In its first year in operation, the Stewardship Training Center (STC) hit the ground running, offering pilot programs to diverse partners and developing creative and collaborative uses for its 12,000-square-foot building and 450-acre woodland campus on the shores of Halfway Pond.  

Wildlands Trust established the STC in 2022 to equip municipal and nonprofit partners with the stewardship capacity they need to maintain ever-expanding conservation lands across our region and state. 

From March to December 2023, 266 people engaged with the STC via programs, trainings, conferences, and residence. Training courses were presented by 17 different instructors and attended by staff of 16 organizations and eight municipalities. Nine organizations, in addition to Wildlands, used the facilities for their own training, research, and housing needs.  

Read on to learn more about the wide reach and varied programs at the STC this year. And stay tuned as the STC presses on into its second year!

By the Numbers

Since March, 28 organizations and municipalities have attended or led programs at the STC. These partners include Buzzards Bay Coalition, Manomet, Wareham Land Trust, New England Forestry Foundation, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Orleans Conservation Trust, North County Land Trust, Rochester Land Trust, Mattapoisett Land Trust, Barnstable Land Trust, Friends of Conte, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Mass Audubon, Brewster Conservation Trust, Sierra Club, Mass Land Trust Coalition, Essex County Greenbelt, Sudbury Valley Trustees, South Shore YMCA, and the Towns of Duxbury, Marshfield, Kingston, Hanover, Halifax, Hanson, Plymouth, and Rockland , in addition to Wildlands.

Over the same time period, 266 people interacted with the STC through training programs, volunteer events, organizational conferences, and temporary residence supporting local conservation activities.

By the Dates

March 4-5: Basic Chainsaw Training and Safety for Land Stewards  

Bill Girard of Girard Custom Cut Hardwood (a Game of Logging training organization) instructed seven conservation professionals in basic chainsaw safety, use, and equipment maintenance. Read more here. 

June 26-27: Seasonal Land Steward Training 

Twelve seasonal land stewards from across the state converged on the STC to gain invaluable conservation skills and expand their professional network. Read more here. 

July 12: Municipal Volunteer Training – Focus Group 

Wildlands hosted a focus group of 12 municipal conservation professionals to assess training needs for local volunteers. The group will develop a tiered volunteer training program to increase stewardship capacity on municipal lands, to be piloted in 2024. 

July 15: Adopt-a-Preserve Trainer Training 

Five seasoned Wildlands Trust volunteers were trained to train the next wave of Adopt-a-Preserve participants. 

July 27: Summer of Service – Carpentry 

Through our Summer of Service program, 14 high school students from across the region learned to build bog boards, which were later installed at North Fork Preserve. 

July 29: First Aid for Conservation Volunteers 

Chris Crowther of Certified Rescue Courses taught eight volunteers how to treat basic medical incidents in the field. 

August 14-18: Sierra Club Service Trip

Twenty Sierra Club members from across the continent completed a service trip at the STC and Shifting Lots Preserve. 

September 10-11: Wilderness First Aid 

Hal Beck of SOLO Wilderness Medical School trained nine attendees how to respond to medical emergencies on trails.  

November 1: Greater Boston Regional Land Trusts Meeting 

Essex County Greenbelt and Sudbury Valley Trustees joined Wildlands at the STC to share success stories and lessons learned. 

November 3-4: MLTC Early Career Conservation Network 

Eight early-career conservationists met at the STC to bond, network, and explore Halfway Pond Conservation Area together. 

November 11-12: Felling and Storm Damage Chainsaw Training 

Bill Girard of Game of Logging instructed 10 land stewards in proper tree felling and storm damage clean-up techniques. 

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To learn more about the Stewardship Training Center, visit wildlandstrust.org/training or contact Stewardship Operations Manager Zoë Smiarowski at zsmiarowski@wildlandstrust.org.