What’s New at Wildlands
Wildlands Keeps Brockton Beautiful
By Hayley Leonard, Community Engagement Coordinator
Saturday, April 27, Wildlands Trust partnered with the city of Brockton for their annual ‘Keep Brockton Beautiful Day’. The day is an opportunity for community members to come together with the shared goal of cleaning up trash throughout the city, culminating with an afternoon cookout for those that volunteer. This year marks the second year that Wildlands Trust has participated in the event, the first being in 2012 when Wildlands first acquired Brockton Audubon Preserve.
The weather didn’t discourage our dedicated group of volunteers.
Early that morning, despite the dreary conditions, a crew of 11 Brockton residents came together to help Wildlands Trust staff and AmeriCorps members clean up trash from Stone Farm and Brockton Audubon Preserves. These properties are some of the last intact parcels of open space left in the city and together they total about 240 acres. Armed with gloves, trash pickers and bags provided by the city, we made our way into the most littered areas of the properties. We spent almost three hours cleaning and removed around 20 bags worth of trash by the end of the morning. With everyone’s help, we were even able to clear out some larger items that had been there for quite some time, such as a broken flat screen television, an old tire and what remained of a spring mattress.
Volunteers wrap-up after spending three hours cleaning the properties.
Local clean-up efforts tie into Wildlands’ mission of connecting residents with their natural environments – what better way to build a connection with a place than to help care for it? As a heavily urbanized area, residents of Brockton have fewer opportunities to explore natural spaces than those in the surrounding towns of Plymouth County. Events like this are an important addition to the work Wildlands Trust is already doing in Brockton with Greening the Gateway Cities and the Brockton High School Envirothon Team because they provide residents with the opportunity to actively engage with and learn about their environment, and understand how it connects to other aspects of their lives.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work in Brockton
A yearlong partnership with Stonehill College contributes to the ongoing success of Greening the Gateway Cities.
By Conor Michaud, Community Stewardship Program Coordinator
In the spring of 2017, Wildlands began working with Stonehill College professor Linnea Carlson to explore potential partnerships between the college, which encourages and in some cases requires community service, and Wildlands which has been working for nearly a decade in the neighboring communities of Brockton to protect land and assist in conservation efforts within the city. With the help of Wildlands’ former TerraCorps member, Tommy Blanchard, Wildlands began the early stages of the partnership and worked with Stonehill’s Sociology department to discuss a collaboration on Brockton’s Greening the Gateway cities Program (GGCP). In the fall of 2018 the partnership was fully developed and proposed to Stonehill sociology professor Jungyun Gill, who saw the potential for impactful community service on a program designed to specifically aid Brockton’s environmental justice communities. In September 2018, a group of honors sociology students began the inaugural partnership and joined the ranks of the GGCP canvassing crew.
Saplings waiting to be planted in Brockton.
As we have mentioned in previous articles, GGCP is a community based project in which the success of the program relies heavily on the encouragement of community leaders and engagement of residents to put a meaningful effort forward in order to increase the urban tree canopy. Since Wildlands’ introduction to the program we have been reaching out to community members to support the program, participating in community meetings, tabling at local events, presenting to local groups and institutions, and working with Department of Conservation and Recreation foresters to increase the outreach capacity for the program. One crucial aspect of GGCP, often overlooked from these engagements, is the ability to reach the younger generations. Wildlands periodically presented to Brockton High School students on the program but when it came to reaching the cohort between high school teenage students and the older homeowner community we were missing our mark, until the collaboration with Stonehill College.
A GGCP flyer (in English) that students helped translate into Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole.
Many of us are able to think back fondly on our college education and years spent developing critical thinking skills and diving deep into the study of new found conceptions. The enlightened perception of our world which often goes hand-in-hand with the college experience is something Stonehill brought to the table during this partnership. Wildlands saw that it was imperative to involve the younger generation in projects such as GGCP which are specifically targeted at aiding those in need while reducing the local effects of climate change and helping to clean our local air and water. There is no way to get closer to these concepts then to step out into the street and knock on a strangers door to inform them of how a free tree from GGCP can benefit their home and their greater community.
