Insights from Outside
An Update from the NRC
February 2019
NRC Offering Free "Healthy Yard" Signs!
healthy lawn sign front
As part of the NRC's continued Grow Green Wellesley Campaign, the NRC is inviting residents who are committed to eliminating chemical fertilizers and pesticides on their property to show their pride with a new Healthy Lawn sign this spring. We will even come install it for you. Email us for more info.
Route 9 Adopt-A-Highway Initiative
The NRC invites all commercial property owners in Wellesley to help keep Route 9 litter-free as part of the state's Adopt-A-Highway program. Businesses and organizations can adopt a two-mile stretch of highway that they pledge to clean monthly from April 15 to November 15th. The NRC will sponsor signage for all partner organizations.
For more information, email the NRC or click here.
Volunteers Build Vernal Pool Boardwalk
NRC vice chair Raina McManus (left) and JoAnn Jones are among the dozen volunteers who have contributed a total of more than 230 hours of labor building the boardwalk at the vernal pool on the North 40. The project will feature an accessible trail and viewing platform for visitors to learn about the ecological significance of our vernal pools.
Key Dates

Thursday February 28, 10 am: NRC Director Brandon Schmitt and Town Landscape Planner Cricket Vlass will speak at t he Wellesley Garden Club on the "Preservation and Maintenance of Wellesley’s Cultural Landscape." Wellesley Free Library, Open to the Public.

Saturday April 27, 9 am to 12 pm: The NRC will host a clean-up as part of the 20th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup. Email us to register for the Wellesley clean-up or click here for more info.

May 9, 9:15 to 11 am: The next meeting of the Wellesley Green Collaborative will be held at the Wellesley Free Library in the Wakelin Room. The collaborative meets four times a year for a discussion of local topics related to environmental sustainability. All are welcome. Click here for more information.
Girl Scouts Request Bring Your Own Bag Month in January
Working on their silver award project, Girl Scouts Hannah, Georgia, and Lily requested that the Board of Selectmen declare January 2019 as BYOBag month. The scouts handed out reusable shopping supplied by the NRC at Roche Bros. and the RDF, and spread the word about why we need to reduce waste. The NRC started the tradition of BYOBag month in 2017 when the Wellesley bag bylaw took effect. Bring reusable bags every time you shop for a big impact.
Food Waste Drop-Off
One of the newest programs at the RDF is the Food Waste Drop-Off Program. Your food scraps are sent to an anaerobic digester where they are converted to electricity! How great is that?
Join and Learn More
NRC Chair Regina LaRocque on WBUR
NRC chair Dr. Regina LaRocque (a physician at MGH) was recently featured on the WBUR radio show "On Point" in a discussion of the health risks associated with climate change. In January, Regina also co-authored "Climate Change—A Health Emergency" in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Improvements to Fuller Brook Path
Wellesley trail walkers will be safer thanks to two recent improvements: a push-button controlled pedestrian crossing at Cottage Street and a re-located lamp post on the trail next to the State Street parking lot. The Trails Committee received a grant for $22,000 from the state and worked with the Department of Public Works and the Municipal Light Plant to get the job done.  
Upcoming Events
Wetlands Protection Committee Meeting : February 14, 6:30 pm, Kingsbury Room Wellesley Police Station

Regular NRC Meeting: February 21, 7 PM,
Great Hall, Wellesley Town Hall

Annual Town Meeting: Begins March 25 and meets Monday and Tuesday nights until the business of the meeting is concluded.

Wellesley Trails Committee Guided Trail Walks:
April 28, May 5, May 18, June 1.
Town of Wellesley
Natural Resources Commission
Phone: 781-431-1019
Email: nrc@wellesleyma.gov
Website: www.wellesleyma.gov/NRC