A Farewell and Thank You to Wildlands Trust

It is amazing how fast 11 months can fly by. It feels like only a couple weeks ago I moved from central New Jersey to begin my AmeriCorps service term with Wildlands Trust as a land stewardship coordinator. A highlight of my time at Wildlands has been the tremendous variety of landscapes at the preserves I have been fortunate to steward. From the hemlock groves of Tucker Preserve in Pembroke to the wide, open meadows of Great River Preserve in Bridgewater and so many more. I have appreciated the delightful mixture of habitats that I have been exposed to throughout my time here. 

When I started at Wildlands, I thought that much of my time would be devoted to managing trails, but the position offered a much wider range of experiences. Tasks such as building benches or training new volunteers, while at first challenging, developed into new skills through the aid and supervision of friendly Wildlands staff. I most enjoyed the ever-changing variety of responsibilities because it has made me a more flexible and open-minded individual.

Leading the way through Stone Farm Conservation Area at Brockton Nature Festival (October 2019).

This fall, I will be attending Duke University’s environmental management graduate program with a concentration in ecosystem science and conservation. Throughout this exciting new chapter, I hope to continue deepening my knowledge of our surrounding habitats and how to best protect them. I owe Wildlands a lot of credit for helping prepare me for this new experience. 

I would like to thank those who supported me throughout my service term. First off, I would like to thank the entire Wildlands community for being welcoming and supportive throughout this chapter of my life, especially Erik Boyer and Conor Michaud for being supportive supervisors. Thank you to the Brockton High School Envirothon team, a fun and bright group of students, who invoked a feeling of nostalgia from my own high school experience. Thank you to Rachel Calderara, Joyce Voorhis, Melissa Kelly and Hayley Leonard, who also support the Envirothon team. Thank you to the TerraCorps staff as well, especially Mackenzie Sains, Hanna Mogensen and Marissa Patterson, who were always helpful in guiding me towards the goals of my service. 

I would like to also give an immense thank you to all the volunteers I worked with on work days or Adopt-A-Preserve trainings. You are invaluable to the execution of Wildlands’ mission and I had a blast getting to know such an interesting, eclectic group of people. Although this is a farewell for now, I am confident I will return to walk some of the many scenic trail systems, see past co-workers and reconnect with volunteers. 

- Eamon Horrigan

Brockton Youth Shine Bright Despite COVID-19 Challenges

By Outreach and Education Manager Rachel Calderara

The 2019/20 Envirothon team tours the Taunton River Desalination Plan (winter 2019).

Since 2015, Wildlands Trust has sponsored and coached the Brockton High School (BHS) Envirothon team. The team heads to the Massachusetts Envirothon each May, where they compete with high schools from across the state in forestry, wildlife, soils and water, and present a current issue research project on a topic that changes each year. Over the years, the team has earned some impressive accolades, including winning first prize for their current issue project on working with nature in watersheds in 2018. Our partner at BHS, science teacher Joyce Voorhis, received the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education in both 2017 and 2019 for her work with the Envirothon team. 

Although 2020 brought unique challenges for Envirothon and the Brockton team, they managed to shine bright in the face of adversity. When the 2020 Massachusetts Envirothon was cancelled, the organization challenged teams to a video contest in place of the competition. Five students from the BHS team – Alyce Watt, Logan Coughlin, Erika Fernandes, Christina Giusti and Sofiyat Bello – stepped up to the challenge and created an 8-minute video about the water issues facing their city and their thoughts about COVID-19 and the environment both at home and around the world. Brockton High School was one of only five teams to submit a video for the challenge, earning them a $250 gift card to Forestry Suppliers. You can watch their video presentation here:

 

This summer, another unique opportunity arose, this time for alumni of the program, when they were invited to speak at a Watershed Action Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts (WAA) virtual meeting. Wildlands Trust Outreach and Education Manager Rachel Calderara worked with WAA Coordinator and Outreach Manager Dorie Stolley to assemble a panel of three inspirational women to share their perspectives on the environment with WAA for their “Learn Along” series on environmental justice. Brockton High School Envirothon alumni Lily Green, MaryKate Clark and Nicole Mejia shared their unique experiences and spoke of the significant impacts that environmental education has had on their lives. You can watch WAA’s recording of the Zoom meeting here:

At Wildlands Trust, our commitment to environmental education in the city of Brockton remains strong despite the challenges of this pandemic, and we look forward to getting back to work with the students this fall, whether in person or online. 

Reaching Higher for Environmental Justice

Members of Wildlands Trust are well aware of our commitment to the city of Brockton, where we have worked for over a decade. During these years, Wildlands has dedicated staff and funding to protect and restore 250 acres of much needed open space. But that is just the beginning. We have coached over 125 Brockton High School students through the Massachusetts Envirothon competition, introducing kids to environmental issues and potential career opportunities before they head off to college. We manage community outreach for the city’s urban tree planting program (Greening the Gateway Cities), aimed at lowering energy costs by creating tree canopy to reduce temperatures and provide direct shading. Through our Green Team program, we provide Brockton youth with paid service-learning positions on natural resource projects where they work alongside our staff. We convene and advise neighborhood park groups, church groups and community garden promoters who want to take more initiative to further environmental progress in the city. Currently, we are working on the restoration of the iconic Flagg Pond on the Brockton High School grounds, a project that will engage high school students and their teachers as our partners. 

