Friends of the Blue Hills

Don't forget to join us for a free smartphone photography clinic tomorrow night at 6:30! Learn more: https://bit.ly/2Wba6R0

Thanks to Susan Kearns of Braintree for this photo!

Did you visit the Blue Hills after the storm? We'd love to see your photos!

How do you keep dry in weather like this?

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

Garter snakes are small, non-venomous snakes that are commonly seen in the Blue Hills. Snakes are cold-blooded, meaning their metabolism changes with the temperature. Warmer conditions means their metabolism rises while colder conditions causes their metabolism to drop. In the winter months, these snakes must migrate to be below the frost line. In the northern parts of the country, like New England, this means finding a den deep in the ground. Because these dens are few and far between, there tends to me many garter snakes hibernating in one spot. Unfortunately, many snakes won’t survive through the bitter winter months. One study in Manitoba found that one third to one half of garter snakes pass away in the winter. Perhaps this is why spring litters of baby snakes are so big!

Photo credit to Scott Jackson

If you're on Instagram... post your Blue Hills photos with #LoveBlueHills and you could be featured on our Instagram feed! Thanks to @bruiserbobby for posting this photo with #lovebluehills!

The Friends of the Blue Hills is turning 40 this year -- and we'd love to celebrate with you! Sign up to receive the #FBHFind40 places in the Blue Hills -- and enter to win great prizes! Learn more here: friendsofthebluehills.org/fbhfind40

2018 comes to a close. We hiked, biked, volunteered, climbed, learned & interviewed our way through the year! Blue Hills A-Live took us to meet experts who use & learn from the Blue Hills is many ways, we spoke with recreation bikers and runners, biologists, politicians, local workers (included our State Mounted Patrol).

What was your favorite Blue Hills memory from 2018? Please share with us, we love to hear about the ways that people enjoy the park.

We hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and healthy New Year's Eve!

If you are considering becoming a member & making a small donation, you can do so here: https://friendsofthebluehills.org/support/donate-now/donate/

Join DCR for a first day hike on January 1st! Details below.

Is anyone else out there getting in the last few hikes of 2018?

Thanks to Niels Krejci for this photo!

Looks like we won't have a white Christmas this year.. but no reason we can't still dream of one! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, may your day be blessed and we thank you all for your support of conservation and the Blue Hills.

Thanks to Carolyn Rannacher for this photo.

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

Easily spotted with its red tufted crest, the pileated woodpecker can make quite the racket. While other species of birds may fly south for the winter, the pileated woodpecker can be frequently spotted in the colder months. Woodpeckers eat a varied diet, but they prefer to feast on carpenter ants. They use their powerful bills to drive into tree trunks to extract ants to eat. In the winter, the snow may dull many sounds, but the woodpecker’s hard work on a tree trunk can be heard through the forest. These birds are territorial. A monogamous pair of woodpeckers will inhabit an area and stay there year round. Unlike other species of birds, that huddle together in a community nest for warmth in the winter, pileated woodpeckers will create their own individual holes to nest in. Part of their survival depends on their territory. While trees may die and become unsightly, they are often an important home to these woodpeckers, who spend year after year foraging and nesting in the same trees in order to survive.

*photo from audubon.org

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

Unlike opossums, skunks & raccoons, are mid-sized mammals well suited for surviving the winter. Skunks are rather gentle in temperament and spend the winter in social dens, often with a number of other skunks. Skunks can lower their body temperature around 5 to 10 degrees for short periods of time, allowing them to conserve energy in times of cold weather and survival. The average lifespan of the skunk is about 4 years, but many will perish in particularly harsh and snowy winters, as they won’t be able to find enough to eat.

Raccoons, like skunks, also stay awake during the winter. They tend to find homes in hollowed trees, old woodchuck burrows, or abandoned buildings or sheds in the backyard. Raccoons are opportunistic dieters and will find food wherever they can, using their dexterous hands to dig through snow in order search. Raccoons, like skunks, will take extended sleeps—it’s not quite hibernation but does allow their body to conserve energy.

*photo by David Guothro

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

Coyotes, although rarely spotted in the Blue Hills, do live in New England. These shy animals come out to hunt small rodents and prey during dawn and dusk. During the fall months, coyotes begin preparing for the winter by eating sugar-heavy fruits, protein filled, prey, and fatty seeds and nuts. This varied menu prepares the coyote by strengthening the muscles and helping create a thicker, longer coat for the winter. The fur coat is specializes, each strand of fur is hollow, and thereby more insulating in keeping the animal warm. Coyotes do not hibernate, instead they hunt year round. In the winter, special senses like hearing and smell can allow coyotes to hunt rodents under the snow!

