Our Blog
Legislative Leadership Kills Updated Bottle Bill
The Environmental League of Massachusetts reports that the proposal to update the Bottle Bill to include non-carbonated beverages was effectively killed last Thursday. The legislature's Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (TUE) voted 10 to 7 to place...
Send an Email to Help Clean Up the Park
We've all seen trash in the the Reservation. Here's a way to help clean it up. Each year, 1 billion bottles end up as litter or trash that we could recycle if we expanded the Bottle Bill to include bottled water, sports drinks, iced teas and other beverages. That's...
Sundays in the Park Begins June 17
Beginning June 17th you can hike, bike and enjoy the view on part of Chickatawbut Road every Sunday without worrying about traffic. The Department of Conservation and Recreation will close Chickatawbut Road between Route 28 in Milton and Willard Street in Quincy to...
Zip Line Proposed for Quincy Quarries
The Quincy City Council and the Quincy Mayor’s office issued a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) for recreational uses at the Quincy Quarries. The 31-page RFP can be read here. In the past few days, articles have appeared in the Quincy Patriot Ledger and the Boston...
Protecting Wetlands: Blue Hills Reservoir
In 2003 the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority began developing plans to convert the eastern half of the Blue Hills Reservoir into two 10 million gallon buried drinking water storage tanks. The reservoir, built in the 1950’s had been inactive as a public...
Demonstrating to Candidates that their Constituents Care about the Blue Hills
As part of our continuing efforts to keep our members informed and our political leaders responsive, Friends of the Blue Hills held a forum for candidates running in 2010 for the position of State Senate. About 100 Blue Hills advocates attended the forum to meet...
Music Helps Remove the Weeds
Musicians Dale Freeman and Chris Forkey helped spirits sour at the Friends of the Blue Hills’ Green Up the Blue Hills at Ponkapoag Pond last Sunday. Almost 60 people of all ages donned gloves and pulled the invasive weed garlic mustard while listening to music. ...
Volunteer Spotlight: Les Tyrala
Town: Quincy Volunteer activities: Two separate geology walks for the FBH at Great Blue Hill and the Quincy Quarries. Additionally, I have been leading geology walks for other organizations here in eastern Massachusetts for many years....
Live Music, Crafts and… Greening Up the Blue Hills
Do you want to enjoy the outdoors, live music and crafts – and help keep the forests healthy? Join the Friends of The Blue Hills and the Appalachian Mountain Club on May 20, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm for Green-Up the Blue Hills Day. Together, we’ll help protect the local...
Dry Feet at Ponkapoag
This year, you can check out Ponkapoag boardwalk without even getting your feet wet. Thanks to dry weather and the work the DCR has done to rebuild the boardwalk through the bog, you can enjoy the wonders of the unique plants and animals in this part of the park --...
Mass Public Health and Lyme Disease
Last week, Friends of the Blue Hills leaders met with Drs Katie Brown and Alfred DeMaria from the Mass Department of Public Health to discuss the raising rate of Lyme disease in our communities. Doctor DeMaria confirmed an increase in Lyme disease statewide and both...
Car Free to the Blue Hills
Janie Katz joined us last Saturday to help remove the invasive weed, garlic mustard, from where it is threatening native species at Ponkapoag Pond. Like many Greater Boston residents, Janie loves to bring her family from Cambridge to enjoy the Blue Hills. Janie,...
Volunteer Spotlight: Bob Walcott
Name: Robert C Walcott Town: Easton (45 years) Volunteer activities: After 20 years of hiking and enjoying the Blue Hills, I finally became a member of the Friends of Blue Hills 4 years ago.  In 2008, when the Friends of the Blue Hills launched the Adopt-A-Trail...
Green Up the Blue Hills
Green Up The Blue Hills Sunday, May 20, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm Ponkapoag AMC Cabins Join the Friends of the Blue Hills and the Appalachian Mountain Club for a spring festival of stewardship and fun. Enjoy jazz music, face painting, crafts and weeding games. You’ll explore...
Why is the Incidence of Lyme Disease Increasing?
One reason for the dramatic increase in Lyme disease is that we’ve created ideal habitat for deer; forests like the Blue Hills are crisscrossed with roads and spotted with houses, creating ‘edge habitat’ where deer thrive. Unfortunately, we’ve also removed many of...
The Best Time to See Birds in the Blue Hills? Now!
After an unseasonably mild winter, spring has sprung early in the Blue Hills, and as a result bird-watching has begun earlier than anticipated. Spring is one of the best times to catch sight of some of the great species the Blue Hills have to offer, as birds are...
Ticks are out early this year – make sure you check yourself
The Wall Street Journal ran an article warning that ticks are out early this year - and it should be a bumper year for them! Here's some excerpts from the article: Warmer temperatures are leading some experts to warn that tick activity is starting earlier than usual...
The Gates Are Open at the former Blue Hills Reservoir
If you’ve driven Chickatawbut Road over the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that for the last five years your view of the 16-acre Blue Hills Reservoir was replaced with dirt, concrete and construction vehicles. You might have noticed that the dust settled...
Mild or Harsh – Winter in the Blue Hills is Worth Celebrating
This past Tuesday, February 28th, marked the inauguration of what proved to be an exciting tradition for Friends of the Blue Hills: our first ever Winter Fest at the Blue Hill Ski Area. Not even the lack of snow could keep away some of the more dedicated skiers and...
Want to Delight Your Tastebuds?
Last night's Blue Hills Winter Fest drew well over 100 people to celebrate the Blue Hills with live Irish music and chili. Many thanks to everyone who attended -- and a big thank you to: Seema's Restaurant - serving wonderful Pakistani food in Norwood The Hyde...
No Mountain Biking in March
DCR South Region Announces Month of March Trail Closure for Mountain Bikes As part of its natural resource management efforts the Department of Conservation and Recreation South Region including the Blue Hills Reservation, Stony Brook Reservation, Cutler Park, and Elm...
Want to Help Out the Blue Hills Trailside Museum?
The 7th Annual Blue Hills Trail Races will take place on Sunday, April 29th, beginning at 9 AM near the Blue Hills Trailside Museum on Route 138 in Canton. Colonial Runners organizes the event and donates the race proceeds the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. They are...
Rep Timilty is coming… are you?
We're delighted that both Rep Walter Timilty and Milton Selectman Bob Sweeney have both confirmed as judges for the Blue Hills Winter Fest 2012 at Blue Hill Ski Area, February 28th. We hope to see you for hot chili, live Irish music and a nighttime nature walk. See...
Updated DCR Blue Hills Reservation Trail Map Now Available
The DCR Blue Hills Reservation, in cooperation with the Trailside Museum Charitable Trust has published the latest version of the Blue Hills map. You'll notice a few minor changes from the last printing (in September 2010), including: Two trail closures for resource...