Human History of Wildlands: Brockton Preserves

Stone walls traverse the woods at Brockton Audubon Preserve. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

By Skip Stuck, Key Volunteer

Back in 2018, Wildlands Trust President Karen Grey addressed an audience of land conservation professionals, town conservation commission members, and volunteers at the Southeastern Massachusetts Land Trust Convocation. Though Karen spoke broadly about Wildlands’ land protection, stewardship, and education initiatives, most of the audience’s questions and comments came when Karen described Wildlands’ activities in the city of Brockton. It was clear that many listeners were surprised that Wildlands would invest so much time and effort in the state's sixth-largest city of over 105,000 residents. Karen asserted that land conservation is an important goal anywhere, and perhaps even more so in a city where natural and recreational resources are limited.  

To help a city reconnect with its long-lost natural resources, we first need to understand its history. How have humans altered the landscape over time? What exactly has been lost? Only by knowing an area’s past can we begin to repair its future. 

Wildlands is lucky enough to work with someone who has witnessed Brockton’s history firsthand, who can share local stories that might otherwise have been forgotten. Since 2020, Frank Moore has protected his 20-acre farm and forest property in East Bridgewater through a Conservation Restriction (CR) with Wildlands. But in the 1930s and ‘40s, Mr. Moore spent his childhood in Brockton, where the lands of present-day Stone Farm Conservation Area and Brockton Audubon Preserve served as his “playgrounds.” In April 2024, Wildlands Land Protection Assistant Tess Goldmann and Communications Coordinator Thomas Patti visited Mr. Moore at his East Bridgewater home to hear his many stories from growing up on these lands. Mr. Moore’s encyclopedic knowledge of the area was crucial to my research for this piece.  

If you, like Mr. Moore, have oral, written, or photographic accounts to share pertaining to the natural or cultural history of Southeastern Massachusetts, we would love to hear from you. What may seem to you like trivial stories might be pivotal to our understanding of the places we strive to protect—and to our very ability to protect them.  

Please contact Communications Coordinator Thomas Patti at tpatti@wildlandstrust.org to share your stories. 

Glacial erratic at Brockton Audubon Preserve. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

Brockton’s Beginnings

Brockton lies within the Taunton River Watershed, the history of which I explored this spring. The area has a 10,000-plus-year history of habitation by native peoples, most recently members of the Wampanoag Tribe. Their population thrived, creating one of the most densely populated areas of local native settlement. According to the Wampanoag Tribe, the areas that now includes Brockton Audubon Preserve and Stone Farm Conservation Area also had religious significance, as evidenced by the rearrangement of some of the many glacial erratic boulders into formations that align with astronomical events, such as the daily and annual path of the sun through the sky.

However, in the early 1600s, exposure to disease brought by European trappers and fishermen—even before the 1620 arrival of the Pilgrims—decimated the local population by as much as 80 percent.

Then Plymouth Colony was founded, and within 20 years had out-grown its initial settlement. In 1649, Massasoit, sachem of the Wampanoag Tribe, sold the land then known as Saughtucket to Myles Standish. It was renamed to Bridgewater, and again to North Bridgewater in 1821. The area thrived as a farming and forestry community until the mid-1800s. During the years leading up to the Civil War, the area was a well-known stop on the Underground Railroad, helping runaway slaves reach safety in New England and Canada.  

But rapid change was coming. The end of the Civil War accelerated the westward migration of farmers out of New England. The Industrial Revolution was taking over, and farmers were soon replaced by immigrants from Europe and beyond, drawn by jobs in the burgeoning textile and shoemaking industries. The rapidly growing town was reincorporated as a city in 1881 and given its current name of Brockton in 1884. Interestingly, the name came from Sir Isaac Brock, a British officer in the War of 1812, who had no connection whatsoever to the town. Who'd figure?  

From the Brockton Daily Enterprise, April 3, 1937. “With the near completion of improvements to the new sanctuary, located off Pleasant street, the Brockton Society has one of the finest wild-life conservation areas in this section of Massachusetts. … [It] contains a diversified terrain suitable for a variety of birds and plants.” Clipping courtesy of Frank Moore.

Progress Spurs Preservation

Brockton was headed for the big time. In 1883, it gained the first municipal AC electrical power system in the world, with the first switch pulled by none other than Thomas Edison. By 1900, over one-third of Brockton’s male population was employed in the shoe industry. Growth was changing the character of Brockton. Land was developed for industry, and housing was rapidly replacing the wetlands, farms, and fields of 50 years earlier. 

