What’s New at Wildlands
A Tribute to Sam Chapin
Sam Chapin stands in front of the retired water tower at Davis-Douglas Farm in Plymouth. Photo by Andrew Lederman.
Nearly 250 people from around the country came to Davis Douglas Farm on June 20th to pay tribute to our esteemed board chair Sam Chapin, who died unexpectedly after a short battle with cancer. Below is Karen Grey’s eulogy to Sam.
On behalf of Caroline, Anna, Meg, and Wildlands Trust, I’d like to welcome you to Davis-Douglas Farm. It feels so appropriate that we are all gathered here at this beautiful property to honor, celebrate, and remember Sam, because this is the house that he built.
Back in 2009, not quite a year into my job at Wildlands Trust, I got a call from a man who introduced himself as Sam Chapin. I recognized the name but couldn’t place it. “Do you know what is happening at the old Bongiovanni place?” he asked. “There are a lot of people down here who are very concerned about a developer buying it.”
Ah, yes, now I remember. I had seen Sam Chapin’s name in old board minutes. He was a former board member.
The Bongiovanni place? I had never heard of it and when Sam described the location, it didn’t help. He said it was a small scenic farm in Plymouth that was important to the area. It had been owned by the same family for nearly 70 years, and the fear was that the next generation who recently inherited the property might be looking to sell. Sam asked me to keep my ear to the ground and let him know if I learned anything. The conversation was polite, efficient, and purposeful, just like the Sam I would come to know.
Time went by and about 6 months later another strange man called me, also with a familiar name. He introduced himself as David Bongiovanni. David wanted my advice on several parcels of open land he and his brothers had inherited from their parents. He asked if I would meet him and look at the properties and advise them on their options.
As I drove into the farm on a gorgeous September day to meet David, I realized, this is the property Sam Chapin had called me about. As I got out of my car and walked toward David, he read the look in my eyes and said “Just so you know, this is not one of the properties I want to talk with you about. We need to do some real soul searching on this one.” He explained that the farm had been gifted to their grandfather in 1943, and then passed to his mother, and recently to David and his two brothers, Rob and John.
Sam and the “Bongiovanni Boys” at Davis-Douglas Farm in 2023. From the left: David Bongiovanni, Sam Chapin, John Bongiovanni, Rob Bongiovanni. Photo by Andrew Lederman.
When I returned to my office in Duxbury later that afternoon, I could not get this beautiful property out of my head. The next morning, I decided to call Sam Chapin and within hours Sam was sitting across from me helping to strategize how the “Old Bongiovanni Place” could become the new home of Wildlands Trust. It was then that I learned it was Sam’s great grandfather’s family that had gifted the property to Percy Douglas, the grandfather of the Bongiovanni Boys, as Sam called them. My head was spinning as Sam explained the web of extended families and relationships. Today, I understand that these families and their histories define the soul of this neighborhood. Back then, they were names on Sam’s hit list for fundraising.
Sometimes things are just meant to be, and all you need is a person with a vision, passion, and a willingness to ask others for money. That was Sam, and that is why we sit here today. First, he helped me to convince the Bongiovanni Boys and the Wildlands Board that this was a worthy undertaking. Once we had a willing seller and a willing buyer, Sam, along with his partner in crime, Charlotte Russell, led the fundraising for the project — as many of you can attest to. The pair had an enviable record — no one turned them down, and often they came away with larger gifts than they had asked for. Once the money was raised, Sam put his talents to work on the building project. He chaired the Building Committee, which worked for 3 long years with the planners, the architects, and the general contractor, Les Plimpton, to design the campus, build the road, restore the farmhouse, and construct the new barn. In 2014, Wildlands Trust moved into our new home, appropriately named Davis-Douglas Farm, and Sam rejoined the board of Wildlands Trust. In 2019, he became the Chairman of our board.
Non-profits thrive or wilt based on the relationship between the board chair and the CEO. Sometimes those relationships are power imbalances, cantankerous, or dysfunctional, and the organization suffers. And sometimes two leaders with different, but complimentary skills and mutual respect, mesh and the organization flourishes. If you asked me to name two professional accomplishments that have left me completely fulfilled, I would say Davis-Douglas Farm and running Wildlands Trust. Sam Chapin was my partner in both of these endeavors.
I was so relieved when Caroline reached out and said she wanted to have Sam’s memorial at Davis-Douglas Farm because here on this gorgeous property a wonderful man, in his own modest and unassuming way, was able to do something remarkable in bringing together the things he valued in life most: his family, his community, and the natural world. We sit here today because of Sam Chapin.
