What’s New at Wildlands
Bringing Adopt-A-Preserve to Brockton
With 18 new Adopt-A-Preserve volunteers trained in 2019 and 29 preserves monitored, Wildlands looks to expand the program at Brockton preserves.
A path leads visitors through the dense woods at Brockton Audubon Preserve.
Since 2010, Wildlands Trust has welcomed TerraCorps service members onto its staff to help expand its organizational capacity in community outreach and land access. TerraCorps, formerly MassLIFT, is a Massachusetts-based AmeriCorps program with members serving at nonprofit land conservation and urban agriculture organizations across the state. This year, Wildlands is hosting two TerraCorps members, a community engagement coordinator – serving her second year at Wildlands with a focus on public programming – and a land stewardship coordinator, whose focus is growing Wildlands’ Adopt-A-Preserve (AAP) program.
Throughout the coming year, a focus for the AAP program will be at Wildlands’ Brockton Audubon Preserve and the city of Brockton’s Stone Farm Conservation Area. For those unfamiliar with the program, trained volunteers choose one or more preserves within Wildlands’ 1,500-square-mile service area to monitor on a monthly basis and submit reports to Wildlands’ staff on the state of the preserve.
Stewardship Manager Erik Boyer leads a group of hikers at Stone Farm Conservation Area during the Brockton Nature Festival.
Over the last three months, community members have expressed a heightened interest in stewarding the open spaces in Brockton - a direct result, we believe, from our recent work to promote community involvement on the properties. Efforts have included activities like guided hikes and community events such as the Brockton Nature Festival (BNF), held this past October at Stone Farm. Hosting events like the BNF are great ways to introduce preserves and Wildlands Trust to people within the local community and surrounding areas who may not have been familiar with Wildlands or our work prior. Stewardship staff have also recently hosted AAP trainings at both Brockton Audubon and Stone Farm.
By continuing to promote these preserves through various community engagement activities, Wildlands’ hopes to establish a solid group of volunteers to help keep these properties safe for wildlife and visitors throughout the year. Volunteer-based programs like Adopt-A-Preserve not only assist our stewardship staff in keeping our properties safe and ecosystems healthy, but to further connect our communities to the natural world, increase visibility of public open space, and encourage usage by visitors throughout the region. If you are interested in becoming an AAP volunteer in Brockton or at any other Wildlands preserve, please apply at: wildlandstrust.org/volunteer
Volunteer Spotlight: Rachel Thilbeault
By Eamon Horrigan, Land Stewardship Coordinator
Recently, Wildlands’ Land Stewardship Coordinator Eamon Horrigan sat down with long-time Brockton resident and Wildlands volunteer, Rachel Thilbeault, to discuss Brockton Audubon Preserve and her volunteer work at Wildlands:
How did you first discover Brockton Audubon Preserve and Wildlands Trust?
When I moved here, I realized right away that there were walking trails back behind my house. The trails were the same as they are now, apart from the trail with a boardwalk leading out to the [utility] easement. A friend from Brockton told me about Wildlands’ work at Brockton Audubon about 4 years ago.
How many years have you been involved with the property?
It has been 31 years since I first moved to Brockton and walked the trails back there. In 2005, I helped certify the vernal pool on the preserve by proving the presence of spotted yellow salamander juveniles in the pool.
A 20-foot-high glacial erratic can be found in the northeast section of the property.
What is your favorite thing to do while out on the property?
Watch for wildlife. [I’m] always looking to see animals like foxes and owls.
Do you have a favorite spot on the trails?
The huge glacial erratic at the trail intersection out there. It is amazing the way that is balanced. It looks like one of these days it is bound to fall over.
What is the coolest wildlife sighting you’ve had at the preserve?
Probably a great horned owl. It was perched on a large white pine tree and I was shocked by how large it was. I also saw two yellow spotted salamanders under a log, which was another cool sighting.
Do you have a favorite time of year to visit?
In the spring, when all the flowers are in bloom and before the leaves on the trees come out. I love to see all the violets around the vernal pool. I also really like to see the yellow of the marsh marigolds and the May apples that bloom on the right side of the trail near the parking area.
What is the most memorable moment you’ve had at the preserve?
Leading my first hike because it was nice to take people out and show them around. I liked having the chance to show people they can escape the rat race of the city and spend a couple hours relaxing in the woods.
