Why Save Land?

SUMMER NEWSLETTER THEWREN

July 2006 Why Save Land?

By Bernie McHugh cally sprawls out over the landscape, unplanned and uncontrolled, resulting Smart Conservation: hose of us who live in in a loss of farms, forests, and fields. Massachusetts can swim, Its subsequent contribution to the • Protects natural resources essential T hike, bike, fish, hunt, picnic, degradation of the air, water, and land to health, such as aquifers that provide birdwatch, canoe, and ski on hun- fosters negative effects on human drinking water. dreds of thousands of acres of protect- health, economic opportunity, quality ed land, hundreds of lakes and ponds, of life, and property taxes. • Provides the economic basis for and miles of protected rivers. We can tourism, recreation, agriculture, and If we truly want to improve our forestry businesses. still go to local farms and help kids quality of life, preserve the environ- understand where our food comes ment, and respect community charac- • Helps to attract and keep businesses, from. Our state conserves land not ter, we must do more than simply especially those that employ just for parks and recreation, but also steer construction toward existing “knowledge workers” looking for for water supply protection, wildlife developments where it can best be recreation opportunities and other habitat, protection of rare animals and accommodated. We need more than quality of life amenities. plants, farming, forestry, boat launch- smart growth to tell us where to build • Helps to attract and keep residents es, hunting, fishing, bike trails, and – we also need smart conservation to who recognize the value of protecting scenic and historic landscapes. We tell us what to protect or where not to the environment for future generations. owe these blessings to the combined build. If we fail to combine smart • Protects economically important efforts of the state's 140 non-profit growth with smart conservation, the “ecosystem benefits” such as water land trusts, its conservation commis- result will be a little smart growth and filtration and safeguards against sions, as well as state and federal a lot of sprawl. conservation agencies. flooding, reducing the need to install Open space protection enjoys broad costly infrastructure. In Massachusetts, we are consuming bipartisan support in Massachusetts. • Is an effective tool for managing undeveloped land for building at the The Community Preservation Act and guiding growth by directing it rate of about 23 square miles per year. (CPA), which funds open space, away from sensitive areas toward If all this development were lumped affordable housing, and historic more appropriate sites that can better together, it would be the equivalent of preservation at the local level has been accommodate development. building a new town almost the size adopted by 110 cities and towns. and density of Framingham every Many Massachusetts communities • Helps keep taxes down by not adding to year. This development explosion will have passed municipal bonds to the cost of community services required happen largely without coordinated acquire open space. Southborough by residential development, such as planning, community infrastructure, Town Meeting just voted to protect schools, streets, water and sewer. public amenities, or consideration of Chestnut Hill Farm, one of the last • Is essential to protecting not only rare environmental costs - and it will be at major unprotected open spaces in and endangered species, but common the expense of neighboring villages town. But municipalities alone wildlife and plants as well. and downtowns as well as natural cannot solve the problems of sprawl habitats. Development characteristi- (continued on page 6) Board of Directors Marylynn Gentry, Wayland, President Looking Out for Stephen Winthrop, Wayland, Vice President Bruce Osterling, Sudbury, Treasurer Our Landscapes Susan Crane, Sudbury, Clerk

Colin Anderson, Sudbury o you find that particular land- Each year we staffers invite those of Robert Anderson, Wayland scapes lie at the heart of your you whose volunteer efforts make Brian Clew, Framingham feelings about your com- such a huge contribution to Richard Dinjian, Shrewsbury D The munity? For me, certain vistas SVT’s work to come to Lucille Hicks, Wayland represent a town’s identity. charming land- Wolbach Farm and spend a Richard Johnson, Concord scape which I saw this relaxing evening with us. Ruth Kennedy Sudduth, Stow Saving those landscapes morning, is indubitably That’s an event that we all Bernard McHugh, Lincoln requires joint effort— landowners, communities, made up of some twenty look forward to, because Eric Menoyo, Sudbury or thirty farms. Miller owns David Moore, Framingham and conservation leaders it’s a gathering of people this field, Locke that, and Sigrid Pickering, Sudbury have to work together to who shares some impor- Manning the woodland Iryna Priester, Wayland succeed. I am happy to tant values, who enjoy Lydia Rogers, Concord report that such an effort beyond. But none of them getting to know each other owns the landscape. better, and who have a true STAFF has brought Southborough’s Chestnut Hill Farm past Ralph Waldo Emerson, community feeling. The Ron McAdow another critical milestone. The Nature next such coming-together is Executive Director May 25th closing on a conserva- SVT’s annual meeting, which Christa Hawryluk Collins tion restriction of the eye-popping will be at Chestnut Hill Farm in Land Protection Specialist 109-acre parcel visible to the east of Southborough, on Saturday, Brandon Kibbe Chestnut Farm Road means that although September 30. A pre-meeting walk will Director of Land Protection the Beals family continues to own the begin at 3:00; the business meeting will Sandy Lower farm, the public has secured the future of start an hour later. I hope you can join us. Office Manager its landscape. Laura Mattei This issue’s cover story, Why Save Land? is Director of Stewardship a passionate statement about smart conser- Rachel Sagan vation which extends beyond our local Ron McAdow is Executive Director of Director of Membership and Development area. The author is Bernie McHugh, who Sudbury Valley Trustees

