Spooky Stories from the Halloween Night Hike

Willow Brook Farm in Pembroke.

On Friday, October 25, courageous hikers from across Southeastern Massachusetts will descend on Striar Conservancy in Halifax for a Halloween Night Hike, Wildlands’ annual evening stroll brimming with frights and thrills (but mostly laughs, nature appreciation, and good company).

Click here to register—if you dare…

Below is a preview of the tales hike leaders Amy Burt and Paul Vicino will share on the hike. If you’re joining us, we recommend waiting until then to hear these stories in full fright-tastic effect! But if not, enjoy these spine-chilling tales, and feel free to pass them along to fellow fans of the macabre.

Happy Halloween from Wildlands Trust!

---

A Hair-Raising Hike in the Appalachians

By Amy Burt, Programming Coordinator

Every year, people embark on the Appalachian Trail and return safely, each with their own story to tell. There are those who have been less fortunate, either living to tell the tale, or leaving the living to solve the pieces. In the fall of 2003, a young woman (name redacted for privacy) left to explore only a portion of a trail in Western Massachusetts. She planned for a three-day, two-night hike and would take her loyal companion, a scruffy four-legged mutt. 

Her first day was successful. She arrived at her campsite and pitched her tent. Her dog warmed by the fire as she made them both dinner. When it was time for bed, the dog hopped in the tent and coiled itself under the blankets, and the young woman zipped the tent closed. It was a restless first night. She needed reassurance, and as always, her pup knew a little lick on the hand was all she needed to go back to sleep.

Day two had an early start when a couple passed her tent talking. She peeked out her tent and got a glimpse of the two. She felt they must be through-hiking—they looked really prepared. And with that thought, she began to pack up and hit the trail. Despite her restless night of sleep, she felt wide awake. The young woman and her dog had an excellent day, winding the trails, crossing bridges, and seeing the colors of fall. It was unfair that the sun would be setting soon, but if they hiked a bit farther, they would have a lean-to to sleep in. At that moment, it was decided that would be their place to rest.

They arrived at the lean-to and got to work. The dog sat beside the woman as she made them dinner. They ate and settled in for the night. This night, they both fell asleep quickly, with the crisp breeze filling the lean-to.

From a hard sleep she awoke, covered in sweat. Sitting up, she was startled by the view of an open forest until she remembered she was in the lean-to. She shuffled her hand under the blankets towards her dog, felt a sniff and a little lick, and instantly was relieved. She giggled—her dog, almost completely out of view, must have wrapped itself in the covers. 

Her ease was short-lived, as she soon heard something running in the woods. It sounded like it was running towards her, right towards the opening of the shelter. In an instant, she was up with her headlight on and pocketknife in hand. With a swift step out of the lean-to, she faced the running shadow as it approached. There was a realization of horror as out of the trees her dog came into view. He had blood on his muzzle and ran past his owner growling with his teeth bared. 

The woman did her best to recall the final moments of that night when questioned by police and paramedics. The forensics of the scene said it was rabbit blood on her dog and inside of the shelter, but she could not help but ask the question: what had licked her hand?

---

Horror in Local History

By Paul Vicino, Wildlands volunteer

Paul will share some of the violent history of Halifax and the region, including King Philip’s War, when a settler was killed just down the street from Striar Conservancy. A triple murder later occurred on the same road, by descents of the settlers…

He will also discuss the Bridgewater Triangle and invite others to share their uncanny experiences in this storied hotbed of paranormal activity.

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:

• Great River Preserve, Bridgewater

• South Triangle Pond Conservation Area, Plymouth

• Striar Conservancy, Halifax

• 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!

Human History of Wildlands: Crystal Spring Preserve

From left: Sister Chris Loughlin, Wildlands President Karen Grey, Wildlands Director of Land Protection Scott MacFaden, and Sister Barbara Harrington.

By Skip Stuck, Key Volunteer

On May 6,1949, Sister Bernardine wrote a letter to Mother Margaret Elizabeth of the religious order of the Dominican Sisters.  It starts: "Dear Mother, I am really much too excited to write... We have just returned from visiting and touring the grounds. Mother, do please come up to see the place. I can't do justice in writing about it, but I'll try." Sister Bernardine was writing about the property we now know as Crystal Spring Preserve in Plainville. Her excitement runs through the nearly three-page letter, in which she praises the property’s beauty and marvels at the opportunity it presents the order to fulfill its educational and spiritual mission. The next day, the property owners, the Toner family, began drawing up the papers to transfer the land to the Dominican Sisters. 

Although the human history of Crystal Spring Preserve certainly does not begin here, perhaps its spiritual history does. 

Plainville: Natural & cultural history 

Grandfather Rock, a glacial erratic boulder at Crystal Spring Preserve. Photo by Rob MacDonald.

The town of Plainville, like all of Southeastern Massachusetts, was covered by ice and snow during the last glaciation that ended about 12,000 years ago. A prominent reminder of this period is a large glacial erratic boulder on the Crystal Spring property known as "Grandfather Rock." The retreating ice revealed land with few glacial deposits aside from moraines and kettle ponds to the south and east, and rather thinner soil and more scraped and exposed bedrock. Nonetheless, the area was soon settled by early Native peoples who followed the ice sheet's northward retreat, hunting and foraging on the newly exposed land. When first noted by Western settlers in the early 1600s, the Plainville area was inhabited by the Wampanoag people but lay close to the home territories of neighboring Narraganset and Nipmuc tribes. 

