What’s New at Wildlands
Adopt A Preserve: Help Us Help Your Favorite Conservation Lands!
Halfway Pond Conservation Area in Plymouth. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
By Zoë Smiarowski, Stewardship Programs Manager
Once a hiking trail is established, many may consider the job done. But few realize the consistent care required to keep a preserve beautiful and safe for people and wildlife. The Adopt-a-Preserve (AAP) program is one of the key ways that Wildlands can manage to maintain 14,000 acres of conservation land across the region with a stewardship staff of just three!
Volunteer trail monitoring through AAP peaked during COVID, as people sought ways to get outside and give back to the community during a time of uncertainty and isolation. Since then, the AAP volunteer base has steadily declined. But the benefits of adopting a preserve—for you and for local conservation lands—have never been greater!
What is AAP?
Adopt-a-Preserve is Wildlands’ flagship volunteer program, established to connect outdoor recreationists who may already be out walking our trails with a meaningful way to give back to their favorite (or even a newly discovered) preserve!
Here’s how it works:
Interested volunteers pick a preserve typically within a 15-minute drive of their home or work (or anywhere else they spend their time!). A Wildlands staff member or seasoned volunteer will meet you on site to go over the basics of monitoring and discuss a range of ways AAP volunteers can help with passive or active trail maintenance. Then, volunteers commit to sending in at least one report per month detailing what they observed and if they did any work on the trail. Afterwards, Wildlands staff reviews the report, assessing any pictures of downed trees, vandalism, or anything else that may have come up at the visit. The report enters the Wildlands database in the Landscape software to document observations on the property over time. Finally, if there are any issues to follow up on, Wildlands staff will plan a site visit to address them!
Cortelli II Preserve in Plymouth. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Do AAP volunteers really make a difference?
Yes! Our stewardship staff is small, so your monthly visits can go a long way toward ensuring our preserves stay in good shape year-round. Even reports that let us know the preserve is in good shape help provide us with a frame of reference if problems do come up and can also help us prioritize tending to properties that haven’t had eyes on them as recently.
AAP participation might have declined since COVID, but the program still made a significant impact on our stewardship capacity in 2024: 57 AAP volunteers filed 272 reports, providing coverage for 8,300 acres of conservation land!
Okay, I’m in! How can I help?
You can make a difference at any preserve, but the following preserves are in particular need of volunteers’ watchful eyes:
Tucker Preserve/Indian Head River Trail (Pembroke)
Hoyt-Hall Preserve (Marshfield)
Great Neck Conservation Area (Wareham)
Willow Brook Farm (Pembroke)
The Nook (Kingston)
Phillips Farm (Marshfield)
Wyman North Fork Conservation Area (Bridgewater)
Crystal Spring Preserve (Plainville)
South Triangle Conservation Area (Plymouth)
Halfway Pond Conservation Area (Plymouth)
Emery Preserve (Plymouth)
Thank you for your consideration! To learn more, visit wildlandstrust.org/volunteer or contact Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski at volunteer@wildlandstrust.org.
Partnership Creates Public Preserve in Bridgewater
Wyman Meadow Conservation Area (foreground) and North Fork Preserve (background) in Bridgewater. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
Nearly a quarter-century after its acquisition by Wildlands Trust, North Fork Preserve has a trail system for Bridgewater and surrounding community members to enjoy. Its long journey to public access exemplifies the patience and partnerships often required to make nature preserves possible.
On October 5, about 30 people joined Wildlands Trust and the Town of Bridgewater for an opening ceremony and hike at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area, 96 acres of permanently protected land with over a half-mile of frontage on the Taunton River. The assemblage may be new, but its constituent parts—Wildlands’ North Fork Preserve and the Town’s Wyman Meadow Conservation Area—have long, intertwining histories.
Located off the southeast end of Plymouth Street, Wyman Meadow Conservation Area features 55 acres of grassland, woodland, and wetland habitat on the bank of the Taunton River, less than two miles downstream from its headwaters. From 1954 to 1987, the parcel was part of the Wyman dairy farm. It was then used for beef cattle and hay until 1999, when the Town of Bridgewater purchased the property with a Massachusetts self-help grant. Thirty-five acres were designated as a “parkland” for outdoor recreation, while the remaining 20 were allocated for water resources protection.
