iNaturalist is an online citizen-science platform that helps identify the wildlife around you while generating data for science and conservation. iNaturalist’s Boston Area City Nature Challenge (CNC), is part of a worldwide collaborative bioblitz in cities across the world to document and identify as much wildlife as possible.

We invite you to participate in the Boston area CNC from April 25-28. Join Ann Schunior on a zoom session on April 17 to learn how to use iNaturalist. Then join Suzanne Mrozak on April 26 at Houghton’s Pond to make observations of wildlife and become part of one of the largest community science events in the world. Help us better understand – and therefore, take care of – nature that lives in and around urban areas.

The two events are independent. You can sign up for either or both.

Not familiar with the iNaturalist app? Don’t worry! We understand that some might be new to the app, which is why we’re offering a LIVE training session before the walk. During this training, Ann will guide participants through the app’s features, showing how to easily upload observations, identify species, and explore the wealth of information it offers. Whether you’re new to the app or just want to become more comfortable with it, this session will make sure you’re ready for the walk and the four days of the City Nature Challenge.

We ask that you download the iNaturalist app prior to the zoom call to help follow along!

A zoom call link for the April 17th iNaturalist app LIVE training session will be sent with 48 hours of signup!

Make sure you check out the Boston Area City Nature Challenge here: Boston CNC

Sign up for the Houghton’s Pond City Nature Challenge walk with Suzanne Mrozak here.

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Weather Wonders Series

Hear from Blue Hill Observatory weather observer and graduate student in atmospheric science Amanda Joly about the unique characteristics of Severe Weather and Flooding, with a particular emphasis on their effects in the Blue Hills region. Find out how it relates to Trail Stewardship and the Blue Hills Communities. Flooding and severe weather events can disrupt local ecosystems, altering habitats and impacting wildlife populations. These changes can lead to shifts in biodiversity, affect water quality, and damage natural resources that communities rely on for both environmental health and economic stability. Flooding can damage trails, eroding paths and disrupting access to natural areas, which not only affects recreational activities but also hinders conservation efforts and environmental education.

There will time devoted to a Q&A at the end of the program.

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Do you want to help care for the Blue Hills and have a great time? Then join us for Green Up the Blue Hills, our annual stewardship event that celebrates Spring! This family-friendly event is a great chance to help get a handle (literally!) on one of the most prolific invasive plants in the park — garlic mustard.

This plant is very damaging to other plants in the forest because it releases a poison into the soil so native plants do not survive. Thankfully, it is easy to remove by hand. By pulling as much garlic mustard as possible, you and other volunteers will help keep the forest healthy for the endangered species that live at Ponkapoag Pond — and all the plants and wildlife.

Bring along a post-event picnic–we’ll supply the dessert! You’re welcome to round our your day of giving by picnicking with your fellow volunteers at the AMC Cabins lodge. 

Here’s how to prep for the event:

• Park at the Fisherman’s Cove parking area.
• Check in at the table as you enter Acton Path heading east toward the work site.
• We’ll be working at the AMC Cabins, which is about a 3/4 mile walk in from the lot.
• We’ll provide all the tools and training you’ll need.
• Bring your gardening gloves if you have them.
• Wear close-toed shoes.

Thank you for helping to protect the park!

Event sponsored by:

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Join Mardi and the Friends of the Blue Hills for a screening of the award-winning 11-minute documentary “Mardi and the Whites” at the Milton Library on May 8th at 7 PM. Following the screening, Mardi will offer remarks, and there will be an opportunity for discussion.

“Mardi & the Whites” is a peek into Mardi’s relationship with the White Mountains, the great outdoors, and the community that surrounds them; Above all, it’s a celebration of Black liberation in the wild.

Mardi Fuller advocates for racial equity through writing, speaking and community building. Mardi is a lover of nature and her mission is to support communities of color to self-determine in outdoor recreation and in the conservation movement.  A lifelong backcountry adventurer, in January 2021 she became the first known Black person to hike all 48 of New Hampshire’s high peaks in winter.    She is a contributing writer to Outside magazine, SKI magazine, NRDC, Melanin Basecamp and more. She lives in Boston and works as a freelance writer, marketing expert and DEI consultant. She organizes hike, ski and climb events centering Black people and communities of color and serves as a board member of the Appalachian Mountain Club. 

Check the website below for information!

Website: https://www.paulachampagne.com/mardiandthewhites

Please join the Friends of the Blue Hills on Saturday, May 10th to celebrate the life of Kristin Kubera with a hike in her memory. Kristin passed away suddenly on May 9,2023 from heart disease.

To honor her memory, friends, family, and community members are invited to participate in a self-guided hike up Great Blue Hill. We hope this meaningful experience will unite her loved ones, offering both support for a worthy cause and a chance to celebrate Kristin’s life by engaging in an activity she truly enjoyed.

Kristin was adventurous and lived life to the fullest. She was well on her way to hiking every 4,000 ft mountain in New Hampshire. She completed tasks from her bucket list early and often, such as catching a wave on her very first try while surfing in Hawaii, and skydiving without telling her mom until after she landed. But Kristin’s true passion was her value and love for her family.

Kristin grew up in Milton in a loving home with warm-hearted neighbors. She graduated from Fontbonne Academy (class of ’18) and went on to graduate from UMass Amherst (class of ’22), both with honors. She was a genuine and caring friend who was beloved by many classmates from high school and college.

In Kristin’s honor, we are raising funds for the Friends of the Blue Hills and an organization close to her heart, Comfort Zone Camp (CZC). CZC is a non-profit bereavement camp for children experiencing the loss of a primary caregiver or sibling. Kristin attended CZC as a child and later volunteered to support other grieving youth. Suggested donation day of the hike is $10.

Last year’s funds donated to Comfort Zone Camp went to very good use!  They planned a special camp in name “Kristin Kubera Memorial Camp” in September and it was a huge success. The program helped 44 children, ages 7-17, grieve, heal and grow.  Feedback received from the campers was heartwarming.  Kristin‘s mom and brother volunteered at the camp and found it to be healing for them as well.  Kristin would have loved everything about this! Take a look at the picture below!

Rain date May 11th. Hiking time is 20 to 60 minutes depending on hiking speed. Length is about two miles with an elevation gain of around 400ft.

Join us to celebrate the life of this young hiker and nature lover. Sign up on the page below, and/or scan the QR code to donate to Friends of the Blue Hills or CZC in Kristin’s memory.

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