Serving this environmental justice community is some of our most meaningful work at Wildlands and we have plans to do much more.  As a society, we all need to be reaching higher to help communities like Brockton, and the land trusts spread across the United States are not released from this imperative. Land trusts like Wildlands need to look beyond our habit of tallying up acres and reporting on our completed deals because these measurements fall short in a changing America. Both are the measures of a bygone era and although we will probably always apply them to gauge our success on some level, our communities are desperate for more than simply an acre count. 

Essentially, land trusts are civic organizations and as such, are well-positioned to build authentic and effective partnerships that reflect the diversity and demographics of those communities that need us most, like Brockton. For the past several years, Wildlands has been part of a cohort brought together by the Island Foundation to work with environmental justice expert, Angela Parks, to learn how to embed diversity, equity and inclusion principles into our guiding documents and programmatic work. Wildlands still has a long way to go, but our clear commitment is a starting point. 

Thank you to all of our supporters for making this work possible.

Karen Grey
President

Wildlands Trust Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Wildlands Trust is committed to protecting land and providing access to nature for the people of our region, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We will approach our work with complete respect for the cultures and perspectives of the communities we serve as we endeavor to connect and inspire all people to care about nature and the future of our planet.

Pollinator-Friendly Spring Cleanup for your Garden

By Education and Outreach Manager Rachel Calderara

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With warmer, longer days here at last, many people are getting ready to do their spring-cleaning — both indoors and out! At Wildlands Trust, it is almost time to clean up our native perennial gardens as new growth emerges from the soil. However, if we hold off on the cleanup for long enough, it gives hibernating insects time to emerge. Outreach and Education Manager Rachel Calderara spoke with Wildlands Trust’s gardener, Kim Goggin, to learn more about the native perennial gardens at Wildlands Trust headquarters, Davis-Douglas Farm, and the pollinator-friendly practices she uses.

Rachel: First, what kinds of native plants for wildlife do we have at Davis-Douglas Farm?

Kim: For bees, we have black-eyed Susan, yarrow and Coreopsis. For monarch butterflies, we have the host plants Asclepias tuberosa (orange butterfly weed) and Asclepias incarnatoa (swamp milkweed). Then we have Chelone glabra for Baltimore checkerspot butterflies and aster for pearl crescent butterflies. For birds, we have winterberry and cranberry viburnum, as well as Monarda (bee balm) for hummingbirds.

R: What insects benefit from these plants over the winter and into early spring, and why are they important?

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A view of the front garden at Wildlands’ headquarters at Davis-Douglas Farm.

K: Over the winter, many insects in various forms of life burrow beneath leaves, in the soil, in decaying branches and in spent stalks of native perennials. Among them are solitary bees, syrphid flies, parasitic wasps, morning cloak butterflies and moths such as the wooly bear caterpillar. Luna moths form a chrysalis, which looks much like a curled, dried leaf, and spend the winter there. 

Some of our native plants are host plants for specific butterflies to lay their eggs, while others provide nectar for pollinators throughout the season, giving them the energy they need to either migrate or overwinter. Butterflies we frequently see at Davis-Douglas Farm include monarchs, American lady and painted lady butterflies.

R: How can we help protect these insects during our spring garden cleanup?

K: Foregoing fall clean-up all together and postponing spring clean-up until temperatures have stayed consistently above 50 degrees for several days insures that insects will have enough time to emerge from their winter state of diapause. This means leaving spent stalks for the winter, delaying raking leaves and watchfully pruning, as some moths such as the Luna moth may form chrysalises on branches for the winter.

R: After cleanup, is there anything else we can do to help protect native pollinators?

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A monarch chrysalis hangs from milkweed at Davis-Douglas Farm.

K: Most importantly, do not use pesticides. You can provide brush piles where insects can feed, bare patches of earth for ground nesting bees (out of the way of any foot traffic) and shallow dishes of water mixed with a bit of soil to provide minerals for butterflies. Plant a variety of heights, colors and flower shapes in your garden. Plant in groupings so pollinators can move easily from one flower to another. Provide flowering plants from early spring into late fall.

R: What plants would you recommend adding to perennial gardens this year to help native wildlife?

K: Zizia is one perennial I would like to add this year, as it is the host for the black swallowtail butterfly. In addition, Heliopsis (false sunflower) proves nectar for native bees and goldfinch love the seeds in the fall.

We want to thank Kim Goggin for all she does to keep our gardens beautiful and pollinator-friendly at Wildlands Trust! Everyone can help pollinators in their own gardens by following her simple advice. Happy spring-cleaning!

Volunteer Spotlight: Rob MacDonald

When and how did you first learn about Wildlands Trust? 