Above: Opening ceremony and hike at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area on October 5, 2024. Photos by key volunteer Rob MacDonald.
For the next 22 years, inadequate Town staffing and funds impeded the property’s management for public access. As community awareness waned, invasive plants encroached on the meadow unchecked, diminishing its habitat value. In 2017, an evaluation of Bridgewater’s six parklands by a Bridgewater State University graduate student identified Wyman Meadow as the lowest priority for improvement.
Meanwhile, abutting Wyman Meadow to the east was North Fork Preserve, which Wildlands Trust purchased in 2001 with support from the Sheehan Family Foundation. On the southern edge of the 41-acre woodland, a high bluff provides scenic views up and down the Taunton River corridor. But for the first two decades of North Fork’s existence, few were afforded these views. Wildlands managed the preserve as Forever Wild—that is, without trails—due to limited public access; separating North Fork from Plymouth Street was none other than the long-neglected Wyman Meadow Conservation Area.
The Taunton River at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area in Bridgewater. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Where others saw a lost cause in Wyman Meadow, Bridgewater Open Space Committee Chair Eileen Hiney saw a problem to be solved. After reading the 2017 parklands report and discovering the location of North Fork Preserve, Hiney imagined a new way forward. In 2021, after meeting with Wildlands’ Scott MacFaden and Erik Boyer about a separate land protection project in Bridgewater, Hiney invited them to visit Wyman Meadow. There, spreading preserve designs and management plans from the Conway School of Landscape Design across the hood of their car, Hiney said, “Well, geez, here’s this town property that’s not being used at all. We’ve got a road and land that’s accessible. Isn’t there some way we could work together on this to combine the advantages of these two properties?”
The idea was simple: Wildlands would build and maintain a trail through Wyman Meadow and into North Fork. In return, the Town of Bridgewater would install a trailhead parking lot and continue to maintain the entrance road off Plymouth Street.
Wildlands staff and volunteers installed bog boards along the new trail at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
“The project was a no-brainer,” Hiney said. “It fulfills a 20-year promise by the Town to manage the land for its true purpose—enjoyment by the townspeople.”
Stewardship staff and volunteers from Wildlands got right to work, building and blazing a one-mile trail loop that leads visitors to the most rewarding features of both preserves: Wyman Meadow’s ethereal grassland teeming with native plants, birds, and pollinators, and North Fork’s diverse woodlands, trickling streams, and stunning river views.
“The Bridgewater Open Space Committee couldn’t have accomplished this without Wildlands Trust,” Hiney said. “Town resources are limited, and Wildlands was able to supplement our needs with volunteers, supplies, outreach, and education.”
Wyman Meadow Conservation Area in Bridgewater. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Hiney also noted that these creative partnerships, in which nonprofit staff and volunteers maintain municipal conservation areas, help Bridgewater and other towns save their limited funds to acquire new lands when opportunities arise.
Improvements continue at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area, including discussions between the Town of Bridgewater and Wildlands Trust about new signage and expanded trails. But for now, the revival and reimagining of this ecological haven—25 years in the making—is reason enough to celebrate. After all, these projects don’t happen every day.
Hunting Season Safety
Updated: October 2024
Hunting season is back upon us this fall in Massachusetts! Wildlands Trust has four properties that permit hunting during this time:
Barnes Rymut Preserve, Halifax
Hunting is prohibited on all other Wildlands Trust properties.
Still, boundaries can be confusing and hunters sometimes cross into prohibited areas unknowingly. Please be mindful when you are out in the woods this year, wherever it is that you like to hike, run, or ride. The best way to protect yourself is to wear blaze orange like our staff does!
While hunters are required to wear blaze orange during certain seasons, Mass Wildlife recommends that all outdoor users who are in the woods during hunting season wear blaze orange clothing as a precaution, and that pets wear an orange vest or bandana for visibility.
You can learn more at mass.gov/topics/hunting.
Have a great fall, and stay safe!
