WESTBOROUGH COMMUNITYLAND TRUST ON-LINE

www.westboroughlandtrust.org

The Westborough Community Land Trust web site isup and running.Visit www.westboroughlandtrust.org to learn moreabout WCLT.

Some of the WCLT website features are:Programs: visit programs to learn more about LandProtection, Stewardship and Education.

Information: Here you will find a calendar of events,a list of WCLT properties, a list of important reportsthat contain information on open space and naturalresources in Westborough, a list of PartnerOrganizations with the WCLT and an easy way tocontact us.

Additionally, look for the link tothe Westborough CharmBracelet for information aboutthis important open space andrecreational effort featuring trailmaps of what is becoming over28 miles of continuous trailsthroughout Westborough.

Special thanks to all the hardwork of Don Burn, Kris Allen,Leslie Leslie, Gary Kessler and Anne Reid for constructing and maintainingour new website.

Westborough Community Land Trust Newsletter June 2004

Continued on page 5

P.O. Box 838 • Westborough, MA 01581

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 418

WESTBOROUGH, MA

A Letter from thePresident

As we finish up our sixth year as theWestborough Community Land Trust,I take great pride in WCLT’saccomplishments, particularly thosein this last year:

WCLT continues to blaze and stewardtrails along the Charm Bracelet, whichat its completion will be close to, if notmore than, 28 miles long. WCLTeducators train community membersas “Trail Teachers” and helped tolaunch the Outdoor Classroomprogram at Mill Pond School, givingthe students an opportunity toexplore a natural, open-air classroom.The new “Nature Notes” — abiweekly series in the WestboroughNews — highlights the wonders ofnature to be discovered in our ownbackyard. The WCLT website,www.westboroughlandtrust.org wascreated in 2004 to provide updatedinformation on the Land Trust, acalendar of events, plus maps andinformation on the Charm Bracelet. Inall, six easements were secured incritical areas providing vital links forthe Charm Bracelet Trail throughoutthe Town.

WCLT has preserved more than 100acres of land and acts as stewards forclose to 300 acres in Westborough. Inaddition, this year WCLT gainedownership of several parcels of openspace: A 20-acre parcel off NipmuckDrive in the Oak Bluffs subdivision;two parcels of land of 21 acres and 13acres off Ruggles Street, Gilmore FarmRoad, and Isaac Miller Road; a twoand one-half acre parcel off Adams

History of Wildlife in Massachusetts The WCLT Family Program on April 12, 2004 gave a glimpse into the history of theMassachusetts wilderness and (it’s wildlife.) how the wildlife that has adapted toits changes. Marion E. Larson, Information and Education Biologist from theMassWildlife Field Headquarters on Rabbit Hill Rd (off North Drive) inWestborough, presented the slide program. She traced the changes in the wildlifehabitat over the centuries, from the days of the Native Americans through 21st-century suburban sprawl. Most interesting was her description of the animals thathave recently adapted to life on the fringe of development.

Continued on page 3

Please join WCLT!I’d like to help Westborough

Open Space by joining WCLT!

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2 5

Blossoming of Nature Notes By Anne Reid

Garry [Kessler] and I feel lucky, as a couple, to share a hobby (what wecall “wildflowering”) that has given us a chance to work together onprojects to share our enthusiasm for the natural world with others. Thisspring, on behalf of the Westborough Community Land Trust, we’vestarted doing a biweekly “Nature Notes” column in the WestboroughNews. (I do the writing, and Garry does the photos.) Before that, we hadfun creating our own website showcasing wildflowers in the BowmanStreet Conservation Area.

The idea behind “Nature Notes”is to point out and show picturesof things in nature that residentscan see in Westborough. Thatway, readers can becomefamiliar with and enjoy themregularly. Topics have includedwood frogs and vernal pools,our nesting great blue herons,pink lady’s-slippers, Westborough’s five swamps and jack-in-the-pulpitplants, and wild iris and its tiny relative called blue-eyed grass. The“Nature Notes” column can be usually accessed online atwww.westboroughnews.com or www.townonline.com by clicking on“Opinion” to get to a list of columns.

