Wildlands Trust Invites You to Join a Trail Running and Walking Club: Runners and walkers meet up for low-impact outdoor recreation.

It's likely that you'll be seeing our latest press release in local newspapers this week! The release is in regards to our new Wildlands Trailrunners outreach program. We're very excited to offer this new program and hope that you'll be among the first to participate. Please see the details of the press release below and share this news with your friends, family, and colleagues! Please note: Today's trail run (Oct. 19) has been cancelled due to the expected heavy rain.

Wildlands Trailrunners (and walkers!) at the Willow Brook Preserve in Pembroke, MA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Duxbury, MA- The Wildlands Trust has launched its new Wildlands Trailrunners program. The program meets on a weekly basis for low-impact trail runs and walks throughout Southeastern Massachusetts; however, participants may attend as many or as few sessions as they please. Every session is free of charge and non-competitive. Runners and walkers of all levels and ages are encouraged to attend. This is a great opportunity for those looking to connect with other trail runners and walkers. It’s also a chance to discover many beautiful places that few people know or explore.

With fall foliage in Southeastern Massachusetts nearing its peak, this is a great time to join the Wildlands Trailrunners. Upcoming dates include October 19 at 3:00pm at the Tucker Preserve and October 24 at 9:30am at the Willow Brook Preserve. Both preserves are located in Pembroke. For additional Wildlands Trailrunners dates, times, and locations, please visit www.wildlandstrust.org.

The Wildlands Trailrunners will continue throughout the seasons, as long as the weather permits! Participants under the age of 18 years must have a parent or guardian sign a release form. For updates about the Wildlands Trailrunners and other happenings at the Trust, please “LIKE” the Wildlands Trust facebook page. RSVPs to weekly runs and walks are appreciated, but not required!

For more information or to RSVP, please email admin@wildlandstrust.org or call 781.934.9018.

Stewardship Training Field Trip - Part Two

Last week we posted about our stewardship training field trip. We visited a total of four properties. Here are pictures from the later two. To see pictures from the first two, please visit an earlier post called Nothing like fall in Southeastern Massachusetts!


Property stop #3:

Great River Preserve, Bridgewater

Does anyone know what this little snail is? They were all over the road.

Most of the Wildlands Trust crew.

Property stop # 4:

Beaverton Woods Trail, W. Bridgewater (Town Conservation Land -
Trail project and bridge construction facilitated by  Wildlands Trust
AmeriCorps MassLIFT volunteer, Allison Gillum).

Town River, W. Bridgewater

-by Sarah Kugel, Wildlands Trust Community Outreach Coordinator, AmeriCorps MassLIFT Volunteer

Great Autumn Outdoor Safety Tips from MassWildlife

We thought we'd pass this info on! Thank you MassWildlife!

AUTUMN OUTDOOR SAFETY TIPS 

                                       

Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors with its dazzling colors, crisp air, and wildlife activity galore. Whether your passion is hiking, hunting, fishing, birding, or just taking in the scenery, a few common sense safety reminders will add to your enjoyment during a day in the field.

• Know your limits. Don't take off on a long hike, hunt, or bike ride if you're not physically ready.
• Always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return.
• Watch the weather. New England weather is notorious changeable. Be ready with extra clothing.
• Expect the unexpected. Carrying a fanny pack with a few first aid items, matches, water, pocket knife, cell phone, map, compass, whistle, extra food, and flashlight can help prevent small problems from becoming big ones.
• Wear blaze orange for visibility. Whether you're a hunter, hiker, birder or dog walker in rural areas, it's a good idea to wear a cap or vest of highly visible blaze orange clothing while you're enjoying the great outdoors.
• Respect the water. Canoeists and kayakers are required to wear life jackets from September 15 to May 15, but all water enthusiasts, especially anglers who wade in larger rivers, would be wise to wear floatation devices now that water and air temperatures are cooling.
• Respect other outdoor users. Mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, hunting, and hiking need not be and are not mutually exclusive activities. Know the hunting seasons and who is likely to be sharing the woods and waters with you. Keep dogs under direct control and respect other outdoor users' rights to enjoy our open spaces.
• Finally, licensed hunters are reminded to take the basics of hunter safety to heart. Treat every firearm as it were loaded, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times. Positively identify your target and what lies beyond it.

