By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter

On Sunday, December 5, Wildlands teamed up with the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) for a festive, holiday-themed bike ride in Plymouth. Jingle Bell Ride participants chose either a 10-mile intermediate route through Halfway Pond Preserve or a shorter beginners’ course through Emery Preserve East. The event was well attended, with 20 revelrous riders decked out in their holiday best. The two groups completed their rides in approximately 90 minutes, then returned to Wildlands' headquarters at Davis-Douglas Farm, where they gathered by an outdoor fire and enjoyed post-ride refreshments in front of the Conservation Barn.

Organized mountain bike rides are new to Wildlands’ events calendar, but with our new Programs & Outreach Coordinator Claire Johnston’s thumb on the pulse of the local biking scene, we can expect to see more to come! This winter, our growing collaboration with NEMBA has led to the installation of hundreds of feet of new bog boards at Wildlands’ preserves, and has attracted enthusiastic new participants to the Wildlands community. NEMBA is known throughout Massachusetts for their exemplary trail stewardship and multi-use trail knowledge. The Wildlands team enjoyed introducing such a responsible group of mountain bikers to our trail system!