Category Archives: Nature

New Life 5k Trail Run on 5/7 updates

Posted on April 25, 2022 | Comments Off on New Life 5k Trail Run on 5/7 updates

From Todd Dimmick –

New teams enter the New Life 5k Trail Run on May 7th

New Life is excited to host its 5th annual Trail Run on Saturday, May 7th on the Medfield State Hospital grounds (at Hospital Rd. & Service Dr., Medfield, MA). The route winds through the beautiful Charles River Reservation, and the event is open to runners, walkers and everyone in between. Many teams have already entered the Trail Run, including A Team, Eliot Church XC, GNRC, Iwaki America, MAKT, Millis UCC on the MOVE, Shamrock Shuffle, Soles of Medfield, UCC Medfield, Unicorn Amazing, and Westwood First Parish Church. These teams include runners from across eastern Massachusetts. New teams are welcome and are easy to set up. 

To celebrate being back in person after two years of virtual runs, New Life has partnered with the Cultural Alliance of Medfield to provide live music on race day. Also, the Furniture Matters club of Medfield High School will introduce a Kids Fun Run for children 4-10 years old.

Trail Run registration is open at www.newlifefb.org/5ktrailrun. Registration is $30 until May 5; and $35 on race day. On-site Kids Fun Run registration will be $5 (cash or check). There is a $5 group discount for teams of four or more when the registrations are made at the same time.  On-site registration opens at 7:30 on race day. The Kids Fun Run starts at 9:00, and the Trail Run starts at 9:30, with live music to follow. The first 300 people to register will receive a t-shirt on race day.

The Trail Run benefits New Life Furniture Bank of MA and its mission to provide essential home furnishings to those in need. The Medfield-based not-for-profit organization operates a Walpole Donation Center, and serves the MetroWest and Greater Boston area. New Life provides a meaningful option for folks who are downsizing, renovating or disposing of a loved one’s property.

Those interested in being a sponsor, volunteering, donating home furnishings, or making a financial contribution are encouraged to visit www.newlifefb.org.


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Posted in Charity, Children, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital, Nature, Recreation, Teens, Trails

Medfield Rail Trail at Dover line

Posted on March 7, 2022 | 1 comment

From skiing on 2/26/22, at the spot where the Medfield Rail Trail crosses the Pine Tree Curtain into Dover, looking both directions. New to me equipment so much better than the old gear.

Medfield Rail Trail in Medfield –

Bay Colony Rail Trail in Dover –

BTW, surprised to learn that it is uphill most of the way to Dover.

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Posted in Medfield Foundation, Medfield Rail Trail, Nature, Recreation

Soles of Medfield Running Club loves the New Life 5k Trail Run

Posted on April 14, 2021 | Comments Off on Soles of Medfield Running Club loves the New Life 5k Trail Run

This Running Club loves the New Life 5k Trail Run

By Tod Dimmick

Soles of Medfield Running Club is one many teams with deep local roots that will participate in the New Life 5k Trail Run. We asked John Trigg, one of the Club organizers, about Soles of Medfield, and why they love this particular event.

Trigg said that Soles of Medfield has members from all around the “greater Medfield” area, including Medfield, Millis, Sherborn, Norfolk, Walpole and other towns. “We started as a loose collection of friends and neighbors training for a half marathon in 2015, and the team snowballed from there,” he said. He added that what evolved from a mailing list to a Facebook group is now a formal non-profit running club with a regular schedule of runs of all lengths. Trigg says team members come from all experience levels; from ‘couch to 5k’ to ultramarathoners. He said, “We’re just here to provide community and support.”

“The New Life 5k Trail Run is one of our favorite events,” Trigg said. “Not only is the event local, and benefits such a great organization, but the route and use of the state hospital sets it apart from just about every other 5K.  The course is challenging, but provides great scenery all the way around. Runners of all levels will enjoy it.” Trigg said he loves that the New Life 5K Trail Run benefits the mission of the New Life Furniture Bank of MA.

New Life Furniture Bank of MA collects high-quality, gently-used furniture and household essentials that are made available at no cost to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, New Life found a way to safely serve almost 500 families.  The Medfield-based not-for-profit organization operates a Walpole Donation Center, and serves the MetroWest and Greater Boston area.

