward.

So, let’s celebrate what has been achieved and resolve to do more for the care of our planet. You might also wish to view the current exhibit of Windows for Change at 24 retail locations (https://www.newburyportchamber.org/windowsforchange/) and the EarthPort Film Festival on April 23 at the Firehouse (https://www.earthportfilm.org/).

We hope you will come to Newburyport for its Earth Day celebration and bring the kids. It will be fun and a small act of encouraging environmental awareness for the next generation. We need to think globally while acting with others locally to support the Earth and its creatures. On Earth Day, please speak with one of ACES Allies about how you might help personally.

Our Youth Corps team members hope that you will sign up for our free newsletter [acesnewburyport@gmail.com] and act. Together we can take important actions to help our Earth heal.

To learn more about ACES and its initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org/.

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BOSTON — Congressional lawmakers are calling for more federal funding to fix aging outfalls that spew sewage into the Merrimack River and other waterways.

In a letter to legislative budget writers, Massachusetts Reps. Lori Trahan and Seth Moulton joined New Hampshire Reps. Chris Pappas and Ann Kuster in calling for $280 million for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program.

“The Clean Water State Revolving Fund has been a useful tool to make improvements to the region’s wastewater infrastructure,” they wrote. “However, the scale of need to protect the Merrimack and the communities in its watershed requires a major investment of federal grant support.”

The lawmakers pointed out that nearly $50 billion is needed, according to recent federal estimates, including nearly $1.6 billion in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Funding through the program, which was created by Congress more than two decades ago, is provided to states on a weighted formula that takes into account population and the average amount of rainfall over the past decade. Last year, both states got about $50 million through the program, according to the EPA.

Every year, hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage pour into the 117-mile Merrimack River from 229 active CSOs, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Sewage treatment plants in New Hampshire also contribute to the problem.

Designed long before the Clean Water Act was written into law in the early 1970s, the treatment systems collect storm water in the same pipes as sewage and are designed to overflow when they become inundated, usually because of heavy rain.

CSO systems are still in place in nearly 860 municipalities nationwide, most of them in the Northeast, according to the EPA.

Public health officials say large and frequent overflows pose health risks to those who use the river for boating and swimming, as well as communities that draw drinking water from it.

An estimated 600,000 people get drinking water from the Merrimack River.

Raw sewage also causes algae blooms, which can be toxic to people and deprive water bodies of oxygen, killing fish and other marine life.

Sewage treatment plant operators have been making upgrades to reduce CSO discharges, but the price for dealing with the problem is beyond most budgets.

In January, President Joe Biden signed a two-year reauthorization of the $38 billion Water Resources Development Act, which included $100 million for several communities along the river that have struggled to fix combined sewer overflows.

On Beacon Hill, lawmakers also diverted federal money toward dealing with frequent overflows from the combined sewer systems.

A $3.76 billion economic development bill, approved by the Legislature and signed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in November, featured $115 million for drinking water and sewer system upgrades, including $15 million specifically for projects in “nitrogen sensitive” areas along with states’ waterways.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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Forever Green Newburyport is an annual collaborative campaign with the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the City of Newburyport to promote sustainability for our community and move toward our communitywide net zero emissions by 2050. We are launching the Forever Green NBPT program in April – aka Earth Month – to highlight members’ commitment to environmental and sustainable values.

One of our main programs this year is Windows for Change, a collaboration between local businesses and youths to have storefront window displays designed by youths around creative environmental presentations and messages. They will be exhibited throughout the month to honor the retail community’s dedication to supporting environmental initiatives.

Local retailers are donating window space to display the environmentally related projects created by youth. The program will include a map showing the locations of participating windows and an event on April 21 at City Hall to celebrate participants in the project and Newburyport’s dedication to environmental initiatives.

The city, its businesses and citizens are embracing Forever Green Newburyport, focused on being committed to creating a positive change for our environment.

As we walk through our community, let’s highlight a few of the sights.

