The Sugar Shack: The Maple Season has begun! Help harvest the sweetness - Go

Land's Sake Forestry Program: Working with youth to teach them about responsible stewardship and sustainability. Go

Tapping of Sugar Maples BEGINS!
10:00 AM, Weston Middle School - February 14, 2005

We will begin tapping sugar maples on February 14. Please call the office at 781-893-1162 or email at sugaring@landssake.org to confirm, as it largely depends on Mother Nature.

Tapping could go on for several days depending on equipment, staff and volunteer support.

This is a great opportunity to learn about the Maple Sugaring Program at Land's Sake, and learn about the whole process of tapping, collecting and processing.

We would love your support in helping tap and hang buckets around town. It's a great way to spend a sunny day and have fun with the family. In class and private demonstrations are available upon request.

Land's Sake offers in-class presentations and hands-on tapping demonstrations to school children and adults of all ages. We also give Sugar Shack tours and maple syrup tasting at the shack. This part of the education program is a popular one! Schools from all over schedule tours - especially grades 1-5 and youth groups. If you would like Land's Sake to visit your classroom or if you would like to visit the Sugar Shack, please call the office at 781-893-1162 or send email to admin@landssake.org for scheduling, fees and curriculum options.

Volunteers needed for Maple Sap collection

We would love your support in helping tap and hang buckets around town. It's a great way to spend a sunny day and have fun with the family. In class and private demonstrations are available upon request. Please contact the office at 781-893-1162 or email sugaring@landssake.org to find out where and when we will be tapping and collecting.

Invasive species talk and Identification walk at Land's Sake Farm: "Winter Weeds at the Case Farm - An Invasive Species Walk and Talk"

WESTON - A class titled "Winter Weeds at the Case Farm - An Invasive Species Walk and Talk" will take place on Monday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the Land Sake farm stand, driveway of 86 Wellesely Street.

See the weeds through the trees now that winter is here! Join Land's Sake and conservation biologist Dr. Jenn Forman Orth on this informative walk around Weston's Case Estate.

An invasive species specialist, Dr. Forman Orth will show how to identify invasive woody and herbaceous species that are common in our backyards and discuss innovative and safe methods of removal.

Please wear warm clothes and good walking shoes or boots. Class will be held rain, shine or snow. The class is free, but donations are accepted.

You Dig? Green Power Summer Program: Get Down - Get Dirty - Get Paid!

Land's Sake produce donations is an integral part of the Green Power Summer Program and a unique teaching opportunity. Much of our produce is donated to local food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. While connecting the middle school kids to the land and teaching them about agriculture, we also teach them about community service and outreach.

Green Power is an agriculturally- and environmentally-based summer program for Middle Schoolers. Now in its 25th year, the Green Power program connects kids to the land and the food they eat in a uniquely hands-on way. The program focuses on:

• Our environment
• Where our food comes from
• Natural resources
• Community service
• Natural sciences
• Fostering relationships with nature and their community
• Providing opportunities for each child’s natural curiosity and thirst for learning to be expressed
• Getting kids out into the fascinating Natural world

On the farm, Green Power kids help raise over 20,000 pounds of fresh produce for Boston area food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens. Program participants receive a modest stipend of $20/week. The Green Power experience also includes field trips, games and natural history.

Registration: Enrollment is by-the-week (at $150/week) and the Green Power day goes from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. For more information, please call 781.893.1162 .For registration forms and more information, please visit http://www.landssake.org/greenpower/ .

Registration deadline is June 26th.

Helping Hands is just one of the many food pantries and produce distribution centers we donate produce through.

Green Power kids help plant, weed, tend and harvest the produce on the farm

Participation is limited to 25 students per week. Register early! We also ask that a consent and participation form be submitted.

Child to Teacher ratio = approximately 7:1

Land's Sake Expeditions
2005 Brings an Exciting New Dimension to Land's Sake!

