A Collection of Our Favorite Photos!

It's amazing how New Englanders transition through the seasons! Here are some of our favorite photos from the winter. Remember all that snow?

Our hiking trip with Liam Murphy's Canine Fitness in the Myles Standish State Forest.

Temperatures below 0F for a week straight!

A Duxbury resident enjoying a walk at Cow Tent Hill Preserve during a "work snow day."

Wildlands Trust AmeriCorps MassLIFT Volunteer, Sarah Kugel, with Conservation George in Central Park in NY.

Picnic table outside our office in Duxbury, MA.

Wildlands Trust AmeriCorps MassLIFT Volunteer, Allison Gillum, snowshoeing at the Great River Preserve in Bridgewater.

Hardening Off Our Crops

Memorial Day is just around the corner... so as we take time to honor our soldiers, we're also in the process of hardening off our crops that we'll be transplanting into Bridie's Garden this coming weekend!

Sarah Kugel, our Community Outreach Coordinator, AmeriCorps MassLIFT volunteer,  giving the plants she's been raising in the greenhouse a breath of fresh air, taste of direct sunlight, and contact with the light spring breeze.

Our fingers are crossed that the last frost has already passed!

Allison Gillum, our Regional Conservationist, AmeriCorps MassLIFT volunteer,  tending to the little seedlings (that aren't so little anymore!).

Bridie's Garden is the community garden that we've started at the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless in Kingston, MA this year. The food grown in the garden will greatly benefit individuals and families staying at the shelter in addition to those who receive food from the shelter's food pantry.

Have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend!

-Sarah Kugel, Community Outreach Coordinator, AmeriCorps MassLIFT, skugel@wildlandstrust.org

Nature Filming and Photography: It's All About the Story

This past weekend was the first ever Whaleback Environmental Film & Art Festival in Portsmouth, NH. The whole festival was kicked off with a film about the Anderson Farm located in West Bridgewater, MA. This 14th generation family farm was permanently protected in 2010 through an APR (Agricultural Preservation Restriction) with the help of Wildlands Trust. The film about the project was produced by Jerry Monkman, renowned nature photographer, environmentalist, and friend of the Trust.


The Anderson Farm film was Jerry's first film. Our Executive Director, Karen Grey, had showed Jerry a slideshow with audio of an interview with people who had previously donated land to the Trust. Jerry found the combination of audio and visuals compelling and decided that he could use his photography style along with high definition technology to start producing films.


To make the Anderson Farm film, Jerry spent an afternoon filming and watching the Anderson brothers work before interviewing them on camera. Jerry did this so the brothers would feel more comfortable come interview time. Jerry finds that the characters and storytellers drive the story and he'll shoot extra footage to fill in the gaps.


His Anderson Farm film was a hybrid between a documentary and a promotional piece for the Trust. The phenomenal music that accompanies the film was created by his brother, Jeff Monkman. You can listen to samples of Jeff's folk/rock music here and take a peak at Jerry's other films here.


Jerry added that, "It's most important to find and tell a story - you don't need expensive equipment. Just decent sound and people." We asked him where he'd travel to if he could take pictures or capture footage anywhere in the world. He modestly replied that he doesn't have the time to think about that since he's so focused on work, but maybe Alaska. He spent time there 15 years ago and thinks it may be nice to go back there with the skills he has since developed. Jerry will be leading a Sunrise Nature Photography Workshop at our Annual Meeting this June 18th. The workshop/annual meeting is for members only.


-Post by Sarah Kugel, Community Outreach Coordinator, skugel@wildlandstrust.org

What's in the Weather Forecast and on the Calendar?

What's in the weather forecast and on the calendar?

SUN is in the forecast and a Volunteer Work Day in the Philbrick Community Garden in Duxbury is on the calendar for this Friday, March 25th at 10am!

So, while it might not feel like spring today - come join us this Friday for a true taste. We'll be working in the back plot of our Philbrick Community Garden to remove some chicken-wire fencing and posts that will be moved to the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless in Kingston, MA (at a later date).

The work should not be too intensive, but we do need many hand to get it done!  We're excited that we'll get to re-use the fencing materials at the Coalition, where we are starting a new community garden this spring. So come lend a hand, share some stories with us about your winter adventures, and welcome in the spring season! As a little bonus, we'll set aside some time at the end to teach everyone how to make these newspaper seedlings pots:

Conservation George tending to the lettuce seeds he planted

on 3/14/11 in newspaper seedling pots.

We love these pots for many reasons:

1) We don't have to lug away as much newspaper to the recycling.

