Middlesex Conservation District

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Middlesex Conservation District

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The Middlesex Conservation District is a not for profit environmental agency dedicated to protecting soils and waters in Middlesex County, MA.

We hold plant sales twice a year to raise money for our conservation programs.

10/26/2026

Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Meeting with Dr. Olga Kostromytska: Invasive Pests on the Move: Identifying, Reporting, and Managing the Spotted Lanternfly

When: December 7, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Duration: ~ 0.5 hour business meeting & ~1.5 hour presentation with Dr. Olga Kostromystska with Q&A
Program Type: In-person
Where: Minuteman High School, Paul Revere Room
758 Marrett Road
Lexington, MA 02421
Cost: Free, Registration Required
Maximum Number of Participants: 100
Speaker: Dr. Olga Kostromytska

Join us for our FY 2026 Annual Meeting with Dr. Olga Kostromytska, an Extension Assistant Professor Olga Kostromytska from University Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Kostromytska will talk about how invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF) continues to spread in the Northeast. She will discuss their distribution, biology, management, and preferred host plants. The presentation will also include discussion of natural predators of spotted lanternflies and how to tell the invasive Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), the host plant of lanternflies, apart from other native species. Before the presentation, we will have a short business meeting. At this meeting, we will be voting on candidates for the Board of Supervisors for Middlesex Conservation District. Anyone who is a land user in Middlesex County is invited to vote. Dinner and snacks will be provided free of charge. Donations are welcome!

Registration Required: https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/events

Image Description: flier of the FY 2026 Annual Meeting with a picture of Dr. Olga Kostromytska, a picture of a spotted lanternfly, and a description of the annual meeting time, date, location, and presentation title.

Flyer Credit: Andrea Grossman
Image Credit: Dr. Olga Kostromytska

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Division of Conservation Services Conservation District Innovation and Basic Grant Program provides funding for this program.

09/02/2026

No-Till Growing for Community Gardeners

When: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Where: Gaining Ground, 341 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742
Duration: 1.5 hours including 30 minutes for Q&A
Program Type: In-Person only
Cost: Free, Registration Required
Maximum Limit of Participants: 30 people
Speaker: Rachael Walton, Gaining Ground

Event Description:
In this free workshop open to the public, farmer Rachael Walton will give an overview of Gaining Ground's no-till growing practices and will address how no-till principles and methods can be utilized by community gardeners.

Registration Required: https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/events/

Image Credits: Gaining Ground

The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Division of Conservation Services Conservation District Innovation and Basic Grant Program provides funding for this program.

09/02/2026

Invasive Earthworms in Managed Landscapes: Impact and Solutions

When: Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Where: Concord Free Public Library - Fowler Branch, 1322 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742
Duration: 1.5 hours including 30 minutes for Q&A
Program Type: In-Person only
Cost: Free, Registration Required
Maximum Limit of Participants: 50 people
Speaker: Dr. Olga Kostromytska, Extension Assistant Professor and Turf Entomologist, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture

Event Description:
Jumping worms have garnered a lot of interest from the public in recent years. This presentation will discuss the identification and biology of invasive earthworms in MA, and their role/ impact in the urban landscapes. This will include information about “crazy/jumping worm” species (Amynthas spp.) that have many homeowners in MA and New England concerned. Dr. Kostromytska will also share updates about current research.

Registration Required: https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/events/

This program is offered in partnership with the Concord Free Public Library.

Image Credits: Dr. Olga Kostromystska

The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Division of Conservation Services Conservation District Innovation and Basic Grant Program provides funding for this program.

08/24/2026

High Tunnel Workshop: Farming Year-Round

When: Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Where: Small Farm,
Duration: 1.5 hours including 30 minutes for Q&A
Program Type: In-Person only
Cost: Free, Registration Preferred, Walk-ins welcome
Maximum Limit of Participants: 20 cars, so please carpool!
Speaker: Elena Coleman

Join Farmer Elena Colman in the high tunnels at Small Farm. This farm grows year round in 4 unheated high tunnels, ensuring a steady dedicated customer base and year round income. September is a great month to see the transition from summer to winter crops in the high tunnels. We will tour each of the four tunnels, discuss the basics of high tunnel infrastructure, the thought process for crop planning in these tunnels, our soil practices in the tunnels, and the specific role they play at Small Farm for customer and employee retention. There will be plenty of time for questions. Please park in the lot by the road and meet at the closest high tunnel to the parking lot (Tunnel 1).

Registration Required: https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/events/

Image Credits: Elena Coleman

The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Division of Conservation Services Conservation District Innovation and Basic Grant Program provides funding for this program.