I was out in Sedona, Arizona, on vacation when I heard from Caroline that Sam was failing fast. I still had things to say to Sam, so I sat down and wrote him this letter and asked his family to share it with him:
Dear Sam—
As I think about you and all you have done for Wildlands Trust, I want you to know what your leadership has meant to us. I thank you especially for:
Being an amazing ambassador for our mission and never ever giving up on Wildlands.
Having the vision and the wherewithal to lead the Davis-Douglas Farm project. Without you, our organization would still be operating out of a goat shed in Duxbury. Your leadership on the Building Committee and the Fundraising Committee set the project up for success. I hope you are very proud of this important part of your legacy.
Always championing the Wildlands staff. You consistently provided a positive outlook and took the time to tell me kind and positive things about the people who work here.
Leading the board with integrity, diplomacy, and a velvet hammer— especially when certain folks needed to be tamped down.
Always finding the misplaced comma in the draft board minutes.
Showing up in my office whenever I needed you, even if for just a venting session.
Learning to love Ted (my dog) when you came to the office, even though I know you are not crazy about dogs and he barks at you.
Serving as our esteemed historian and tour leader for Davis-Douglas Farm.
Your willingness to always take on more when I didn’t have the time.
Being the best boss an Aries woman could ever ask for— you trusted me and let me do my thing.
I am forever grateful, Sam.
- Karen
How Do Plants Beat the Heat?
By Justin Cifello
Spotted wintergreen prefers sandy shade, avoiding excessive light with its waxy, patterned leaves. Photo by Justin Cifello.
In times of intense heat, we flock to water and shade, put electrolytes into our water bottles, and, if fortunate, turn on the air conditioning. Plants, however, are sessile, incapable of movement; they have to deal with temperature extremes wherever they happen to have taken root. As passive as they may appear, they have a suite of sophisticated structural and chemical adaptations that enable them to withstand harsh conditions.
The ideal temperature for photosynthesis is between 68°F and 86°F. At higher temperatures, plants begin to suffer physical damage as they struggle to keep their extremities hydrated. The movement of water is key to plant survival, accomplished through a process called transpiration. Water enters the roots, drawn up in part by water tension, the same way water climbs up a straw. Leaves are perforated by tiny holes called stomata, through which excess water evaporates, creating a siphon that pulls water up the plant. Plants use about 95% of their water just to power this elevator, which is lost to the air. Wind blowing over these ports forces the process into overdrive and can account for more drying than sunlight alone.
The broad leaves of poison ivy wilt to avoid the full force of the sun. Photo by Justin Cifello.
The structure of a leaf, down to its cell walls, is primarily carbon. Though strong, it needs to be inflated with adequate water, or turgor pressure. Without water, it deflates, which we see as wilting. Some degree of wilting is protective; by drooping or curling, the leaf exposes less of itself to the evaporating effects of sunlight and wind. Too much wilting, though, leads to collapse, and the plant may be unable to recover. Extreme conditions can outpace a plant’s rate of transpiration, causing it to wilt even with sufficient groundwater. [1]
Since plants lack nervous systems, internal chemical distribution is ruled by properties of water. Chief among these is osmosis, the process by which a substance disperses evenly to areas of lower concentration. Plants utilize compounds called osmoprotectants that change the osmotic potential of the water, letting plants bend the rules a bit to keep water where they need it. Antioxidants, such as salicylic acids, found in willow, birch, and wintergreen, protect cells from the hazardous byproducts of stressful conditions. [2]
Pitch pine, with its waxy leaves and sparse canopy, is more drought tolerant than its cousin, the white pine. Photo by Justin Cifello.
The most visible adaptations against heat and drought are structural. Small leaves, like on bearberry, or narrow leaves, like pine needles, require less water to maintain turgidity. Both of those plants also have waxy cuticles to keep water in and reflect some sunlight. These features are seen in many of our pine barrens plants, like bayberry, wintergreen, and inkberry; their sandy environment doesn’t retain much water, so they need to hold every drop they can. Succulent plants store water in their thick stems. Though they are most associated with deserts, New England is home to a native cactus, the eastern prickly pear, which lives on dunes and dry ledges. Pale, silvery foliage helps deflect sunlight, as can be seen on water-hungry willows and jewelweed. Hairs on the leaves of sunflowers and goldenrods, trap moisture and slow down evaporating wind. [3]
Deep roots, like those of milkweed and false indigo, are obvious ways to access water. Many plants also form intimate partnerships with mycorrhizal fungi, which can forage farther than roots alone. In addition to providing soil structure, some of these fungi produce compounds that increase water retention. The organisms communicate through hormones, exchanging nutrients and compounds as needed. [4]
Some plants beat the heat with behavioral adaptations. Spring ephemerals leaf out and flower early, before temperatures climb. Drought-stressed perennials can abandon flowers to conserve resources. Annual plants will bolt at the first sign of heat, insuring they can seed the next generation. Jewelweed, an annual, has developed an ingenious adaptation. When stressed, it stops producing its showy orange flowers, forgoing insect pollination. Instead, it produces modified cleistogamous flowers, fully enclosed and devoid of nectar. These can fertilize themselves, not ideal in the long-run, but insures that at least some seeds will be produced. [5]
An eastern prickly-pear cactus grows alongside bearberry. Coastal plants must adapt to the drying effects of salt in addition to wind and sun. Photo by Justin Cifello.