This year, the 5k organizers hope that participants will have the choice of whether to participate in-person on May 8th at Medfield State Hospital, or virtually between April 17th and May 8th.


New Life 5k Trail Run registration is open at www.newlifefb.org/5k, with discounts for teams of four or more.  New teams are welcome. The registration fee is $30. T-Shirts are available for purchase. Those interested in being a sponsor, volunteering, donating home furnishings, or making a financial contribution are encouraged to visit www.newlifefb.org.

Other teams participating this year include Team Babson, Yates, Walk Ins Welcome, UCC Medfield Trail Blazers, Eliot Church XC, and others.

Soles of Medfield welcomes new members. Learn more at solesofmedfield.com and on Facebook and Instagram. Questions are welcome at solesofmedfield@gmail.com. “Maybe run with us to see if you like who we are and our runs,” Trigg suggests. “Come find people to run with.”

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Posted in Charity, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital, Nature, Recreation, Sports

Clean up your Medfield 4/24 & 25

Posted on March 19, 2021 | 1 comment

SAVE THE DATE

TOWNWIDE CLEAN UP

VOLUNTEER

April 24 & 25

Department of Public Works will be holding two clean up days on April 24 and April 25 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For information and to sign up to volunteer, please call DPW at 508-906-3003.

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Posted in DPW, Environmental, Events, Nature, Open space, Volunteers

New Life 5k Virtual Trail Run

Posted on March 11, 2021 | Comments Off on New Life 5k Virtual Trail Run

From Tod Dimmick for the New Life Furniture Bank –

The 2021 New Life 5K hopes to offer both virtual and in-person components


The fourth annual New Life 5K Trail Run will take place this spring. The event benefits New Life Furniture Bank of MA and its mission to provide essential home furnishings to individuals and families who are transitioning out of homelessness.

The New Life 5k in all its forms is open to runners, walkers and everyone in between.  Each year the event brings out hundreds of enthusiastic supporters. Last year, the “Virtual 5k” was a tremendous success, after organizers offered one of the first virtual races in Massachusetts. Virtual runners participated last year from as far away as Australia. This year, the organizers hope that participants will have the choice of whether to participate in-person on May 8th at Medfield State Hospital, or virtually between April 17th and May 8th.


The in-person component will only occur if Massachusetts moves into the stage of Phase 4 that allows Road Races.  The organizers will determine whether or not the in-person event will occur by April 30th (If the in-person event is not permitted, in-person registrations will become virtual registrations). The in-person 5k Trail Run will include measures to ensure safe participation, including staggered start times throughout the day on May 8th.   

The virtual component will be structured much like last year. Participants create their own 5k route, or use fitness apps like MapMyRun and Strava, and then complete their route anytime between April 17 and May 8. Participants can log their times on RaceWire. On May 9, results will be posted and awards will be given.

New Life Furniture Bank of MA collects high-quality gently-used furniture and household essentials that are made available at no cost to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. New Life has remained vigilant throughout the pandemic and has continued to serve people in need by finding creative and safe ways to operate online and with minimal contact.  In 2020, New Life served almost 500 families.  The Medfield-based not-for-profit organization operates a Walpole Donation Center, and serves the MetroWest and Greater Boston area. New Life provides a meaningful option for folks who are downsizing, renovating or disposing of a loved one’s property to donate their gently used goods and furniture.

Registration is open at www.newlifefb.org/5k, with discounts for registration before April 12, and for teams of four or more.  The registration fee is $25 “early bird” and $30 regular. T-Shirts will be available for an additional fee. Those interested in being a sponsor, volunteering, donating home furnishings, or making a financial contribution are encouraged to visit www.newlifefb.org.

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Posted in Charity, Children, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital, Nature, Sports

Medfield Community Garden’s 2020 Registration Now Open

Posted on February 28, 2020 | Comments Off on Medfield Community Garden’s 2020 Registration Now Open

From Neal Sanders –

Medfield Community Garden’s 2020 Registration Now Open

Is growing fresh vegetables something you would like to do?  Have you tried to grow them in your back yard, but found you had too much shade?  Do you live in a condo or apartment that has no space for gardens?  If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, the town of Medfield has a possible solution for you: the Medfield Community Garden. 