08/14/2026

2026 Fall Native Plant Sale is open to order now!

Examples of plants we are selling include Butterfly Milkweed, Bearberry, Black Huckleberry, Cardinal Flower, New Jersey Tea, Paper Birch, P***y Willow, Swamp Rose, Swamp Rose Mallow, Sweetbay Magnolia, and Wild Bee Balm.

Supplies include Root bags, 6″ Pollinator Pathway signs, and Garden Labels.

Choosing native plants is one of the most direct ways to support pollinators, birds, and local ecosystems. These plants evolved alongside our wildlife and play an essential role in providing food, shelter, and seasonal rhythm across the landscape. A significant number of these plants are on Dr. Gegear’s plant list for at-risk insects and/or are keystone species.

The plant sale ordering deadline is September 18th

Order Pick-up and Cash Sale:
Friday, September 25, from 4:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 26, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Minuteman High School
758 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421

Please use the QR code or go to https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/ and click 2026 Fall Plant Sale under the menu or to order plants. Or use this link here: https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/fall-sale-2/

Please come to our website and order some native plants to help diversify your garden! And as always, thank you for your support of the Middlesex Conservation District!

This event is free to enter and open to the public.

plants

06/03/2026

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our tour due to the owner being unable to host the event space. We apologize for the inconvenience. We’re looking to make another native rain garden tour available. Details are TBD.

06/01/2026

Read our latest newsletter: Gardening for all Wildlife: Supporting Biodiverse Landscapes

Whether you are making or managing a garden for pollinators or birds, there are numerous other animals in our ecosystem that may also live in or near you and your property.

Rabbits, voles, shrews, foxes, owls and many more depend on plants and/or animals to survive and thrive. Shrews and moles play important roles in eating insects such as slugs, grasshoppers, and snails.

Supporting predators such as owls and other natural pest controlling animals can include putting up owl boxes or keeping older trees with deep cavities.

Keeping rodents in check means protecting predators too. Rodenticides harm much more than mice and rats, they can also harm and kill pets, hawks, bobcats, snakes, and other animals that feed on rodents.

Although we may not like seeing the damage caused by certain animals, supporting predators and not using harmful chemicals can create a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem.

Image Credits: Chrissy McClarren and Angy Reago - no rights reserved (CC0)

05/11/2026

Aquatic Invasive Species Identification Workshop

When: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Where: Framingham Public Library
Program Type: In-person Only
Cost: Free, Registration Required
Maximum Limit of Participants: 25
Speaker: DCR Lakes and Ponds

Learn how to identify aquatic plants and protect your local waterbody from invasive species through this hands-on workshop led by DCR’s Lakes and Ponds Program. View live plant specimens and learn key features of common invasives that can be found in the SuAsCo watershed.

By learning to detect invasive plants early, participants can help prevent new infestations from becoming established. Early detection increases the chance that invasive plants can be eradicated before they spread, saving both ecological value and costs.

Registration required, limited to 25 participants.

Some common invasives to be aware of:

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata): Highly aggressive, grows an inch a day, and spreads via turions and fragmentation.
Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum): Widespread, forming dense mats that choke out native vegetation.
Water Chestnut (Trapa natans): Forms floating, thorny rosettes that impede navigation and recreation.
Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana): Common in lakes and rivers, often spreading through fragmenting.
Curly-leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus): An early-growing invasive found in many waterbodies.
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria): Frequently found on the margins of lakes and wetlands.

Registration Required: https://middlesexconservationdistrict.org/events/

Image Credits: OARS 3 Rivers

The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Division of Conservation Services Conservation District Innovation and Basic Grant Program provides funding for this program.

05/06/2026

Exciting news! Indian paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea), a critically imperiled state-endangered species, has been identified growing in Northwest Connecticut. Believed to be extinct throughout most of New England, this seedling has sprouted at one of its last known habitat locations in the region (on NCLC protected land).

Last year, a stewardship team applied special plot treatments to encourage germination of any viable seed remaining in the soil at this location. The team is thrilled to report that a successful plant was identified growing in one of the plots last week.

This is an amazing conservation step forward, thanks to the people who make land protection and this conservation work possible.

Fingers crossed, this plant is the beginning of the restoration of this endangered species.

Thank you to the CT Botanical Society, Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists, and Millbrook Garden Club for helping fund this species restoration project.

Address

319 Littleton Road Suite 205
Westford, MA
01886

Telephone

+19783038272

Website

http://www.middlesexconservationdistrict.org/

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