In deep forest, where canopy cover provides shade and fallen leaves trap humidity, plants can afford more profligate growth, sporting broad and tender leaves. Heat and drought adaptations are easily seen in sunny, exposed places like open fields and coastlines. Ironically, they are also found in wetlands; these plants have high water needs and must be ready for seasonal fluctuations. We can employ these same strategies in our own gardens, applying mulch and letting fallen leaves remain to protect and cool the soil. This is another reason to plant native species, as they have spent millennia learning how to live here.
[1] Transpiration: https://durhammastergardeners.com/2016/08/25/why-plants-wilt/
[2] Heat Stress: https://cid-inc.com/blog/plant-responses-to-heat-stress/
[3] Heat Tolerance: https://www.piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/characteristics-of-drought-tolerant-perennials/
[4] Mycorrhizal Relationships and Drought: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9298553/
[5] Jewelweed Cleistogamy: https://riwps.org/rwips-blog/jewel-weed-lessons/
[6] Native Plants: https://apcc.org/our-work/education/native-plant-initiative/
Reflections from a Teacher: A Springtime Externship
This spring, Wildlands Trust hosted Julia Whalen, a science teacher at Carver Middle High School, for an externship. We asked Julia to reflect on her experience, and here’s what she had to say.
Julia participated in a birdhouse building workshop at the Stewardship Training Center in March.
Despite being someone who has lived on the South Shore all of my life and visited several Wildlands Trust properties, I had no idea how much Wildlands Trust does to preserve local ecosystems, engage with the community, and provide people with free access to explore nature. Through a recent teacher “externship” (similar to an internship, but more observational and for a shorter amount of time), I was able to learn more about Wildlands Trust and bring back meaningful experiences to my classroom.
I recently finished my 6th year as a science teacher in Carver. Despite being a smaller district compared to neighboring towns, Carver Middle High School does a lot to provide opportunities for its students. One of the ways we achieve that is through the Carver Pathways Program. I am one of the teachers involved with the Environmental & Agricultural Sciences Pathway, which is designated as an Innovation Career Pathway by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The focus of these programs is to provide students with relevant skills and coursework pertaining to a high-demand industry, which will hopefully lead to them pursuing a career or college degree in that field.
This year, our school received a grant for Innovation Career Pathway teachers to complete on-site externships with local business partners to bridge the gap between education and industry and to establish future internship opportunities for seniors in our Pathway.
Starting in March, I attended my first externship activity: a birdhouse building workshop with Brockton teachers, hosted by Wildlands Trust and Manomet Conservation Sciences. That same week, I attended a Winter Trees Identification Hike held at Tucker Preserve in Pembroke. Both of these experiences were a great way for me to get a glimpse of some of the programs that Wildlands Trust has to offer.
Julia represented Wildlands Trust at Give a Hoot About the Park at D.W. Field Park in May.
In early April, I completed both the Hike Leader and Ambassador trainings so that I could begin engaging with the community. Throughout the spring, I helped run the Wildlands Trust outreach table as an ambassador at the Plymouth Herring Run Festival, Give a Hoot About the Park at D.W. Field Park in Brockton, and the West Bridgewater River Walk. As an educator, these experiences were especially exciting to me because I was teaching people of all ages about the mission of Wildlands Trust, as well as the ways that folks can get outside or get involved. These events allowed me to network within Wildlands Trust, but also with other organizations like Mass Audubon.
In late May, I completed my Hike Leader Certification by leading my own hike at the Tucker Preserve in Pembroke. It was a beautiful day to hike the approximately 4-mile trail along the Indian Head River. Our school has a system of trails in the woods nearby, so I’ve found my hike leader training with Wildlands Trust to be valuable when it comes to taking my students outdoors. I feel better equipped to lead my students on hikes to collect data out in the forest.
