What’s New at Wildlands
Staff Picks: Where to Explore This Fall
If the arrival of September in Southeastern Massachusetts has you dreaming of brisk mornings, cozy sweaters, and leaves crunching underfoot, you’re not alone. We at Wildlands Trust are already planning our autumn hikes, paddles, rides, and picnics.
Are you looking for new places to explore this fall? Our staff and volunteers have you covered! Read on for a selection of our favorite autumnal landscapes, where you just might find us leaf peeping, migratory bird watching, or spooky story telling this season.
A note on safety: hunting season begins in the fall, so please take care to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets while on the trails. Consult our hunting safety guidelines before you head out. (Spoiler alert: wear blaze orange!)
Happy fall from all of us at Wildlands! Please share your fall nature photos with us at communications@wildlandstrust.org. Explore our trails across Southeastern Massachusetts at wildlandstrust.org/trails.
Hoyt-Hall Preserve, Marshfield
Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Rachel Bruce, Chief of Staff: The many deciduous trees show off their fall colors around Long Tom Pond, and a two-mile hike is perfect for a fall afternoon.
Tess Goldmann, Land Protection Assistant: I really enjoy Hoyt-Hall for its beautiful views of Long Tom Pond and its variety of different ecosystems you get to walk through. Plus, you can see all the red maples changing colors in October.
Great River Preserve, Bridgewater
Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Marilynn Atterbury, Key Volunteer: As the leaves begin to turn, there’s no place I’d rather be than Great River Preserve. In the fall, the landscape transforms into a landscape of color. The meadows are dotted with Joe-Pye weed, jewel plants, and goldenrod, creating a stunning display. The meadows also become a haven for monarch butterflies, which lay their eggs on the milkweed that thrives there. Meanwhile, the maples and oaks along the Taunton River put on a breathtaking show of scarlet and gold. It’s this vibrant tapestry of nature that makes Great River Preserve my favorite fall destination.
Scott MacFaden, Director of Land Protection: The Great River Preserve is a fall favorite of mine. While it shines at any time of year, it is particularly luminous in autumn because of its juxtaposition of open fields, woods, and the Taunton River. I like to leisurely hike along the edge of the fields before spending some time at the viewing platform overlooking the river—one of the most peaceful and contemplative locations in all of Southeastern Massachusetts.
Indian Head River Trail – Pembroke, Hanover, Hanson
Photo by Andrew Lederman.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Amy Burt, Programming Coordinator: My favorite preserve is the Indian Head River Trail, a four-mile loop that encompasses Wildlands' Tucker Preserve. This time of year, you can get a great view of the river with the leaves falling while walking down a cathedral of color. Year-round, I enjoy channeling my inner goat and climbing the rocks.
Great Neck Conservation Area, Wareham
Photo by Rob MacDonald.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Skip Stuck, Key Volunteer: I like Great Neck because it has a little of everything. Uplands, ocean, marshlands, a pond full of waterfowl in the fall, and vernal pools surrounded by red swamp maples.
Kyla Isakson, Membership Manager: I love the diversity of the landscapes at Great Neck. You get a little bit of everything: ponds, farmland, pine forests, and ocean views. An underrated showcase preserve that is great year-round.
Wyman North Fork Conservation Area, Bridgewater
Photo by Rob MacDonald.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator: As one of our newest public preserves, Wyman North Fork Conservation Area (a partnership between Wildlands and the Town of Bridgewater) remains a hidden gem… for now. This fall, visitors will hear bluebirds and goldfinches rustling in the meadow’s native grasses and gaze at the secluded woodlands’ vibrant foliage, hanging from the branches and reflecting off the glassy surface of the Taunton River.
Why do you support land conservation?
By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator
In June, our Solstice Celebration brought together conservation champions from across Southeastern Massachusetts for a day of art, music, food, hikes, and much more at Davis-Douglas Farm in Plymouth. Over 150 of us joined our voices to send a resounding message that nature is vital to the future of our region.
Our voices are louder together, but they are not all the same. Since land conservation has so many benefits, ranging from ecological to economic to spiritual, it perhaps comes as little surprise that there are almost as many reasons to support our work as there are people who support it.