A partnership with this institution was logical when professor Jungyun Gill explained that this honors sociology class would be what Stonehill College terms a Community Based Learning class (CBL). Meaning, each student is expected to engage in community development projects as a substantial portion of their grade and for this CBL class that project was GGCP. During the fall of 2018 each of the 15 students canvassed alongside Wildlands’ community stewardship coordinator for over 10 hours, contributing a total of 150 hours within the class. This massive canvassing campaign has been instrumental in the success of Brockton’s GGCP and served as a real-life grass-roots experience for each student. The project did not end there, each student was a part of a smaller group within the class, required to expand upon current outreach efforts of the project, including GGCP’s social media campaign, translating GGCP fliers into Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole, translating a GGCP video into Cape Verdean Creole and writing an article for the school paper. At the end of the semester, each group presented their projects and passed along their final work to Wildlands, which continues to draw inspiration from these final works.
A DCR forester stands next to a recently planted sapling.
Due to the success of the fall 2018 partnership, Wildlands and Stonehill College decided to offer this opportunity to an additional sociology class during the spring 2019 semester. Students from the spring semester chose to join Wildlands’ ongoing canvassing efforts and used these outings to build upon the social justice issues discussed in their class. The class worked in groups once more to study global social justice issues and correlate these pressing concerns with the efforts to increase the urban tree canopy in Brockton. One group discussed the current clean water issues of Flint, Michigan and the water use and pollution issues associated with fabric dying and production. While another group tackled rainforest deforestation and what that means for our climate, biodiversity and local community groups. Each of these issues, while vast and complicated, are closely associated with GGCP efforts and solutions to these global crises can be taken directly from GGCP. We plant free trees to reduce pollution and increase financial savings through the reduction of energy expenditure, to prevent storm water runoff, to clean the air and to increase biodiversity.
In the simplest of terms, we plant free trees to benefit public health. These social justice issues linked with clean water, air and public health are being addressed throughout the world and their awareness is becoming increasingly known. The younger generations and students of today will be faced with finding solutions and developing upon previously implemented ideas to better our world and we see these partnerships with academic institutions as a way to kick start that progress.
Community: The Foundation of Conservation
How the topic of conversation surrounding the environmental movement has changed over the years and how community involvement has driven its achievements.
By Roxey Lay, Membership & Communications Coordinator
In recent years, climate change has re-ignited the national conversation over the environmental health of our planet and the role humans play in it. With Earth Day a few days away, it seems appropriate to look back at the environmental movement in the United States, how it shaped conservation and lead to the founding of organizations like Wildlands Trust.
Thousands flood the streets of New York City during the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970
First emerging during the 19th century, the environmental movement began in response to air pollution caused by the Industrial Revolution. During this same time, the conservation movement also grew throughout the United States, leading to the founding of the Sierra Club and President Roosevelt establishing bird reserves and national parks and forests throughout the country, as well as the United States Forest Service. Concern over human impact on the planet continued into the 20th century, with concerned scientists in the mid-1950s beginning to measure the Earth's carbon dioxide levels. [1]
In the 1970s, the modern environmental movement began. “On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies.” [2] To this day, it remains the “largest demonstration ever in American history.” [3] In response to this widespread demand for action, the government established the Environmental Protection Agency and passed the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts later that same year. While action on a Federal level is imperative to protecting natural resources throughout the country, it was also during this time that communities began taking land protection into their own hands.
A large beech tree stands in a clearing at Emery Preserve (West), one of the first parcels of land protected by Wildlands.
