Newsletter

Current:

Spring 2024: Welcome new ED, accessible trails initiatives, Widowmaker Brewing partner profile, Winterfest recap, how we’re battling invasive species, Blue Hills Champion Trish Babb, what is a buffer study, photo contest now open for entries.

Archive

Archive – 2024

Winter 2024: 2023 photo contest winners, Be Kind! campaign encourages kindness in the park, Winterfest event returns, celebration and transition at the annual meeting, the Skyline Society’s newest member, Sunset Hike recap.

Archive – 2023

Fall 2023: Details on the Annual Celebration, words of thanks from outgoing Executive Director Judy Lehrer Jacobs, why Farley Sullivan became a Skyline Supporter, watch the webinar for new members, how you can Adopt-a-Forest, Green Up the Blue Hills revisited. 

Annual Report 2022:  Learn what our members and supporters accomplished last year. 

Spring 2023: Public Lands Preservation Act passed!  Green Up the Blue Hills at Ponkapoag Pond, Become a Blue Hills Champion like Becky and Bjorn, enter the photo contest, Winter Fest photos.

Winter 2023: Winter Fest, increasing public transportation access to the Blue Hills, photos for the Blue Hills Bash and the Sunset Hike.

Archive – 2022

Fall 2022: Maintaining the trails, celebrating our members for Membership Month, encourage visitors to care for the park with a communications campaign, and volunteers who collect data to evaluate it.

Annual Report 2021:  You can learn how our members and supporters helped care for the park last year.  Read what an impact you can have as a Friends of the Blue Hills member!

Spring 2022: In Memory of John Cronin, Photo Contest, Join Friends for Hikes, Spotlight on Monthly Donor and Blue Hills Champion, Sunil Gupta.

Winter 2022: Traffic study addresses dangerous crossing of Route 28, volunteers sign up for Poo-lution Solution to work to reduce dog waste, thanking our volunteers who maintained the trails and cared for the forest, photo contest winners, member survey results and Annual Celebration photos.

Archive – 2021 

Fall 2021: Annual Celebration with Globe Report David Abel, Remembering Kathy McDonald, Transportation Study to Improve Access to the Blue Hills, Three-year Old 125 Finisher, Fall Foliage & Sunset Hike on October 17, photos from Membership Month, Improving the Trails & Forests.

Summer 2021: Advocating for Better Electric Bike Policy, Member Spotlight: Melissa Nelson, Remembering George Thomas IV, Picnic for Six Raffle, Jennifer Sammons participates in the 125-Mile Club.

Spring 2021: New Member Launches Friends’ Membership Committee, Remembering Two Former Friends’ Leaders: David Morse and David Hodgdon, Sign up for the 125-Mile Club, Trails Events Begin in April, Photo Contest Opens, Members Advocate for Public Lands Protection Act.

Winter 2021: Visit and Learn about the Former Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, Youth-led Effort Improves Park, Book Club, Family Programs, Awesome Trail Maintenance Volunteers, Enduring Love of the Blue Hills Inspires Courtship and Support for the Blue Hills.

Archive – 2020

FBH_Fall_2020: Annual Celebration with Derick Lugo, Congressional Candidate Townhall, Better Forest Challenge, Trail Maintenance Opportunities, Five Friends, Signs of Improvement.

Summer 2020: Congressional Town Hall, Protecting Dark Skies, Strategic Plan 2020, Tree Giveaway, Meditation in Motion, Virtual Book Club, Working to Create a Community of Respect, Acceptance, and Inclusion.

Spring 2020: Sponsoring a Trail inspired her grandson, Thank You Trail Adopters, this year’s photo contest, Winter Fest photos, and save the date for Climb it for the Climate.

Winter 2020: Winter Fest, Sunset Hike, Best Cross-country Skiing Trails, Photo Contest Winners, 40th Anniversary Photos.

Archive – 2019

Fall 2019: Annual Celebration with author Tom Ryan, Fishing Fest photos, Citizen science helps identify disease-carrying mosquito spread, amazing raffle.

Summer 2019: Unique events for 40th Anniversary, Park Serve volunteers, Peek a Blue Hikes, Thank you, Bob for joining the Skyline Society, Amazing Dinner Raffle.

Spring 2019: Spring volunteer activities, #FBHFind40 participant, love in the Blue Hills, Winter Fest photos, special meeting for bylaws scheduled.

Winter 2019: Celebrating 40 years with.. scavenger hunt, pop-up winter clinics and more.  Join us for the year’s Winter Fest, hike the new Abigail Adams Trail, check out photos of the Annual Celebration.

Archive – 2018

Fall 2018 Save the date for the Annual Celebration on October 4, Broderick Stable getting spruced up, We’re almost 40… send us your ideas to celebrate, Fishing Fest photos, Amazing Dinner Raffle and Boots N Brews photos.

Spring 2018: We’re losing our trees; Geology ‘Rock Star’; Peek a Blue Hills; Green Up photos; win dinner on top of Great Blue, catered by Siros or Port 305 of Marina Bay dinner; photo contest, Emmi Kurosawa reveals carnivorous plants on the Blue Hills A-Live video.