We're not just down on the farm anymore: we're taking sustainability to the highway! With the Land Saker Mobile, our 15-passenger bio-diesel van, Land's Sake is going to take hearty and adventurous souls into the hinterland on educational and fun-filled excursions. Each trip will be led by a talkative naturalist and volunteers from the Land's Sake community. Grey Lee, Naturalist, Environmentalist, Educator, long-time supporter, participant and volunteer with Land's Sake, will be organizing these excursions.

Excursions are open to all - families are especially encouraged to sign up. Accommodations are car-camping style; participants will get more details as they sign up.

We'll be driving using bio-diesel fuel, so your trip will be towards sustainability, not just towards the country. Join us in 2005 for any of the following trips:

• 16-17 April - Sustainability in the Taconic Mountains of Vermont: The Merck Forest and Farmland Center
• 14-15 May - Journey to the Coast: Horseneck Beach State Park (Westport, Mass.)
• 18-19 June - The White Mountains of New Hampshire. Trip to Franconia Notch: Mt. Lafayette and Mt. Lincoln
• 16-17 July - The Catskills of New York: Woodland Valley State Park
• 20-21 August - The Green Mountains of Vermont: Gifford Woods State Park
• 17-18 September - Camping in Maine! Camden Hills State Park
• 8-9 October - Apples and Leaves in the Berkshires of Massachusetts - Mt. Greylock

You pay $40 for transportation, food, and entrance fees where applicable! The money helps defray the cost of the van which we use for other educational purposes throughout the year. Bring the whole family! For more information contact expeditions@landssake.org .

Land's Sake produce donations are an integral part of the Green Power Summer Program and a unique teaching opportunity.

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Nature Notes: Did you know that bees "poop" too? Look for little yellow stains on the snow near the hives at the Land's Sake Farm. And on a cold day, try putting your ear up to one of the hives - you can hear the bees inside, a low humming can be heard.

Land's Sake manages both private and public conservation land in the Town of Weston. Selective cutting of trees (primarily Oak, White Pine and White Birch) is conducted several times a year for both timber and firewood. The saw logs and naturally seasoned firewood is available for purchase to Weston residents.

This program is also a valuable Town natural and educational resource - it allows us to teach youth about forestry, sustainable harvesting and responsible Land Stewardship and Land Use.

Come by and see what we do and how we do it - we are harvesting firewood from the Highland Street Forest area. Stay on the main fire roads and look for Tree Felling sign. also watch the calendar for the next tree felling and bucking demonstration. Say helllo tp the crew and hear from them what makes the Forestry Program so unique and special.

Donahue helps teach Weston High School Students about sustainable forestry with hands-on experience in the woods

Christmas Tree saplings ordered

Our Cut-Your-Own Holiday Tree day was a huge success this year. More than 56 trees left the Tree Farm! We have just placed a large order of Frazier, Norway, Red Spruce, White Spruce, Balsam, Scotch Pine and others to start the major replenishing effort for our tree farm.

The trees will arrive in late April. If you are interested in helping to plant them, we would love to hear from you! We will need to plant over 500 two and three year old saplings as soon as they arrive! Call the office to offer your volunteer support while learning how to plant young trees and Tree Farm agricultural practices.

Land's Sake Classifieds

Wanted: Refrigerator, washer and dryer and long dining table or conference table for Melone House (Land's Sake farmers residence and Land's Sake Office). Please call 781-893-1162 if you have any of the above items to donate.

Wanted: Wood Burning Stove for Sugar Shack . Any size logs, but larger preferred. This will be used for making candy and cider in the shack.

For Trade: Have something you want to trade? Let us know.

For sale: Have something to sell? Let us know.

Opportunities: See the Land's Sake joblistings page at http://www.landssake.org/joblistings/

If you have something you want to get rid of but wish it could be re-used, or something you want to trade or just want to share information with other Land's Sake
e-newletter subscribers, then post something here by sending your notice to newsletter@landssake.org

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

This content is brought to you by Land's Sake, Inc., a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization. Our address is 27 Crescent Street, Weston, MA 02493 781-893-1162. Please consider becoming a member or making a tax deductible donation