To better serve our community, we wanted to know why people donate their money, time, and passion to our mission. So, we asked. During the Solstice Celebration, a station inside the Community Conservation Barn invited attendees to decorate small banners by completing the statement, “I support land conservation because…” We strung up their responses on a wall inside the barn to create a living tapestry, symbolizing our community’s diverse motivations to realize our shared vision.
Explore some of these motivations in the photo gallery below. Click on each photo to view the full caption.
Why do you support land conservation? Tell us in the comments or add a banner to our tapestry the next time you visit Davis-Douglas Farm!
Thank you to all who support our mission to keep Southeastern Massachusetts a remarkable place to live, work, and play. Your generosity makes our work possible. Feeling inspired? Join our community at wildlandstrust.org/membership.
Green Team 2025: Brockton Youth Serve, Learn & Earn
A Green Team member builds a bench for the outdoor classroom at Raymond Elementary School in Brockton.
By Amy Burt, Programming Coordinator
Green Team returned to Brockton for a fourth summer in 2025 to work on projects at D.W. Field Park and the surrounding area. Wildlands Trust and Manomet Conservation Sciences sponsor, design, and lead Green Team to engage Brockton-area high school students in conservation service-learning.
Green Team crewmembers acquire skills in environmental management while learning about the city’s natural resources. Daily discussions with local professionals expose them to diverse career opportunities. Participants earn a stipend of $70 per day.
This year’s program garnered greater interest than last year, with 42 students applying. We were able to accommodate more crewmembers this year by offering two sessions of Green Team, one in July and the other in August. In total, 23 teens participated.
Green Team monitors birdboxes at D.W. Field Park in Brockton.
Crewmembers were hands-on every day, rain or shine. In addition to managing waste, painting picnic tables, collecting environmental data, and gardening at D.W. Field Park, the crew completed trail work at the new Fieldstone Preserve, helped build an outdoor classroom at Raymond Elementary School, and maintained the grounds at the Fuller Craft Museum.
We asked our teams what their favorite projects were and what they were most proud of accomplishing. There were a few themes:
Immediate gratification projects
Enhancing their outdoor skills through workdays and the campout
Team-building and making new friends
Green Team kayaks on Halfway Pond with the North and South Rivers Watershed Association.
Each Green Team session culminated with an optional overnight campout at Wildlands’ Stewardship Training Center in Plymouth. Attendees explored the area, cooked meals, and camped in tents. Nighttime hikes and bat echolocation games introducing the concept of dark adaptation were a (low-light) highlight. The July crew spent a morning kayaking on Halfway Pond with the North and South Rivers Watershed Association. The August crew enjoyed an exclusive tour of the Trevor Lloyd-Evans Banding Lab at Manomet Conservation Sciences. Wildlands and Manomet co-hosted these campouts for the second year in a row, enriching Brockton youth’s outdoor experiences through Green Team.
According to a post-program survey, 100 percent of crewmembers felt that Green Team will have a positive impact on their future. The top benefits they reported included learning about new jobs, finding better pathways into the environmental field, getting outside more, and making new friends.
Green Team smiles after weed removal at D.W. Field Park in Brockton.
When asked how Green Team might have an impact on their future, crewmembers said…
“I think it has impacted my future because I am considering doing more field science and working with people instead of lab science.”
“It will inspire me to be more conscious with my environment.”
“It helped me feel more comfortable working in nature.”
“I always knew I wanted an environmental career, and this experience solidified my opinion on the topic.”
“Now I think it's easy to make friends.”
Click through the photo gallery below for more sights from Green Team 2025.
A special thanks to Tim Carpenter, the City of Brockton’s Superintendent of Parks, as well as the following organizations and individuals who volunteered their time to engage with Green Team this year:
Brockton Garden Club
Blake Dinius, Entomologist, Plymouth County Extension
Brian Taylor, North and South Rivers Watershed Association
Clark Delisle, Environmental Police Officer
Cam Connelly, Environmental Police Officer
Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton
Sean Kent, Arts & Nature Education Manager, Mass Audubon
Sarah Howdy, Education Coordinator, Mass Audubon
Mass Climate Corps, Mass Audubon
Meghan Crawford, Community Engagement Biologist, Mass Wildlife
Molly Jacobs, VP for Environmental Ed. and Outreach, Manomet
Trevor-Lloyd Evans Banding Lab, Manomet
Julia Beyer, Intern, Manomet
Camille Beckwith, Intern, Manomet
If you or a young person you know is interested in Green Team 2026, sign up for Wildlands E-News and the D.W. Field Park email list! If you are interested in sponsoring the 2026 team, please contact Amy Burt, Programming Coordinator, at aburt@wildlandstrust.org.