Wildlands Trust was not the first organization to recognize the need for environmental protection and education in Brockton. In 1919, Amelia Brown and 88 others came together to found the Brockton Audubon Society, with a mission to save wooded areas and the wildlife within them. In 1921, the Society purchased 23 acres from Martin Packard to create the first Brockton Audubon Preserve. In 1937, they added 39 acres and built a log cabin-style building known as the Clubhouse to use as a headquarters and a site for picnics and special events. In the following years, the Society, under the leadership of Brockton tree warden Rufus Carr, obtained additional parcels to bring the preserve to its current 128 acres. For many years, the land provided a beautiful and popular resource for the community. However, as the founding Society members grew older, its membership shrank, and caring for the property grew difficult. In 2011, the remaining members voted to donate the land to Wildlands Trust to ensure its permanent protection. 

Adjacent to the Brockton Audubon Preserve was a City-owned tract of 105 acres known as Stone Farm Conservation Area. Over the years, this land witnessed many changes, as well. At various times, it has been a pasture, a timber plantation (until the 1938 hurricane leveled all of the pines), a horse farm, and an ice pond with an ice house. It has been the site of a Brockton police firing range and a city dump. Each successive use eventually faded into the woods and wetlands we see today. In 2018, the City of Brockton, while retaining land ownership, contracted Wildlands Trust to undertake the management of the property through Wildlands’ Community Stewardship Program. Wildlands staff completed new and restored trails in 2019, reopening the farm to the public.  

Brockton High School Envirothon Team members test water quality during the 2023 Massachusetts Envirothon competition.

A Bright Future

Not done yet, Wildlands continues to work closely with the City in other areas. Through the D.W. Field Park Initiative, Wildlands has spearheaded ecological and recreational improvements in Brockton's largest and most popular open space asset. In Brockton schools, Wildlands is working with Manomet Conservation Sciences on a NOAA grant to build outdoor classrooms at three Brockton elementary schools. Furthermore, Wildlands co-leads both the Brockton High School Envirothon Team and Green Team to engage Brockton-are youth in environmental education, stewardship, and community service.

Which brings us back to where we started. Karen Grey's message in that 2018 presentation was simple. Whether Wildlands is acquiring an urban preserve, providing resources and expertise to help a city reach its environmental goals, or advancing public education and youth development to foster long-term commitment to environmental protection, all of these initiatives flow from the same mission that drives the organization’s work elsewhere in the region. In many more affluent areas, Wildlands’ goal is to preserve the natural beauty that remains—to keep woods as woods and fields as fields. But in less fortunate areas, the time for preservation is long gone. Instead of turning its back on these communities, Wildlands proactively and holistically supports them, returning pistol ranges and dumping grounds to their historic natural conditions and helping future generations take pride and action to protect their local environment. Thus, the Wildlands mission is just as relevant in a city as it is anywhere. 

Learn More

I encourage you to visit Brockton Audubon Preserve and Stone Farm Conservation Area to search for evidence of this history on the landscape. Please also explore the following sources, which I consulted for this piece:

Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park Dedicated in Norwood

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park in Norwood.

By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

No one knows a town better than its residents who dedicate their lives to public service. That’s why Wildlands Trust begins every conservation project by listening to local leaders and helping them achieve their community’s unique open space goals. 

In Norwood, a fledgling 6.8-acre park proves what’s possible when passionate townspeople take initiative over the future of their natural spaces, and conservation professionals provide the expertise needed to turn residents' vision into a reality. 

On May 9, a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the dedication of Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park. Nestled between Balch Elementary School and the Neponset River in the environmental justice neighborhood of South Norwood, Bernie Cooper Riverfront Park will pack outsized social and environmental impact into its modest acreage. With wheelchair-accessible trails, an outdoor classroom, river overlooks, and green stormwater infrastructure, the park will give all Norwood residents a chance to connect with nature. 

After the ceremony, project partners explored the park, despite torrential rain.

In 2018, the parcel was set to be converted to a parking area for a car dealership’s overflow inventory. With a shared vision for the land and its local people and wildlife, the community came together to chart a better way forward. Two years later, the Town of Norwood acquired the property using Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. In accordance with CPA requirements, the Town granted a Conservation Restriction (CR) on the property to Wildlands Trust, permanently protecting it from development. The CR marks Wildlands’ first acquisition in Norwood. 

