Oak Knoll

Clean Up Success!

Despite the forecast, and the storm coming up the coast on Friday into Saturday, our group of intrepid volunteers braved the rain to clean up two locations at Attleboro Springs.  We started adjacent to the future parking area, with volunteers from Mass Audubon, Attleboro's Conservation Commission, the Attleboro Land Trust, and the Oak Knoll community filling the concrete pad site with scrap metal, trash, tires, and more.  Then, not to be deterred by a little light rain (ok, it was pouring) we moved on to the wetland adjacent to the main parking area and removed even more.  In all, we had more than 20 volunteers for some or all of the day.  La Salette kindly donated the large carafe for coffee to keep us fueled and energized, and volunteers made snacks to keep everyone - even our youngest helper of not yet two, enthusiastic and motivated.

Stay tuned for our group photo and details on the next clean up day - and my sincerest thanks to all who participated in this fun (though soggy) event!  I've promised better weather for next time :-)

Clean Up! Clean Up! Everybody, everywhere...

Four days and counting until our first clean up day at Attleboro Springs.   Oak Knoll staff and volunteers have been out evaluating which areas will be targeted this weekend.  And the City of Attleboro has offered to pick up and dispose of whatever we pull out!  We have three teams ready to go and we need your help!  Come spend the morning, explore the woods, stay for the day and be among the first to hike the newly flagged (but not yet constructed) trails.

If you haven't yet made plans for a beautiful fall weekend, consider joining us on Saturday, November 14 from 9:30am - 12:30pm.  Please call Oak Knoll to sign up and for more information:  508-223-3060.

Exciting Updates from Oak Knoll and Attleboro Springs

Only one week to go until our Annual Spooktacular Event and we have been busy preparing, collecting pumpkins, practicing skits and stories, and readying the barn for our guests!  The forecast promises to be warmer for next weekend's event and we can't wait to visit with and entertain our neighbors and friends.  If you haven't yet reserved your space - call the Sanctuary at 508-223-3060 to do so!  Guided trail walks leave the Nature Center every 15 minutes from 6 until 8:30pm.

 

When we're not carving pumpkins or raking leaves for our events, we've been spending our time teaching our many homeschool classes this fall!  Physics, geometry in nature, Nature A - Z and Coastal Wildlife are just a few of the many classes we're offering this fall.

This fall also brings an exciting partnership for us.  We have partnered with the Environmental Engineering Department at Southeastern Regional High School.  SERSD teacher, Tabitha Hobbs is using Oak Knoll and Attleboro Springs as sites for outdoor environmental education for her classrooms one day per week.  Each Thursday, Ms. Hobbs and her students come out during their shop time and spend the day working on ecological management projects at our sites.  They are conducting waterfowl surveys, amphibian monitoring with coverboads, tree surveys and will work to certify the vernal pools at Attleboro Springs in the spring.  They will work with staff scientists, ecologists, and other volunteers throughout the year on a variety of projects.  We're looking forward to a wonderful long term partnership with them. 

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and take a walk on the trails.  Autumn is a beautiful time of year to hike around Lake T!  Please stop in to say hello and check out our upcoming events or call for more details.

        Saturday, October 24 - Spooktacular - 6-9pm

        Friday, November 6 - Scout Night Hike - 6-7:30

        Saturday, November 14 - Trail Clean Up at Attleboro Springs - 9:30-12:30

        Saturday, December 5 - Winter Craft Day

        

Welcome to Oak Knoll and Attleboro Springs!

Welcome!  And thank you for checking out the new blog for Mass Audubon's Oak Knoll and Attleboro Springs Wildlife Sanctuaries. 

As Oak Knoll's new Sanctuary Director, I am excited to work with the community, La Salette, the Attleboro Land Trust and the City of Attleboro to prepare Mass Audubon's newest sanctuary, Attleboro Springs, for its Spring 2010 grand opening. 

In the meantime, Oak Knoll is busy with many varied classes for our homeschool families - we offer a coastal wildlife class, preschool classes, physics, geometry, and more.  Oak Knoll staff, Mary Beattie, and Kathi Gariepy are hard at work designing fun and challenging activities for children and families.

We were fortunate to be included in the Dodgeville Mill 200th anniversary celebration yesterday - a beautiful day to visit with people from Attleboro and the surrounding communities and celebrate the rich history of the Mill.  http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/09/14/news/6048880.txt

Below, Mary Beattie, educator at Oak Knoll, and Business Administrator for the Attleboro Land Trust talks with visitors to the Mill.

 

Please check back soon for more updates -- and please come by, this Thursday, September 17 from 4-7 pm to our open house!

I look forward to meeting you soon,

Tara Henrichon, Sanctuary Director