What’s New at Wildlands
Remembering Sam Chapin
Sam Chapin, longtime member and Chair of the Wildlands Trust Board of Directors, passed away on April 1, 2026, at the age of 75.
Read Wildlands President Karen Grey’s reflection on Sam’s enduring impact:
Our beloved board chair, Sam Chapin, will be missed by so many, including myself, our staff, and his fellow board members.
Sam was on the Wildlands Trust Board for over 23 years, having twice served as board chair, most recently from 2019 to 2026. He was an amazing ambassador for our mission and led the board with integrity, diplomacy, and when needed, a velvet hammer. One of the things I appreciated most about Sam was his support for the Wildlands staff. Sam championed the staff and consistently took the time to communicate kind and positive things he observed in the people working here.
Sam was a key leader in the Davis-Douglas Farm project to protect this iconic property and to build a new headquarters for Wildlands. He wore multiple hats as the chair of the Building Committee and the co-chair of the Fundraising Committee with Charlotte Russell. His energy and enthusiasm for Davis-Douglas Farm was palpable up until the end.
Sam’s legacy at Wildlands Trust runs deep. We are grateful for his friendship, commitment, and passion for our work. He will be dearly missed.
For Wildlands’ 50th anniversary in 2023, Sam was honored as one of 50 individuals who have made remarkable contributions to our mission. Revisit Sam’s profile in 50 Remarkable Years, 50 Remarkable People:
Many nonprofits assess potential board members by the depth of their pockets and the size of their Rolodex. However, Wildlands Trust considers first and foremost how a person’s experience will add a new skill or perspective to the board conversation. Our board thrives as a mixed table of farmers, accountants, biologists, lawyers, foresters, and entrepreneurs, all bound by a commitment to protecting land.
For the past three decades, the task of managing this diverse group has fallen on the capable shoulders of the three most recent board chairs of Wildlands Trust, Sam Chapin, Howard Randall, and Doug Hart. Yet the vast contributions of these individuals go far beyond encouraging all to speak and ensuring all are heard.
Sam Chapin spent his boyhood summers on the shores of Plymouth’s Lond Pond, where he lives today and where his extended family still gathers each summer. Sam, a career engineer, drove efforts to purchase Davis-Douglas Farm and establish it as the Trust’s new headquarters. As chair of the two working subcommittees focused on fundraising and construction, Sam’s leadership of the Davis-Douglas Farm campaign opened one of the most important chapters in the evolution of Wildlands Trust.
Please also revisit our 2023 video profile of Sam Chapin and past Wildlands Board Chairs Doug Hart and Howard Randall:
Read Sam’s obituary here. We invite you to share your memories of Sam in the comments below.
Lichen: The Forest in the Trees
This lichen is growing on an Atlantic white cedar. Photo by Justin Cifello.
By Justin Cifello
The treetops usually loom high out of our reach and sight. However, this winter’s heavy snowfall pulled portions of the forest canopy to the ground, affording us the rare opportunity to see it up close. The much-awaited thaw has revealed a second snowfall—a spongy carpet of fallen lichen that now blankets the forest floor. As we await the unfurling of leaves over the next month, we can ponder the rich miniature worlds of these enigmatic organisms.
Small as they are, lichens are ecosystems; each one contains a variety of organisms. Unlike other taxonomic groups, like mammals or flowering plants, lichens do not have a single common ancestor. Lichen can instead be thought of as a strategy, one that has evolved independently multiple times. Though often confused with moss, lichens are not actually plants. They are composite organisms comprising fungi and other microbes, living intertwined in symbiosis. The common denominator is fungus, which provides the structure that hosts the other residents. Since lichen-forming fungi cannot exist on their own, lichen species names describe the fungal host.
Lichen fungi cannot forage for food the way other fungi do. They have no roots or mycorrhizae to extract nutrients from the surfaces they live upon. Instead, they trap photosynthetic algae and/or cyanobacteria and incorporate them permanently into their body, called a thallus. The fungus then lives off the sugars produced by its microbial partners and acquires the rest of its nutrition from the rain and atmosphere. Though they are trapped within the lichen, the algae benefit, too. In the wild, most algae are short-lived, vulnerable to predation and weather fluctuations. The fungus offers stability and security. By changing its pigmentation, lichen protects its algal partners from lethal UV radiation. [1]
A ruffle lichen, Parmotrema, with spore-producing cups. Photo by Justin Cifello.
