Climate Change In the Blue Hills

The new study from NASA and the University of Hawaii, published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, warns that upcoming changes in the moon's orbit could lead to record flooding on Earth in the next decade. Climate change can seem abstract and distant, but an exceptionally warm day in Massachusetts can really bring the point home. And there have been plenty of scorchers recorded in recent years at the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton. How will climate change alter the Blue Hills over your lifetime… and beyond? How has the park – and the climate – already changed and what can we do to address it? Permanent and temporary freshwater wetlands are critically important communities in Southern New England. They are home to some of the most unusual and unique plant and animal species in our area. These wetlands also provide vital ecosystem services upon which we depend.

According to the Friends of Blue Hill website “How most food is grown and transported has significant impacts on the climate and global warming. Approximately 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions is directly related to food production. So learning how you can reduce your carbon footprint by eating locally and choosing food from local and sustainable farms instead of supermarkets is important and brings healthier foods into your household at better prices (And let’s not forget seeds that will actually grow in your gardens!).

Although the rise of sea levels due to climate change have fairly direct impacts on coastal bird populations, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns also raise less obvious challenges for breeding birds in the Blue Hills and Massachusetts as a whole. A great family project that anyone can do to help local endangered birds is to create safe havens for birds in your yard or container garden by growing native plants, using soap and water instead of expensive pesticides, and adding a bird bath. Native plants provide important food and shelter for birds and help them adapt to a changing climate.

Nature walks and hikes are a great way to get your family healthy and learn an appreciation for the blessings of nature. If you are a beginning hiker The Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum is a 25-acre property that lies within the much larger Blue Hills and Neponset River ecosystem. The arboretum’s plant collection includes a very broad range of both native and non-native species. The arboretum is open for self-guided visits daily, 9 am - 3 pm Monday through Friday. $5 suggested donation. To visit after 3 pm, please call 617-333-0924 x22. On non-Dogwood Days weekends, they are open for visits by appointment or for special events. Suggested donation is $5. To schedule a visit, call 617-333-0924 x22. The 635-foot-tall Great Blue Hill is the highest point in Milton's 22-peak mountain chain. The Blue Hills Skyline Trail is a 15-mile rollercoaster that crosses the mountain ridge, providing breathtaking vistas of the Boston metropolitan area and the Harbor Islands. Dogwoods and lady's slippers grow there, and there are also white-tailed deer, red foxes, coyotes, and turkey vultures.

The Blue Hill Observatory is the longest continually operating weather observatory in the entire country. This makes it an excellent climate study resource. The data, dating back to the mid-19th century, reveals important trends of warming temperature, shorter winters, greater extremes, and how it relates to climate data from other sites. Climate change is here, and waterways like the Neponset River and the neighborhoods around them are already seeing real impacts. Blue Hills Ski Area, located near Boston, has noticed fewer visitors on warmer winter days, the ski areas’ biggest adaptation has been snowmaking.

Ski resorts began making their own snow around the 1970's and the technology plays a crucial role in light of climate change. In a report by Boston University News it was stated that “.Blue Hills Ski Area has made snow throughout its history and relies on the snowmaking technology to alleviate the effects of warmer temperatures for at least the last five years, Blue Hills has aimed to increase its snowmaking capacity each season. Winter tourism activities contributed $269 million to Massachusetts and $12 billion to the U.S. economy in 2009 and 2010 currently the amount of snow in the United States has seen an average drop of 41 percent since the early 1980s.skier visits down were down 11% last year, to almost the same participation of 30-years ago, and it's the Baby Boomers that are leaving the sport. As they get older, retire, and die, the Millennials behind them are not replacing them in the same numbers.

.The Ski resort industry generated $2.5 billion in revenue in 2021, which was a 7% decrease from 2020. Simultaneously as Skiing numbers drop the popularity of skateboarding in the United States is on the rise steadily in 2020 and 2021 there were nearly 8.8 million annual participants above the age of six. In the previous years, the number of skateboarders in the United States had held at around 6.4 million. Now it is seeing a major resurgence in inner city communities where huge skateparks are being built and in Japan where the world Skateboarding championships are held. So climate change means a lot in terms of revenue and big business.