Special Places : a Newsletter of the Trustees of Reservations
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The Trustees of Reservations Conserving the Massachusetts Landscape Since 1891 SPECIAL PLACES Volume 7, No. 4 f Fall 1999 A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER For Members and Donors of The Trustees of Reservations WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? See page 7 (center right) for the ecology scoop! Ecology: A Natural Part of Our Stewardship of Special Places It's 10:00 P.M. at Bartholomew's Cobble and ecologist Don in Massachusetts—from coastal heathlands to barrier Reid is standing in the pouring rain with a field guide in beaches, from rocky summits to boreal forests. hand. "What's that sound?" he mutters to himself. Don tilts The complex array of natural communities, and the his head as he strains to wildlife they support, hear above the splatter of comprise the ecological raindrops the subtle snoring resources of which we are of a frog from the nearby stewards. By scientifically wetlands. He wonders... is it evaluating these resources the Northern Pickerel Frog and applying sound or the Southern Pickerel practices to their manage- Frog? "Which one is it?" he ment, we help to conserve asks. "Why does it matter?" and, where possible, enhance you may ask. (Find out the their values, not just for answer on page 3!) the benefit of the reservation Don is one of a small itself but for the Massa- group of professional chusetts landscape in all ecologists working its diversity. throughout the state to While a major part make sure that the natural of our management, The systems associated with our Trustees' work in ecology TheTrustees EcologyTeam (left to right) Lisa Vernegaard, Vin Antil, Wayne 83 reservations remain Castonguay, Sally Matkovich, Don Reid, Russ Hopping, and Lloyd Raleigh. is still not well-known. We healthy, in balance, and hope that this article gives protected. Across our reservations, one can point to you a new and, perhaps, different lens through which to examples of almost every type of natural community found view the landscapes you visit around the state. continued on page 3 ^ Page 2 Fall 1999 Dear Friends and Trustees, Come next spring, on or around While The Trustees of Reservations is best known for April 1, 2000 (the start of our next the preservation and stewardship of remarkable landscapes, fiscal year, FY 2001), I will retire I know that its greatest asset is its people, you all—that from The Trustees of Reservations. "association of generous men and women" which Charles Eliot "Now, why would you go and foresaw over a century ago as the sine qua non of our success. do a thing like that;" you might ask, Speaking for all of us who are fortunate enough to work for "giving up what is one of the best jobs The Trustees, a thousand thanks for giving us the wherewithal anyone could ever have doesn't make to do our job well and the encouragement to strive for the best. a whole lot of sense, does it?" You'd The Year 2000 will mark a new millennium for us and, for be right to ask. me personally, a new decade—the beginning of my 7th, as my When I took the job in January 1985, I had no notion that kids take great pleasure in reminding me! It's time for me to I would stay as long as I have. Five years became ten and ten spend more time with friends and family—and more time on the has become fifteen. Thanks to good luck (mine), hard work family land. As you may know, I come from a large, extended (the staff's), and unfailing loyalty and generosity (yours), the family, one that is blessed with some wonderful open space we organization has gone from strength to strength. Over these jointly hold. The family is committed to its future preservation, fifteen years, in the face of soaring real estate values, our but, if the truth be told, we haven't focused adequately on doing holdings have increased impressively from 22,000 to 33,000 the kind of planning that will secure this goal. After a career in total acres under Trustees' protection. During the same period, conservation, I would be more than a little distressed if I didn't the number of reservations has grown from 69 to 83 (soon to do my part to ensure that my family's own "special place" did become 85), and parcels protected by conservation restrictions not remain so in perpetuity. So, for a while anyway, it looks like from 64 to 178. The reservations, all open to the public and more of the same for me, only this time a little closer to home! increasingly well interpreted, are in better shape than ever. The I will not be going very far away and I intend to offer time response has been enthusiastic, with 22,000 households now pro bono to The Trustees. In the meantime, I'm looking current members—more than five times as many as in 1985. forward to working with all of you towards a strong finish Our financial underpinnings have strengthened as we've grown; to the fiscal year. annual giving has increased six-fold since '85, while major contributions made to capital have helped multiply