What’s New at Wildlands
Waddling Out of 2022
By Rachel Bruce, Director of Special Projects
There is much to reflect on and be grateful for this year as it comes to a close. Not least of all was the triumphant return of our annual Post Feast Waddle on Friday, November 25. Our cry to opt outside on Black Friday was heard, and nearly 40 people gathered at Wildlands Trust to take a walk in the woods with us.
The morning was gloomy with the threat of rain constantly looming, but that didn’t stop dozens of people and their dogs and families from helping make our 7th Annual Post Feast Waddle one to remember. Since its beginning in 2016, this program has always been a popular way to “skip the shopping lines and line the trails.” However, Covid in 2020 and then downpours in 2021 brought the momentum for this walk to a screeching halt. With Covid and rain still looming over us this year, we were not sure what to expect, but our community showed up.
We had a great time hiking and chatting about our trails and mission with everyone who came, including the many who had never been to Wildlands before. Along with our regular monthly hikes and a few key events including Spring Opening Day in May, programs this year have provided us with both fond memories and new momentum for 2023.
Wildlands Trust and Partners Receive NOAA Funding for Outdoor Learning and Climate Literacy in Brockton
One of nine projects funded by NOAA’s Environmental Literacy program, the new Brockton Kids Lead the Way initiative aims to foster city students’ connection to nature.
Adapted from a press release originally written by Emily Renaud, Senior Manager, Communications, Manomet
One of nine projects funded by NOAA’s Environmental Literacy program, the new Brockton Kids Lead the Way initiative aims to foster city students’ connection to nature.
BROCKTON, MA — This fall, Wildlands Trust, Manomet, and Brockton Public Schools will launch Brockton Kids Lead the Way, an ambitious education initiative designed to boost climate resilience and environmental stewardship in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts.
This work is made possible thanks to a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Environmental Literacy Program, and it is one of nine projects chosen to receive funding to advance climate resilience through education in the U.S. this year.
Manomet and its partners will use the funding to design and build outdoor learning spaces in collaboration with teachers at three elementary schools in the city of Brockton, Massachusetts, home to a diverse, urban community. Once the learning spaces are built, students at participating schools will receive a year of outdoor education programming. They will also participate in environmental monitoring at their school, contributing to community science at a local level and fostering a connection to the natural world.
Nicole Mejia and Stevenson Tran, Envirothon 2017
“This program is about helping students feel connected to the outdoors and empowered to take action as environmental stewards in their own communities,” says Molly Jacobs, Vice President of Environmental Education and Outreach at Manomet. “And it’s also about long-term support for Brockton schools and teachers. We look forward to using NOAA funds to improve environmental and climate literacy in Brockton through these new outdoor learning spaces and programming.”
Teachers will receive resources and materials to support use of the outdoor learning spaces long after the program concludes. At the end of the academic year, Brockton Kids Lead the Way will culminate with an outdoor learning celebration at each school, where parents and community members will be invited to visit the space and learn about students’ work.
Manthala George Jr. Global Studies Elementary School will be the first school to participate in the program.
"We are excited for this partnership to bring a new outdoor learning space to over 800 students at the George School,” says Natalie L. Pohl, Principal of Manthala George Jr. Global Studies Elementary School. “Outdoor learning gives students the ability to apply concepts learned inside the classroom to the real world. Especially in this digital era, it is important for students to be able to engage with the environment firsthand to better understand the natural world and develop a deeper respect for their environment."
With its expertise in providing better access to nature, Wildlands Trust will lead the installation of the outdoor learning spaces developed through the program. Wildlands Trust and Manomet are also collaborating on a community-driven project to revitalize D.W. Field Park, an urban greenspace managed by the City of Brockton's Department of Parks and Recreation.
“Wildlands Trust has been working with government, neighborhood associations, schools, and youth services groups in Brockton for the past decade,” says Karen Grey, President and Executive Director of Wildlands Trust. “We are really excited to be a partner in this innovative initiative that will bring financial resources to the city schools while providing meaningful opportunities for kids to connect with nature.”
Partners at Sea Grant, a federal/university partnership between NOAA and 34 university-based programs across the U.S., will lead a climate resilience workshop for teachers and project staff each summer while TERC, a research-based education nonprofit, will evaluate the program's overall effectiveness.
