NEMBA

Oh, What Fun It Is to Ride!

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!

Eagle Scout Project Benefits Wildlands' Great Neck Conservation Area

By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter

Local Eagle Scout Ethan Nardone and his team of volunteers, along with the Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod chapters of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) installed an impressive 240 feet of bog boards at Great Neck Preserve, in Wareham this month! This 24-inch wide wooden “bridge” is designed to accommodate both hiking and mountain biking. It allows trail users to avoid mud and standing water, and limits the impact of pedestrian and bike traffic on the trail and surrounding environment.

Nardone planned the workday for his Eagle Scout Service Project, recruiting volunteers and fundraising for the project. NEMBA’s generous contributions provided both financial and physical support. In coordination with Wildlands’ Director of Stewardship, Erik Boyer, Nardone’s friends and family, biking team members from a local school, members of both NEMBA chapters, and Wildlands staff and volunteers spent the day carrying lumber and tools onto the trail, then assembling the bog boards on site.  

The new bog boards are a fantastic addition to the trail at Great Neck Preserve, and Wildlands is grateful to benefit from this outstanding collaboration!

Photo credit: SEMass NEMBA Chapter President, Tommy Walker