Wildlands Raises Over $71,000 for Willow Brook Farm
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
When natural lands come under threat of development, degradation, or disrepair, their futures depend on the support of their community—the people who walk their trails, gaze upon their landscapes and wildlife, and breathe their purified air.
Time and time again, communities across Southeastern Massachusetts have “walked the walk” when their beloved natural sanctuaries need human resources to withstand human pressures. This summer, the region received its latest test—and passed with flying colors. Thanks to an outpouring of community support, Wildlands Trust raised nearly $72,000 to upgrade Willow Brook Farm in Pembroke, far surpassing our campaign goal.
“Wildlands Trust was able to protect Willow Brook Farm in 1997, thanks to a generous gift from South Shore philanthropists Herb and Paulie Emilson,” said Wildlands President Karen Grey. “However, infrastructure and amenities that were built in 1997 had reached life expectancy, and upgrades were required to ensure public safety.”
Old farm path at the entrance of Willow Brook Farm. Photo by Rob MacDonald.
Few places anywhere pack the same wealth of cultural and natural resources into a suburban setting as Willow Brook Farm. Comprising 167 wild acres just 30 miles south of Boston, Willow Brook Farm epitomizes the globally rare ecological diversity of the Herring Brook Valley. Each year, over 20,000 people explore Willow Brook’s field, forest, and wetland habitats to learn about the human and natural communities that have come and gone from the region.
After 27 years serving the people and wildlife of Southeastern Massachusetts, Willow Brook Farm needs upgrades to bolster its safety and value for future generations. Improvements include replacing extensive boardwalks and bog boards, removing invasive plants, repairing the parking lot, improving trail signage, and building covered picnic tables. Our estimated cost, and consequent fundraising goal, was $60,000.
This figure was lofty, but the generosity of an anonymous donor put our goal within reach. The donor agreed to provide twice the amount of every donation under $500 and match all others, up to $40,000.
Mango poses beside her sign on the “Dogs of Willow Brook” story walk. Photo by Jennifer Love.
Wildlands wasted no time seizing this remarkable opportunity, with fundraising efforts including:
Dog Day: On May 11, 14 canine conservationists converged on Willow Brook Farm to lend a paw to our campaign. Photographer Drew Lederman snapped adorable shots of the dogs and their owners, with all proceeds going to our project. We then used the photos to create a story walk along the entrance trail, encouraging passersby to donate in honor of “The Dogs of Willow Brook.”
Kayak raffle: We raffled off a Current Designs Solara 100 kayak, generously donated by Billington Sea Kayak and the Friends of IndieFerm. Congratulations to Bob and Donna for taking home the grand prize!
Shaw’s Give Back Where It Counts Reusable Bag Program: Throughout August, Shaw’s Hanson donated $1 to our Willow Brook Farm campaign for every reusable bag sold.
Women’s Woodworking Workshop: On September 14, Wildlands' Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski and volunteer Lenna Matthews co-led a carpentry training, organized specifically for women and non-binary individuals. Participants built planter boxes out of recycled wood from Willow Brook Farm boardwalks, with all proceeds going to our campaign.
We also received considerable donations in honor of our beloved “Trail Guy,” Malcolm MacGregor, who passed away in May. His memory continues to advance conservation across the region.
Congratulations to Bob and Donna for winning our kayak raffle, which raised funds for Willow Brook Farm.
All the while, our stewardship staff and volunteers have been hard at work, making remarkable progress on many of the proposed upgrades. For a week in August, our project received an extra boost when 23 volunteers from across the country and world (as far as Germany!) joined us at Willow Brook Farm as part of a Sierra Club “volunteer vacation.”
In total, we received 151 donations from the public, with 94 percent falling under $500—a testament to the diverse community support for Willow Brook Farm. Accordingly, donors had many reasons for giving:
“I grew up taking walks in Willow Brook Farm. I am donating so that my daughter and future generations will be able to do the same!” - Katrina D.
“Love Willow Brook! That park kept me sane during the pandemic.” - Kelly P.
