Nine teens out of over sixty applicants were hired for Green Team this summer to complete improvement projects at D.W. Field Park. Green Team emphasizes hands-on learning and community service in an outdoor, team-oriented environment sponsored and led by Wildlands Trust and Manomet.
Native Plant Garden in Plymouth Dedicated to Deborah Wood Davis
Read Time: 3 min
By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter
On Saturday, July 9, at 10:30am, before the morning sun invited summer’s characteristic heat and humidity, approximately 70 community members gathered at Wildlands Trust’s headquarters on Long Pond Road to dedicate the property’s native plant garden to a longtime supporter of the Trust’s mission, Deborah Wood Davis.
Deborah Wood Davis married into the family of Howland Davis, the previous owner of the land that is now Wildlands’ Davis-Douglas Conservation Area. Her family recalls Deborah’s great affection for the area and, according to her daughter Caroline Chapin, she was excited by Wildlands’ mission and the way it drew the community together. So, when Deborah’s five daughters were looking for a way to honor their mother and the strong roots and connections she had established here, they came to Wildlands Trust.
Sarah Geer, one of those daughters, approached Wildlands’ President and Executive Director Karen Grey to discuss the idea at just the right time. Wildlands had been struggling with the desire to maintain some component of the property’s historic barn, but its crumbling foundation walls and the steep drop from ground level to its interior depth posed hazards that had to be addressed. Simultaneously, local landscape architect Love Howard had also reached out to Karen with the idea of designing a pollinator-friendly garden using native plant species that would support the local ecosystem, and she was looking for a location where she could bring the idea to life. The Davis family’s gift to honor their mother provided the needed support to begin the process of converting the unsafe barn foundation into a showcase garden and educational tool at Wildlands’ headquarters.
The project, according to Karen, “brought together need with opportunity and allowed us to make meaningful connections for people, which are always the best type of projects.” In the fall of 2020, after structural work was completed, the first plants were added by a group of volunteers—including some of Deborah’s daughters, Wildlands volunteer and Board Member Marilynn Atterbury, and others—under Love’s guidance. Today, Marilynn continues the work, along with Wildlands’ gardener Kim Goggin, carefully maintaining and enhancing what is often called “the foundation garden.”
On the morning of the dedication ceremony, the gardening team’s hard work and meticulous care were on full display for the large crowd that had assembled for the occasion. In what would have been Deborah Davis’ 100th year, according to Caroline, the family organized a mini reunion around the dedication ceremony, bringing all five daughters, spouses, children, and almost all of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren together in Plymouth—a gathering of community that would likely have brought the family’s matriarch great pleasure. Also in attendance were several of Wildlands’ staff members, Board members, and supporters. Karen Grey addressed the group with gratitude for all who contributed to the project, Sarah Geer shared reflections of her mother, and Love Howard described her inspiration and plan for the garden’s creation. As the ceremony concluded, with a comfortable breeze under bright blue sky, the flitting of bees and butterflies entertained visitors as they reminisced and explored the newly dedicated Deborah Wood Davis Native Plant Garden.
Wildlands Shows Its Love for Wareham at Community Event
Read Time: 2 min
By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter
The coastal town of Wareham, home to Wildlands’ Great Neck Conservation Area, offers an array of outdoor recreational opportunities for both residents and visitors. So, when Wildlands Trust was invited to partner with the Wareham Land Trust, Mass Audubon, and Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Onset Bay Center to host a full day of free outdoor activities highlighting the area’s various opportunities to enjoy nature and support the environment, we were thrilled to accept!
Funded in part by grants from the Wareham Cultural Council and Plymouth Cultural Council (two local agencies supported by the State's Mass Cultural Council), “Wild for Wareham” took place on May 7, at Buzzard’s Bay Coalition’s Onset Bay Center.
Wildlands’ Programming and Outreach Manager, Claire Johnston, collaborated with staff from the event’s partner organizations, planning a day packed with activities. Among the offerings were: an intertidal beach exploration; programs about navigation, whales, insects, osprey, and coastal waterbirds; a salt marsh exploration; and a kayaking adventure. Wildlands hosted two programs at Great Neck Conservation Area—an invasive plant identification and removal workshop, and a nature weaving exploration activity. Participants brought home potted native plants, a children’s book, and assorted fun swag from the various organizations tabling at the event.
The depth and variety of knowledge within the Wareham community--in the fields of land protection, wildlife conservation, and environmental protection--was on full display at the Wild for Wareham event, and the opportunities for interesting outdoor explorations were plentiful! Wildlands Trust was thrilled to be a partner in this event, and hope that it was the first of many to come!
Wildlands' Community Welcomed Back at Opening Day 2022
Read Time: 2 min
By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter
On May 1, the Wildlands community came together at our Davis-Douglas Farm headquarters, in Plymouth, to kick off the 2022 programming season. Near-perfect spring weather was a bonus for all who attended our Opening Day celebration, making for a fun and relaxing Sunday afternoon that surely left many visitors daydreaming of the summer days ahead!
Friends of all ages, people and pets, families, returning members, staff, volunteers, and first-time visitors enjoyed local beer and live music on the lawn, explored craft activities and games, and learned all about the Wildlands Trust community, the work we're doing, and the various opportunities to join us--at our programs and events, as volunteers, and through membership.
The Conservation Barn was open for visitors to peruse information tables about current offerings and initiatives at Wildlands, or to purchase soft pretzels, fresh out of the oven. Many visitors enjoyed lengthy conversations with our staff and volunteers inside the Barn, while some of our youngest visitors dropped in just long enough to find the lollipops that adorned the display areas.
Wildlands’ Programming and Outreach Manager Claire Johnston said, “We are thrilled to have people interested in learning about us, what we’ve been doing, and what’s to come!” And our entire staff loved seeing all of the smiling faces and the steady buzz of activity around our headquarters that day. We can't wait to keep the momentum going as our 2022 programming season gets underway, so be on the lookout for more fabulous events to come!
Shifting Lots' Shorebirds Are Counting on You!
Read Time: 1 min
By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter
The Piping Plovers are back at Shifting Lots for the 2022 season! Protective fencing was installed around the birds’ nesting area at the end of March by staff and volunteers from Wildlands Trust and the Friends of Ellisville Marsh. The shorebirds are expected to begin laying their first eggs in early May, and will remain at the preserve throughout the summer months.
In preparation for the birds’ annual return, Wildlands’ staff and volunteers set up information tables at various times throughout the month of March, talking with visitors and providing informational materials about the value of wild beaches and marshes, the ways we manage the land to support wildlife, and how visitors’ actions can help to protect this important habitat. In case you missed this on-site educational opportunity, our team has created a short summary to provide you with all the “need-to-know” information about Shifting Lots Preserve and its shorebird protection.