What is it like being a volunteer hike leader with Wildlands Trust?
Well, it feels good to show people what is out there and makes me feel proud to have open, public land in Brockton. I think it is a privilege to have an opportunity to escape the hectic city.
A toad, one of many species found at the preserve, rests on the forest floor.
Do you think that property usage has increased since you first got involved or stayed relatively the same?
Definitely more people have been going out there. Many dog walkers. I talk to plenty of people who remark on how they did not know this [preserve] was out here. Whenever I am doing trail work or picking up trash, people are interested and ask what I am doing out here.
In addition to leading hikes, you’re also an Adopt-A-Preserve (AAP) volunteer at Brockton Audubon, what is your favorite thing about AAP?
Going out [to the preserve] with the company of my fellow, friendly Brocktonians, Cynthia and Alan. It’s a chance to tell stories about how Brockton once was.
Do you have a favorite Wildlands property to walk outside of Brockton Audubon?
Great River Preserve in Bridgewater. It’s a great place to ride bikes and it’s nice to sit at the benches by the water and take a rest after a bike ride.
Outside of Wildlands, are there any other trails you also like to hike?
Borderland State Park (Easton, MA) and Blue Hills Reservation (Milton, MA). Borderland has a lot of pretty trails and a nice mixture of terrain; really flat trails and more hilly ones. Blue Hills is great because of the Skyline trail, getting to see the weather station there, and climbing Buck Hill for a view of Boston.
Thank you to Rachel for sitting down and speaking with me about her experience volunteering at Widlands Trust and Brockton Audubon Preserve. If you’d like to learn more about Wildlands’ Adopt-A-Preserve program or any other volunteer opportunities at Wildlands, visit our volunteer page at: wildlandstrust.org/volunteer
Wildlands’ Volunteer Spotlight Series showcases the interests and experiences of Wildlands’ dedicated volunteers. If you’d like more information on volunteering with Wildlands, please visit our volunteer page or contact us directly.
Wildlands Honors Doug Hart with Appointment as Chair Emeritus
By President & Executive Director, Karen Grey
Nonprofits rely on volunteer board members who donate time and expertise to help advance mission based work. It’s hard work, but with a talented, dedicated group, and an effective board leader, it can be extremely rewarding and meaningful for all involved. As the highest governing position in the organization, a board chair, with the right skills and experience, can set the stage for a successful and highly functioning organization.
Doug Hart has served with distinction as Wildlands Trust’s chairman of the board since 2007. Always leading with personal integrity and intelligence, Doug earned the confidence and respect of the board and staff early on in his tenure. His thoughtful approach, dedication, and ability to show all involved how to “do the right thing, not the easy thing,” inspired this most recent chapter of Wildlands’ journey. Under Doug’s leadership, the journey has led to a new home at Davis-Douglas Farm, endowment growth of 400%, unprecedented membership and donor growth, doubling of the staff, and 6,000 new acres of protected land in Southeastern Massachusetts.
When Doug ran a meeting, everyone had a voice, everyone was respected, and you could count on being out the door by 9:00 p.m. When I called him on the phone for advice (which was frequently), he offered his insights and guidance without ever telling me what to do. He would listen to me carefully and then say “You know, why don’t you try this…”
I thank Doug Hart from the bottom of my heart for all he has done for Wildlands Trust and for what he has taught me over the last 12 years. I am honored to call him the best boss I’ve ever had and we are all proud to call him our Chair Emeritus.
On Saturday, November 2, 2019, we honored Doug at Wildlands’ annual Chairman’s Council Supper. Thank you to all those who attended for making this year’s gathering extra special for us and for Doug.
Browse the photos below to see the lands Wildlands has protected under Doug’s leadership:
Community Comes Together At Brockton Nature Festival
By Community Stewardship Program Manager, Conor Michaud
Better weather could not have been asked for during the first ever Brockton Nature Festival! Wildlands began planning the Brockton Nature Festival as an event to celebrate the reopening of the city owned Stone Farm Conservation Area, which Wildlands has been restoring since 2017 under a Recreational Trails Program Grant from the Department of Conservation and Recreation. For nearly a decade, Wildlands’ conservation efforts and environmental education initiatives in Brockton have sought to connect residents with the positive impacts of nature and the importance of land conservation. This year, we decided to take this a step further and create an event that would illuminate environmental initiatives in the city and highlight the community groups actively working to enhance the lives of residents and the city’s overall health.