Scientists have only recently been able to appreciate these complexities and lichen’s role in the environment. Though small, lichen are numerous. By greatly increasing the surface area of whatever substrate they grow on, they create micro-habitats that support the tiny creatures that feed the larger ecosystem. As nitrogen fixers, lichen supply the forest with this vital element. Reliant as they are on the atmosphere, they are uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Lichens are indicators of good air quality and have even helped locate emission sources. [2]
A combination of aging forests and successful anti-smog legislation have helped lichens reclaim their space in the canopy. In humid areas, some trees can be festooned with them. This resurgence has led some to fear that lichens are a new forest pest, since they were not always so abundant. They are often seen on dead and dying trees, but the relation isn’t causal; the lichens are responding to increased light as their host dies from other causes. The lichens themselves are harmless. [3]
A variety of lichens colonizing the rusty surface of an old dump truck. Photo by Justin Cifello.
Recent analysis suggests that lichens began to appear at least 400 million years ago, after the earliest terrestrial plants. Lichens and mosses are credited with forming the first soils on earth by eroding rock while trapping minerals and water. Lichens continue to thrive in harsh places today, from the intertidal zone and the arctic to desert sands and car doors. Lichen even survived a year and a half outside of the International Space Station. [4][5]
Found in every environment, in every season, lichens are a constant companion on our outings. Hundreds of species live in New England, in a dazzling array of forms and colors, from thin films and dust to dangling chains, several feet long. We can see their complicated relationships by observing how some only grow on certain species or materials. With a magnifying class, you can better appreciate their fractal intricacy. They remind us that nothing in nature is simple; we are surrounded by resilient beauty and complexity, if only we look closely. [6]
Click on the photos below to learn more about these diverse lichens. All photos by Justin Cifello.
[1] Symbiosis: https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/archive/releases/2016/Q3/yeast-emerges-as-hidden-third-partner-in-lichen-symbiosis.html
[2] Emissions Monitoring: https://gis.nacse.org/lichenair/index.php
[3] Tree Health: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2019/04/should-i-be-worried-about-lichens-growing-bark-my-apple-trees
[4] Lichen Origins: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adw7879
[5] Lichens in Space: https://futurism.com/fungi-lichens-just-survived-18-months-outside-iss-means-might-able-survive-mars
[6] Lichens of New England: https://massnature.com/lichens
Members Meeting Informs & Connects Wildlands Community
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
Members are the foundation of the Wildlands community. Not only do they provide us with the steady financial support we need, but they also serve as advocates for environmental protection in their own neighborhoods. The larger and stronger our membership base, the more effectively we can advance our mission.
Strong communities are informed and connected. On April 6, Wildlands Trust hosted a Members Meeting at our Plymouth headquarters to offer our supporters a glimpse into the varied work we do every day to protect land for everyone, forever.
“Community and pride—these are my takeaways from our Members Meeting,” said Membership Manager Kyla Isakson. “Gathering our supporters not only showed them what their generosity does for land conservation, but it also provided a space to mingle with friends old and new who share the same passion for the environment. I’m proud to be a part of the Wildlands community, both as a staff member and a resident of the region.”
In the Community Conservation Barn at Davis-Douglas Farm, several staff members presented a summary of the Wildlands Trust 2025 Community Impact Report, which can be found here.
To start, Wildlands President Karen Grey discussed the diversity of Southeastern Massachusetts—and therefore the diversity of ways Wildlands carries out its mission. She noted that this was Wildlands’ first members meeting in nearly 20 years, since members voted on all organizational decisions. We have since changed our governance structure to promote programmatic and financial stability, but we continue to include our members in meaningful ways.
Wildlands President Karen Grey polls the audience at the Members Meeting.
Up next was Land Protection Director Scott MacFaden, who shared updates about the lands that Wildlands is working to protect. In 2025, Wildlands protected 383 acres of valuable open space, including Conservation Restrictions (CRs) in two new towns (Scituate and Cohasset) and on nearly 150 acres of farmland.
Then came Stewardship Manager Owen Grey, who summarized Wildlands’ recent efforts to maintain and restore conservation lands across the region. Highlights include improvements to ecological health and public access at Willow Brook Farm in Pembroke and an accessible river overlook platform at Striar Snake River Preserve in Taunton.
Next, Programming Coordinator Amy Burt presented on our youth education initiatives, volunteer opportunities, and public programs, which in 2025 reached over 700 participants.
Finally, Chief of Staff Rachel Bruce shared successes from the D.W. Field Park Initiative, through which we have raised nearly $5 million since 2022 to revitalize the City of Brockton’s 700-acre D.W. Field Park. This initiative is one of several that Wildlands has spearheaded to advance climate resilience and environmental justice in Southeastern Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities.
The Members Meeting was an opportunity for members not only to listen, but also to ask questions about our work and connect with one another. Before and after the presentation, members mingled over coffee and cookies and bonded over their shared passion for regional land conservation.
We hope to make Members Meetings an annual offering again after a long hiatus. Stay tuned for future announcements! In the meantime, please enjoy the benefits associated with your membership, including reduced admission to Wildlands programs, discounts at local and retailers and farms, and the satisfaction of knowing you are making the difference in the future of Southeastern Massachusetts.