*photo from mass.gov

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

These beautiful butterflies that appear in the summer cannot survive in the harsh New England cold. Instead of hunkering down like other mammals and lizards, butterflies use their wings to migrate to warmer climates. Starting in October, these creatures will start to fly south and west. Eastern Monarchs, like the ones we see in the Blue Hills, will migrate down to Mexico for the winter. Monarchs in the central and western part of the country will migrate to California. Other than all that flying, sounds pretty nice, right?

*photo credit to National Wildlife Federation

Still searching for the perfect gift?? Get your loved ones the gift of conservation! Sponsor a trail in the name of your friends and family!

https://friendsofthebluehills.org/gift/

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

Those cute chipmunks that populate our trails during the summer are busy at work. They are foraging for food—seeds, grains, nuts, fruits, and fungi—to store away in a burrow for the winter months. These burrows can be up to 10 feet in length! During the winter, chipmunks will hibernate but they won’t sleep through the entire winter. They wake up every couple of days to eat and replenish their fat reserves. While hibernating, chipmunks fall into a “deep sleep” in which their heart rate (usually 350 beats per minute while awake) drops to as low as only 4 beats per minute. This makes these critters hard to wake up during this hibernation!

Ever wonder what happens to some of our familiar animals in the Blue Hills during the winter? We can tell you about some of them!

This is the American Toad. The American Toad is very active during the warm months of spring, summer, & fall. They like to congregate in breeding ponds and vernal pools during the spring and early summer. However, in the colder months, typically starting in October, they are less active and prefer to hide underneath rocks or logs. Often times, they will dig deeper into these nooks and crannies or under the mud to hibernate until the warmer month of April comes around again.

*thanks to ontarioparks.com for the photo

A tree grows in Ponkapoag in honor of Eddie DeSantis, who was an active Friends member (Pictured below, photo by Gary Higgins/The Patriot Ledger)

http://www.patriotledger.com/blogs/20181213/tree-grows-at-ponkapoag-for-eddie-desantis

Did you guys know that we are also on Instagram @friendsofthebluehills? Give us a follow and tag #LoveBlueHills in your Blue Hills photo and we might give it a share! This eerie shot was submitted by user @_dankeefe!

https://www.instagram.com/friendsofthebluehills/

Good Morning, Blue Hills Friends!

If you’re like me, you appreciate how lucky we are that the Blue Hills is there for all of us…

I bring my four kids to the Blue Hills almost every week… I want to make sure the park will be there for my children to enjoy.

But what if it weren’t there for the next generation? If we let the brush grow over the trails, the invasive species out compete native species, and we give in to the proposals to pave park habitat… our park will not be there in the years to come.

I hope you will join me in donating to the 2018 Blue Hills Fund, so that the next generation can enjoy the same beautiful nature that we experience today.

You support today will go toward our goal of raising $15,000 this fall. Your gift will go directly back to caring for the park.

--A message from Friends of the Blue Hills President David Dobrindt

https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/FriendsoftheBlueHillsCharit/Membership-EA.html

We were proud to participate in New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) 's Toy Drive at Houghton's Pond. Thanks to everyone for donating toys!

*photo by Ken Cohen

'Tis the season.... to buy planet sustainable gifts! Check out our list of gift suggestions! When in doubt, keep the Blue Hills in mind!

What are some of your great eco-friendly gift ideas?

https://friendsofthebluehills.org/holiday-shopping/
*Photo by Scott Dayer

This Sunday 12/9 is the DCR & NEMBA Toy Drive & Ride or Hike in the Blue Hills!

Join us for either a hike or a mountain bike ride, and bring a toy to donate (for children ages 11-16). Registration starts at 9am, but you can donate all day until 1pm. Meet at Houghton's Pond Visitor Center!

https://friendsofthebluehills.org/event/holiday-toy-drive/

Want to help the Blue Hills? Sometimes the best way to make a difference is to avoid making a difference at all...

https://friendsofthebluehills.org/leave-no-trace/

* photo by Patrick Randall

Happy Friday evening! The weekend starts now. Who has plans to hike/bike/run in the Blue Hills this weekend? The weather looks beautiful tomorrow!