“Nature Notes” and our wildflower website bring together my enjoymentof writing and Garry’s enjoyment of photography. As an amateurphotographer, Garry has been taking close-up photos of wildflowers foryears. When we started working on our website, we realized that peopleenjoy a format that combines written text and photos. Our website“Wildflowers of the Westborough Reservoir” features more than 80

wildflowers that we’ve seen there andanother 20 or so from other locations. Thewebsite can be found by searching on“Westborough wildflowers” or by goingto http://hometown.aol.com/ag2web.

We found out about WCLT a few yearsago through the first publicized walks.Before long we were coming out for DonBurn’s work parties on the CharmBracelet trail system. Now we’remembers of WCLT, and Garry is active onthe stewardship committee. Last year heworked on mapping all the trails in townusing the town GPS system. This data isboth in the town database and has beenused to produce trail maps available at

the town clerk’s office, the planning office, and the library. I helped out onDon Burn’s project of creating and updating the WCLT/Charm Braceletweb site. Working on the Charm Bracelet was–and still is–a great way forus to get outside, get to know people who share our interest in outdooractivities, and discover lovely places in Westborough.

The Westborough CommunityLand Trust has spearheaded EarthDay festivities in Westborough formany years. This spring WCLTmembers led cleanups throughoutthe town on the weekend of April17. Christine Molloy and herJunior Girl Scouts, who wereworking on aWestboroughBeautificationProject, wereamong thosewho pitched in;they picked uplitter alongRogers Roadand its playingfield.

For several years, the Land Trusthas sponsored a poster contest forschool children with anenvironmental theme. Winnersreceived WCLT bumper stickersand gift certificates, and theirartwork was displayed at theWestborough Public Library. Thisyear, the contest was expanded andcalled “4P’s for the Environment.”Students could enter a poem,poster, photo essay or project madefrom recycled materials. Theresults were amazing and wereexhibited to an admiring public.

Mill Pond School particularly tookthe environmental message ofEarth Day seriously this year.Curriculum Coordinator ChrisRogers led his student “GreenTeam” in planning a month-longeducational program culminatingin an Earth Festival. All students

were asked tosign a pledge toprotect theirenvironment andtry to “reduce,reuse andrecycle.” Thestudents evenweighed theirlunch trash for aweek to see how

much they throw away. OnThursday, April 29, more than 900children and teachers celebratedEarth Day 2004 by taking part inworkshops, trail hikes, treeplantings, nature programs, and awetland reclamation project.

Westborough Community LandTrust volunteers were among thosewho led educational programs,such as recreating an oil spill overand over again. If you would liketo help out with Earth Day nextyear, please give EducationCoordinator Leslie Leslie a call at508-616-4408

Westborough Community Land Trustis a non-profit organization working topreserve open space and protectnatural resources in Westborough.

Join WCLT today by visiting ourwebsite at www.westboroughlandtrust.org(select “contact WCLT“), by writingus at Westborough Community LandTrust, P. O. Box 838, Westborough, MA01581, or by calling Maureen Johnsonat 508-366-6326.

Land Trust NewsContributors: Kris Allen, ChuckAnastas, Ellen Bishop O’Brien, TimBuckalew, Don Burn, Gary Kessler,Marion Larson, Leslie Leslie and AnneReid.

Contributors of news articles, items forcalendar of events and, photos for theLand Trust News and the WCLT websiteare welcome. Please phone ChuckAnastas at 508-898-2565 or email atchuck.durand-anastas@comcast.net

WCLT is a member of :The Land Trust AllianceThe Massachusetts Land TrustCoalition Printed by Curry Printing.

CALENDAR OFEVENTS

July 17 10:00 AMSVT – Batting for ButterfliesCome out to the SVT Cedar HillReservation to see and learn aboutbutterflies. There is a fee for non-members of the SVT. Registrationis required for this event.Visit www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org for more details.