We express our deep gratitude to all our members, who make our work possible and worthwhile.
Become a member today at wildlandstrust.org/membership.
Human History of Wildlands: Great River Preserve
Great River Preserve in Bridgewater. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
By Skip Stuck, Key Volunteer
Throughout this "Human History of Wildlands" series, I've highlighted a wide range of ways that Native Americans, European settlers, and others have utilized and altered the Southeastern Massachusetts landscape, from clearing forests for farms to damming rivers for factories. Few parcels in our region have looked any one way for long. So, when Wildlands Trust undertakes responsibility for a new preserve, it often confronts a difficult question: Which version of the land’s history do we preserve or restore?
Great River Preserve in Bridgewater offers a unique example of a very different kind of history.
The preserve sits near the headwaters of the Taunton River. If you read our April 2024 history of the Taunton River watershed, you might remember that the retreat of the last glaciers around 12,000 years ago left this area covered in sandy soil and mud—not the rocks and boulders so prevalent elsewhere in Southeastern Massachusetts. Much later, the Taunton River's slow current would prove unsuitable for the hydropower generation that elsewhere fueled mills and factories. The land has thus continued to support high-quality forests and farms for generations.
Sachem Rock. Source: Sowams Early History
Early History
In 1647, a group of settlers known as the "Conihassett Partners" (derived from the Wampanoag name for a section of present-day Scituate) decided to expand their land holdings beyond the coast and obtained the first land grant for a large inland area. In 1649, at a place called Sachem Rock (close to today's Great River Preserve), the Wampanoag sachem Massasoit met with colonists including Miles Standish. There, Standish purchased 14 square miles of land that came to be known as Old Bridgewater. The purchase price included "7 coats, 9 hatchets, 8 hoes, 20 knives, 4 moose skins, and 10 and 1/2 yards of cotton." This is believed to be the first signed agreement in North America between the colonists and Native people.
Soon, colonists settled in the area, and Old Bridgewater split into four Bridgewaters—East, West, North (now Brockton), and Bridgewater proper. One of the earliest farms was Sachem Rock Farm in East Bridgewater, established in 1665. As the area grew, present-day Auburn Street became a main thoroughfare. In 1790, the Auburn Street Bridge, eventually known as the Covington Bridge, was built, connecting Bridgewater with Halifax to the east and Middleboro to the south. This bridge operated for over 200 years through multiple replacements and repairs until 1995, when it was finally dismantled.
Auburn Street Bridge, 1981. Source: Recollecting Nemasket
In 1770, a Cape-style house that came to be known as the Leonard–Jackson House was built on a large farm on Auburn Street. This house has been in continuous use since, owned by the Leonard, Jackson, Brooks, and Belchunas families, among others, before ending up with the Lehtola family from 1945 to the present day.
From the late 1600s until the early 2000s, the land of Great River Preserve was in continuous use as a farm, pasturing cattle and horses and producing corn and hay. Unlike almost every other property in the region, this land likely looked in the 1700s much the same as it does today.
Protecting the Land
Owners Peter and Rita Lehtola were concerned that as they phased out farming activities, the land could be divided, developed, and changed forever. Then, Wildlands Trust Board Chair Howard Randall approached the Lehtolas with an idea of how it could be preserved. In 2008, the Lehtola family agreed to sell 230 acres of the property to MassWildlife and Wildlands Trust. Of those acres, 125 became Great River Preserve, while the remainder augmented MassWildlife’s Taunton River Wildlife Management Area, which today totals 349 acres. To make the agreement possible, Wildlands’ Board of Directors agreed to change a longstanding "no hunting" policy on their properties and allow hunting at Great River in a carefully regulated manner. This marked an important public-private collaboration, and a blueprint for future preservation efforts.
Leonard–Jackson House, 1984. Source: Bridgewater Archive
The protection project forever secured the future of a 1,400-acre open space corridor along 1.5 miles of the Taunton River. Since the acquisition, Wildlands has worked diligently to keep the fields hayed and forests healthy, so that the land’s character can persist at a time when farms of all kinds are going out of business and being swallowed up by development.
We hope you will visit Great River Preserve and seize the rare opportunity to see what farmers and settlers saw for 300 years.
A special thanks to the Lehtola family, without whose insights and recollections this piece would not have been possible. And as always, thanks to Thomas Patti, Wildlands’ Communications Coordinator.