The final aspect of my externship involved staff interviews that I conducted over the course of my time at Wildlands Trust. I was able to meet with the following departments: Land Protection, Stewardship, Development & Communications, GIS, and Senior Leadership. In each of these interviews, I gained insights on what these staff members do, how they got to where they are today, what skills they find valuable in potential student interns, and what advice they have for high school students looking to go into the environmental field. I will be using everything I’ve learned to help guide instruction in my Principles of Ecology class this fall. Through my externship, I’ve even come up with some projects I’d like to do in that class: certifying both of the vernal pools we have on our school grounds, marking the trails we have behind the school, and creating a map of the trail system.
Julia completed her Hike Leader Certification at Tucker Preserve in Pembroke in May.
Though my time at Wildlands Trust only spanned about 3 months, I had such a great experience, met so many wonderful people, and gained valuable knowledge that I will bring with me back to my classroom. I look forward to continuing a partnership between Carver Middle High School and Wildlands Trust, and hope that we’ll see one of our seniors start an internship there in the next few years. Having completed this experience, I’ve had the chance to see all of the different skills and knowledge that our students could gain from interning at Wildlands Trust. It’s a fantastic local organization filled with people who truly care about making the world a better place through stewardship, community engagement, and education.
Brockton High Students Compete at MA Envirothon Competition
Brockton High Envirothon Team presenting their Current Issue research at the Competition in Hopkinton.
On Thursday, May 21, five Brockton High School students put their natural resources knowledge to the (hands-on, collaborative) test at the 2026 Massachusetts Envirothon. Congratulations to all the students for making their Brockton and Wildlands Trust communities proud!
Thirty teams representing 23 high schools across the state converged at Hopkinton State Park in Hopkinton for this year’s competition. Each team was tested in five environmental areas: Forest, Wildlife, Water, Soil, and Current Issue. This year’s current issue, Living Sponge Communities, called on each team to present actionable ideas to transform Massachusetts into a model for sustainable stormwater management. Our team mapped the City of Brockton’s impervious surfaces, identified areas of point and nonpoint source pollution, and proposed infrastructure and community-based solutions.
Wildlands Trust has coached and sponsored the Brockton High School Envirothon team since 2015. Amy Burt, Wildlands’ Programming Coordinator, coaches the team alongside Brockton High School biology teacher Melissa Kelly and Manomet Conservation Sciences’ Science Educator Lily Green.
Congratulations again to the Brockton High School students on an impressive showing, including a fourth-place tie in Wildlife! Additional kudos to the seniors, who joined the team this year and were able to compete before graduation!
To learn more about Wildlands Trust’s Brockton High School Envirothon initiative, visit wildlandstrust.org/envirothon.
Click through the slideshow below to see more photos from the 2026 competition, and our year together as the Brockton Outdoor Club.
Meet Wildlands’ 2026 Seasonal Staff!
Every summer, the Wildlands stewardship crew gets a bit bigger. Seasonal Land Stewards join our team to support our work during the busiest part of the year. Read on to learn more about these new faces at Wildlands.
From left to right: Niall Blackadar, Max Hong, and Ethan Wilkinson
Niall Blackadar graduated from Wheaton College in 2023 with a BA in sociology. Since finishing his degree, he has worked for nonprofits, small businesses, and restaurants. But nothing has ignited his passion in the same way that hands-on conservation work has. He was introduced to conservation work through the GFCC (Growing Futures Career Catalyst), working at the Arcadia Management Area in Rhode Island, and has "been hooked ever since." Spending his summers on Halfway Pond gave Niall a great affinity for the landscape and history of Southeastern Massachusetts. His family’s connection to Halfway Pond dates back over 100 years, and they have been connected to Wildlands Trust since its inception. Niall says, "Joining as a Seasonal Land Steward this summer and having the opportunity to help conserve the land that I cherish deeply is a dream come true."
Max Hong is returning for his second summer as a Seasonal Land Steward at Wildlands Trust. During his senior year of high school, he worked part-time through the winter at Wildlands to help the stewardship team monitor properties. Max graduated from the Thayer Academy this spring and plans to study Environmental Sciences at the University of Vermont in the fall. Max grew up in Duxbury and has always spent his free time outdoors doing the things he loves, whether it has been on the water in Cape Cod or in the mountains of New Hampshire. He really enjoys rock climbing and flyfishing. "Working at Wildlands is always something to look forward to because I get to spend time outside, taking care of the environment with a fun group of like-minded folks!"
Ethan Wilkinson is a Seasonal Land Steward joining us this summer. He grew up in Western Massachusetts and spent a lot of time outdoors. From a young age, he has loved being outside and helping people, so finding a way to do both has been a constant pursuit. Ethan recently graduated with a degree in biology from the University of Rhode Island and plans on a career in environmental restoration and conservation. "Wildlands Trust is a great opportunity to get my hands dirty, and this summer is promising to be a lot of fun."
Thank you all for the work you have already done and will continue to do this summer! We are ecstatic to have you aboard!