A community design process ensued, led by the Town of Norwood, the Horsley Witten Group, Offshoots, Inc., and the Neponset River Watershed Association. Construction began in 2024. Awards from two state programs, the MassTrails Grant Program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program, helped fund the design and construction. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony also honored the legacy of Bernie Cooper, who served the Town of Norwood for 49 years as assistant town manager and civil defense director. Cooper died in 2021

“This park, like Bernie, represents growth, community, and the enduring power of nature,” said Patty Bailey, chair of the South Norwood Committee. "It's a living tribute to someone who dedicated their life to making our community a better place.” 

“[My dad’s] tireless energy, the love for his town, and the deep sense of responsibility is reflected in the park,” added Amelia Noel, Cooper’s youngest daughter. “This space isn’t just a collection of trails and trees; it’s designed for everybody. ... It’s a place where neighbors will gather, where families will play, and where people will build the kind of community he believed so deeply in.” 

Wildlands Trust is proud to play a small role in forever rooting Cooper’s legacy to the natural landscape of Norwood. We are grateful for the dedicated public servants in every town we serve, who make our work possible. 

Solstice Celebration: Let’s Show Up for the Region’s Lands and Waters

Attendees of Wildlands Trust’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2023 embrace the ancient white oak tree at Davis-Douglas Farm in South Plymouth. (Photo by Paul Carey)

By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

(This piece first appeared in the Plymouth Independent.)

For a bird lover like me, the view from my office window is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the full diversity of avian life on the South Shore—warblers and waxwings, hummingbirds and hawks, bluebirds and bald eagles—visits with enough regularity to call them coworkers. A curse because these coworkers are highly distracting, with flagrant disregard for the rhythms of a nine-to-five workday. 

Luckily, I work for Wildlands Trust, a nonprofit organization with sympathy for those who wander. Founded in 1973, Wildlands Trust is one of the state’s oldest and largest land trusts, protecting and stewarding the natural places that make Southeastern Massachusetts a remarkable place to live, work, and play. Our headquarters at Davis-Douglas Farm is a hidden gem tucked within a vast expanse of globally rare forest and pond habitats in South Plymouth. Outside my window, a pollinator garden, wildflower meadow, and secluded woodland converge to form a hotspot of natural beauty, punctuated by the iconic water tower on Long Pond Road.  

If you visit Davis-Douglas Farm this spring, the first birds you’ll likely see (but certainly not the last) are tree swallows. The iridescent blue backs of these sparrow-sized songbirds will catch the sunlight and your eye as they bank, swoop, glide, twist, and turn in flocks of dozens over the wildflower meadow, snapping up insects on the wing. Catching enough bugs to fuel their acrobatic frenzy is a full-time job. In fact, they rarely seem to land.  

A tree swallow landing on a nest box. (Photo by Rob MacDonald)

Sometimes, the social and environmental challenges of our time can feel like those tree swallows, swirling in our minds and clamoring incessantly for our attention. In the news and on social media, rage, despair, and misinformation startle our anxieties up to the sky and offer them no place to land—no way to stand up for our beliefs, defend our values, or effect positive change.  

On the issue of the environment, Wildlands Trust is a place to land. We know that most people don’t have the time to take the preservation of our region’s natural health and beauty into their own hands. But we also know that most people share our vision for the future of Southeastern Massachusetts. A resounding majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support the expansion of natural climate solutions, such as protecting forests and restoring coastal wetlands. In Massachusetts, a national leader in environmental protection, over two-thirds of residents think we need to do even more to conserve land, water, and wildlife habitat. 

With such broad public support for conservation, the accelerating loss of natural land across the state and country can make grassroots efforts feel hopeless. It's true that we face an uphill battle. Far too often, the fate of our beloved lands and waters is decided behind closed doors, at tables where money determines the size of your seat and the volume of your microphone. 

Wildlands Trust is your chair at those tables. It may be a lawn chair. But with 52 years of experience serving 59 cities and towns, Wildlands Trust knows how to leverage every dollar and every show of support into a case for nature that money can’t buy off. The more members we represent, the better our case. Together, our voices are too loud and our vision is too strong to ignore. 

On Saturday, June 21, the Wildlands Trust Solstice Celebration at Davis-Douglas Farm will have something for everyone—music, food, hikes, crafts, raffles, and more. It will also serve as an undeniable testament to the size and strength of the regional conservation community. Let's come together to make a resounding statement that nature is non-negotiable in the future of our region. Whether you're a longtime member or just now learning about Wildlands Trust, here is your chance to show up for the lands and waters of Southeastern Massachusetts—and celebrate the start of summer with family, friends, and neighbors. 

When the tree swallows of Davis-Douglas Farm finally run out of steam, they find refuge in a row of bird boxes on the meadow’s edge. Here, they escape the heat, rest their wings, and tend to the next generation. Later this month, people across the region will descend on Davis-Douglas Farm to do the same. Wildlands Trust can’t help with all the worries flying around your head. But your passion for the natural world is safe with us.

