What’s New at Wildlands
Eagle Scout Candidate Builds Bird and Bat Boxes at Sylvester Field
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
Hanover Boy Scouts Troop 38 at Sylvester Field.
Earlier this month, Hanover Boy Scout Jacob DeMong completed a multifaceted conservation project at Wildlands Trust’s Sylvester Field, putting him one step closer to the prestigious title of Eagle Scout.
“Environmentally beneficial projects are extremely important,” Jacob, 17, wrote to Wildlands stewardship staff Tess Goldmann and Owen Grey, who provided him with mentorship and support throughout the project. "I was overjoyed to get this opportunity.”
Jacob led Boy Scout Troop 38 from Hanover in installing eight Eastern Bluebird boxes and one bat box along the trail at Sylvester Field, a grassland parcel acquired by Wildlands Trust in 2021. The troop also cleared invasive vines and plants from the trees lining Washington Street, as well as cut back overgrowth from the woodland section of the trail.
New bird boxes at Sylvester Field.
If you would like to see the project for yourself, you’re in luck! Just this week, the Wildlands stewardship team began installing a boardwalk that will complete a 0.5-mile loop trail around the entire field. This addition will allow visitors to admire all of Jacob’s great work—and perhaps some winged creatures that he has already attracted to the property! Eastern Bluebirds nest from March to August, while bats rely on warm, clean, and secure places to rest, hibernate, and raise young year-round. On Tuesday, a Tree Swallow was spotted inside one of Jacob’s boxes! Be on the lookout for an official trail opening announcement in the coming weeks.
“We were really impressed with Jacob’s organization skills, as well as by the hard work of the Hanover Boy Scouts,” Tess said. “We are excited to see the boxes in use this season!”
Congratulations, Jacob, on this huge achievement! Thank you for making our community a place for people, birds, bats, and trees to thrive.
Jacob’s Eagle Scout project is one of several that Wildlands Trust has recently supported. If you are interested in completing your Eagle Scout project with us, contact our Stewardship Coordinator Zoë Smiarowski at zsmiarowski@wildlandstrust.org.
Tree Swallow inside a bird box at Sylvester Field.
Local College Student Conducts Natural Resource Inventory in Marshfield
By Tess Goldmann, Conservation Restriction Coordinator
Hoyt-Hall Preserve in Marshfield
Last fall, Wildlands Trust had the pleasure of partnering with Unity College student and Carver resident Nicole Huff. As part of her coursework, she completed a natural resource inventory of our Hoyt-Hall Preserve in Marshfield. A natural resource inventory (NRI) is a multifaceted survey of all the animals, plants, soils, waters, and geological features in an area. Hoyt-Hall, one of our showcase preserves, has a wide variety of environments, including pine forest, red maple swamp, and Long Tom Pond. We were excited for Nicole to conduct an NRI of Hoyt-Hall, as her findings would help us identify specific property conservation needs and future projects to address them.
Nicole used multiple methods to survey the property. When I met with Nicole at Hoyt-Hall in September, we walked the property and completed three quadrat sampling sessions. Nicole made five bird observation trips and hung two trail cameras to catch mammal activity. Finally, Nicole collected and analyzed 20 soil samples from around the preserve.
Nicole made several interesting discoveries about the preserve. She found that the upland soil is very acidic, with a pH of 3.62. This soil acidification could be responsible for the deaths of several Eastern red cedar trees around the preserve. In addition, Nicole identified two invasive plants—Oriental bittersweet and European buckthorn, both common in Southeastern Massachusetts—and recommended removal strategies for both.
Nicole also identified 31 birds, which is remarkable, especially during the late end of fall migration. In spring and summer, this number is sure to be higher, making Hoyt-Hall a premier birding location! (See eBird Hotspot data for the preserve here.) Be on the lookout for Downy Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and many more!
Thank you, Nicole, for all of your hard work! Your project will be an invaluable resource as we continue to advance positive conservation outcomes at Hoyt-Hall Preserve and beyond.
Chainsaw Training for Professionals Offered at The Stewardship Training Center
The trainees and their gear and the Stewardship Training Center on March 5, 2023.
Over the weekend of March 4 – 5, Wildlands Trust hosted our first pilot program at the new Stewardship Training Center on Halfway Pond in Plymouth. This training, offered to our land conservation colleagues in Massachusetts, included basic chainsaw safety, use, and equipment maintenance. Bill Girard of Girard Custom Cut Hardwood is one of very few chainsaw safety trainers in the country, and we were lucky to have his leadership and expertise. The 7 attendees included our own Stewardship Coordinator Zoë Smiarowski and Conservation Restriction Coordinator Tess Goldmann, as well as staff from the New England Forestry Foundation, Buzzards Bay Coalition, Manomet, and Wareham Land Trust.