Resources
“Leonard-Jackson House,” Bridgewater Archive. bridgewaterarchive.com/locations/houses/13
“Sachem’s Rock where Ousamequin traded with Myles Standish for Satucket lands in 1649.” Sowam’s Early History. sowamsearlyhistory.org/sachems-rock-where-osamequin-traded-with-myles-standish-for-satucket-lands-in-1649/
“Auburn Street Bridge,” Recollecting Nemasket. nemasket.blogspot.com/2013/03/auburn-street-bridge.html
East Bridgewater Library: eastbridgewaterlibrary.org
“Human History of Wildlands: The Taunton River Watershed," Wildlands Trust.
“Taking the Long Way Around,” John Stilgoe, Boston Globe. March 14, 2004.
Interview with Peter Lehtola, March 26, 2026.
Tell a Better Story With Your Camera: Q&A with Photographer Drew Lederman
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
Photography is one of the most popular ways that people connect with nature. It is also one of the most important ways that Wildlands Trust generates public awareness and support for its work. For many years, photographer Drew Lederman has donated his time and talent to Wildlands, capturing breathtaking images of the people and places that define our region’s natural landscape.
Now, you can learn to do the same. Over four Thursdays from June 18 to July 9, Drew will lead “Outdoor Photography Essentials,” a hands-on class focused on honing your creative eye and capturing more compelling images. Click here to learn more and register for this program at Davis-Douglas Farm in Plymouth.
Drew’s photography studio offers a wide range of services, including weddings, family portraits, and professional headshots. But it all started with a desire to document his outdoor adventures. In anticipation of his class, I asked Drew to share his photography story—how it started, where it’s going, and why you should dust off the camera in your closet and take it down a trail.
Photo by Drew Lederman.
TP: How did you get into photography?
DL: I've been interested in photography for most of my life, but I really got into it when I started backpacking and doing other outdoor adventures. I was just always in these really beautiful places, and I wanted to take photos of them. I wanted to show people where I was, what I was doing, and why I would wake up at two o'clock in the morning and hike to the top of a mountain to watch the sun come up. It's also meditative to look at a landscape and figure out what I want to focus on in that particular scene.
Over the years, my interest in photography morphed into all sorts of different jobs, where I built new skills and realized that I like photographing people, too. But documenting landscapes and nature is what really got me started.
You’ve donated your time and talent to Wildlands for years. Why?
Tucker Preserve is definitely my happy place on the South Shore. I actually grew up right down the street. Now, my wife and I really love nature, and we appreciate how important it is to keep natural spaces available and not have them all developed. When we got married, we decided that we wanted to use our wedding to give something back to Wildlands. We got a whole bunch of pamphlets and pictures and made a Wildlands Trust booth at our wedding so that people could donate to Wildlands if they wanted to. We also used a chunk of our wedding money that we had put aside for decorations and donated it to Wildlands instead.
Over the years, we have continued to grow our involvement in the Wildlands community. I've done staff headshots, photos of trail spaces, and classes. I’ve even photographed weddings for Wildlands staff members.
Photo by Drew Lederman.
Why should people try out photography? Why this class?
Photography helps you connect with nature a little bit more when you're out walking on trails. When you're a photographer on a trail, you're constantly looking at everything because you're scanning for interesting things to capture, rather than just breezing through the woods and not paying much attention. So, you learn how to slow down and appreciate the woods a little more.
Photography beginners tend to struggle with two things: the technical end of how their camera works, and how to create an image that's more pleasing to the eye. In a class like this, I teach people how to look at things differently, and how to really pick out what they want to take photos of so that they can tell a better story. It may seem really complicated at first, but once you learn how to use your camera, you never have to relearn it.
My goal is for people to come to each class, learn something new, and before the next class, go home and practice the things that we learned so that by the time the program is done, everyone can go off on their own and just continue to improve.
What message would you have for someone who doesn’t feel artistic enough to take this class?
There's no such thing as not being an artist. It doesn't matter what kind of photos you take or how good you are. If you're out there doing it and you're enjoying it, that's all that really matters. If I can help people get better at it and figure out some of the problems that they might be having, that’s great. Because when you're getting the results that you actually want, you're going to enjoy it more.
Photo by Drew Lederman.
How good of a camera do you really need to get started?
Someone once told me that the best camera is the one that you have on you. I think that says it all right there. It doesn't really matter what camera you have. Whether it's an iPhone, a point-and-shoot, or a $6,000 camera, they all kind of work the same way. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but we can still do a lot of the same stuff, especially on the composition end. Figuring out how to create a more interesting photo can be done with anything.
Anything else for participants to know?
It'll be fun. I'm very big on hands-on learning. It's definitely not going to be a class where we just sit and look at PowerPoint slides. I want to explain something, and then I want you to go practice it. So, it's going to be a lot of actually using your camera.
***
Click here to learn more and register for “Outdoor Photography Essentials,” instructed by Drew Lederman.
Scroll through the gallery below for more of Drew’s photos.