“This program looks at the bigger picture and sets teachers and their students up for success for the long haul,” adds Jacobs. “Instead of just providing educational programs and reaching one set of students in one year, we’re investing in outdoor learning and environmental education. This amplifies our impact to reach a whole generation and creates climate resilience in Brockton for years to come.”
Hats Off to Tower Fest
On Saturday, October 8, the D.W. Field Park Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating D.W. Field Park, brought back the annual Tower Fest after a 2-year Covid hiatus, with great success! Tower Fest is a celebration of community located at the well-known lookout tower in D.W. Field Park, formerly the highest point in Brockton.
On Saturday, October 8, the D.W. Field Park Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating D.W. Field Park, brought back the annual Tower Fest after a 2-year Covid hiatus, with great success!
Tower Fest is a celebration of community located at the well-known lookout tower in D.W. Field Park, formerly the highest point in Brockton. This free festival has plenty to do for all ages, with pony rides, pumpkin painting, a bake sale, balloon animals, music with the Rose Conservatory, and of course, climbing to the top of the tower. This year, Wildlands Trust was invited promote the D.W. Field Park Initiative, of which the Association is a key partner.
Wildlands’ goal at Tower Fest was to pilot our newly completed community survey about D.W. Field Park. Our goal in surveying the community is to learn how people are using the park currently, what kind of improvement projects would be important to park users, and what access barriers there might be for both users and non-users. The survey is live online now at wildlandstrust.org/dwfieldpark in English and will soon be available in Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, and Spanish.
Director of Special Projects Rachel Calderara had a great time chatting with community members and encouraging survey takers to spin the prize wheel. We want to thank the City of Brockton Department of Parks and Recreation, the Fuller Craft Museum, and the D.W. Field Park Association for donating prizes, which included a golfing gift card, free organizational memberships, and bake sale items. Wildlands threw in a few free memberships, Halloween candy, and some $5 Dunkin gift cards, and the prize wheel was a hit! Over 70 people completed the survey, so we’re off to a great start.
If you live in Brockton or the surrounding towns and have a few minutes to tell us about your experiences at D.W. Field Park, please complete our survey at here.
A big thanks to the Old Colony Planning Council for developing this survey with us!
Green Team 2022: Working Toward a Bright Future for D.W. Field Park
Nine teens out of over sixty applicants were hired for Green Team this summer to complete improvement projects at D.W. Field Park. Green Team emphasizes hands-on learning and community service in an outdoor, team-oriented environment sponsored and led by Wildlands Trust and Manomet.
Read Time: 3 min
By Rachel Calderara, Director of Special Projects
Nine Brockton-based teens joined the 2022 Green Team at D.W. Field Park this summer, a program sponsored and led by Wildlands Trust and Manomet to provide environmental working and learning opportunities for the next generation. Chosen out of nearly sixty applicants, the team of nine met over a two-week period to complete improvement projects at D.W. Field Park that benefit both people and nature. This is a small but powerful example of what the D.W. Field Park Initiative can accomplish with a community working towards shared goals and visions for a better future.
Projects completed by the Green Team made the park a cleaner, more welcoming place for the community in just six short days. We hope you’ll swing by to enjoy the results of their hard work, which include:
8 new bird boxes built and installed at various locations around D.W. Field Park and the Brockton Audubon Preserve. These boxes provide habitat for Black-capped Chickadees, Eastern Screech Owls, and Great Crested Flycatchers, all of which have been identified in breeding bird surveys conducted by Manomet.
10 park benches and 9 picnic tables restored in the Oak St. picnic area and along the shores of Waldo Lake.
Habitat surveys conducted along 2 transects, documenting plants and animals living in the park. The team’s observations contributed to large-scale surveys conducted by Manomet.
2 miles of trails at Brockton Audubon Preserve trimmed and widened to improve access for recreation.
Gardens at the Oak Street parking lot maintained with the Brockton Garden Club. The crew raked, weeded, and removed invasive vines.
