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Conservancy News

Read our Current Newsletter and catch up on past editions:

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The Swampscott Conservancy strongly supports open spaces at the Hawthorne site. For more information see the Nature in the Neighborhood article below or click here.

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The Swampscott Conservancy is announcing a Youth Conservation Grant Program designed to provide support to Middle and High School students who wish to make positive environmental change in their community and more broadly New England. 

Who can apply?  Students who live or attend school in Lynn or Swampscott and are in Grades 6 to 12 are eligible to apply for funds to support a project aimed at making a difference in our natural world. Individual students or groups are welcome to apply. Click here for more information and to apply.

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The Swampscott Conservancy Awards Scholarships to Graduating Seniors

The Conservancy awarded a $500 scholarship to Miquelle (Scout) Myers-Smith, a Swampscott High School graduate who intends to focus her higher education studies on environmental topics. She also has demonstrated a commitment to nature by her involvement in Girl Scout activities such as trailblazing at Harold King Forest and a Silver Award project cleaning a local pond in town. She also participated in a youth climate organization directed by the Massachusetts Audubon Society and was a longtime member of the environmental club at the High School.

The Conservancy awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Hazel Hitchcock. Of all the applicants, the Conservancy’s Scholarship Committee felt that she stood out for her commitment to the environment, as evidenced by her involvement in the High School’s Environmental Club, the town’s Climate Action and Resilience Committee, as well as the Swampscott Conservancy. She was also a NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador which enabled her to develop the skills to be an ocean conservation leader, including climate and ocean literacy, project management, and community outreach.  Through her coursework, advocacy, and volunteer efforts, Hazel has had the opportunity to learn about the environmental problems the world is facing today and the current and potential solutions that can be implemented. We are confident that she will carry her commitment to protecting and improving our natural environment in her higher education and beyond.

The Conservancy believes in encouraging and supporting graduating students like Hazel and Scout who will be the future stewards of our planet.

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Nature in the Neighborhood – November 2026

Why So Many Acorns This Year

Am I imagining it, or are there more acorns than usual dropping from the trees this fall? A mature oak tree generates around 10 million acorns during its lifetime. It seems like the oaks in my neighborhood decided to produce and drop all 10 million just this year – and mostly in my driveway!

As it happens, it isn’t my imagination because this year is a likely oak tree “mast year.”  During mast years, the oaks (as well as other types of trees, such as beech and hazelnut) in a particular area produce an exceptionally abundant and (amazingly) synchronized crop of acorns. The area affected can be quite large and cover entire regions. While there’s no official announcement in Massachusetts yet, scientists in several Northeast states have already reported this year as a mast year for oaks.

You may have heard the old adage that “acorns that fall heavily mean a cold winter is coming.” Unfortunately, trees don’t have the ability to predict the weather, and a big acorn year forecasting a harsh winter is, well, “nutty.”

So, why the unusual high number of acorns this year?

The annual number of acorns produced regularly alternates between less and more, with the heavy years occurring every two to five years. The most accepted reason for why masting occurs is called the “predator satiation hypothesis.” In a nutshell (pun intended), it’s a survival strategy. As acorns are a favorite food of forest critters (squirrels, chipmunks, even deer and turkey), they get gobbled up, leaving few to grow into trees. But when the forest is occasionally flooded with acorns, there are far more than these critters can consume, leaving some to germinate and grow into trees.

Why not then a bountiful crop every year? Aside from the fact that the trees need time to store up enough energy for masting, having those in between years when fewer acorns are produced helps keep animal populations in check – less food, fewer critters. If their populations got too large, all the acorns would get consumed, even when the oaks drop massive numbers of acorns.

A more interesting question is why are all the oaks in an area masting at the same time? While not fully understood, there is likely a mix of factors. Weather, for instance, can play a role. If it’s warm in the spring, more pollination may be occurring, leading to more acorns. Conversely, if there’s a late frost in the spring, the buds will die and the fall harvest of acorns is reduced. Extremely high temperatures and summer droughts can also reduce acorn pollination and production.

More intriguing is the possibility that the trees may be communicating with each other through the air or under the ground. Research has shown that tree roots are linked by mycorrhizal fungal networks, and that through these underground networks, trees can send signals to each other to warn of attack by insects, pathogens, or other threats. It’s also been shown that when damaged, trees can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air to alert neighboring trees to take defensive action, such as producing toxic chemicals to ward off an insect attack. But, as of yet, there’s no evidence that masting is the result of such group “texting” mechanisms.

The Importance of Oak Trees

Doug Tallamy, an entomologist and University of Delaware professor, calls oaks the “most essential of native trees” in North America.” As he observes in his book The Nature of Oaks, they are “keystone plants that support more wildlife than any other tree, provide critical ecosystem services, and underpin the health of entire food webs.”

As noted, the fruit of the oak, the acorn, is an important food source for many woodland animals. Birds also consume acorns, including jays, woodpeckers, and turkeys. But the benefit of oaks extends beyond the nutritional value of its acorns. As Tallamy, tells us, the oak tree is the host plant for more than 1,000 kinds of caterpillars which, in turn, “are the most important protein that virtually all parent songbirds need to successfully raise their offspring—from cardinals and chickadees to wrens, vireos and thrushes.” (By contrast, native birch trees host just over 400 caterpillar species, while elms host about 200.)

In addition to sustaining wildlife, acorns were a traditional food for many indigenous people, especially in the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Midwest and South. But don’t be tempted to bite into a raw acorn! They must be processed by soaking or boiling to remove their bitter taste and potentially harmful tannins.

Though consumed by native peoples, food prepared with acorns was not on the dinner menu at the first harvest feast in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts (the foundation of our modern Thanksgiving celebration) – neither was turkey, potatoes, or pumpkin pie. But corn, beans, and squash likely were. As we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of this month, we should remember and thank the Northeast tribes, like the Wampanoag, who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate those staples – not to mention how to hunt and fish.

As you’re raking and sweeping up all those acorns this month, think about saving one or two to plant and watch grow into a mighty oak. “If you are at all interested in contribution to the conservation of local animals, or in enjoying the wonders of nature right at home,” Tallamy says that “planting one or more oaks is an awfully good way to do those things.”

The Swampscott Conservancy wishes all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Please note that Nature in the Neighborhood will be off for December, back in the New Year.

Toni Bandrowicz, President

Swampscott Conservancy

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EMPOWER OUR CAUSE!

Donations to the Swampscott Conservancy are an invaluable resource that must be tapped in the fulfilling of the crucial and altruistic goals that are laid out in our organization’s mission statement, and which are embodied by our dedicated members and our ongoing activities. All monetary contributions will be applied in the direct interest of furthering the natural wonder of our community; whether a member or not, your assistance is greatly appreciated and will be perceived in one way or another by any and all who immerse themselves in Swampscott’s natural, open spaces. Thank you for supporting The Conservancy and empowering your local community!

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