“As an Environmental Educator with the South Shore Natural Science Center from 2002-2013, I had the pleasure of leading multiple groups of third and fourth graders from neighboring towns through Willow Brook. Its vast diversity allowed us to give these children an opportunity to view habitats that most were really not aware of. They enjoyed it all, but the tower, of course, was the big hit! Now as a retiree, I simply enjoy the beauty and unique diversity of the property. Looking forward to the upgrades!” - Karen K.
From August 12 to 16, Sierra Club volunteers from across the country and world helped Wildlands staff repair boardwalks, clear vegetation, and more at Willow Brook Farm. Photo by Rob MacDonald.
Thank you to all who have donated or volunteered in support of our campaign. We are humbled by your generosity and committed to keeping Willow Brook Farm a place for people, pets, and wildlife to thrive. Stay tuned for updates as our work continues.
Twilight Trailmasters Connects Volunteers to Towns in Need
Wildlands staff and volunteers at Bay Farm Conservation Area in Kingston for a Twilight Trailmasters project.
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
Amid important movements to protect greater percentages of land at the state, federal, and global scales, one truth cannot be overlooked: local nature needs local help. This summer, Wildlands Trust is helping connect conservation lands with some of the only people who can sustain them—generous neighbors.
Massachusetts is a national leader in land protection, with over 1.3 million acres off limits to development. That’s about 27 percent of the state’s area, and almost twice the land mass of Rhode Island.
But protection is only a part of the land conservation equation. To realize our vision of clean air and water, healthy soils and forests, diverse wildlife, and vibrant outdoor recreation, protected areas must also be monitored, managed, and maintained by watchful eyes and helping hands.
As it stands, more land in the state is protected than can be cared for by the people, organizations, and agencies that own it. Wildlands established the Stewardship Training Center in 2022 to help fill that gap. Piloted this year, our Tiered Volunteer Training Series targets those who will have to be a key part of the solution: neighbors who care.
Volunteers built 200 feet of bog boards at Bay Farm Conservation Area in Kingston. Photo by Janine Anderson.
“Many local residents are eager to give back to the nature around them,” said Erik Boyer, Wildlands’ Director of Stewardship. “At the same time, towns and cities need help to maintain their conservation lands. Given municipal staffing constraints, connecting volunteers with their local conservation departments is harder than it seems, but it is a crucial task that Wildlands is well-positioned to take on.”
Enter Twilight Trailmasters, a summer volunteer series that serves two primary purposes: giving Tier 1 participants hands-on experience in the stewardship skills they learned this winter and spring, and fostering relationships between willing volunteers and conservation authorities in their towns. Over five evenings this summer, volunteers are completing stewardship projects in Kingston, Plymouth, Hanover, Marshfield, and Rockland.
On June 24, our first Twilight Trailmasters project gathered six volunteers at Bay Farm Conservation Area, managed jointly by the Towns of Kingston and Duxbury. They built 200 feet of bog boards on portions of the Kingston trail system that overlap with the Bay Circuit Trail. The wood was generously donated by Buz Artiano of BuildX, a Hanover-based building firm.
“It’s fitting that this volunteer series began in such a culturally and ecologically significant place,” said Wildlands President Karen Grey. The Bay Farm field was cleared in 1627, making it one of the oldest in the country. “There are many properties in our region like this, that we don’t own, but need our help. Our commitment to land stewardship goes well beyond our own lands.”
Bay Farm Conservation Area in Kingston and Duxbury. Photo by Janine Anderson.
Last summer, Wildlands hosted a focus group of towns and cities in our region to determine how the Stewardship Training Center can best prepare volunteers to contribute to municipal conservation efforts. In addition to specific skills that were taught through the Tier 1 training, such as first aid and trail maintenance, municipalities voiced a need for volunteer leadership—that is, volunteers to manage other volunteers.
“Identifying and developing those leaders who can rally their communities around the importance of local land conservation goes a long way toward creating sustainable volunteer bases in the towns and cities we serve,” said Erik Boyer. “We are excited to continue this effort this summer and beyond.”
For more information about Twilight Trailmasters and other upcoming volunteer opportunities, join our volunteer email list at wildlandstrust.org/volunteer.