Our Blog
Three Tips for Winter Hiking
By Rick Cushing Rick Cushing is one of the early finishers of the 125-Mile Club, the challenge to explore all 125 miles in the Blue Hills. Rick has hiked in all sorts of weather and has a few suggestions for you if you're thinking of hiking this winter. A few things...
Friends’ Members Work to Improve Dangerous Crossing of Route 28 for Skyline Trail Hikers
Have you ever climbed Buck Hill to enjoy the exhilarating 360-degree view, only to descend the Skyline Trail and experience fear and frustration trying to cross the stream of cars racing along Route 28? As Randolph Town Councilor Jesse Gordon says, “crossing Route 28...
Hike with Friends!
Friends of the Blue Hills volunteers lead regular hikes, including Beginner hikes and Boots n' Brews, mindfulness, and nature hikes. If you'd like to learn when hikes are scheduled, sign up below to receive emails for upcoming hikes, as well as news about the Blue...
Poo-lution Solution Virtual Training
Want to learn about how to help track bio-pollution (dog waste) in the park and be part of an effort to keep our park clean? Watch the training video and then find all the link you need on our Poo-lution Solution page!
The Scoop on Poop
The Scoop on Poop Many thanks to Earthwise Aware for permission to reprint this article. It’s just one dog! Is dog poop really that bad? How about not using a bag and leaving the dog poop to decompose? We hear these sorts of comments all the time. The answer? What...
In Person Training: Poo-lution Solution
Poo-lution Solution - In Person Training January 20th at 10:30 am Houghton's Pond main parking lot, 840 Hillside Street, Milton Register below. Most people leash their dog and take out their waste, but when dog waste is left on the trail, it becomes an environmental...
How Can Research Protect Spotted Turtles in Fowl Meadow?
Thursday, January 27, 5:30 pm Online Lecture with Zoo New England Fowl Meadow in the Blue Hills is home to wildlife not often found in Massachusetts, including Spotted Turtles. Once state-listed as a Species of Special Concern, Spotted Turtles still need healthy...
3 Historic sites in the Blue Hills that you didn’t know about
When you hear about the Blue Hills Reservation, perhaps your mind immediately jumps to treks around Houghton’s Pond or the beautiful views from Great Blue Hill or the otter at the Trailside Museum. You might not know about some of the historic sites that are actually...
Volunteers Needed: Gift Wrapping Event with REI
Do you want to help the Friends and get in the holiday spirit? Join us to wrap gifts at The Rink at 401 Park Saturday, December 18th, 2021 from 11am - 3pm! The Friends of the Blue Hills is partnering with REI, the official sponsor of The Rink at 401 Park, to offer...
DCR Ponkapoag Pond Master Plan Public Meeting
Department of Conservation and Recreation Commonwealth of Massachusetts Ponkapoag Pond Master Plan & Fisherman’s Cove Improvements Public Meeting Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 6:00pm-7:30pm Teams Meeting link: Click here to join the meeting At this remotely held...
DCR Announces 2021 Deer Management Plan for Blue Hills Reservation
The following is a press release from the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The yellow areas on the map indicate where archery will take place. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), in consultation with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries...
Poo-lution Solution
Most people have noticed at least a few poop bags littering the Blue Hills' trails. But most people do not know that dog waste - in and out of a bag - is more than just a smelly annoyance. Dog waste in the park is an environmental pollutant that contaminates our...
We all need the Blue Hills… and the Blue Hills needs YOU.
Your gift today will help: Clear the trees and brush on the trails after violent storms. Build drainage structures to prevent trails from flooding. Protect endangered and native species from invasive plants. Photo: Maura Walsh
Reporting from the Frontiers of Climate Change and Conservation, a Journalist’s Perspective
In his keynote address, “Reporting from the Frontiers of Climate Change and Conservation, a Journalist’s Perspective,” David Abel discusses his career as an environmental reporter and filmmaker covering climate change and conservation. An award-winning...
Native Wonders of Ponkapoag Pond
Dr. Rick Kesseli of UMass Boston reveals the amazing native plants that live in and around Ponkapoag Pond that the Friends of the Blue Hills volunteers are working to protect when they participate in our Survey and Save the Forest initiative. In this video, Dr....
Fall Foliage and Sunset Hike
What could be more spectacular than fall foliage? Viewing this foliage from the top of Great Blue as the sun sets! Enjoy the season’s finest colors from the summit of the region’s highest hill. On Sunday, October 17, from 4:30-7:00 p.m., the Friends of the Blue Hills...
Annual Celebration Program!
The Friends Partners with Local Groups to Advocate for Public Transportation Study
One hundred years ago the Blue Hills Reservation was created as a haven for city dwellers wanting to escape from the stress of urban life. At that time people could conveniently hop on trolleys that originated in Mattapan and other Boston neighborhoods to travel to...
Win a Mouth-Watering Picnic for Six!
Photo Credit: Brian MacCleanPicnic for Six Raffle 2021When you enter our Picnic for Six Raffle, you have a chance to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience: a mouth-watering gourmet picnic provided by Cooking In With Stephanie, the multiple award-winning Milton caterer...
The Friends in the News!
Click here to read a great article in the Milton Times about the Friends' president, Matt Panucci... and the Blue Hills!
Boots ‘n Brews
Sunday, September 5, 9:45 am – 1:00 pm Sign up for the event If you would like to explore the Blue Hills Reservation, meet new people, and sample some delicious beers, please join us! The hike will be about a two- to three-hour, moderately paced trek covering about...
Protect the Blue Hills TODAY (Wednesday, April 13th)!
Write or call your state senator to protect public lands. Act today to Protect the Blue Hills As you may know, our public land, including the Blue Hills, is vulnerable to ‘land exchanges.’ With a two-thirds vote of each branch of the legislature, our...
7 Quick Tips for Hiking in the Summer Heat
This summer heat can be quite oppressive, but you shouldn’t let it keep you from getting outside and hiking! Hot temperatures can be a danger, but only if you are unprepared. Read about some tips and accessories that can help make your summer hiking a safe and fun...
July is Membership Month!
July is Membership Month!Exclusive Events for Friends of the Blue Hills' Members July is Membership Month… and we’re celebrating the 1,000 plus members of the Friends of the Blue Hills – and all they do for the Blue Hills – with special events and opportunities at the...