Winter 2018: Winter Fest February 27, Trail Crew Building Bridges, Fowl Meadow Protected from Development, Trail Leader Caleb Blankenship Earns Award, Eliot Tower Renovation Complete, Noise Map of the Blue Hills Completed, Blue Hills A-Live Starts in January, Annual Celebration photos.

Archive – 2017

Fall 2017: Big wins for Blue Hills in state budget; Sunset Hike, Annual Celebration, New Member Hike, New member George Keefe, threat to Blue Hills averted, Facebook Live Blue Hills Guide launches in September.

Summer 2017: Eliot Tower saved from decay; critical habitat threatened in Canton; habitat improved at Ponkapoag; Dinner raffle, students learn to help prevent Lyme disease.

Spring 2017: Trail maintenance opportunities, members making a difference with legislators, sponsor a trail this spring, Peek-a-Blue Hikes start, geology hike, Green Up the Blue Hills Mary 21, Seasons of the Blue Hills photo contest launched, Winter Fest photos.

Winter 2017: Winter Fest in February, the most trail volunteers ever, thank you Dedham Savings and TARC, petition to help make trail crossings safe, photo contest winners and Annual Celebration photos.

Archive – 2016

Fall 2016: Annual Celebration October 6, Volunteers and Weevils Put the Brakes on Mile-a- Minute Weed, Lyme Disease Prevention at Milton Public Schools, Sunset from the Top October 15, Honoring Rex and Margie Anderson, Hilltop Society Soiree, Renovating Eliot Tower.

Summer 2016: Georgia Lee’s resolution to visit every day… Thanks to her, we’re now on Instagram! Also: Jimmy Tingle show (July 30), Green Up photos, Boots N Brews (July 16), special raffle sponsored by Cypress/ Abby Park.

Spring 2016: Volunteer for the trails this spring! Peek a Blue kicks off, Meet a Skyline Society member, Eagles near the Blue Hills, St. Moritz Grand Re-opening, Incredible Blue Hills photo contest, Save the Date for Jimmy Tingle (July 30), Higashi School clears the trails.

Winter 2016: Winter Fest February 23, Controlling deer populations saves birds and the forest, Wiinter Walk in Quincy draws nearly 100 people, Eagle Scout project builds bridge in Fowl Meadow.

Archive – 2015

Fall 2015: volunteer spotlight: Liz Tran, Origins of Houghton’s and Ponkapoag Ponds, upcoming Annual Celebration, Lyme disease education at Milton public schools, fishing fest photos.

Summer 2015: Members-only archeology hike is ‘epic’; Youth and school groups are great volunteers; Horseshoe throwing in the Blue Hills; Protect the Beauty Photo Contest; Volunteer spotlight – Jessica Baumgart; Boots and Brews; Green Up photos!

Spring 2015: Coalition for a Better Blue Hills forms; Peek-a-Blue Hikes are back! Hotel proposed on parkland; Green Up the Blue Hills coming; Erica Quigley helps launch the Skyline Society; Winter Fest photos; members-only hike with Joe Bagley.

Archive – 2014

Fall 2014: 35 Years Timeline; Annual Celebration October 9th! Revealed: number of deer in the Blue Hills; Over 100 volunteers remove invasives and help the forest; Introducing sponsor a trail; photos of the Summer Fest.

Summer 2014 Introducing Peek a Blue Hikes, Renovations at Ponkapoag Golf Course, Repairs at Broderick Stable, now you can Sponsor a Trail, check out the photos from Green Up.

April – June: Take the Strive for 35 Challenge; Evans and Meline Longacre give back to the Blue Hills; Blue Hills a part of the Tran family; Green Up June 8; Remembering Anne Parker; photos of this year’s Winter Fest.

Archive – 2013

October – December 2013: Honoring some of the founders of FBH: John and Maritta Cronin; Otters in the Blue Hill; Milton students teach us about Lyme disease; Summer Fest photos; and new FBH tag line!

July – September 2013: Fowl Meadow threatened; St. Moritz in the Blue Hills; Marathon Monday in the Blue Hills; a birder’s view; park user survey

April – June 2013: Meet the new volunteer trail maintenance leaders; photo contest winners; why Blue Hills is best for birding and Winter Fest photos.

January – March 2013: Hiking the Skyline; ravens in the Blue Hills; meeting the new Board; and honoring the memory of Charlie Cox.

Archive – 2012

October – December 2012: Conservation land protected at Blue Hills’ neighbor, Seasons of the Blue Hills Photo Contest, Fall is the Season to Watch Out for Deer Collisions, Annual Celebration (Nov. 10th).

July – September 2012: Milton Students Learn How to Protect Themselves from Lyme Disease; For Grandmother Rosalyn Krivitsky from Canton, the Blue Hills Helps Bridge the Generation Gap; How Friendly Forest Animals Can Create Unhealthy Forests; Zip Line Proposal in Quincy Quarries is Expected to be Accepted by Quincy City Council; New Life for a Historic Barn at Brookwood

April – June 2012: The increasing risk of Lyme disease to Blue Hills visitors; the Spotted Salamander, a Blue Hills critter; and exploring the Reservation on two wheels.

January – March 2012: Board member Denny Swenson; Lyme disease prevention; proposed zip lines in Quincy Quarries; snowshoeing and cross-country skiing tips; our cold blooded friends in the forest.