In 1973, Leonna Asker, Betty Anderson and other community activists in Plymouth, worried about losing the land they loved to development, got together and formed the Plymouth County Wildlands Trust. Fast forward to today and that organization still exists as Wildlands Trust, with holdings extending throughout all of Southeastern Massachusetts. As Wildlands’ presence has grown within these communities, we continue to include residents in our work through public programming and events that promote environmental education and discussion. This month, Wildlands kicks off a three-part-series on climate change. Presented in partnership with Manomet and Mass Audubon, Wildlands will be hosting “Is it Me…Or is the Weather Kind of Weird?” Each event will consist of a short presentation, followed by questions and conversation with a professional in the field.
Although the topic of conversation has changed throughout the years, the common theme that our planet’s health is directly connected to public health, remains. By supporting the protection of local lands and engaging in conversations like the climate series, you carry on the spirit of the conservation movement by acknowledging the importance of keeping our region healthy and our communities connected to the natural world for the sake of future generations.
To learn more about the series and to register, go to: https://wildlandstrust.org/events/2019/4/22/is-it-me-or-is-the-weather-kind-of-weird
Where There’s Wildlands, There’s Wildlife
By Roxey Lay, Membership and Communications Coordinator
A female monarch drinks nectar from a sedum plant at Davis-Douglas Farm.
Last summer, the staff at Davis-Douglas Farm were fortunate enough to witness, up-close, the life cycle of multiple monarch butterflies. If you’ve visited the office before, you’ll know we have multiple gardens on the property, full of gorgeous plants and flowers that attract a number of pollinators; one such plant variety is swamp milkweed. Although typically found along the edges of ponds, lakes, and streams, swamp milkweed also acts as a great addition to any garden, both for its flowers and its connection to the monarch butterfly. In September, staff members first noticed a chrysalis attached to the porch roof of the Barn. Then, turning our attention to the nearby garden, we noticed a small army of monarch caterpillars munching away on the milkweed. Over the following weeks, these caterpillars shifted from using the plants as a food source, to using them as a location to attach and pupate. Excited at the opportunity to witness their metamorphosis, we periodically checked on them, documenting how each chrysalis changed; we even managed to witness a newly emerged monarch drying its wings!
Swamp milkweed, at the end of the summer.
Witnessing the process these insects go through is not only fascinating, but it’s a great reminder of how we all rely on nature to grow and survive. Unfortunately, monarch butterflies have been greatly affected by human impact on the environment. Milkweed is critical to the survival of monarch butterflies, as it is their only food source and they cannot complete their life cycles without it. [1] The use of herbicides resistant crops and dramatic shifts in seasonal temperatures have led to the loss of milkweed breeding habitats across the country and a significant decline in monarch numbers. [2] Although not formally listed as endangered, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service was petitioned in 2014 to protect the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act; the listing decision is expected to be issued June 2019. [3]
When Wildlands protects a land parcel, it’s not only for the benefit of the surrounding community, it also maintains habitat for many species, both rare/endangered and common, that rely on that particular ecosystem. These large protected areas are incredibly important in maintaining the natural integrity of the region; however, they aren’t the only habitat local animal populations rely on. Gardens also act as habitat for various insects and, along with supporting local land trusts like Wildlands Trust, are a way you can personally help make a difference in the health of the region using your own back yard. For example, by planting milkweed and native nectar plants, you can help mitigate the habitat loss of the monarch butterfly while providing an important food source for bees and other pollinators.
The Xerces Society regional monarch-specific nectar plant guide map. Click the image to download their Northeast list.
Another way you can make a difference is by learning more about how various animals rely on the region’s natural landscapes and your affect on both them and their habitat. In past years, Wildlands has hosted presentations at our Community Conservation Barn on the topic of honey bees, owls, bats, and more with the intention of educating the public on these animals and raising awareness of the connection between wildlands and wildlife. Recently, we started our Wildlife on the Move lecture series, offering attendees a chance to learn more about regionally seasonal animals, as well as an opportunity to ask an expert any questions they may have. This month features a presentation by Professor Steven Reppert, MD on the monarch butterfly, its migration cycle, and a discussion of current threats and conservation efforts. We are also partnering with the Herring Ponds Watershed Association and hosting a presentation by Brian Bastarache and his students from Bristol County Agricultural High School on the endangered red-bellied cooter; a species of turtle that is only found in Plymouth County!