Conservation Restriction Coordinator Tess Goldmann puts her chainsaw training to use on a downed White Oak obstructing the trail at our Brockton Audubon Preserve on March 6, 2023.
Beginning with an emphasis on safety, day one focused on proper use and maintenance of personal protective equipment like helmets, chaps, goggles, boots, and first aid kits, as well as chainsaw mechanics and troubleshooting. Day two started with saw checks and project planning before trainees got to practice using their chainsaws on downed trees. By Monday, Tess Goldmann was putting her skills to the test on a large white pine that had fallen at our Brockton Audubon Preserve during this winter’s strong winds.
Wildlands’ team of stewardship staff often uses chainsaws for removing downed trees that block trails or pose a safety threat. We require that staff undergo safety training and always work in pairs when using these powerful tools. This important training is one of four pilot programs Wildlands will offer at our new Stewardship Training Center for land conservation professionals this year. Stay tuned; more about the Stewardship Training Center will be shared with our members in this spring’s print newsletter.
Funding Secured for Sylvester Field Boardwalk
We are pleased to announce that the boardwalk at Sylvester Field will be installed this spring!
Those of you who have visited Sylvester Field have probably noticed that our trail map shows a trail on the eastern property boundary that does not currently exist. We have been waiting to build the missing trail because it requires a 100-foot section of boardwalk through an especially soggy section of wet meadow.
Well, thanks to a generous donation from the Torrey Family of Hingham, we are now able to build the boardwalk and open the trail. The existing trail is a 0.3-mile out and back trail. The construction of this new trail and boardwalk will provide hikers with a 0.5-mile loop to enjoy. Be on the lookout for construction updates!
Wildlands to Launch New Training Center
The Stewardship Training Center will advance land conservation through skill-building for volunteers and continuing education for professionals.
The Stewardship Training Center will advance land conservation through skill-building for volunteers and continuing education for professionals.
Plans for the Wildlands Trust Stewardship Training Center are coming together thanks to the guidance of wise land professionals from far and wide.
In December 2022, Massachusetts joined 17 other states in establishing an Office of Outdoor Recreation. This is good news for Wildlands Trust, our members, and the growing numbers of people discovering hiking, biking, birding, kayaking, and other passive recreation as a means for achieving mental and physical health.
“Whether it’s a weekend camping trip with the family, a bike ride with friends, or a hike through a state park, spending time outdoors is beneficial to our physical and mental wellbeing,” said Baker Administration’s Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Beth Card. According to a 2021 report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the outdoor recreation economy accounted for $9.5 billion in value added to the Massachusetts economy.
But, with a growing focus on getting more people out into nature, Wildlands and other land-holding entities are concerned that expectations around the care and management of our open spaces will be an added burden on an already stressed and under-resourced land stewardship system. Strapped resources for stewardship are the norm at our State Parks, on our townlands, and on land trust properties. Without additional funding and innovation directed toward caring for land, we risk an erosion of public confidence and the degradation of the biological and social values we seek to protect, especially as more people are encouraged to hit the trails.
Responding to the need for more and better stewardship of our public lands, Wildlands Trust is taking the lead to establish a Stewardship Training Center (STC) focused on developing volunteer land stewards. Programs at the STC will also promote continuing education of professional staff involved in land protection. An advisory committee comprised of conservation professionals and highly experienced volunteers has been convening monthly since the fall of 2022 to advise Wildlands Trust on its nascent STC concept.
Halfway Pond Conservation Area, Plymouth, MA
Located on Halfway Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the Stewardship Training Center will offer a wide range of training programs to (1) help municipalities, and land-holding organizations build stewardship capacity and (2) encourage continuous learning for professional practitioners.
Wildlands Trust has developed an exemplary stewardship model that blends professional staff with reserves of trained volunteers. Well-trained and committed volunteers help Wildlands ensure that we fulfill our obligation to steward the lands in our care and custody. We believe that more towns and land trusts could benefit significantly by building teams of trained volunteers to provide leadership and labor.
The Property will be available to other organizations that would like to offer trainings related to the mission of the Stewardship Training Center.
To receive more information about the opportunities available at the Stewardship Training Center, sign up for our email list.