Welcome, Jason Risberg! (+ More Staff Updates)
Wildlands is ecstatic to welcome Jason Risberg to our team! As GIS Manager, Jason will help us protect, monitor, and promote our conservation lands through mapping and spatial analysis. Get to know Jason in the bio below.
Wildlands has also bid farewell to beloved staff members Sue Chamberlain and Zoë Smiarowski. Read on for reflections on Sue and Zoë’s diverse impacts and shared dedication to our mission.
Jason Risberg, GIS Manager
Jason Risberg
Wildlands Trust may seem like an unlikely destination for a 20-year Coast Guard veteran. But by following his fascination with maps, Jason Risberg has charted a surprisingly direct path between the two. As Wildlands’ GIS Manager, Jason leverages the power of geographic information systems to enhance all aspects of our work.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Jason fell in love with nature through family camping trips across the country. In his early 20s, Jason joined the Coast Guard, where he assisted with search and rescue, law enforcement, and port security. While stationed in Boston, he worked on an Aids to Navigation team, helping maintain buoys and lighthouses on the Massachusetts coast. Planning his next move after two decades of service, Jason discovered GIS. Trading nautical charts for trail maps, he found, is less of a leap than one might expect.
Jason explains GIS as a blend of cartography and data science. "If it’s something on the face of the Earth, GIS can be used to help explain it,” he said.
As such, Jason envisions a role for GIS in every aspect of Wildlands’ mission. Applications include maps and infographics to draw new audiences to our trails, spatial analyses to prioritize lands for protection, and invasive plant inventories to inform stewardship strategies.
Jason started taking GIS classes in the Coast Guard before enrolling at Salem State University. He completed his bachelor’s degree in cartography and GIS in 2023 and is set to complete his master’s degree this summer. Before Wildlands, Jason completed a GIS internship with Essex County Greenbelt.
“One of most important things we can do as society is to protect natural resources so generations to come will be able to enjoy these green spaces,” he said.
Jason is excited to move to Plymouth with his wife and explore new restaurants and natural areas with friends and family.
Sue Chamberlain, Donor Relations Manager
Sue Chamberlain (right) at a Leadership Council appreciation event in 2022. Photo by Ken Grille.
Sue Chamberlain served as Wildlands’ Donor Relations Manager for 12 years until her retirement in March. During her tenure, Sue forged and fostered relationships with generous individuals across the region, connecting our work with crucial support from the communities we serve.
“Sue is the consummate fundraising professional, and we were very fortunate to have her for the past 12 years,” said Wildlands President Karen Grey. “Sue ‘does’ fundraising; she doesn’t just talk about it. She is constantly meeting with people, drafting notes, or talking on the phone. She was beloved by the staff and donors alike and we will miss her. Sue’s many accomplishments include creating the Leadership Council for major donors (now almost 200 strong!) and establishing the Hathaway Legacy Partners for people making planned gifts to Wildlands Trust. Happy retirement, friend!”
"I have been so fortunate to work for such a good cause—saving land for future generations and helping ensure clean water, air, and beautiful vistas,” Sue said. “I have loved my time at Wildlands—seeing such growth of scope and range, getting to know wonderful donors and staff, and being part of the effort to preserve Southeastern Massachusetts. Many thanks to so many people who generously supported important land preservation and ambitious projects in places like Brockton. And, my thanks to an excellent staff and leadership team who made my job so much easier and fun. I miss everyone!"
Rob Kluin became Wildlands’ new Donor Relations Manager in May. Read his staff bio here.
Zoë Smiarowski, Stewardship Programs Manager
Zoë Smiarowski builds a bog board at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area in Bridgewater.
In July, Wildlands said goodbye to Zoë Smiarowski, who served as Stewardship Coordinator and then Stewardship Programs Manager for three impactful years. Zoë’s promotion came shortly into her time with Wildlands, when the fledgling Stewardship Training Center needed a day-to-day leader with a rare combination of stewardship and outreach skills. Zoë also helped transform Wildlands’ volunteer program, fostering a dedicated, enthusiastic, and loyal volunteer community through our ever-popular VolunTuesdays.