It’s through the support and commitment of you and others in which we succeed in protecting the region’s natural spaces for both our own health and enjoyment and for the animals that rely on them to survive. For more information on our Wildlife on the Move lecture series and other upcoming programs, visit: https://wildlandstrust.org/events
See below for some photos from last summer at the office:
Wildlands in an Urban Landscape
By Conor Michaud, Community Stewardship Program Coordinator
A newly planted sapling at a public park in Brockton.
Imagine a typical hot and humid July day in southern Massachusetts, with no breeze and the sun beating down. You decide, enough with the air conditioning, it’s time to breathe some fresh air for a change; so you step outside onto an asphalt driveway and greet the 90-degree day with a smile and a bead of sweat. You decide a good way to beat the heat is by visiting a local conservation area. As you begin your stroll along the woodland loop-trail, enjoying the shade of the trees, you stop at one of the benches on the trail for a short respite; you take in the cool breeze and appreciate the drastic change in temperature from your driveway to where you now sit.
Now, imagine a different scenario: On this same type of day, you stand in your driveway, sweating in the mid-day sun; you can’t believe how hot it is. Looking around, you notice there is no density to the trees along your street, only the occasional 30-foot outlier among the telephone poles, looming over asphalt; there is no nearby pond and no nature preserve within walking distance either. Realistically your only course of action to avoid this heat stress is to return to your home, the air conditioner on full-blast.
Saplings ready to be planted in Brockton.
Urban landscapes offer a multitude of benefits including public transportation, access to a variety of employment, more housing availability, and the innumerable benefits of living alongside other cultures and varying types of people; however, when left unaided, they can also result in dangerous public health conditions and environmental inequality. With minimal tree coverage, these areas become “heat islands”, where the temperature of pavement and roof surfaces can be significantly hotter than the air and, as a result, directly affect the public health and well-being of its residents. “Increased daytime temperatures, reduced nighttime cooling, and higher air pollution levels associated with urban heat islands can affect human health by contributing to general discomfort, respiratory difficulties, heat cramps and exhaustion, non-fatal heat stroke, and heat-related mortality.” [1]
GGC Brockton planting zone (click to enlarge)
In 2012, Wildlands entered into the city of Brockton’s conservation scene through our acquisition of Brockton Audubon Preserve and since then, while we have continued to preserve crucial conservation lands within the city-limits (managing and restoring Stone Farm), we’ve asked ourselves, how could we further our mission in Brockton? How could Wildlands address the ongoing environmental justice issues that affect the residents? One such way, is our work through the Greening the Gateway Cities (GGC) program. In 2017, Wildlands partnered with the Brockton chapter of GGC and, we are proud to report, we’re on track to successfully plant over 2,400 trees by June 2020. Due to its success, for the remainder of the program, we are looking to address a wider range of benefits beyond the economic relief aspects, including the improvement of resident’s quality of life. Our conscious transition to promote the physical and mental health benefits are in an effort to support the concerning public health issues many urban neighborhoods face today.
Wildlands is proud to be a partner in the project and through these collaborative efforts our conservation efforts in Brockton have gained a greater depth, our capacity to address environmental justice issues has been strengthened, and we have become a part of the greater conversation surrounding the future of Massachusetts’s Gateway Cities. While few land trusts have taken on similar environmental justice work, we believe it has been a crucial landmark in our growth as an organization allowing us to not only to tackle these pressing issues but to expand our capacity to protect land in urban areas and bring a voice for environmental conservation, education, and exposure to the commonwealth.
For more information on Greening the Gateway Cities, visit: https://wildlandstrust.org/greening-the-gateway-cities