Trust "Green Team" Gets Outdoors

Seven local students completed Wildlands Trust 2016 Green Team this summer.  Despite being in the midst of a July heat wave, Green Team members spent two weeks learning about an array of topics in the environmental field from local professionals and volunteering with them as well.  Some of the highlights included:

• Constructing Bluebird boxes for Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable and learning about wildlife rehabilitation from Lynn Miller.

• A birding walk and workshop with Brian Harrington at our Great River Preserve, followed by trail maintenance throughout Great River.

• A beach cleanup at Center Hill Preserve in Plymouth.

• Constructing a trail at the Halfway Pond preserve to connect to Myles Standish State Park trails.

• Learning about organic growing from Kofi Ingersoll of Bay End Farm in Bourne and harvesting garlic.

Wildlands Trust’s Green Team provides job training for high school students interested in natural resource work. Under the supervision of Wildlands Trust Staff, students undertake trail maintenance and construction, wildlife nesting box construction, beach cleanups, and invasive species removal and farming projects. Students who complete the program receive a stipend for their efforts.

Summer Intern Position's Available at Wildlands Trust

The Wildlands Trust has 2 summer internship opportunities available for the summer of 2016.  Preference will be given to qualified candidates who are college students majoring in an environmental concentration. 

Position #1-  Natural Resource Monitor
Location:  Plymouth, MA

Hours:     10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  12 weekend days between June 25th and August 21st    
                   (some flexibility for you to pick days)

Duties:    Intern will monitor the public usage of the Halfway Pond Conservation Area in
                   Plymouth collecting data that will become the foundation of a management plan.
                   Training provided.

Skills:      Great attitude! Data collection and observation skills, strong interpersonal skills,
                   good judgement, ability to ride a mountain bike, interest in being outside.

Stipend:  $500 upon completion of project.

Position #2 - Trail Intern
Location: Plymouth, MA

Hours:      16 hours per week, through August

Duties:     Work to ground truth the accuracy of maps of existing trails so we can prepare a
                   new publication on hikes in Plymouth. Training provided.

Skills:       Great attitude! Comfortable hiking in the woods alone, valid driver’s license,
                   self-starter, experience with hand tools, strong computer skills. Ability to use GPS
                   unit desirable.

Stipend:   $500 upon completion of project.

If interested in either of these positions, please send a cover letter along with your resume to admin@wildlandstrust.org. No phone calls please.

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT COMPLETED

Curtis McLellan of Plymouth completed his Eagle Scout service project recently for Wildlands Trust.  He installed a wooden bench, the new sign, and the trail markers on our Emery Preserve in Plymouth.  Wildlands appreciates the research, planning, management, and general hard work that have gone into this project.  The bench is well-built, sturdy, and comfortable.  The trail markers he installed has helped enhance the visitor experience, and the sign that he designed is tasteful and highly visible so that visitors can find this wonderful trail – which is now even more improved by the raking and brush removal that he and his volunteers performed.  These are all significant improvements to the Emery Preserve, and we expect them to last for many years to come.

Curtis has shown great leadership, care, and project management skills throughout his Eagle Scout service project, and his professionalism and good nature made it a pleasure working with him.

We thank Curtis for choosing to work with Wildlands Trust on his project.  We are a small, friendly non-profit organization accomplishing great things.  Our members and volunteers support our efforts and are very important to us – thank you!

If you have a chance, check out the new bench at the Beech tree in our Emery Preserve!

SPOTLIGHT ON STEWARDSHIP

Thank you Volunteers!

We had some great Trailblazer days in January, helping clear trees and remove trash from the Great Neck Conservation Area in Wareham and the Tucker Preserve in Pembroke.  Despite some cold weather both mornings, we had a great turn out of dedicated volunteers. Thank you!

WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON NOW

Here at Wildlands, we take pride in our public trails and want hikers and trail users to know all about what a preserve has to offer.  As such, we have updated several of our kiosks with new maps and interpretive materials, making it easier to find which trails to take and to know what wildlife to watch out for.  Be sure to check them out!