Michael Sanders has served on SVT’s board of direc- SVT Assistant Director of Development tors for the past six years. Bernie’s staff Dan Stimson galvanizing leadership of the Assistant Director of Stewardship Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition is Ellen Sturgis among the achievements for which he Director of Operations was awarded Citizen Activist of the Year by the Environmental League Chris Wilson Caretaker (ELM) of Massachusetts. His excel- lent op-ed piece, recently published in Jill Phelps Kern The MetroWest Daily News, does such GIS Intern a good job of outlining our state’s The Wren land protection policy needs that we Volunteers enjoy an evening of appreciation and Sandy Lower & Ron McAdow, Editors asked Bernie’s permission to adapt it for camaraderie at Wolbach Farm. Joyce Dwyer & Gordon Morrison, Illustrators our newsletter. Rachel Wolff Lander, Designer Sudbury Valley Trustees is a voluntary association of individuals, families, and businesses committed to protecting wildlife Sudbury Valley Trustees habitat and the ecological integrity of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord 18 Wolbach Road River watershed for the beneﬁt of present and future generations. SVT Sudbury, MA 01776 carries out its mission through land acquisition and stewardship, advocacy, Tel: 978/443-5588 • Fax: 978/443-2333 and education, working in partnership with the towns, watershed associa- E-mail: [email protected] tions, and other environmental organizations within the greater Concord Website: www.svtweb.org Basin. Founded in 1953, SVT is supported by a membership that today stands at approxi- mately 3,200 individuals, families, and corporations. The organization currently owns, through gift and purchase, more than 2,100 acres in ﬁfteen communities. In addition, it holds conservation restrictions on more than 900 acres and has been instrumental in preserving several thousand acres now protected by public agencies.

2 / SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES / SUMMER 2006 Notes from the field SVT Four Town tion of Trail Links: MWRA’s new staff water treatment Collaborative plant at Walnut Inspiration Hill, SVT maintained a By Laura Mattei, Director of Stewardship connecting trail around the ou now have access to over 10 north end of miles of interconnected trails Crane Swamp. around the Crane Swamp As part of con- Y An enthusiastic group of hikers enjoys an struction, the MWRA has re-created Conservation Area. And these trails con- innaugural walk at Cedar Hill. nect to many miles more of trails in sur- and improved the trail connections. rounding communities! SVT and our cooperators have requested permission from the Massachusetts oughcharm.org) is a trail network under The four communities of Department of Conservation and construction with a planned 28-mile Marlborough, Southborough, Recreation to add an additional trail loop around the town. In Northborough, Westborough, and Northborough, link over the top of Walnut Hill. the Wachusett Aqueduct will become a together with Sudbury Valley Trustees trail through town to the neighboring (SVT) and the Westborough Each of the four towns involved communities and the Mass Central Rail Conservation Land Trust (WCLT) have has existing and planned trails that they Trail (http://www.masscentralrailtrail.org/). been working with the Massachusetts are also connecting through this project. Marlborough plans to develop a network Water Resources Authority (MWRA) for In Southborough, the Reservoir Trail of trails through the office and industrial the last five years to develop a trail net- crosses the community, and will parks on the north side of the project area. work at the Crane Swamp Conservation eventually connect to the Bay Circuit The Crane Swamp Conservation Area Area. SVT owns two reservations on Trail (http://www.baycircuit.org/). contains over 2,000 acres of protected either side of Crane Swamp – Sawink In Westborough, the Westborough conservation lands owned by a combina- Farm and Cedar Hill. Prior to construc- Charm Bracelet (http://www.westbor- tion of Massachusetts state agencies and local land trusts. The staff central piece of the SVT area is a high quality, 400-acre red maple swamp. The swamp is surrounded by a complex of open fields, wet meadow, and oak-pine forests, with Cedar Hill to the west and Walnut Hill to the northeast. Such a diverse, high quality, and large conservation area is a unique treasure of Metrowest Boston.

