Great Meadows — A Great Place to Walk

Concordian and naturalist Cherrie Corey will provide yet another installment of her monthly “Sense of Place” walks around Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow, Sept. 17, from 9-11 a.m.

You won’t need much – just bring a camera, some sunscreen and a good pair of walking shoes. Cherrie will lead you as you explore the local landscape, plants and other natural wonders of our national refuge. From the blooming crescendo of August to the symphony of colors in October, September provides a bridge of subtler vistas and silky-seeded appointments that you won’t want to miss. Walk the dike trail and river edges in search of the transitory impressions of summer merging into fall and become familiar with the seed capsules, late bloomers, glistening seed fluff, and mushrooms that line the way as you amble along about the Meadows.

No registration is required, but a $5 donation per person is gratefully accepted. Plan to meet by 8:45 a.m. in the parking lot at Great Meadows NWR, which is down Monsen Road, off Bedford Street, Rte. 62. The driveway entrance is on the left at the bottom of the street where the road curves to the right. If you know others who have gone on this walk, you know what a wonderful time is in store. For questions, Cherrie encourages you to email her at cherrie.corey@verizon.net or call 978-760-1933. The program is cosponsored by the Musketaquid Arts and Environment and Friends of the Assabet River NWR.

Help Clean the Rivers

Tomorrow, Sept. 17, the SuAsCo Watershed, the organization that protects the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord rivers is hosting the 25th Annual River Cleanup. All three of these rivers run through Concord, so take some time if you can and help remove trash and debris from them. All volunteers are welcome. Clean up starts at 9 a.m., and runs through noon. One tiny snag, the water in the rivers is very high, so volunteers may not be able to clean up as much as originally planned. Even so, the site in Concord is going to be Nashoba Brook, which is right behind Nashoba Brook Bakery in West Concord.

Julia Khorana, development director for OARS, working in conjunction with SuAsCo Watershed, said, "It's just going to be tiny shore work and we have some kids who want to do community service."

She added that other volunteers will be encouraged to clean up at other sites. "It's just not safe," she said, regarding the banks of the Concord River. Please call 978-369-3956 for more information.

Soup’s On

Remember that childhood story about men traveling through poor villages in search of a nutritious meal? None of the residents they asked had enough food to spare, so the men concocted a scheme to boil stones in a cauldron in the village square. When the peasants asked what the men were cooking, they replied mysteriously, “Stone Soup.” This piqued the peasants’ interest and each wanted to be a part of this mysterious meal. One asked if she could add the few vegetables she had grown in her garden, and another did the same, and so on until a fine soup was simmering, enough to feed the entire village.

This story inspired our local farmers to collaborate on a lovely meal of fresh foods grown right here in Concord to share in the excellent company of fellow Concordians, fine friends and hungry passers-by. The Stone Soup dinner became the brainchild of the Concord Agriculture Committee to develop and organize into the grand event it is today, and we have the Ag Committee to thank for helping us to celebrate Concord’s cultural heritage in such a sumptuous way.

The annual Stone Soup dinner will be served Sunday, Sept. 18, 4 p.m. at Verrill Farm. The cost is $38 per person, about the price of an entree at a quality Boston restaurant. Proceeds from the event go right back into the program to support our up-and-coming farmers. Tickets can be purchased at the Concord Cheese Shop, Hutchins and Verrill Farms, West Concord Wine & Spirits and Debra’s Natural Gourmet.

I will not be at the Stone Soup dinner, Tom Yates’ concert, cleaning the rivers nor Cherrie’s Great Meadows excursion. Instead, I will be boarding a plane today and winging my way to Santa Barbara, CA, where I will participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I know, it’s not the best weekend to be away, but the Avon Walk is a most worthy cause and I am proud to be part of it. Email me if you have the name of a breast cancer survivor or victim that you would like me pin on and honor on the 39.3-mile walk. Well, it’s time to lace up my walking shoes. Enjoy the great weekend, everyone!

Do you have something to share? Contact me at mcb23@comcast.net or Stefanie at stefanieac@comcast.net, and we will be happy to help you spread the word.