Nine teens out of over sixty applicants were hired for Green Team this summer to complete improvement projects at D.W. Field Park. Green Team emphasizes hands-on learning and community service in an outdoor, team-oriented environment sponsored and led by Wildlands Trust and Manomet.
Enhancing the Region Through Conservation
Bringing Adopt-A-Preserve to Brockton
Volunteer Spotlight: Rachel Thilbeault
By Eamon Horrigan, Land Stewardship Coordinator
Recently, Wildlands’ Land Stewardship Coordinator Eamon Horrigan sat down with long-time Brockton resident and Wildlands volunteer, Rachel Thilbeault, to discuss Brockton Audubon Preserve and her volunteer work at Wildlands:
How did you first discover Brockton Audubon Preserve and Wildlands Trust?
When I moved here, I realized right away that there were walking trails back behind my house. The trails were the same as they are now, apart from the trail with a boardwalk leading out to the [utility] easement. A friend from Brockton told me about Wildlands’ work at Brockton Audubon about 4 years ago.
How many years have you been involved with the property?
It has been 31 years since I first moved to Brockton and walked the trails back there. In 2005, I helped certify the vernal pool on the preserve by proving the presence of spotted yellow salamander juveniles in the pool.
A 20-foot-high glacial erratic can be found in the northeast section of the property.
What is your favorite thing to do while out on the property?
Watch for wildlife. [I’m] always looking to see animals like foxes and owls.
Do you have a favorite spot on the trails?
The huge glacial erratic at the trail intersection out there. It is amazing the way that is balanced. It looks like one of these days it is bound to fall over.
What is the coolest wildlife sighting you’ve had at the preserve?
Probably a great horned owl. It was perched on a large white pine tree and I was shocked by how large it was. I also saw two yellow spotted salamanders under a log, which was another cool sighting.
Do you have a favorite time of year to visit?
In the spring, when all the flowers are in bloom and before the leaves on the trees come out. I love to see all the violets around the vernal pool. I also really like to see the yellow of the marsh marigolds and the May apples that bloom on the right side of the trail near the parking area.
What is the most memorable moment you’ve had at the preserve?
Leading my first hike because it was nice to take people out and show them around. I liked having the chance to show people they can escape the rat race of the city and spend a couple hours relaxing in the woods.
What is it like being a volunteer hike leader with Wildlands Trust?
Well, it feels good to show people what is out there and makes me feel proud to have open, public land in Brockton. I think it is a privilege to have an opportunity to escape the hectic city.
A toad, one of many species found at the preserve, rests on the forest floor.
Do you think that property usage has increased since you first got involved or stayed relatively the same?
Definitely more people have been going out there. Many dog walkers. I talk to plenty of people who remark on how they did not know this [preserve] was out here. Whenever I am doing trail work or picking up trash, people are interested and ask what I am doing out here.
In addition to leading hikes, you’re also an Adopt-A-Preserve (AAP) volunteer at Brockton Audubon, what is your favorite thing about AAP?
Going out [to the preserve] with the company of my fellow, friendly Brocktonians, Cynthia and Alan. It’s a chance to tell stories about how Brockton once was.
Do you have a favorite Wildlands property to walk outside of Brockton Audubon?
Great River Preserve in Bridgewater. It’s a great place to ride bikes and it’s nice to sit at the benches by the water and take a rest after a bike ride.
Outside of Wildlands, are there any other trails you also like to hike?
Borderland State Park (Easton, MA) and Blue Hills Reservation (Milton, MA). Borderland has a lot of pretty trails and a nice mixture of terrain; really flat trails and more hilly ones. Blue Hills is great because of the Skyline trail, getting to see the weather station there, and climbing Buck Hill for a view of Boston.
Thank you to Rachel for sitting down and speaking with me about her experience volunteering at Widlands Trust and Brockton Audubon Preserve. If you’d like to learn more about Wildlands’ Adopt-A-Preserve program or any other volunteer opportunities at Wildlands, visit our volunteer page at: wildlandstrust.org/volunteer
Wildlands’ Volunteer Spotlight Series showcases the interests and experiences of Wildlands’ dedicated volunteers. If you’d like more information on volunteering with Wildlands, please visit our volunteer page or contact us directly.
Wildlands Keeps Brockton Beautiful
By Hayley Leonard, Community Engagement Coordinator
Saturday, April 27, Wildlands Trust partnered with the city of Brockton for their annual ‘Keep Brockton Beautiful Day’. The day is an opportunity for community members to come together with the shared goal of cleaning up trash throughout the city, culminating with an afternoon cookout for those that volunteer. This year marks the second year that Wildlands Trust has participated in the event, the first being in 2012 when Wildlands first acquired Brockton Audubon Preserve.
The weather didn’t discourage our dedicated group of volunteers.
Early that morning, despite the dreary conditions, a crew of 11 Brockton residents came together to help Wildlands Trust staff and AmeriCorps members clean up trash from Stone Farm and Brockton Audubon Preserves. These properties are some of the last intact parcels of open space left in the city and together they total about 240 acres. Armed with gloves, trash pickers and bags provided by the city, we made our way into the most littered areas of the properties. We spent almost three hours cleaning and removed around 20 bags worth of trash by the end of the morning. With everyone’s help, we were even able to clear out some larger items that had been there for quite some time, such as a broken flat screen television, an old tire and what remained of a spring mattress.
Volunteers wrap-up after spending three hours cleaning the properties.
Local clean-up efforts tie into Wildlands’ mission of connecting residents with their natural environments – what better way to build a connection with a place than to help care for it? As a heavily urbanized area, residents of Brockton have fewer opportunities to explore natural spaces than those in the surrounding towns of Plymouth County. Events like this are an important addition to the work Wildlands Trust is already doing in Brockton with Greening the Gateway Cities and the Brockton High School Envirothon Team because they provide residents with the opportunity to actively engage with and learn about their environment, and understand how it connects to other aspects of their lives.