2) The newspaper pots can be planted right into the ground since the newspaper decomposes.

3) It avoids the transplanting fuss that many plants dislike!

Please RSVP to skugel@wildlandstrust.org or (781) 934-9018 ext.153 if you can attend this Volunteer Work Day!

-Post by Sarah Kugel, Community Outreach Coordinator, skugel@wildlandstrust.org

We Need Your Help to Establish a New Community Garden at a Local Homeless Shelter!

Proposed site for the new community garden at the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless in Kingston, MA.

Wildlands Trust is partnering with the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless to help the Coalition establish a community garden on its property in Kingston, MA.  The garden will begin to take shape this spring and will cover approximately 1,000 sq feet transforming an underutilized backyard into a productive garden and educational space.  Families staying at the shelter, volunteers, and staff from Wildlands Trust and the Coalition will carry-out the significant work involved to plan, establish and maintain a productive garden.

The project idea stemmed from a partnership between the Trust and Coalition during the past 2 years in which surplus crops grown in the Philbrick Community Garden located on Wildlands Trust property in Duxbury, MA were donated to the Coalition's food bank.  The partnership was a great success.  The Plymouth Area Coalition shared that, "Often times, a great obstacle for our organization is providing fresh and nutritious foods to clients.  The Trust's donation not only provides this, but also gives us the opportunity to educate people on how to prepare and cook items they may not otherwise know how to eat."  By expanding our partnership to establish a community garden on the Coalition's property we will be able to provide much more local, fresh food for the residents.  The project will also include opportunities for individuals to learn about organic gardening, community service, and land conservation.

The start-up costs associated with this project are $5,000 and we are currently looking for sponsors to help make this possible. Money raised will go toward fencing, tools, a watering system, soil amendments, signage and plants.  If you can help us reach our fundraising goal, please contact:

Sarah Kugel at skugel@wildlandstrust.org, or

Karen Grey at kgrey@wildlandstrust.org.


-by Sarah Kugel, skugel@wildlandstrust.org

Gearing up to Garden!

Sarah Kugel, an AmeriCorps MassLIFT volunteer with Wildlands Trust, at Kennedy's Country Gardens

WinterFest recruiting volunteers for gardening and trail maintenance projects!

Thanks to Kennedy's Country Gardens of Scituate, MA for holding an awesome lecture series at their annual WinterFest two weekends ago.  We especially enjoyed the organic gardening lecture by Cindy Prentice of Holly Hill Farm and are excited to start gearing up for our gardening season.  The Wildlands Trust website has been updated with some information about the community garden plots available in our Philbrick Community Garden located on the premises of our office in Duxbury, MA.  We hope you will consider gardening with us this year!

Here are a few of the garden-related resources Cindy recommended at WinterFest:

1. Soil Test Info: UMass Extention, 413-545-2311

2. Soil Foodweb: Soil health info for organic growers; sustainable agriculture info. 

3. Dirty Dozen & Clean 15: Environmental Working Group

4. Composting and Vermiculture (with red wiggler worms in a worm bin): Check the Holly Hill Farm website for workshops!

5. Local resources for compost and supplies:

-Holly Hill Farm, Cohasset: VT Organic Compost, Organic Plants, Organic Produce, Herbs & Flowers grown both local AND organically

-Kennedy’s Country Gardens, Scituate: Organic Compost from Michael Bleakie; Gardening Supplies & Plants

-Michael Bleakie: 617-750-6234; Bulk Organic Compost

-Snow Pond Farm Supply, Abington: 781-878-5581; Organic Garden Supplies, local

-Gardener’s Supply, VT: 888-833-1412; Practical, affordable supplies & equipment

Happy 1st day of March!

by Sarah Kugel, Community Outreach Coordinator, email: skugel@wildlandstrust.org

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Thanks for LOVING nature." -Conservation George

Here's the scoop on Conservation George:

-2ft tall

-orange eyes

-enjoys long walks on Wildlands Trust protected properties

Conservation George is an ambassador to Wildlands Trust -- helping us spread the conservation message one photo at a time.  For years he's been passed around our office, often collecting dust and feeling somewhat neglected.  But recently George has been on the go... he's visited local farmers markets, numerous Wildlands Trust protected properties, and even took a bus to NYC to visit Central Park (America's first major urban park)!