I believe I first learned about Wildlands Trust through the Willow Brook Preserve in Pembroke.   It’s pretty close to my house and one day, while driving down Route 14, I spotted the entrance.  Eventually I stopped by and explored it with a walk through the property. 

How did you discover the Adopt-A-Preserve (AAP) program?

We [Rob and his wife] had been members of Wildlands Trust before the AAP program existed and had been involved with volunteer work at Wildlands through some of your workdays. Eventually I heard about the AAP program from someone I knew who was working at [Wildlands]. They informed me that Erik [Boyer] was looking for volunteer help with the AAP program. 

Rob MacDonald (far right) poses with other volunteers at Brockton Nature Festival.

How many years have you been a part of AAP? 

Well, I was first involved with Wildlands Trust in about 1999 when I participated in a corporate workday at Willow Brook Preserve. This was an organized community service event with Bank Boston employees where we burned brush and removed invasive species to clear out the meadow habitat near the beginning of the trail system. Once AAP was created in 2014 and I heard about it, I joined shortly thereafter. 

What Wildlands properties have you “adopted”? 

Striar Conservancy in Halifax and Tucker Preserve/the Indian Head River loop, which goes through Pembroke, Hanson, Hanover, Plymouth County land, and private property. 

What is your favorite thing to do while out on monitoring visits? 

Photography. I am always looking for shots of birds while on my monitoring visits. And then, during the spring when vernal pools are active, I like to look for amphibians to photograph. Typically, I bring out a long-lens camera for pictures of birds and a macro-lens for taking close-up pictures of fungi and amphibians. 

What are some highlights for you along the Indian Head River Trail (IHRT) loop? 

The bluff in Tucker preserve where the trail cuts through a hemlock grove opposite of the tack factory along the river is a nice section of trail. I also really like the babbling stream you encounter towards the back side of Tucker. It’s one of several spots that remind me of New Hampshire. I also really like the section of trail that cuts through Rocky Run, which is beautiful town of Hanson conservation land. 

What have been your favorite wildlife sightings at Striar and Tucker? 

River otter, which I’ve encountered at both Tucker and Striar. I recently saw one at Tucker, along the Indian Head River, soon upon entering Tucker from Pembroke Conservation land. The otter was resting on the ice on the river, eating a fish that it had caught. 

When I saw an otter at Striar, I was looking out at a bend in the Winnetuxet River. I heard a bark and the otter slipped into the river behind me. I suspect it was voicing a warning signal to another otter somewhere in front of me. In terms of exciting bird sightings, I‘ve seen a wide variety of birds including barred owls, yellow cuckoos, ovenbirds, wood ducks and a palm warbler at Striar.

What is the most memorable experience you have had while at a Wildlands property? 

At Striar, I have done vernal pool walks where participants come out at night to explore what they can find in the pools. Kids and adults alike get extremely excited about the chance to dip their hands into the pools to see what they find. Many people would not normally go on hikes at night on their own so the opportunity is unique and exciting for that reason too. 

What is your favorite thing about AAP? 

The monitoring visits present you with an opportunity to pay greater attention to the place you are in. I definitely focus more on the details of the surroundings than I would on a hike. My responsibilities as an AAP member makes me much more attentive while out on a preserve. }

What is it like being a part of the volunteer hike leader program?

On several occasions, people have come to one of these Wildlands Trust hikes and mention that they were sometimes hesitant to go out and hike in the woods alone. These organized group hikes gave them the opportunity to get out in a group atmosphere and enjoy exploring the varied Wildlands Trust preserves. So being part of a program that affords these folks, who might no otherwise get out into the woods, is pretty nice. 

Are there any nature preserves in the region that you like to visit outside of the ones you adopt? 

Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, a 1,638 acre MassWildlife-managed preserve that stretches through Hanson and Halifax is my favorite. The preserve is a habitat for beavers, otters, and many different species of birds. Burrage Pond’s landscape includes dormant cranberry bogs. Some of these ex-cranberry bog areas have remained open to develop into grassland habitats and others have been flooded to allow for habitat for aquatic birds. The management area also includes an interesting floodplain habitat along Stump Brook River that supports Atlantic white cedar and eastern hemlock trees. 

I know you have visited for these trails for many years. Have you seen the area change over the years?

I’ve been walking the trails along the Indian Head River for at least 25 years. As for changes, the Hanover section of trail has become more formalized is now a well-marked trail. Also, on the western section of the trail loop, where you cross the bridge on State Street in Hanson, the trail used to be difficult to find because it was completely unmarked. That entrance has now been opened up and is much easier to find. Overall, the trail system has become more formalized and clearer while maintaining the same peaceful and wild feeling I got hiking these trails 25 years ago.  

As a resident of Hanson, how do you think the community can benefit from a natural resource like the Indian Head River Trail? 

The Indian Head River trail system presents Hanson community members with a beautiful hike along the Indian Head River through Rocky Run Conservation Area, a showcase example of protected, natural, town of Hanson conservation land.