Zoë is now pursuing a master’s degree in plant biology through the University of Vermont’s Field Naturalist Program.
“I am so grateful for my time at Wildlands and for the opportunity to get to work with so many incredible colleagues, volunteers, and partners,” Zoë said. “I will certainly miss the community, but I’m confident that all the programs are in incredible hands. I look forward to cheering on the organization.”
In late July, over 40 Wildlands staff members, partners, and volunteers attended a farewell party for Zoë, a testament to her talent for building community around environmental stewardship.
Two recent hires are stepping up in her absence. Rebecca Cushing, who joined us in January, will spearhead Wildlands’ volunteer efforts as Stewardship & Volunteer Coordinator. Callahan Coughlin, who came aboard in February, will oversee STC programs as Stewardship & Training Coordinator.
We thank Sue and Zoë for their dedication to Wildlands’ mission and congratulate Jason, Rob, Rebecca, and Callahan on their exciting new positions!
Reacquaint yourself with our entire staff at wildlandstrust.org/staff.
90 Acres Protected on the Taunton River in Bridgewater
The upper Taunton River at Wyman North Fork Conservation Area in Bridgewater. Across the river is Perkins Bridgewater Preserve. Photo by Jerry Monkman.
By Scott MacFaden, Director of Land Protection
Note: The following land protection update first appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Wildlands News, our biannual print newsletter. Receive early and exclusive Wildlands updates by becoming a member today at wildlandstrust.org/membership.
We are pleased to welcome the newest addition to our portfolio of protected lands along the Taunton River: 90 acres contained in two contiguous parcels along the upper Taunton River corridor in Bridgewater. The property has been named Perkins Bridgewater Preserve.
Located off Cherry Street, the newly acquired land includes 11 potential vernal pools and approximately one mile of frontage on the Taunton River. It is directly across the river from Wyman North Fork Conservation Area, 95 acres owned by Wildlands Trust and the Town of Bridgewater. Collectively, these properties comprise 186 acres—the largest expanse of protected lands along the upper Taunton River corridor above Cherry Street.
Perkins Bridgewater Preserve includes a network of woods roads that we will adapt into hiking trails.
Since 1995, Wildlands has afforded a high priority to protecting land along the Taunton River’s 44-mile mainstem and major tributaries. The river’s designation by Congress in 2009 as a National Wild and Scenic River was further affirmation of its ecological, recreational, and historical significance, and a validation of the efforts Wildlands and its conservation partners have extended toward protecting land along its banks.
With this latest acquisition, Wildlands has helped protect over 2,000 acres on the Taunton River and its tributaries.
Walt Munroe Conservation Area in Rehoboth.
Three Rehoboth CRs Completed
On the cusp of the autumnal equinox, we completed three Community Preservation Act (CPA) Conservation Restrictions (CRs) in Rehoboth. Since it adopted the CPA in April 2009, Rehoboth has been diligently working to use associated funds to acquire properties of high ecological importance.
The new CRs protect three such properties, totaling 130 acres.
The Walt Munroe Conservation Area CR protects 46 acres acquired by the Town in 2016. The area is notable for its two fields that the Town is working to restore; its extensive frontage along Rocky Run Brook, a Palmer River tributary; and its location within the Munwhagne Swamp complex, a several-hundred-acre area of contiguous open space in southeast Rehoboth that includes several rare natural communities. The property is named in honor of the late Walt Munroe, a seventh-generation Rehoboth resident who, in addition to protecting his own family farm with Wildlands, contributed significant time and effort to helping the Town protect open space.
The Grear Farm CR protects 32 acres acquired by the Town in 2022. The Grear Farm features extensive open fields with prime farmland soils, connects to an assemblage of open space in West Rehoboth along Route 44, and helps protect the water quality of the nearby East Branch of the Palmer River.
The Danforth Street CR protects 50 acres acquired by the Town in 2019. The Danforth Street property includes two potential vernal pools, a hiking trail through topographically diverse terrain, and connectivity with adjacent open space.
Two more Rehoboth CPA CRs are in the pipeline that will collectively protect an additional 54 acres. We look forward to advancing these projects and extend our appreciation to all those Town staff and volunteers who have worked to successfully implement the CPA’s open space dimension in Rehoboth.