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FRIENDS OF THE BLUE HILLSPROTECT PRESERVE PARTICIPATEVolume 33, Number 4Fall 2015Blue HillsEnthusiast SaysVolunteering “JustMakes Sense”Liz Tran has been enjoying the BlueHills for more than a decade. “I startedcoming to the Blue Hills while I wasstill in high school,” Liz says. “Thatseems like such a long time ago!”Because the Reservation was so specialto her, she decided to join Friends ofthe Blue Hills and volunteerwith the organization.“I frequent the Reservationa lot, so why not volunteer?I’m an outdoor enthusiast,so I like to see places like theBlue Hills be taken care ofso we all can enjoy it nowand in the future. My fiancéChris and I often pick uptrash we spot along the wayand carry it out - carry inand out is a rule we respect.”Volunteer Liz Tran with her faithfulfriend, Milo.If you’ve seen a Friends’ Facebook postor if you read a tweet inviting you to aFriends event, that was probably fromLiz. She is our volunteer social mediaguru. “I want to grow professionally bycontributing my social media skills,” Lizexplained. “I don’t get to use my socialmedia skills in my full-time job, so Ienjoy using them in my spare time.”For Liz, volunteering with the Friendsof the Blue Hills just makes sense.“Nonprofit organizations are alwayslooking for volunteers, and I like tovolunteer for causes I’m passionateabout. The Friends gives me theflexibility to help when I can.”Liz also volunteers for various eventssponsored by the Friends, including therecent Green Up the Blue Hills and theBoots N Brews hike. And her favoritespot in the Blue Hills? “Any spot with aview. Probably our favorite spot is BuckHill.” Great choice, Liz!Join Us at Our Annual Celebration!Thursday, October 87:00 - 9:00 pm Milton Hoosic Club, 193 Central Avenue, MiltonPlease join us for the AnnualCelebration of the Friends of the BlueHills on Thursday, October 8! Wewill be celebrating the Blue Hills, ourmembers and friends, and everythingwe have accomplished together over thepast year!Enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres fromOff the Vine Catering, cash bar, silentauction, beer tasting from Blue HillsBrewery, and much more! Tickets are 35 each if purchased by October2, and 40 each at the door. Ticketscan be purchased in advance on ourwebsite: FriendsoftheBlueHills.org/Celebration2015.About Our SpeakerWe will also be honoring our2015 Community Partners:Bill Baino- Milton Public SchoolsDeborah Felton – Fuller VillageL.L. Bean-Legacy PlaceMelissa Horrs Pond- QuincyDepartment of Planning andCommunity DevelopmentCarol Sanchez, the newly appointedCommissioner of the Department ofConservationand Recreation,will deliver thekeynote addressand share hervision for howwe can worktogether for theBlue Hills.1

Go Out and Play: Check Every Day!Over 300 fourth grade ‘Future ProblemSolvers’ from Milton Public Schoolshelped their community learn aboutLyme disease this spring. Friends ofthe Blue Hills teamed up with BillBaino, a teacher at Glover School, andMilton Public Health Director CarolynKinsella to introduce students to thesigns and symptoms of Lyme diseaseand how the increase in Lyme diseasehas been linked to the declining healthof our forests. Students then sharedtheir new knowledge by designingposters to help educate the community.As an added incentive, when youenroll in our monthly giving program,you will be entered into a raffle for a 250 gift certificate for L.L. Bean!Thank you for your generous support!The Friends of the Blue Hillsnewsletter is producedfour times a year.Editors: Anne Comber, Judy Jacobs,Barbara KirbyLayout: Donald SouliereVisit us on the web atwww.FriendsoftheBlueHills.orgor call 781-828-1805for membership, maps andschedule information.P.O. Box 416, Milton, MA 021862This is the fourthyear that BillBaino has workedwith Friends ofthe Blue Hillson this event. Inrecognition of hiscommitment, theFriends will bepresenting him with their CommunityPartners Award at their fall AnnualCelebration (see article on page 1).Fourth grade problem solverAnnabel Dunningston.YES! I want to protect the Blue Hills Reservation! Basic Membership – 30Hancock Hill Hero – 100Chickatawbut Champion – 500Other Ponkapoag Protector – 50 Skyline Steward – 250 Great Blue Guardian - 1,000Payment Frequency (Choose one) Lump sum donation Monthly donation of #Sign up for Monthly Giving and YouMay Win a 250 Shopping Spree atL.L. Bean!If you love the Blue Hills andwant to support the importantwork that Friends of the Blue Hillsdoes to preserve and protectthe Reservation, please considerbecoming a Blue Hills Sustainer.By making a monthly donation toFBH, your tax deductible donationwill provide a steady and reliablesource of income for FBH and willensure that your membership neverlapses! Of course, you may stop thedonations at any time by calling781-828-1805 or emailing us at info@friendsofthebluehills.org.Some of theposters weredisplayed over thesummer at MiltonTown Hall,CunninghamPark Hall and theMilton PublicLibrary.Become a Sustainer: Yes, have this gift renew automatically I’ve enclosed a check made payable to Friends of the Blue Hills Please charge my Mastercard Visa DiscoverCard NumberExp. date (MM/YY)Card security codeNameAddressCity/State/ZipPhone E-mailPlease mail to Friends of the Blue HillsP.O. Box 416, Milton, MA 02186You may also donate through our secure server at FriendsoftheBlueHills.org.Thank you for your generous support!

