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.
