Memorial Gifts to Give Great River Preserve a Face Lift

A long fought battle with cancer did not stop Mark Kaetzer from visiting the Great River Preserve nearly every week for two years with his wife, Judy. “It was what we looked forward to,” said Judy. “We would walk out to the same bench and just enjoy the peace and quiet.” When Mark passed away in August, Judy contacted Wildlands Trust and said that she wanted Mark’s memorial gifts - donated by their friends, family, and co-workers - to fund a face lift at the entrance to the preserve. Judy’s vision was for a new gate and fencing, a handicapped parking spot, plantings, and signage. As Mark’s illness progressed and his mobility declined, Judy became aware of the need for better handicap accommodations at the entrance to the preserve and this gift will go a long way toward helping mobility challenged people access the Taunton River.  Wildlands will be hosting a volunteer workday next spring to complete this project. Thank you, Judy, for this really thoughtful gift!

Holiday Charity Drive at Wildlands Trust

Tis the season of giving at Wildlands Trust! Throughout November and December, we will be collecting nonperishable foods and gift cards for those in need. Food items of need include canned pastas (Spaghetti O’s, Chef Boyardee, etc.), canned fruits, peanut butter, jelly, soups, granola bars, cereal, pancake mix, syrup, and any kid-friendly items light enough to carry in a backpack. Gift cards are needed for gas stations, Walmart, and Target.

Food donations will go to the South Shore Community Action Council’s Food Resources Program, which delivers food to 45 pantries, soup kitchens, schools, and more throughout the South Shore. 

Gift card donations will go to the Turning Point shelter in Wareham, a community in which Wildlands Trust holds seven conservation properties. $10 gift cards can truly make a difference, especially during the holidays!

We ask that anyone participating in a Wildlands Trust public program in the months of November and December bring an item to donate with them. You can also donate food at any time at our office, 675 Long Pond Rd. We ask that gift cards only be brought during office hours Mon - Fri 9:00 - 5:00 or to programs.

Let’s work together to make the holidays happier for everyone in our community!

Bat Week! Oct. 24 - 31

Did you know that today marks the beginning of Bat Week? Bat Week is an annual, international celebration of the role of bats in nature, organized by a team of representatives from across the United States and Canada form conservation organizations and government departments. 

Last Thursday, October 19, bat enthusiast Angela Gordon helped prepare us for Bat Week with her "Batty for Bats" talk and Wildlands Trust. Attendees received a thorough overview of bat adaptations and behaviors, bats species of Massachusetts, the importance of bats to humans, and threats to bat populations around the world. 

Angela Gordon presents "Batty for Bats" at Wildlands Trust. Bats are the only flying mammal! Other "flying mammals" like the flying squirrel simply glide and cannot propel themselves. 

Angela Gordon presents "Batty for Bats" at Wildlands Trust. Bats are the only flying mammal! Other "flying mammals" like the flying squirrel simply glide and cannot propel themselves. 

White nose syndrome, habitat loss, and other factors have contributed to the decline of bat populations world-wide. These mammals provide vital ecological services to humans by eating disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes and pollinating crops that we depend on.

During Bat Week you can get involved in your local community to help raise awareness about the importance of bats and threats to their survival! Find out the many ways that all ages can get involved at batweek.org. You can also make some tasty treats with bat-dependent ingredients in this Bat Cook Book

 

Meet Tommy Blanchard

Wildlands Trust would like to welcome our newest AmeriCorps member, Tommy Blanchard! Tommy will serve as the Land Stewardship Coordinator at Wildlands Trust for the next 11 months through the TerraCorps program, which supports 36 full-time AmeriCorps members serving at non-profit conservation organizations across Massachusetts.

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During his year of service as the Wildlands Trust TerraCorps LSC, Tommy will focus on enhancing community involvement with open space in North Plymouth and Brockton and engaging youth groups in meaningful service learning projects. 

Tommy grew up exploring and camping in and around his hometown of Duxbury, and has a deep affection for New England and a desire to give back to local communities, especially those in areas that lack adequate access to green space. During his years at Hamilton College and as an alumni, he has led backpacking trips in the Adirondacks for incoming freshmen. This past summer he traveled to Northern California to WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and work at a summer camp for kids.