Near Crystal Spring Preserve is a feature known as the "Angle Tree." European settlement of our region started in the early 1600s with the founding of Plymouth Colony. Shortly thereafter, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded to the north. Despite sharing a homeland, the two colonies remained separate and somewhat culturally distinct for the next century, with the Angle Tree providing an important border landmark. 

Crystal Spring: A spiritual oasis 

Meadow at Crystal Spring Preserve. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

Crystal Spring, named after the dependable and clean local water supply, was farmed for the next 200 years, into the early 20th century. It was known for its lush pastures, feeding cattle, sheep, and horses, but also for its apple, peach, pear, and crabapple orchards comprising over 750 trees. By the 1940s, the property included 84 acres of mixed woodlands and fields. 

In 1949, Sister Bernardine and other Dominican Sisters of Peace saw Crystal Spring as a gateway to a better appreciation of the value of human interaction and spirituality with nature. In 1998, under the leadership of Sister Chris Loughlin, the property was renamed to the Crystal Spring Center for Ecology, Spirituality, and Earth Education. Among other activities, the Center opened an elementary school, provided support to homeschooling programs, established a women's justice center, and operated a summer camp. They built and maintained trails and other outdoor features to illustrate the value of our lives in concert with nature. One of the most impressive is the "Cosmic Walk," a spiral of stones in a trailside forest clearing that traces the history of the universe from its beginning to the present time. (Talk about History!)  

Cosmic Walk stone spiral at Crystal Spring Preserve. Photo by Rob MacDonald.

Along the way, the Center became deeply concerned with wildland preservation—not only relating to their own lands, but to those of religious communities across the nation. Sister Chris was instrumental in the creation of the Religious Lands Conservancy, in partnership with the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, which has grown beyond Massachusetts to assist religious communities in New York, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Louisiana in protecting their properties. 

In the early 2000s, concern from Sister Chris, Center board member Kathy McGrath, Sister Barbara Harrington, and others over the future of the Crystal Spring property prompted them to initiate discussions with Wildlands Trust. In 2008, the Center granted a Conservation Restriction (CR) on the remaining 33.5 acres to Wildlands Trust, protecting most of the campus. In 2023, the property was donated outright to Wildlands Trust, creating Crystal Spring Preserve. The Attleboro Land Trust accepted the CR to facilitate this transfer. Enhanced trails, a new kiosk, and improved parking herald the preserve’s public opening ceremony this November. The Trust is committed to ensuring that the sisters' dream and vision will continue in perpetuity. 

Crystal Spring Preserve. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

Learn More 

Please visit wildlandstrust.org/crystal-spring-preserve to learn more about Crystal Spring Preserve, including directions and parking. 

A special thanks to Sister Barbara Harrington, who has been an amazing resource in the development of this history. She provided us with invaluable primary resources related to the history and operation of the Crystal Spring Center, including the May 6, 1949, letter from Sister Bernardine; letters from Crystal Spring summer campers; a teaching pamphlet about the Cosmic Walk; and the Center newsletter, “Streams.” 

A final thanks to the Plainville Historical Society for research support. 

Gary Langenbach remembered

It is with heavy hearts that Wildlands Trust shares the passing of Gary Langenbach, who died in August after serving with distinction on our Board of Directors for over two decades.  

“For many years I was privileged to collaborate closely with Gary through his longtime chairmanship of our Lands Committee, which works with land acquisition staff to review all potential land protection projects,” said Wildlands Director of Land Protection Scott MacFaden. “Gary possessed a deep knowledge of our region’s landscapes and habitats, had an uncanny ability to connect with the landowners we work with and understand their aspirations and concerns, and always demonstrated a fervent commitment to Wildlands’ core mission of land protection. He left an indelible imprint on our organization and will be missed!” 

Gary was honored in Wildlands’ 50th anniversary book, 50 Remarkable Years, 50 Remarkable People, which celebrated 50 key partners and volunteers who have made remarkable contributions to land conservation in Southeastern Massachusetts. Read Gary’s entry below: 

Wildlands Trust serves 55 towns in a vast 1,700-square-mile area of Southeastern Massachusetts that nearly one-third of the state’s residents call home. We advance our mission by working hand-in-glove with local conservation leaders who understand the open space objectives of their towns, grasp the political landscape, and are familiar with important landowners, who are often their friends and neighbors. Gary Langenbach epitomizes the local leadership we rely upon to do our work. He is a true hero of land conservation in our region. 

The town of Kingston has greatly benefited from the leadership of Gary Langenbach, a long-time member and chair of the Kingston Conservation Commission. A native of the region, Gary has spent a lifetime exploring the remote corners of Southeastern Massachusetts. He has a wealth of knowledge about open lands and served for two decades as the chair of the Wildlands Trust Lands Committee, which visits and vets each parcel of land we consider for protection. 

In the video below, hear from Gary himself about his passion for the natural lands of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Read Gary’s obituary here. Donations in Gary’s memory may be made to Wildlands Trust, by mail to 675 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360 or online at wildlandstrust.org/donate.

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.