Strolling through Market Square, we see Greetings by Design, a unique and very special gift shop specializing in custom-designed stationery. This amazing shop repurposes all packaging and gives it to a small, local, home-based company as well as to Pak Mail for their use.

Green Plum Vintage and The Cottage are eclectic shops that offer a variety of items, including new, antique and vintage treasures. A commitment to the environment is also evidenced by shops like Green House, whose mantra is providing eco-friendly, zero-waste home, beauty, skin care and cleaning products for ethical, responsible plastic-free living.

And around the corner is New England Sketchbook. This very special shop is focused on valuing our local craftsmen and artisans who curate materials to embrace our local history.

Heading east along the waterfront behind the Custom House Maritime Museum is one of Newburyport’s most popular destinations. Oldies, housed in a large maritime repurposed building, it contains a well-curated array of antique furniture, decor, books and clothing being recycled for others to enjoy.

A little farther east is the historic Tannery Marketplace, which has been recognized by Boston Magazine as the best shopping on the North Shore. The small mall is a hub of indoor and outdoor activity featuring independently owned shops filled with one-of-a-kind treasures.

Originally a community tannery, today’s repurposed building and space epitomizes sustainable environmental strategy with solar panels, sustainably sourced giant wooden columns, and a multitude of “green shops,” including Beach Plum Flower Shop, providing clean-air-producing plants; Gentry’s and A Touch of Naples, providing wonderful vintage wear; as well a great cosy cafe – Chococoa.

Patronizing one of these shops is a small but significant act of environmentalism because buying locally and especially buying vintage is a climate and a fashion value.

Obviously, transporting goods from far away is harmful for the climate. When visiting Greater Newburyport, there are ways to increase the amount of “localization” of our spending and consuming that can benefit our planet. Localizing our lives is critical to our local economy and supporting environmental sustainability.

The city is embracing Forever Green Newburyport’s support of its small-business mix to support an ecosystem- based focus on buying sustainable vintage goods and supporting locally grown foods at the farmers market and local farm stands.

So please accept our invitation to become more environmentally attuned and localize your life by embracing Forever Green Newburyport at https://www. newburyportchamber.org/ forevergreen/ Pat Cannon is the chairperson of the Forever Green Newburyport campaign and the owner of CAtCH events – a local event company specializing in historic properties.

Our Youth Corps asks that you embrace the spirit of this campaign and its importance to future generations and then act accordingly personally. To learn more about doing more for the future or if you have any questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail. com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance. org.

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NEWBURYPORT — With spring here, temperatures are warming rapidly, which means residents and tourists alike will begin heading to the coast to enjoy scenic local beaches.

With the hope of having beachgoers forgo seeing trash littered about the sand, blown in from neighboring streets or homes or knocked out of garbage cans, Nolan Smith, a Newburyport High School junior, has been working on putting together a beach cleanup.

Smith’s efforts have been in collaboration with the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards, where he serves as an intern.

“I have been putting together the cleanup for a few weeks now,” Smith said.

The cleanup will take place April 7 from noon to 4 p.m. on the main turnpike at the north end of Plum Island. It is an early release day for Newburyport Public Schools, which gives students the perfect opportunity to participate in the cleanup.

Gloves and trash bags will be provided to participants and the cleanup can be used for students volunteer hours.

Smith said he first found out about ACES through a friend who had been working with the organization, Caleb Bradshaw, and set up a call with ACES President Art Currier. He had immediate interest in upcoming ACES projects, and his first project was putting together a poster with information on cleanups in Greater Newburyport.

“My first project was putting together a poster that had information on future cleanups across greater Newburyport. This eventually led me to create my own districtwide cleanup which I have been working on for the past few months,” he said.

Ron Martino, an ACES adviser and mentor, said Smith has been a great student leader.

“We are really proud of him and all the students involved in this and other efforts such as planting pollinator gardens locally last summer, and the research and creation of online and in field infographics for native trees at the reservoir in West Newbury.”

The cleanup falls in line with April being Earth Month.