July 18 1:30 PMWestborough WalkTo be announced. Visitwww.westboroughlandtrust.orgCalendar of Events.

August 15 1:30 PMWestborough WalkCome out to the BowmanConservation Area for anexploration of Wildflowers of theWestborough Reservoir with localnaturalists Gary Kessler and AnneReid.

September 18 9:00 AMOAR – Assabet River CleanupCome out and help clean up theAssabet River. Volunteers fromWestborough to Concord willcome together and get a little wetand dirty helping to clean up ourriver: you get pizza when you’redone. Meet at the Gibbons School.

September 19 1:30 PMWestborough WalkA walk through the meadows ofthe Westborough WildlifeManagement Area. Meet at thetop of Rabbit Hill.

October 9 9:00 AMCharm Bracelet Celebratory WalkCome out and celebrate newsections of the Charm Bracelet.Checkwww.Westboroughlandtrust.orgfor more details

October 10 1:30 PMCharm Bracelet Celebratory WalkMore walking as we take thesecond day of the weekend tocelebrate new trails. Additionaldetails to come atwww.westboroughlandtrust.org

Street and adjacent to Town-ownedland (gifts from two generousdonors); a 15-acre parcel off EastMain Street; and finally, two parcelsof land of 13 acres and 16 acres onLong Drive and Sleigh Lane.

We have many things to lookforward to in the future — blazingnew trails along the Charm Braceletlinking us to Hopkinton,Northborough, and Southborough;exciting educational programs in theWestborough schools, giving our kidsthe opportunity to learn about thegreat outdoors; and increasedcommunity involvement with our

Westborough Walks and eventsaround town.

In the next few years WCLT willachieve many more excitingaccomplishments. I look forward toseeing the Land Trust grow anddevelop to take on new projects. Ihope you will all enjoy participatingin its growth as much as I will.

Ellen Bishop O’BrienPresident

Letter from the PresidentContinued from page 1

EARTH DAY 2004Focuses on Environmental Education

BOARD OF DIRECTORS2003-04

Ellen Bishop O’Brien, PresidentElena Pucciarelli, Vice President

Stephen Doret, TreasurerJohn Nunley, Assistant Treasurer

Harry Newell, Secretary

Maura AlexanderKristina AllenChuck Anastas

Timothy J. BuckalewDon Burn

Kathleen DonaghueLeslie Barnhardt Drohan

John GareriMaureen Johnson

Leslie LeslieSusan LippittJ. J. Malone

John MatsonJonathan Nourse

Walter PiersonKaren PlainteCraig Richov

Judy RollinsonJames TashjianBruce Tretter

Randy WatermanSue Wells

3 4

Mill Pond School took theenvironmental message of EarthDay seriously this year.Curriculum Coordinator, ChrisRogers led his student “GreenTeam” in planning a month longeducational program culminatingin an Earth Festival. All studentswere asked to sign a pledge toprotect their environment and tryto “reduce, reuse and recycle”.The students even weighed theirlunch trash for a week to see howmuch they throw away. OnThursday, April 29th, over 900children and teachers celebratedEarth Day 2004 by taking part inwork shops, trail hikes, treeplantings, nature programs and awetland reclamation project. It

was a wonderful day to be outsidelearning about and enjoying theland - even the sun cooperated.The Land Trust has spearheaded

Earth Day festivities in the Townof Westborough for many years.For the past few years, the LandTrust has sponsored a postercontest for school children with anenvironmental theme. Winners

received WCLT bumper stickersand gift certificates and theirartwork was displayed at theWestborough Public Library. This year, the contest wasexpanded and called “4P’s for theEnvironment”. Students couldenter a poem, poster, photo essayor project made from recycledmaterials. The results wereamazing.

Thanks to our many volunteers -some who stood in the sun all dayand others who recreated an oilspill over and over again. If youwould like to help out with EarthDay next year, please give me a call– Leslie Leslie at 508-616-4408.