In addition to his interest in the great outdoors, Tommy enjoys acting, singing, and performing stand-up comedy. He recently graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and is currently considering a career in education. Tommy is excited to spend a year engaging with the communities of Southeastern MA and we are excited to have him on the team!

The 2017-18 TerraCorps members at their orientation in August, 2017 after a tour of the Harvard Forest led by Brian Hall

The 2017-18 TerraCorps members at their orientation in August, 2017 after a tour of the Harvard Forest led by Brian Hall

Much Ado About Marshfield CPA CR’S

By Scott MacFaden, Director of Land Protection

The dog days of summer were anything but quiet in Marshfield, as we completed a quartet of Community Preservation Act Conservation Restrictions within a several-week span in August.  Encompassing a variety of landscapes at various locations around the town, the Conservation Restrictions range in scale from eight acres to 32, and help protect a variety of conservation values, including rare species habitat, North River frontage, and land critical to protecting water supplies. 

The Town used Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to help acquire all of these properties.  Marshfield has consistently been one of the most effective communities in Wildlands Trust’s coverage area in utilizing the CPA to protect significant open space properties.

These four Conservation Restrictions (CR) are the latest in a series of CPA CR’s we have completed in partnership with the Town of Marshfield’s Open Space Committee and Community Preservation Committee. 

Many thanks to Karen O’Donnell for her persistence, energy, and good humor in advancing these CR’s to completion.  Marshfield’s successful implementation of the CPA is very much attributable to volunteers like Karen, who give generously of their time and energy in service of their community. 

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NORTH RIVER CORRIDOR CPA CR

The North River Corridor CPA CR helps protect land that possesses multiple conservation values.  The Town acquired the Property in December 2015 after many years of on and off negotiations with the landowners.

Encompassing 32.4 acres off the west side of Union Street, the subject Property has extensive North River frontage, is within Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program-designated rare species habitat, and perhaps most importantly, is a critical link in an expansive corridor of contiguous open space along the North River east of Rt. 3.  This area has witnessed several vital open space acquisitions over the past decade that have served to create a contiguous riparian expanse of over 500 acres. 

The Property is open for “passive” recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, and nature study, and is best accessed from an adjacent town-owned open space property, the Little Conservation Area, which includes a trailhead parking area on Union Street. 

CAROLINA HILL ADDITION CPA CR

This CR helps protect eight acres of upland woods directly abutting the northern tip of the Town’s Carolina Hill Woodland Reservation, an 800-acre expanse that is one of the Town’s largest open space reserves.  

The Town acquired the Property in 2012 because of its proximity to Carolina Hill.   Due to adjacent development, opportunities to expand Carolina Hill are dwindling, and the Town acted quickly and decisively to pursue this modestly scaled but very strategic acquisition. 

HOLLY ROAD CPA CR

Tucked away up on Holly Hill in east Marshfield lies a 52-acre property acquired by the Town in 2013, primarily because of its proximity to a town drinking water well.   Because of that proximity, the Property is within a Zone II Wellhead Protection Area and a Water Resource Protection District.  Our CR encompasses 27.6 acres of the Property’s total acreage, with the balance under the care and custody of the Marshfield Department of Public Works. 

Almost entirely wooded and with level topography, the Property is also rich with important wildlife habitats.  It is especially notable for its six certified vernal pools, all of which occur within our CR area. 

CARESWELL STREET CPA CR

The Careswell Street CPA CR protects 18.5 acres situated off of its namesake street in southeast Marshfield.  Similar to the North River and Carolina Hill projects referenced above, the acquisition of this Property expands an existing assemblage of conservation land.  Two Town open space holdings, the 58-acre Wharf Creek/Estes Woods and Webster’s Wilderness, are directly adjacent and proximate, respectively, and Mass. Audubon’s Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary is situated nearby to the north. 

The Careswell Street property lies within Natural Heritage Program-designated rare species habitat, and helps to protect the water quality of nearby Wharf Creek, which drains into Green Harbor.