Smith also came up with the idea to do a weigh-in of the trash at the end of the cleanup for each grade participating, with prize money awarded to the eighth grade or senior year graduating class. Smith also proposed the idea of hiring an artist to make a piece with the collected trash.

Earth Day, which was started in 1970 by late Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, began as a “teach in” at college campuses, Martino said. Nelson’s viewpoint was that change comes “generationally” as youths grow up and assume their places in the world and adopt the necessary changes, in this case, environmental changes. Earth Day is April 22.

“That set of events was so powerful that it lead to the Clean Water Act in 1972 and banning DDT, a pesticide that lead to fragile bird eggs,” Martino said. “As a result, the Merrimack (River) is no longer an industrial sewer and there are eagles successfully breeding here again.”

ACES was formed in 2018 to unite the efforts of people and organizations to address the climate and environmental crises in Greater Newburyport. ACES also writes a weekly column for The Daily News.

Martino said ACES has aimed its focus on youth awareness and programs, with students able to serve in the organization’s Youth Corps. “ACES is strongly focused on youth awareness and action and has facilitated numerous internships and the opportunities in climate related areas for students in local school systems. Our youth are our future.”

Smith said about 70 students have signed up to participate in the cleanup, mostly high school students.

“I am still pushing for more to join because I think it could be a significant event for all ages,” he said.

The north end of Plum Island is at 3 Northern Blvd. in Newbury. Those who wish to sign up for the cleanup can do so on the Newburyport High School website.

Ashlyn Giroux writes for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email her at: agiroux@ newburyportnews.com

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Do trees get confused? You might well ask. This last year was enough to confuse anyone. A warm spring followed by a summer with searing temperatures and not a drop of water followed by frequent rain, followed by warmerthan- usual winter days with spikes of extremely warm days with pops of bitter cold. If you missed that one day of perfect outdoor skating, thinking there would be another one, you were wrong.

Last summer, toward the end of the drought, many broad-leaved trees dropped a good portion of their leaves. They just had to say, “No, thank you” to any more photosynthesis. Trees are tough; they can withstand stress like this for a few seasons and bounce back if things return to normal.

But what is normal? In August when the awful heat abated, I noticed that the trees that had dropped leaves put out some new ones. Their appetite returned apparently, but only for a snack – the new leaves were a little anemic looking.

My neighbor’s young cherry tree even put out a few blooms (four) in September. As I explained, in what I thought was a very convincing tone of voice, but which may have just been bossy, the tree decided to just go dormant during the drought to protect itself. Then, when it cooled off and rained, the tree woke up and, confused, thought it must be spring. I was really very clear about this.

I was wrong. There is such a thing as a fall blooming cherry. A modest fall bloom, then a flashier one in the spring. No botanical confusion here.

So, on this warming planet, what do trees know, and what do they do about what they know?

All plants evolved within a specific environment. If the environment changes what can a big plant, like a tree, do? Migrate.

Plant migration is nothing new, but human-created obstacles, like striped agricultural land and urban development, make migration an uncertain strategy. and the rate of temperature rise may be too fast for some species to keep up.

What can we do? The list of “recommended tree species” the Tree Commission, Parks Department and the city uses has changed over the years, and will continue to change.

The sweetgum was a tree of the Southeast but has been creeping north. There are three American persimmons planted on the rail trail. Originally native as far north as Connecticut, they are doing well. Three Kentucky coffee trees, native as far north as Pennsylvania, planted near the Bartlet Mall in Newburyport, seem quite comfortable.

If you are thinking of planting a tree in your yard, or requesting a street tree, pick a tree with a little climate flexibility. Better for everyone. Some of our native trees are going to fail in this changing climate. Some might survive by moving to Canada. We’ll miss them, but we have to admire their adaptability.

Jane Niebling, a Newburyport resident, is a member of Friends of Newburyport Trees.

Our Youth Corps asks that you care about our trees and their importance to future generations and then act accordingly personally. If you would like to learn more and possibly do a bit more or have any questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@ gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its initiatives, visit https:// www.aces-alliance.org.

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