Win the picnic of a lifetime!Imagine your very favorite placein the Blue Hills is it the top ofBuck Hill? The flowering lily padson St. Moritz Pond? Fisherman’sBeach at Ponkapoag?Now imagine inviting five friendsor family members to join youfor a mouth-watering picnic atthis beautiful spot, catered by theaward-winning restaurant The Platein Milton!Your prize also includes outdoorentertaining tableware for sixdonated by Williams-Sonoma atLegacy Place!Raffle tickets are 15 each or 3/ 35 and can be purchasedonline on our secure website: FriendsoftheBlueHills.org/Celebration2015. (Some restrictions apply, please visit ourwebsite for more information.)Photo by Brian MacLeanEvery detail will be taken care of Your only job will bedeciding who you will invite!Sunset Hike to theTop of Great BluePlease join us on Saturday, October 17, from 4-7 p.m. fora spectacular hike to view the sunset during peak foliageseason. Bring your families, buddies or dates for thisself-guided hike to the top of Great Blue. We’ll providecomplimentary snacks at the bottom of the mountain to giveyou energy for the walk up and hot cider and apples at thetop. You can even bring a picnic dinner to eat at the summit!This is your only opportunity to hike down Great Blue atnight; after sunset, the ski area lights will be on to guide yourway down.For safety reasons, everyone must check in at the ski areaat the base of the hill prior to hiking up. Park at Blue HillsSki Area, 4001 Washington St., Canton (Blue Hills TrailsideMuseum South parking lot). The Blue Hills Observatory willbe open from 4-7 p.m. and will provide tours and viewingfor a nominal charge.The sunset hike is sponsored by Blue Hills Ski Area and theFriends of the Blue Hills.For more information, visit www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.orgor email info@FriendsoftheBlueHills.org.Is the Blue Hills in Your Will?By remembering theFriends of the BlueHills in your Will, youwill become part of aselect group of peoplecommitted to protectingand preserving the BlueHills forever. you’ll jointhe Skyline Society. Formore information aboutthe Skyline Society, visitFriendsoftheBlueHills.org/skyline-society orcall Judy Lehrer Jacobs at781-828-1805.3

Revealing the Origins of Houghton’s and Ponkapoag PondsLes Tyrala, alocal registeredgeologist, hasgiven a numberof special walksthrough the BlueHills to discussthe origin of theReservation’sbedrock and howthe glacial age helped to sculpt theserocks. Several years ago, Les appearedin an article in our newsletter aboutthis topic, and today we are discussinga related subject, the formation ofPonkapoag and Houghton’s Ponds.FBH: What is the origin of these twoponds?Les: Houghton’s Pond and PonkapoagPond are considered glacial kettleholes, according to the United StatesGeological Survey (USGS) and localprofessors. Kettle holes were formedwhen blocks of ice from the last glacierbecame embedded or covered byoutwash materials (late stage sands andgravels) during the final melting andretreat of the glacier. More specifically,kettles are landforms occurring asthe result of blocks of ice “calving”(breaking away) from the front of aFBH: Why are these kettles filled withwater and how big and deep are kettleponds?FBH: How old are the kettle ponds?Kettle ponds are generally between10,000 and 13,000 years old. The ageis determined by radio-carbon datingof the remains of the earliest organiclake materials in the deepest layersof sediment. Radio-carbon dating isused as a clock, because it’s unaffectedby physical and chemical changes inthe earth and can be corrected foratmospheric changes.Les: These blocks of ice, ranging insize from a few acres to as much as athousand acres, melted and ultimatelyleft depressions that eventually filledwith fresh water when the localFBH: Are kettle ponds widespread ingroundwater rose to intersect them.Massachusetts?In additionLes: Asto the localwe gogroundwatersoutheasterlylevels, thereto Capemay be someCod, thespring waterfrequency ofentering thekettle holesponds viaincreases.fracturesThis is due toin thePonkapoag Pond is one of two kettle holes in the Blue Hills. the increasingunderlyingthicknesses of deposited sands andbedrock. The depths of kettle pondsgravel as we near the now-offshorerange from a few feet to tens ofterminal moraine, marking the farthestfeet. Ponds, such as Houghton’s andadvance of the ice sheet. This ice sheetPonkapoag, are about 15 to 40 feetoriginated in the Laurentide region ofdeep, while Walden Pond is just shy ofQuebec. The U.S. Geological Survey100 feet.has calculated that Cape Cod containsabout 365 freshwater kettle ponds.Honoring Founding Membersof the Hilltop SocietyBuying Something onAmazon?This summer, a special group ofFriends were celebrated as the foundingmembers of the Hilltop Society. Thisnew club recognizes generous memberswho have given 1,000 or more tothe Friends of the Blue Hills. Societymembers were honored at a specialcocktail party at the home of boardmember Laura Beebe, whose propertyabuts the Blue Hills Reservation.Your purchaseson Amazon couldhelp the BlueHills!For more information about the HilltopSociety, please contact Judy LehrerJacobs at 781-828-1805 or judy@FriendsoftheBlueHills.org.4receding glacier and becoming partiallyor even entirely buried. A trip toIceland today would show kettlesactively forming.Just go to smile.amazon.com designate theFriends of theBlue Hills as the charity to receivedonations and shop as you normallywould! You only need to designate thecharity the first time – and the BlueHills will benefit each time you shop atsmile.amazon.com!Please join Les on his next walk:“Taken for Granite” QuincyQuarries Geology WalkSunday, September 27th, 2:00 – 3:30 PMSturdy footwear and the abilityto climb rugged, narrow trailsare required. Space is limitedto 15 attendees, and preregistration is required. RSVP toraymond.f.mckinnon@state.ma.us.