Green Team members also had the opportunity to meet various community leaders during their daily lunch break. We appreciate the following leaders for helping expand the team members’ horizons of career and community service possibilities: Joanne Zygmunt (Old Colony Planning Council), Evan Dalton (Manomet), Patrick Sullivan (Brockton Department of Public Works), Shirley Asack (Brockton City Council), Tim Carpenter (Brockton Department of Parks & Recreation), Sean Kent (Mass Audubon Museum of American Bird Art), Megan Shave (Brockton Department of Planning and Economic Development), Emilia Skogen (Manomet), Josephine Tagestad (Manomet), and Patrick Quinn (D.W. Field Park Association).
The Green Team members deserve recognition for their eagerness to learn new skills, work together through the summer heat, and discuss important environmental and community topics. We can’t wait to see what’s next for this fantastic crew: Keira Williamson (14), Destiny Cater (18), Sylvie Staco (15), Edeh Ugbo (17), Julian Jerome (16), Sanaja Gomes (16), Dawn Centers (16), Jaydah Evora (15), Dillon Him (16).
Wildlands Trust and Manomet hope to expand Green Team in the coming years. Please visit wildlandstrust.org/dwfieldpark and sign up to have email updates about the D.W. Field Park Initiative sent right to your inbox!
Figure 1: Green Team poses with their completed bird boxes before installing them around D.W. Field Park and Brockton Audubon Preserve. From left: Keira Williamson, Destiny Cater, Sylvie Staco, Edeh Ugbo, Julian Jerome, Sanaja Gomes, Dawn Centers, Jaydah Evora, Dillon Him.
Native Plant Garden in Plymouth Dedicated to Deborah Wood Davis
Read Time: 3 min
By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter
On Saturday, July 9, at 10:30am, before the morning sun invited summer’s characteristic heat and humidity, approximately 70 community members gathered at Wildlands Trust’s headquarters on Long Pond Road to dedicate the property’s native plant garden to a longtime supporter of the Trust’s mission, Deborah Wood Davis.
Deborah Wood Davis married into the family of Howland Davis, the previous owner of the land that is now Wildlands’ Davis-Douglas Conservation Area. Her family recalls Deborah’s great affection for the area and, according to her daughter Caroline Chapin, she was excited by Wildlands’ mission and the way it drew the community together. So, when Deborah’s five daughters were looking for a way to honor their mother and the strong roots and connections she had established here, they came to Wildlands Trust.
Sarah Geer, one of those daughters, approached Wildlands’ President and Executive Director Karen Grey to discuss the idea at just the right time. Wildlands had been struggling with the desire to maintain some component of the property’s historic barn, but its crumbling foundation walls and the steep drop from ground level to its interior depth posed hazards that had to be addressed. Simultaneously, local landscape architect Love Howard had also reached out to Karen with the idea of designing a pollinator-friendly garden using native plant species that would support the local ecosystem, and she was looking for a location where she could bring the idea to life. The Davis family’s gift to honor their mother provided the needed support to begin the process of converting the unsafe barn foundation into a showcase garden and educational tool at Wildlands’ headquarters.
The project, according to Karen, “brought together need with opportunity and allowed us to make meaningful connections for people, which are always the best type of projects.” In the fall of 2020, after structural work was completed, the first plants were added by a group of volunteers—including some of Deborah’s daughters, Wildlands volunteer and Board Member Marilynn Atterbury, and others—under Love’s guidance. Today, Marilynn continues the work, along with Wildlands’ gardener Kim Goggin, carefully maintaining and enhancing what is often called “the foundation garden.”
On the morning of the dedication ceremony, the gardening team’s hard work and meticulous care were on full display for the large crowd that had assembled for the occasion. In what would have been Deborah Davis’ 100th year, according to Caroline, the family organized a mini reunion around the dedication ceremony, bringing all five daughters, spouses, children, and almost all of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren together in Plymouth—a gathering of community that would likely have brought the family’s matriarch great pleasure. Also in attendance were several of Wildlands’ staff members, Board members, and supporters. Karen Grey addressed the group with gratitude for all who contributed to the project, Sarah Geer shared reflections of her mother, and Love Howard described her inspiration and plan for the garden’s creation. As the ceremony concluded, with a comfortable breeze under bright blue sky, the flitting of bees and butterflies entertained visitors as they reminisced and explored the newly dedicated Deborah Wood Davis Native Plant Garden.