SUMMER 2006 / SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES / 3 Land Protection

Chestnut Hill Farm the purchase included a SVT Protected! $4 million town appropri- staff ation comprised of By Christa Collins, Land Protection Specialist Community Preservation funds, a $500,000 Self- Help grant from the state’s fter over two years of effort by Executive Ofﬁce of Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Environmental Affairs, A Southborough Open Land and contribution funds Foundation (SOLF), the Philip C. Beals raised by SVT and SOLF Trust, and the Town of Southborough, a from fundations and indi- major portion of Chestnut Hill Farm has viduals. The $750,000 been permanently conserved. private fundraising goal, Beautiful vistas are abundant at Chestnut Hill Farm. On May 25th, the Town completed which includes transaction and steward- the purchase of a conservation restriction ship costs, represents for SVT the largest on 109 acres of the farm. Funds toward fundraising effort to date around a land Hultman Aqueduct, and 55 acres known protection project. It could as the Red Gate parcel, located south of

staff never have happened without Main Street. We expect to complete the protection of these two pieces by fall. At SVT close collaboration with our colleagues at SOLF - we are very that time, thanks, above all, to the con- grateful for their tirelessness, servation vision and dedication on the dedication, and insight. The part of the Beals Family, 238 acres will farm’s trails will now be open to have been permanently conserved around the public for passive recreation, the intersection of Main Street and and active farming will contin- Chestnut Hill Road, ensuring that this ue. Two additional portions of particularly beautiful and unique piece of the farm are yet to be protected, our watershed are enjoyed by generations including 23 acres of the main to come. farm parcel that lie north of the TRANS

As this issue goes to press, we say goodbye to two of our colleagues and friends, Brandon Kibbe, Director of Land Protection, and Ellen Sturgis, Director of Operations.

Brandon Kibbe has Ellen Sturgis is looking forward staff staff accepted a position with the to new challenges with an emphasis SVT SVT Mass Dept. of Fish and on financial management for non- Game, where he will serve as profits. Ellen was hired in 1999 to their Central District Land improve the organization's financial Acquisition Agent. His won- and administrative systems. During derful mix of land protection the course of her tenure at SVT, she skills, geniality, and creative expanded the volunteer program, and thinking has been instrumen- managed the renovation of Wolbach tal in invigorating SVT's land Farm. In 2002, she also served as protection efforts. interim Executive Director, prior to Ron’s appointment in December of

y that year. b er

Dwy Best of luck to both Ellen and Brandon in their new endeavors! yce o illustration J

4 / SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES / SUMMER 2006 Eco-landscaping at Wolbach Farm SVT staff

? By Christa Collins, Land Protection Specialist h ren readers may recall that last summer, students at the

c Conway School of Landscape Design completed an Eco-

a W landscaping Master Plan for Wolbach Farm. This spring and summer has seen us busy at work, beginning implementation of b some of the projects proposed in the Conway report. l We have found a dedicated volunteer and plantaholic in Linda Long,

o who is spearheading the implementation of a butterﬂy garden just outside the front door of the ofﬁce. When complete, the garden will

W contain plants that see butterﬂies through all of their life stages, and

will also include a ﬂat surface for butterﬂy sunning and a mud pud- Wild Columbine

t dle for dabbling.

A Wayland’s Jenn Kandrac and her father, Steve spent Thank you a warm Memorial Day weekend clearing and planting a bird garden at the back of the ofﬁce. Some to the following funders and sponsors for

w ancient and deer-nibbled yews were removed to their recent generous support of our work: make way for such bird-friendly plants as dogwood, red chokeberry, winterberry, and bearberry. A bird Ambient Engineering Ne bath will help to welcome feathered visitors. Bafﬂin Foundation We hope this summer to begin developing interpre- s Beals & Thomas ’ tive materials for our landscape that will help home- owners to transform their own yards into ecological- Bose Corporation t ly friendly spaces.

a Boston Foundation: Fund for the Environment While the rain has been frustrating our garden vol- Cabot Family Charitable Trust

h unteers, it’s been great for the plants, and we hope readers will have a chance to visit Wolbach this Entergy Corporation