Some may ask WHY Conservation George does this and the answer is quite simple: he LOVES NATURE!  Today he was photographed outside our office in Duxbury, MA by a fence with beautiful heart-shaped metal work.  We've been watching the snow creep up and down this fence all winter.  At one point (before this recent melting), the hearts were completely buried!  It sure has been a snowy winter and we'd like to invite you to join us this Friday night and/or Saturday morning to enjoy what may be the last of winter!  These special events could be perfect outings for you and your Valentine:

On Friday night we will be leading a 2 mi guided Snow Moon Walk at our Willow Brook and Fleetwood Farm Preserves in Pembroke, MA.  And on Saturday morning we will be leading a Snowshoe Walk at the Great River Preserve in Bridgewater, MA.  Eastern Mountain Sports will be bringing snowshoes. So, if you don't have your own pair - this is an opportunity to test some out for FREE!  Click on the hyperlinks to learn more about each of the events.  Conservation George will likely be at both of them!  If you haven't met him yet, these could be your lucky chances!  

Please don't hesitate to contact our Community Outreach Coordinator at skugel@wildlandstrust.org if you have any questions & Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Wildlands Trust! <3

by Sarah Kugel, Community Outreach Coordinator, skugel@wildlandstrust.org

Save the Date!

Writing, Revising and Implementing Your Town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP)


Sponsored by:

Ask all of your OSRP questions at this FREE workshop 

with Melissa Cryan, Division of Conservation Services, EOEEA

March 16, 2011, 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Middleborough Town Hall

10 Nickerson Avenue, Middleborough, MA

Agenda:

1:00-1:15: Welcome and Introductions
1:15-1:45: Open Space and Recreation Plans and the Planning Process (a presentation by Melissa Cryan)
1:45-2:30: Q&A and Discussion with Melissa Cryan. Topics will include: ADA Reporting, Section 5 of the Open Space and Recreation Plan, Mapping/GIS, Goals and Objectives- Making plans practical and realistic
2:30-2:40: Break (Refreshments will be provided)
2:40-3:30: Open Space and Recreation Plan Implementation and Funding Sources. Topics will include: the Community Preservation Act, available state grants and other funding sources, plus case studies from local communities on advancing their Open Space and Recreation Plans
3:30-3:50: Moderated Discussion of Regional Open Space Planning (time permitting)
3:50-4:00: Wrap-up / Feedback / Next steps

There is no charge for the event. Please RSVP so that we can plan for handouts and refreshments: bnap@srpedd.org / (508) 824-1367/1368

Sundays are for Farmers Markets!

Photo: Live music at the Attleboro Farms Winter Market

The weekend is almost here again!  Time to relax, recreate, watch the Superbowl... and to stop by the Winter Market at Attleboro Farms!  The market, located at 491 Hickory Road in North Attleborough, MA runs from 12 noon - 4pm every Sunday through May 29th.  It features products ranging from New England seafood chowda to home-made pickles, VT cheeses and a variety of artisan products (soaps, yarn, birch beer!).

Wildlands Trust will be set up at the market giving away free Wildlands Trust memberships, t-shirts, and stickers!  We'll also have an educational display consisting of different birds' nests, a build-your-own bird's nest activity for kids, and information on agricultural preservation and community gardening.  Children and adults are invited to join us around the wood stove at 2 or 3pm when we'll read one of our favorite stories called "Pumpkins".

There will be live music throughout the afternoon!  Hope to see you there!  Kick-off isn't until 6:30pm...

Snow Moon Walk

Photo: Giant "Moon-sized" Snowball at Willowbrook Farm Preserve

Ever heard of a Full Snow Moon?  Native American tribes referred to the February full moon as the Full Snow Moon since the heaviest snowfall usually accumulated that time of year.  Join the Wildlands Trust staff and AmeriCorps volunteers for a guided Snow Moon Walk on Feb. 18th at 8pm.  Guided by moonlight (+ headlamps, lanterns, and flashlights) we'll walk a 2 mile loop at the Willow Brook and Fleetwood Farm Preserves located in Pembroke, Ma.


Plan to meet at the preserve parking area just off Rt.14 at 7:45pm and we'll begin the walk at 8pm.  Overflow parking will be available just down the street - we will direct you there and provide a quick shuttle service back to the main parking area and trail entrance.  This event is a totally FREE and open to both members and non-members!  Please rsvp to skugel@wildlandstrust.org.  There is space for 25 participants and we hope that you will join us!

The following apparel/supplies will make your walk safe & enjoyable:

-Waterproof boots, gaitors and/or snowpants

-Multiple clothing layers (remember that nights are much cooler)

-Warm mittens/gloves and a hat

-Flashlight, lantern, or headlamp

-Water and a snack

Optional supplies: Snowshoes, hiking poles, camera, binoculars, a small fanny or day pack to carry your supplies.