For other wildlife and outdoor safety information and tips, visit the DFW Outdoor Safety web page at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/safety/recreation_safety.htm. 

Nothing like fall in Southeastern Massachusetts!

It's amazing how much time our staff and volunteers spend at their computers, even though we're all working to protect the outdoors! Yesterday, while our computers we're undergoing a major update, we seized the opportunity to hit the trails with our Stewardship Director, Jim Dehner, for a day of stewardship training. The weather forecast had predicted rain, but we didn't feel a drop until we returned to the office at 4:30pm. It was a beautiful fall day in Southeastern Massachusetts and this is where it all started:

Shifting Lots Preserve, Plymouth, MA.

And, this is what we observed:

Seaside Goldenrod and American Beach Grass.

We would have been happy to spend the day at the beach, but our field trip had 3 more stops on the agenda!

This was our 2nd stop:

Hammond Preserve, Wareham, MA.

Check back soon for pictures from the last 2 stops on our stewardship training tour. All I can say for now is that it was a beautiful fall day in Southeastern Massachusetts, I learned a lot, and THANK YOU to Jim and the computer techs who got us up and away from our computers for a day! This trip reminded us all WHY we do WHAT we do!

-by Sarah Kugel, Wildlands Trust Community Outreach Coordinator, AmeriCorps MassLIFT Volunteer

Run for Conservation: IMPORTANT RACE DAY INFO

Front Design for Race T-shirt.

Race day is almost here (August 6, 2011)! Below are a few important reminders, including info about bib # pick-up, the race start time, and directions to the course! Please read carefully.

Pre-race # pick-up:

Save hassle on race day! Pick up your bib # at Bayside Runner between 10am and 6pm on Friday, Aug. 5. Bayside Runner is located at 38 Long Pond Road in Plymouth, MA 02360.

Day-of registration and bib # pick-up:

8:30am to 9am under the Charge Pond Camping Area Pavilion in DCR’s Myles Standish State Forest. (Note: Run for Conservation registration/bib # pick-up area is located at the Charge Pond Camping Area Pavilion, *NOT* at DCR’s Myles Standish State Forest Headquarters). Race day registration is $25. There will be no bag check, but the starting line is very close to the parking area so you can leave everything in your car.

Race start time:

9:30am on August 6, 2011. Please do not be late! Check-in is from 8:30am to 9am. Please realize that it takes approximately 15 minutes to get to race registration/bib # pick-up at the Charge Pond Camping Area Pavilion from any of the Myles Standish State Forest entrances. Please see directions to the Run for Conservation registration/bib # pick-up area below.

Directions to Run for Conservation registration/bib # pick-up – Charge Pond Camping Area Pavilion:

From Rt. 3:

If heading North on Rt. 3, take Exit 5, and turn Left onto Long Pond Rd toward Home Depot Drive (follow Long Pond Rd for 3.6 mi)

If heading South on Rt. 3, take Exit 5, and turn Right onto Long Pond Rd toward Home Depot Drive (follow Long Pond Rd for 3.6 mi)

Turn Right into Myles Standish State Forest at East Entrance (at Alden Road). Alden road is not clearly marked, but there is a large Myles Standish State Forest sign.

Follow the paved road for approx. 1.5 miles, continue onto Upper College Pond Rd.

Sharp Left to stay on Upper College Pond Rd (follow approx. 3 miles staying straight).

Sharp Left onto Fearing Pond Rd (follow approx. 1 mile)

Right Turn onto Charge Pond Rd. Follow .4mi and then stay Right on Charge Pond Rd. You will immediately see the volunteers/staff/police stationed on Charge Pond Road directing traffic. Tell them that you have arrived for the Run for Conservation and they will direct you into the parking area. In the spirit of conservation, please consider carpooling.