W summer to see our progress. The William P. Wharton Trust

ITIONS

We are pleased to announce that Welcome to Matt Eisenson, staff staff Barbara Blankenship has who will be interning with us this SVT SVT joined us in the part-time role of summer, working with Ron on a Events Coordinator, where she will Sudbury River Boat Trail project, be managing facilities rentals at and a study of the Life Histories Wolbach Farm. of Forest Trees. For the River Boat Trail project Matt will be helping The number of groups that are ﬁnd- to identify a set of interpretive ing the barn or conference room at points and developing informa- Wolbach Farm to be the perfect place tion about each. For the Tree Life to hold a business meeting, corporate outing, or staff retreat Histories project, Matt will help select individual trees, has continued to grow since we ﬁrst moved into our new and establish a baseline of information about each subject headquarters in March of 2004. tree and its context in nature. Matt has just completed his If you are planning an event, give Barbara a call at 978-443- freshman year at Yale where he is studying history and 5588 x16, or send her an e-mail at [email protected]. economics.

SUMMER 2006 / SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES / 5 Why Save Land? SVT staff (continued from page 1) development or protect natural resources of regional significance. Only the state can provide the needed resources, through its conservation agencies. The Statewide Conservation Plan (SCP) provides a good start in answering the question, “what should we protect”? The SCP is the result of a cooperative effort between 50 state and federal agencies and non-profit conservation groups. It identifies critical natural resources that need some level of protection. The remaining areas will accommodate suit- Geoffrey Evans, Native American flutist and storyteller entertains families attending Sudbury Valley able development for many, many years. Trustees’ Family Fair at Wolbach Farm on May 6th. Mark your 2007 calendars! The 2nd annual A commitment on the part of the Family Fair is scheduled for Saturday, May 5th.

Massachusetts state government to pro- SVT mote an increased use of land protection staff as a principal tool for safeguarding environmental health, providing economic opportunity, and improving the quality of life for all Massachusetts citizens, is an essential ingredient in making smart conservation and smart growth a reality. staff

SVT Special thanks go to Marga Hutcheson (and her mom, Emily Hutcheson), who spent a couple days at Wolbach Farm near the end of May, painting promotional signs for Whole Foods of Wayland, “Good Will From the Grill”. The signs were displayed at two prominent intersections in Wayland. Special thanks also to the staff at Whole Foods-Wayland for hosting a great event and for choosing to support Sudbury Valley Trustees. We also would like to thank all the members who attended this event, helping to raise $500 for SVT.

IN MEMORIAM: Bernie McHugh has served as ohn Haslett died on April 10 in his home in South Carolina, where he was Coordinator for the Masachusetts Jactive in local land conservation. John became a Director of SVT in 1987 Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) since and later served as President of our Board. He led SVT through critical years 1999, doing communications and in which the organization grew in membership, in staff, and in its service area. advocacy work on behalf of the People who worked with John through this time describe it as a period of state’s 120 land trusts. He was “becoming professionalized.” named Citizen Activist of the Year in 2003 by the Environmental League Why did John Haslett give so much of himself to conservation? “My dad had a spiritual connection with the natural environment,” John’s son, Tom, explained. of Massachusetts. He also serves on “He was an idealist for whom a walk in the woods was a way of connecting the Boards of the Manomet Center with something larger.” for Conservation Science, Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Crystal Spring Center, the aforementioned Are You a Leader? Environmental League of If you are an experienced paddler, hiker, birder or have an indoor program you would Massachusetts, and is on the Mass like to present as part of SVT's activities calendar, please contact Michael Sanders, Audubon Council of Advisors. Assistant Director of Development, at 978-443-5588 x11, or [email protected]