the value -^^**C ^N>^**£*^— of our endowment seven-fold. Your support has made us stronger and allowed us to do more, better. Most important, a solid Frederic Winthrop strategic plan is in place for the years ahead. Indeed, the future Executive Director looks very bright, a fact that a change of Executive Director Mr. Malcolm MacKay, Managing Director of Russell Reynolds certainly is won't negate. There never a good time to leave, Associates, a New York-based executive search firm (212/351-2140), but now is as good a time as any—and better than most. has been engaged to advise the search for a new Executive Director. Founded in 1891, The Trustees of Reservations is a member- Frederic Winthrop Regional Directors: supported nonprofit conservation organization which preserves, Executive Director Thomas Foster for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, Sarah Carothers Southeast Region The Trustees historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and works to Director of 781/821-2977 protect special places across the state. Today, The Trustees Planned Giving Christopher Kennedy of Reservations owns, manages, and interprets 83 reservations totaling over Richard Howe Islands Region 21,500 acres of land, and protects more than 12,000 acres Director of Conserving the 508/693-7662 through the use of conservation restrictions on 178 parcels Property Management Massachusetts Landscape Stephen McMahon of private land. The Trustees of Reservations is not an agency of Since 1891 John McCrae Western Region state government. We rely for support entirely upon membership Director of 413/298-3239 dues, contributions, grants, reservation receipts, special events, Finance & Administration We invite your articles, and endowments. Wayne Mitton Ann Powell Northeast Region photographs, comments, and Director of For information about becoming a member or to request a change 978/3S6-43S1 suggestions. Please send them to: Development of address, please contact the Membership Office at 978/524-1858, Special Places Richard O'Brien Triff write to us at the address to the left, email us at [email protected], Michael Central Region Headquarters • Long Hill Director of or visit our website at www.thetrustees.org. 978/840-4446 572 Essex Street Communications & Marketing Beverly, MA 01915-1530 Special Places, October 1999. Volume 7, Issue Number 4. Wesley Ward Editor Tel 978/921-1944 Special Places (ISSN 1087-5026) is published quarterly Director of Michael Triff Fax 978/921-1948 Land Conservation and distributed to members and donors of The Trustees Designer Email [email protected] Kate Wollcnsak of Reservations. Copyright © 1999. All rights reserved. www.thetrustees.org Please recycle this newsletter by passing it on to a friend or donating it to a school, library business, or wherever it might be read with interest. A note of appreciation to all of you who patiently await access to the special www.thetrustees.org section of our web site for Trustees members. We hope to complete it shortly. Thank you very much for your understanding. Fall 1999 Page 3 Ecology... continued from front cover Rare Species Protection Inventory, Monitoring, and Research Each spring, of Natural Systems ecology staff at Staff ecologists inventoried Crane Beach in the fresh water mussels Ipswich install numerous fenced living in Mashpee-Wakeby "exclosures" Pond at Lowell Holly in Mashpee and Sandwich. around nesting This research formed the pairs of rare Piping Plovers to keep out predators and basis for a recommendation greatly enhance the chances of eggs hatching. on how best to manage Of the 2,000 plants and animals native to Massachusetts, the water level of this over 400 are considered rare and endangered. Through coastal pond. several rare species protection programs, many in concert While we know a great deal about the complex natural with local and regional conservation groups, The Trustees systems of the landscapes under our care, there is much that works to preserve the state's rich biodiversity. Our we do not know. Through inventory and monitoring, we are reservations support some of these species and, as our constantly working to bridge this information gap. Together land holdings increase, so will our responsibilities. with the best available science, this information helps guide Other rare species protection programs include decisions management about a host of issues. Other areas of grasslands management and rare species habitat study include breeding birds, deer management, grasslands, acquisition and management. and visitor use impacts. Habitat Interpretation Conservation, & Education Management On Martha's & Restoration Vineyard, The Trustees offers On an experimental a wide range basis, staff removed of educational the ubiquitous (and programs for local exotic) Purple ^ schools, including both classroom curricula and activities on our Loostrife from along over a mile of the Swift River in reservations which bring students into closer contact with the Petersham in hopes of maintaining and improving landscape.