At its core, Brockton Nature Festival was a community-building event where all attendees could explore Stone Farm together, mingle with one another on the Petronelli baseball field, and enjoy conversation over Brockton-based Lady C&J Soulfood. Good Samaritan Medical Center generously sponsored the event, allowing admission to be free and for $5 food coupons to be given out to the first 50 people to arrive for Lady C&J’s food tent. SignDesign and Gerry’s Farm donated decorations, while the Brockton Assembly of God donated the Family Ministry Center event space for parking. The city Parks and Recreation Department granted the use of Petronelli Field, and several city officials were seen mingling amongst the crowd and enjoying the event.
Although the festival was just three-hours-long, Wildlands led two hikes, a 1.5-mile traverse south-to-north through the length of Stone Farm, and a shorter 0.5-mile walk on one of the loop trails in the preserve. Over 50 people joined in on the guided hikes while many other groups and individuals decided to explore the trails independently, guided by Wildlands’ complimentary Brockton trail map. Midway through the event, Wildlands hosted a pumpkin relay race for families and the young-at-heart, with the winner taking home a gigantic glass jar of candy.
The success of Brockton Nature Festival was largely due to the community groups who tabled alongside Wildlands. The attending groups included the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Frederick Douglass Neighborhood Association, Keith Park Neighborhood Association, DW Field Park Association, Brockton Garden Club, PROVA!, City of Brockton Lead-based Paint Hazard Control Program, Boy Scout Troop 1046, Mass Audubon’s Museum of American Bird Art, Natural Resources Trust of Easton, Horizon’s for Homeless Children, Stonehill College’s Student’s for Environmental Action and Food Truth, The Farm at Stonehill, Plymouth County Extension, Massasoit Community College STEM Internship Program, Massasoit Community College Earth Club, Sustainable Massasoit, Merrell Shoe Company, Brockton High School Envirothon, and Good Samaritan Medical Center.
With the festival well received, Wildlands is looking towards the future and hoping the Brockton Nature Festival can become a staple in the Brockton community, acting as a beacon to connect Brockton residents with local conservation land and the groups who are helping to make Brockton a healthy and vibrant community.
Wildlands Teams Up with Sierra Club for Volunteer Service Week
By Stewardship Manager, Erik Boyer
Sierra Club volunteers and Wildlands staff pose for a group photo at Myles Standish State Forest.
This past August, twenty-four volunteers from the Sierra Club joined Wildlands Trust for a week of service on some of our trails on the South Shore. The group consisted of volunteers from all over the country who dedicated their time from August 5 – August 9 and helped improve the trails at Wildlands’ Tucker Preserve and the Equestrian Loop at Myles Standish State Forest. This is the fourth year of this partnership, which focuses primarily on volunteer work at Wildlands but has included service projects with the town of Plymouth and the Friends of Myles Standish.
This year, for the first time, we spent a day outside of Plymouth on the Indian Head River in Pembroke and Hanover. The first day, the group spent the day cutting back trails on the Indian Head River Loop (IHRL), a trail that passes through the towns of Pembroke, Hanover, and Hanson. A good portion of this work took place on Tucker Preserve, which is one of the entry points to the IHRL. A group also assisted a local Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout project, where they opened up the trails at the town of Hanover’s Iron Brook Mine Trails.
Sierra Club volunteers working together on a trail in Plymouth in 2017.
At the end of the week, the group worked with the Friends of Myles Standish and helped cut back vegetation on portions of the Equestrian Loop. Volunteers cut back the dense understory scrub oak and bayberry from the trails and cleared fallen trees with handsaws. Over 3 miles of trails were cleared over the course of two days!
Thanks to the efforts of Zehava Rosenberg and Madeleine Zember, two Sierra Club volunteers, over 20 volunteers come to Plymouth for a weeklong service trip each year. Due to the help of the volunteers this year, hikers will be able to enjoy these trails this fall. If you would like to learn more about the Sierra Club’s service trips, check out: content.sierraclub.org/outings/volunteer-vacations. For information on how you can volunteer with Wildlands Trust, visit our website at wildlandstrust.org/volunteer.