Winter in the Town Forest

Town Forest Committee
Will meet on the following Wednesdays at 7:30
in the Conservation Office (Town Hall-Upstairs)
January 21
February 18
March 18
Please join us!
For more information email forest@holbrookmassachusetts.us
Or call the selectmen’s office at 767-1212

The Friends of Holbrook Town Forest remind you that conditions are lovely on the bright, sunny days of winter to cross county ski or hike in the Town Forest. Dress warm, bring water and enjoy the picturesque and quiet landscape in our own backyard! Maps are available at the Conservation Office, 2nd Floor of Town Hall, or on this site.

We hope to see you in the Forest!

Boston Globe Says THE Choice Location in Holbrook is:

The Town Forest!

According to the Community Snapshot in the Boston Globe on January 11, 2009

Choice location: Holbrook Town Forest is a 115 acres of natural paths and backs onto the Cranberry Pond area of Braintree.

http://www.boston.com/realestate/community/articles/2009/01/11/holbrook/

We thank the Globe and welcome them to visit the Holbrook Town Forest anytime!

Tiny sundews need to eat, too!

Another carnivorous plant in the Holbrook Town Forest is the Drosera rotundifolia , or Sundew. In the bright sunlight these tiny plants glisten and sparkle. They are covered with mucilaginous glands(mucus secreting glands) which produce a stick substance to trap insects on the surface of their leaves and tentacles. Then it extracts nutrients from their bodies. Yum!

The Pitcher Plant Lives and Eats in the Town Forest!

This carnivorous rare plant, feeds on insects that are trapped in its bulbous pitcher like leaves.It is found in acidic bogs and fens. The highly modified leaves are covered with downward pointing hairs on the inside to keep their lunch (generally flying insects, flies, bees and wasps) from escaping. Insects that enter the leaf eventually drown, providing the pitcher plants with important nutrients.

The Chestnut Oak

One of the most common trees in the Town Forest is the Chestnut Oak(Quercus prinus). Everything about this tree is big! The deeply furrowed bark is it's most notable characteristic.


This tree is unusual in southeastern Massachusetts, and typically grows to 70 feet on windy ridges, but can grow twice that high in the right conditions. Its large lobed leaves are up to 8 inches long and a rich deep green. It is among the largest of native American oaks, and a valuable source of food for wildlife with very large acorns. It flowers in May with a 2 -3" display of pale yellow calyx. http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus/picts/qprinusfruit.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut_oak

FIREWISE-Day 2- CHIPPER DAY 2008

FIREWISE CHIPPER DAY 2008
We couldn’t have asked for better weather on Chipper Day, Saturday November 29th. Residents were asked to have their brush curbside, “butt end out” by 8 am. Residents and volunteers from the previous Saturday had gathered large piles of brush along the Forest Corridor. We assisted a few more homeowners that morning as the chipper rolled up the street; together a total of 37 properties were cleaned.

The Firewise Task Force wishes to thank the many homeowners who participated along with the following hardworking volunteers: Tim Grow (CCD), Matt Lewis (CCD) and Eric Kenneally (CCD), Tom McMann (Cub Scouts), Jen Crosby (Friends of the Forest) and Dave Dingledy (Town Forest Committee).

We are grateful to Holbrook Fire Chief O’Brien, and his Department, for their input and ongoing support. Thank you, too, to the Department of Public Works for their assistance and the extra watchfulness of the Holbrook Police Department.

Many thanks go to Norfolk County Forest Fire Patrolman Mike Marquardt for his enthusiasm and for sharing his wealth of knowledge and expertise in helping do the job right; under his guardianship we all worked safely. We are also indebted to Michele Steinberg and the support staff at the National Fire Protection Association, who never left us hanging, and gave us access to lots of wonderful informational tools.

And we could not have had a “Chipper Day” without John West, and his son John, of West Tree Service. John’s continued involvement and tireless support for Holbrook, and the Firewise mission are an extraordinary example of giving back to the community. Thank you, John.

All in all over 35 cubic yard of chips and debris was removed by Mr. West and a few more yards were removed after we finished sweeping the streets.

The day was a great success; and we achieved our Turkey Hill Firewise goal for 2008, making all of our homes, and the Holbrook Town Forest, safer from the threat of wildfire. This wonderful group of people worked together with neighbors and community members to potentially help save lives, reduce property damage, and save fire fighting resources for our town.

Thank you all,

Dale Lewis and Pat Greely
Co-chairs, Turkey Hill Firewise Task Force
Holbrook, Massachusetts

FIREWISE -Day 1- HELP YOUR NEIGHBOR

On the blustery Saturday morning of November 22, a group of dedicated hardworking community volunteers braved the cold and wind to help their neighbors in need.
The Turkey Hill Firewise focus mission for 2008 was to continue to clear the homes surrounding the Town Forest of brush, as we believe this will have the most impact in keeping our homes and forest safe from the spread of wildfire. This helps save lives, property damage, and potentially fire fighting resources for our town.

Last Saturday we got a head start on Chipper Day (to be held this coming Saturday, Nov 29 at 8am), by helping some of the neighbors who needed a little help in getting their brush, and fallen debris curbside. Knowing your actions can help save the lives of a neighbor or firefighter is a very rewarding incentive.

The extraordinary volunteers who pitched in on Saturday November 22 were Tim Grow(CCD), Kyle Kenneally, Matt Lewis(CCD & Troop 56), Chris Vogel(Troop 153), Nicholas LaForge(Troop 56), Dan Lewis(Troop 56), Nick Duggan(Troop 56),Andrew Cummings(Troop 56), and Eric Kenneally(CCD). These young men are to be commended for the hard work , teamwork, and the sense of community they exhibited, as they worked along side Norfolk County Fire Patrolman Mike Marquardt, Bill Goodwin(Troop 153), Dale Lewis(Troop 56), and myself under tough weather conditions.

Everyday real citizens do real things to help their neighbors and community, and these young men showed extraordinary efforts. On behalf of the Holbrook Town Forest Committee, The Friends of the Holbrook Town Forest, and the Firewise Task Force, thank you!
If you live along the Weymouth and Pine Street “Forest Corridor”, please help our efforts by putting out your brush by 8 am on Saturday Chipper Day November 29th .