A VolunTuesday to Remember at Clark’s Island

By Marilynn Atterbury, Wildlands Trust board member & Key Volunteer 

As a Wildlands Trust volunteer for over 11 years, I have seen many Wildlands preserves, many times over. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found out that on a special VolunTuesday in May, we would be venturing to a brand-new location, one that our fleet of pickup trucks couldn’t reach. On May 27, about 20 Wildlands staff and volunteers voyaged across Duxbury Bay to help the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society (DRHS) maintain its beautiful property on Clark’s Island.  

Picture this: a beautiful Grady-White Boat with 300-horsepower twin engines flying across Duxbury Bay on a perfect May morning. The VolunTuesday crew was beyond excited for our adventure.  

After wading through knee-deep water with chainsaws, loppers, and lunch in our arms, we proceeded to our mission for the day: removing invasive plant species from the meadow around Pulpit Rock, or what some consider the true Plymouth Rock! 

DRHS owns 17 acres of land on Clark’s Island, which today is part of Plymouth. (Wildlands helps care for DRHS properties through our Community Stewardship Program.) In 1620, Mayflower passengers, led by first mate John Clark, made landfall on the island before they reached the Plymouth mainland. There, they found an enormous boulder and held their first worship service ashore. 

The VolunTuesday crew at Pulpit Rock on Clark’s Island.

It’s important to acknowledge the darker side of history on Clark’s Island. During King Philip’s War (1675-1676), Plymouth Colony used the island as an internment camp to detain over 1,000 Indigenous people, many of whom starved to death. You can read a more detailed account of Clark’s Island history, along with a land acknowledgment, on the DRHS website

Back to the present. It was a long, arduous VolunTuesday, interrupted only by a fantastic lunch on the lawn facing the Bay. We accomplished so much and learned so much about the history of Clark’s Island. Spirits were high as we motored back home. Everyone agreed it was one of the finest volunteer programs we had ever participated in.

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Want to explore new places, join a fun-loving community, and give back to local nature? Explore upcoming VolunTuesday projects here!

Welcome, Rob Kluin!

Wildlands Trust is ecstatic to welcome Rob Kluin to our growing staff! As Donor Relations Manager, Rob will forge and foster relationships with generous individuals and businesses across Southeastern Massachusetts, securing vital support for our mission. Get to know Rob in the bio below, and reacquaint yourself with our whole staff at wildlandstrust.org/staff.

Rob replaces longtime Donor Relations Manager Sue Chamberlain, who retired this spring after 11 years of service to Wildlands. We look forward to honoring her at our Leadership Council brunch next month. Stay tuned for more reflection on Sue’s impactful career.

If you would like to support our work to protect the region’s remarkable lands and waters, Rob would love to hear from you! Say hello at 774-343-5121 ext. 113 or rkluin@wildlandstrust.org.

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Rob Kluin, Donor Relations Manager - ☎️ 📧

A people person and a nature person, Rob Kluin is a rarity in the conservation field. As Donor Relations Manager, Rob leverages his networking and communication skills to connect Wildlands Trust with vital support from the communities we serve.  

Growing up in the Adirondacks, Rob developed a lifelong respect for land protection and stewardship. At a crossroads in his career, Rob knew he wanted to settle in a place with the same reverence for the natural world. As he flipped through an atlas for potential next stops, Plymouth’s ragged coastline caught his eye. Then came a serendipitous job offer that made his dream a reality. Rob moved in near Shifting Lots Preserve, where he got to know Wildlands’ far-reaching work. Two decades later, Rob jumped at the chance to put his people skills to work for the organization that helped him fall in love with the region. 

“I truly love people, and Wildlands brings people together for the common good,” Rob said. “That’s a very positive and impressive thing in a world of so many differences. I would love for my legacy to be that I opened doors for new people to support Wildlands’ mission.” 

As Donor Relations Manager, Rob collaborates with the Wildlands team to grow the donor base and maintain strong relationships with existing contributors. Before joining Wildlands, Rob held senior communications and marketing positions with corporate and nonprofit organizations, including Manomet Conservation Sciences and Plimoth Patuxet Museums. He continues to serve on Manomet’s board of trustees and was vice president of the board for Cape Rep Theatre for eight years. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the State University of New York and a master's degree in Corporate Communications from Ithaca College. 

Outside of work, Rob enjoys gardening, traveling, cooking, swimming, and spending quality time with his family, friends, and cat Mocha.