6 / SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES / SUMMER 2006 Three Cheers! Emily Hutcheson, for paint- Michele Lemettais and Hans ing promotional signs for Whole Helgeson, for going above and To the following individuals and organizations Foods Markets’, Good Will beyond in assistance with the From the Grill - proceeds from Youth Conservation Steward Don Burn, for helping to George and Nell Cogswell, which will support SVT program make the new trail links at for the donation of a fireplace Mary Tragesar, Jini Foster, Mary Coolidge McCrann, Crane Swamp Conservation screen and andirons Marie Mangus, Ivan Lubash, for assistance with land protec- Area become a reality: coordi- The Sudbury Friends Family Ursula Lyons, Claude tion planning and mapping nating trail work, handling Fair Committee: Carole Ann Williamson, Shirley Pollitt, publicity, and co-leading the Marijke Holtrop, for dona- Baer-Chair, Donna Appel, Donna Appel, Shivaun inaugural hike tion of plants for the garden Sherri Cline, Carole Evans, Pryor, and Maisy Bennett, Northborough Trails Debra Kaye, and Beth Rust for their assistance in mailing Diana Newton Wood, for Committee, for designing, several different appeals, creating a special Wolbach Volunteers at the Sudbury ordering, purchasing and including the spring appeal, letterbox stamp and for main- Friends Family Fair: Pat installing new signage for the lapsed member mailings, and taining many of our letterboxes Bodenstab, Katie Cromwell, Crane Swamp Conservation other smaller fundraising letters Alexa Crowe, Susan Culver, Starbucks: Sudbury, for coffee Area (contains SVT’s Cedar Marylynn Gentry, Pamela Skewes-Cox, for and Danish donations Hill and Sawink Farm) Michele MacDonald, organizing our newspaper Matt Vallon, for helping with Larry Nelson, for the dona- Tom McGowan, and clippings summer mowing at SVT reser- tion of several area conservation Gordon Morrison Barbara Blankenship, for vations and at Wolbach Farm reports Marianne Kenny, for helping researching venues for the 2007 Melody Anderson, for helping Linda Long, for donation of to keep letterboxes filled and Benefit to coordinate signage improve- plants, rototilling and planting maintained Dave Griffin, for hosting a ments at SVT reservations the butterfly garden John Hines, for completing great photographic presentation To all the volunteers Beverly Smith, for ongoing our breeding bird surveys at entitled “Assabet Reservoir: who attended our Annual garden work Greenways, Wolbach Farm and Fading Treasures” Volunteer Appreciation Memorial Forest Grace Fogarty, Phyllis Jill Phelps Kern, for leading Event: whether you attended Elmore, Perrine Roux, and Samantha Riley, for research- a walk on a Devine morning or not, if you have not picked Trude Hirsch, for their ongoing reasons for having bird and in Berlin up your volunteer apprecia- ing dedicated office support butterfly gardens and for updat- tion gift, please stop by the Simon Vos, for leading a ing our website with informa- office so we can present you Sue Beck, for joining our office rescheduled paddle to Cedar tion and photos for the eco- with a token of our apprecia- volunteer team and helping Swamp Pond landscaping garden project tion for all you do for SVT! with the stewardship database Ilona Blosfelds, for leading a Jenn and Steven Kandrac, for Carol Case, for proofreading family hike at Wolbach Farm getting the bird garden up and Wish List assistance running Michele Grzenda, for leading Mary Van Vleck, for the a bird walk at Wittenborg Push mower Elizabeth Parker and her son, donation of an antique tinder Woods in Framingham (preferably motorized) David Parker, for donating a box, fireplace tools, and a vase Drill press mounted Snowy Owl belonging Al Sanborn and John Tom Arnold, for tabling help to Henry Parker, one of the Metzger, for leading a hike at Fireplace tools, andirons at Concord’s Musketaquid original seven founders of SVT the Walkup and Robinson Portable CD player Earth Day Fair Memorial Reservation, in Matt Eisenson, for helping Hummingbird feeder response to a request from the The Sudbury Thursday with the Sudbury River Trail Daisy Girl Scout Troop 859 in Patio furniture Garden Club, for help with and the Wolbach Habitat studies Westborough (table and chairs) the Founders’ Garden Barbara Finlay, for donating for Founders’ Garden Lydia Rogers, for a book Brienne, Cameron, and a pair of garden gloves Electric sander donation for our nature library Lauren Donahue, and Rozzie Andi Jenny, for hosting a Plunge router Kopczynski, for parading with Hans Luwald, for Wolbach SVT coffee SVT’s spotted salamander pup- property maintenance assistance Digital camcorder pet in Concord’s Musketaquid Elaine and Lee Chertavian, Kevin Cadogan, for assistance Microphone stand Earth Day celebration for hosting a SVT house party with removal of garlic mustard Lectern Amanda Procter, for the Marga Hutcheson, with at Wolbach Farm Metal detector donation of a canoe assistance from her mom,

SUMMER 2006 / SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES / 7 Wolbach Farm 18 Wolbach Road Sudbury, MA 01776

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