View the pdf here: Newsletter for June 2011
In this issue:
- Are you planning for the July 4th Boat Parade!? See parade details.
- The Essex Music Festival will be held August 27 at Centennial Grove.
- President Sue McLaughlin traces the rise and decline of the cabomba weed in the lake, noting mitigation steps residents can take.
- Robyn Kanter’s Designing with Nature column discusses the tree problem caused by winter moth catapillars.
- The Eastern Railroad was an amazing driver of the local economy a century ago. Loaded with photos, Keith Symmes’ history appears in the Yesteryear section.
- Also: Water level monitoring goes hi-tech. Another disappointing alewife season. Fresh water mussels keep the water clean. And more.
These two diagnostic studies have provided extensive information on Chebacco Lake and lake managements issues. They are vital historical and technical references for anyone involved with current lake issues. They cover lake geology and hydrology, land and lake use, water quality and water level, septic systems and excessive nutrients, wildlife and aquatic weeds, among other issues.
We have created pdfs of both reports (a shoutout to Joe Brain!) which you can download here:
Lycott (1985): Chebacco Lake Diagnostic/ Feasibility Study
Salem State College (1998): Chebacco Lake Diagnostic Report
Another from our files:
According to the Science Corner in Hamilton:
o Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight.
o Bats clean themselves many times a day.
o Bats are nocturnal and shy.
o Bats sleep upside-down during the day.
o Bats have good vision.
o Bats use “Echo-Location” to find nocturnal insects.
o Bats in the United States are insect-eaters.
o Bats eat one-third of their weight each night.
o Bats eat 600-1000 mosquito-sized insects/bat/night.
o Bats are an important part of nature’s scheme for controlling the insect population.
Interested in building a bat house? One possible resource (dated?) is the Massachusetts Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm, Lincoln (617-259-9661) for a selection of bat houses, bat kits, and related books.
Hello Lake Neighbors!
A few hours ago my husband got a good look at an American Bald Eagle
near on Red Gate Rd. He eventually shifted from the tree he was in to
another, but he stayed along the shore line. Thought I’d put the word
out. If anyone has the full list, it might be fun to get the alert
out across the lake. I missed it, but the eagle may still be local as
they gravitate towards lakes in the Winter.
Happy Holidays!
-Brooke Fabian