Happy #GivingTuesday to all. We love this day, where friends and family consider all the causes that we still must fight for!

Stand with conservancy, stand with protecting our lands, local and global! Please consider making a donation to the Friends of The Blue Hills. Your donation goes towards keeping the Blue Hills safe from development, clean and safe for hiking, and to educational programs to share this treasure with generations to come.

The deer hunt in the Blue Hills is four days, including tomorrow, November 27, Thursday, November 29 and next week, Tuesday, December 4, and Thursday, December 6. Here's a link to the DCR brochure: https://goo.gl/pdCmct. And the DCR webpage on deer management: https://www.mass.gov/guides/blue-hills-deer-management-program.

We KNOW you got outdoors for a hike this holiday weekend!

Share with us your photos and stories, we love hearing them.

*thanks to Paul McPartland from Needham for this photo.

Today @ 11am at the Trailside Museum: Decide to #OptOutside and join us for a hike (in partnership with REI).

Leave the turkey, leave the Black Friday lines, grab your friends and family and head into nature. But please BUNDLE UP-- wool, hats, mittens, hand warmers!

See you all soon 🙂

We hope everyone enjoys a safe long weekend & a happy thanksgiving!

Don't forget to check out our Black Friday #OptOutside hike with REI. We'll meet @ 11am by the Trailside museum to celebrate nature and experiences (instead of shopping for more things).

https://friendsofthebluehills.org/optoutside2018/?fbclid=IwAR3J2ZspQMzq-b9AYGddjKweolRpkLoG6C6QpkA3wSgDAQ0kZDSdz7mTfa4

Thanks Bill Kallinich for this photo.

We are THANKFUL for trails, family, friend, food, and YOU-- our wonderful members, donors, and supporters who help us keep our trails safe! We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving today!

- The Friends of the Blue Hills

Did you enjoy hiking in the first snow of the year? Let's see your pics!

Thanks to Carol Saia of Quincy for the photo!

Have you visited the Trailside Museum for the DCR 125th Anniversary Display yet? It's only open until November 28th so be sure to stop by!

$5 Adults and $3 Children Free for MA Audubon Members

https://friendsofthebluehills.org/event/dcr-125-years-preserving-the-commonwealth-of-massachusetts-art-exhibit-featuring-massachusetts-state-parks/?instance_id=98

Uh-oh! It looks like rain is in the forecast for tomorrow so we are going to CANCEL the Peek-A-Blue hike. Stay dry!

You guys had some good ideas last week-- so we will make another call to action:

Next year is our 40th Anniversary protecting and serving the Blue Hills! To celebrate, we will host a photo scavenger hunt & we need YOUR help coming up with a name for it.

Any suggestions?!

Thanks to David Gouthro for this Turkey photo.. perhaps a snapshot of wildlife will be included in this activity!

Will you be hiking this weekend?? Tell us where! Better yet, show us your photos!

Photo: Kate Galvin

What is YOUR favorite thing about trees?

Credit Bill Costa of Quincy for this photo.

http://friendsofthebluehills.org/thank-a-tree/

Although the ducks are probably happy with the rain... we're afraid that we have to cancel the Trail Maintenance event this morning! We hope to see you (and good weather) for the next and final monthly Trail Maintenance event of the year on Saturday, December 8th. (Note date change.)

Thanks to Tiffany Mohamed of Canton for the photo!

We have BIG news! Next year is our 40th Anniversary of being the Friends of the Blue Hills.

We are looking for creative names for a Blue Hills scavenger hunt that we will host next year. Can you think of any good names for this?

Last week we showed you the freeze/thaw dates for Houghton's Pond and asked you to predict the first freeze this year (we are still waiting!).

Here is the graph from the Blue Hills Weather Observatory for annual precipitation! Pretty cool to see the numbers...

Love our park? We do too! Consider becoming a member and hear about exclusive trail related event, lectures, and know that your contribution is going to preserving the trails we love!

http://friendsofthebluehills.org/support/donate-now/donate/

Friends of the Blue Hills, DCR and REI celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Abigail Adams Trail. Follow the red quill trail markers from the Trailside Museum!

Thank you to volunteers from Eversource for helping maintain our trails! Our next open volunteer day is Saturday! Houghton's Pond Parking Lot 9am-1pm... no experience necessarily to come help us with the trails!

Rain cancels the event, so be sure to sign up for alerts on our website: http://friendsofthebluehills.org/trails-maintenance/