Registration for spaces at the garden located on Plain Street off Route 27 is now open for the 2020 season, and ends when the last space is filled.  Plots are available on a first-request basis and usually go quickly.  A 300-square-foot plot provides ample room for a variety of different vegetables for most families. Approximately 12 plots are available for this season.

            Both novice or experienced gardeners will find the Community Garden offers a great opportunity to learn and grow.  The Garden is located on Conservation Commission land at the former Holmquist Farm on the south side of town.  The site provides all-day sun, a scarce commodity for many Medfield residents.

            Never had a vegetable garden, or feel you’d like a refresher course, or more information on growing in this area?  Master Gardener and lecturer Betty Sanders will offer a freshly updated program on planning, planting and growing a garden in this area.  The presentation will be held on Saturday, March 14, at 10:30 a.m. in the Medfield Library.

            Gardeners provide their own seeds or seedlings, agree to fence their plot, and keep it weed-free throughout the season.  The town provides a ready-to-plant site, wood chips for paths, and on-site-water.  Because the Community garden is on town-owned Conservation land, gardeners are not allowed to use any herbicides or inorganic insecticides.   

The Community Garden has now been on Plain Street for more than fifteen years.  As a result of good gardening practices, the site is rich in organic nutrients, eliminating the need for almost all fertilizers and additives.

Residents can apply for a plot by contacting garden co-manager Neal Sanders at 508-359-9453 or n_h_sanders@yahoo.com.  Plots measuring 15 feet by 20 feet are $18, plus a one-time fee for joining the garden of $20.

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Posted in Entertainment, Environmental, Events, Green, Information, Nature, Open space, Recreation

Signs of spring

Posted on February 22, 2020 | Comments Off on Signs of spring

The bulbs are already up an inch in the sun pocket at my Newton office’s back door, and now this radar evidence of the bird migration having started over the Florida Keys:

bird migration

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Posted in Nature

Reasons for 29% decline of birds

Posted on November 5, 2019 | Comments Off on Reasons for 29% decline of birds

meadowlark

see on-line here 

Habitat Loss:
The Biggest
Cause of
Bird Declines

Western Meadowlark by Brian Sullivan

If you were alive in 1970, 29% of breeding birds in the U.S. and Canada have disappeared within your lifetime. These data signal an urgent need to repair the very fabric of our ecosystems — and bring birds back.

Habitat loss and degradation are the biggest reasons for the rapid and staggering loss of birds across the continent. What are other leading causes of bird deaths because of humans? Every year, more than 2.6 billion birds are estimated to be killed by cats, and up to 1 billion birds are killed by window strikes in the U.S. and Canada alone.

Birds need urgent help, and everyone can do their part. At the Cornell Lab, we work daily to advance solutions, from engaging people in their own backyards to generating the scientific information needed to inform decisions and actions that protect birds and habitats across the hemisphere.

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Posted in Nature

New Life 5k Trail Run – 2018 photos

Posted on April 5, 2019 | Comments Off on New Life 5k Trail Run – 2018 photos

I missed the other photo –

New Life 2018 GetInShapeForWomenNew Life 5k - GNRC at

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Posted in Charity, Entertainment, Medfield State Hospital, Nature, Recreation, Sports

New Life 5K Fundraising Run/Walk

Posted on February 26, 2018 | Comments Off on New Life 5K Fundraising Run/Walk

From Susan Maritan –

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New Life Announces 5K Fundraising Run/Walk

Come join your neighbors and the supporters of New Life Furniture Bank of MA as we host our “1st Annual New Life 5K Trail Run” on the grounds of the scenic Medfield State Hospital in Medfield, MA on Saturday, May 5th at 9 AM. Whether you are an avid runner, jogger, or a strolling dog walker, this fun event is a terrific way to get out of the house and stretch your legs after a long winter.

The event registration is now open: newlifefb.org/5ktrailrun. The race fee, if paid on or before April 5th, is $25; after April 5th it is $30.

 

100% of the proceeds will benefit New Life Furniture Bank of MA.
For those runners interested in getting an official time, RaceWire is providing chip timing, and for those interested in fun and relaxation, there will be post-run refreshments and DJ music!

New Life 5k

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Posted in Children, Events, Medfield State Hospital, Nature, Recreation, Sports