*There are several signs in the forest pointing to Charge Pond which are a good addition to the directions.*

From I-495:

Take Exit 2 off 495. Head northeast on MA-58 N toward Beach St. (follow 2.3 mi)

Continue onto Tremont St (follow 0.8 mi)

Turn Right onto Cranberry Rd (follow 2.7 mi)

Left onto E Head Rd (follow 361 ft)

Slight Right onto Lower College Pond Rd (0.9 mi)

Continue onto Halfway Pond Rd (0.8 mi)

Right onto Upper College Pond Rd toward Webster Spring Rd (1.0 mi)

Sharp Left onto Fearing Pond Rd (1.0 mi)

Right onto Charge Pond Road (0.4 mi)

Right Turn onto Charge Pond Rd. Follow .4mi and then stay Right on Charge Pond Rd. You will immediately see the volunteers/staff/police stationed on Charge Pond Road directing traffic. Tell them that you have arrived for the Run for Conservation and they will direct you into the parking area. In the spirit of conservation, please consider carpooling.

*There are several signs in the forest pointing to Charge Pond which are a good addition to the directions.*

Parking:

Parking is located in the field adjacent to the Charge Pond Pavilion. Please tell the volunteers/staff/police stationed on Charge Pond Road that you have arrived for the Run for Conservation and they will direct you into the parking area. In the spirit of conservation, please consider carpooling.

Post-Race:

Please stick around for awards. Also, the DCR invites you to stay the afternoon by the Charge Pond beach. Bring your bathing suit, towel, and sunscreen if you’d like to cool off in the pond after the race. And/or consider visiting the Wildlands Trust Preserves adjacent to the forest, including our Halfway Pond Conservation Area or the Emery Preserve West. You can download maps of the preserves here by clicking on the red stars in the town of Plymouth: http://www.wildlandstrust.org/GoForAWalk/FindaPreserveNearYou/tabid/68/Default.aspx

Course Map:

Please visit our website (www.wildlandstrust.org) to view the updated course map. Familiarize yourself with the course. There will be volunteers and police stationed throughout directing you. There will also be Wildlands Trust Run for Conservation (8 ½ x 11in) signs with arrows throughout the course. Do not travel down unmarked roads or trials.

T-shirts:

T-shirts will be distributed in order of earliest registration date to latest while supplies last.

Fundraising:

Please remember that you can easily create your own personal fundraising page for this race. It’s not too late to have your family and friends support you in this race and to help us raise funds to support our efforts in saving the special places of Southeastern Massachusetts. Follow this link to create your easy on-line fundraising page: http://www.active.com/donate/runforconservation

Registration fees are non-refundable. For information about becoming a Wildlands Trust member, please visit: http://www.wildlandstrust.org/SupportOurWork/BecomeaMember/tabid/182/Default.aspx

Looking forward to a fun race day! For more information about the race, please visit: http://www.wildlandstrust.org/GetInvolved/RunforConservation/tabid/259/Default.aspx

Sincerely,

Sarah Kugel, skugel@wildlandstrust.org

Introducing the Young Organic Gardeners (Y.O.G.) Program

Volunteers working together in the community garden at the coalition.

The Wildlands Trust is seeking 10 volunteers between the ages of 15 and 18 years to participate in the first season of their Young Organic Gardeners (Y.O.G.) program. The teens will help manage Bridie’s Garden, the 1050 square foot organic vegetable and rain garden located at the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless in Kingston, MA. The vegetables grown in the garden are donated to the coalition’s food pantry to help them meet their fresh food needs.

Y.O.G. will meet from 9am to 11am on Wednesdays, from July 20 through August 31. Program participants will gain first-hand experience with organic gardening, in addition to learning about resource conservation, and the greater environment. This is a great opportunity for those looking to complete community service hours or interested in pursuing an education or career in any agricultural, environmental, or sustainability field.  Routine Y.O.G. tasks will include weeding, watering, composting, identifying and implementing ways to improve the garden, and sharing the knowledge they gain with the larger community. No prior experience is necessary.

Volunteers are expected to attend at least 5 of the 7 sessions. A final Y.O.G. celebration will be held for all the volunteers at the end of the summer (date TBD) and fall Y.O.G. opportunities will also be available! The program is totally free of charge, however space in the summer session is limited to the first 10 volunteers who register with Sarah Kugel, the garden coordinator and AmeriCorps MassLIFT volunteer serving with Wildlands Trust.

Sarah can be reached at skugel@wildlandstrust.org or 781 934 9018.

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