EARTH DAY AT MILL POND SCHOOL

The first inhabitants of Massachusetts fished andhunted in season, and in the Westborough area, theNipmuck Indians had only seasonal settlements inCedar Swamp and along the headwaters of the AssabetRiver. When the first English settlers appeared, theydiscovered a forested land teeming with wildlife.Plentiful fish gave Cape Cod its name, and the presenceof ample game made survival possible for the earliestsettlers. It was not long before farms dotted thelandscape; settlements expanded into towns, and theforests were cut down for fuel, buildings andpasturage.

By 1840, most of Massachusetts landscape had beencleared for agriculture; few laws governed hunting; andmany of the woodland-dependent wildlife, such asturkeys, beaver, and bear, vanished. However, withthe advent of the Industrial Revolution andindustrialization after the Civil War, farmersincreasingly left their land for work in the factories.

The forest regenerated on the abandoned farms, andsome animals returned as more and more of theagricultural lands reverted to forests. The passage ofconservation laws and scientific wildlife managementcame in the 1930s, aided in studies and efforts byMassWildlife, sportsmen and women, birders, andother conservationists to restore many of the species wetake for granted today.

Today, we are witnessing the return of many wildlife

species that had disappeared from our landscapes inthe 19th century. Deer are so common that in someplaces they are anuisance, dining on an abundance of suburbanlandscaping. Coyotes appeared only 50 years ago andadapted well to living on the edges of forests and inresidential areas. There have been sightings of moose,fishers, and black bear, even in the city of Worcester.Beavers, rare until the 1960s, are plentiful and havecaused major flooding in some areas. Red foxes areoften sighted. Wild turkeys were reintroduced in the1970s by MassWildlife and now are known to stoptraffic on our small-town roads.

These animals, added to the familiar raccoons,woodchucks, rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks, havetransformed many areas of Massachusetts once againinto places with abundant wildlife.Six million citizens share five million acres withwildlife in Massachusetts. Now more than ever,humans must learn to share the land with wildlife in away that enhances the quality of life for all livingthings. The educational programs and the expertadvice from MassWildlife help us understand how tostrike that essential balance.

Subscribe to MassWildlife News, a free electronic monthlynewsletter updating you on research, events, new laws andother agency activities. All you need to do is send an emailto: Join-Masswildlife.news@listserve.state.ma.us.

History of Wildlife in MassachusettsContinued from page 1

TRAIL MAPS ON-LINE

There are now 14 trail maps available online. Print out your own trail map just like the Orchard Hill trailmap seen here by visiting www.westboroughlandtrust.org and selecting Charm Bracelet and Local Trails.Once you’re at the Charm Bracelet web site select A Guide to the Walking Trails in Westborough. Print amap for any of the following trails:

• Assabet North• Bowman West• Country Club• Crane Swamp• Headwaters Conservation Area• Libbey Wile• Newton Hill• North Cedar Swamp• Orchard Swamp• Orchard Hill• Sandra Pond• South Cedar Swamp• SUASCO• Westboro Wildlife Management Area

(You may also access these maps by going directly towww.westboroughcharm.org and selecting A Guide to Walking Trails in Westborough.)

WESTBOROUGHCHARM BRACELET

TRAIL SYSTEM NEWS

On June 6th a hearty band of 16 hikers braved the rain in what is thelongest hike yet on the Charm Bracelet: 10 plus miles. The hike beganat Minuteman Park on Upton Road across the south end of townfinishing at the MBTA station. Proof positive that the Charm Braceletis moving from a dream to a reality: 28 miles of connected trails!

In April a work party met at the Mill Pond boat ramp to build a newsection of trail to eliminate an unsafe road walk and to relocate anunsafe portion of Country Club trail. Additionally, workersperformed a spring trail cleanup of the trails around Mill Pond, andthose leading to Fisher Street, Gibbons School and the Country Club.

If you want to help with work on the Charm Bracelet please email DonBurn at burn@acm.org and be sure to visit the Charm Bracelet websiteat www.westboroughcharm.org