Stewardship

Volunteer Spotlight: Brian Vigorito

By Stewardship Manager, Erik Boyer

For the past three years, Brian Vigorito has volunteered at Willow Brook Farm Preserve in Pembroke through Wildlands’ “Adopt-a-Preserve” program. He is a regular at Wildlands’ Trailblazer projects and is one of our Hike Leaders. He is an avid hiker, birder, photographer and self-trained naturalist. Learn more about him and why he volunteers with Wildlands in my conversation with him below:

Brian smiles for the camera during a Trailblazers day at Willow Brook Farm.

How did you first get interested in spending time outdoors?

I always played in the woods as a kid and hiked, but got away from it as I got older. Several years ago, I noticed there was a nature preserve [Willow Brook Farm] five minutes from where I live in Pembroke and started hiking there a few times a week. Around three years ago, I decided that I was interested in helping Wildlands at Willow Brook Farm and reached out to them to become a volunteer. I became interested in birding and photography just the last few years after attending Wildlands’ programming

What is the most unique species of bird you have seen anywhere?

A Great Black Hawk, which I observed last year in Portland, Maine. 

What is the most unique species that you have seen at Willow Brook Farm?

A black burnian warbler. I saw it on the Harry and Mary Todd Trail loop in the shrubland area, which is a great birding spot. After I first started getting into birding, I learned about an app called INaturalist which allows you to upload photos and submit your identification at an area. This is how I started to get into photography.

Photo courtesy of Brian Vigorito.

I recall that you had one particularly odd photo that reminded me of an awkward meeting of distant relatives, what’s the story behind it?

I went out to Shifting Lots Preserve on a cold and windy early spring day and observed a snowy egret and two little blue herons hunkering down on the edge of the marsh trying to stay out of the wind.

What is your favorite part about “Adopt-a-Preserve”?

That I can go five minutes from home to walk Willow Brook Farm and I can do it when I’ve got time, and it’s nice that it’s an open-ended experience.

What is your favorite trail work memory?

I would say building the new trail through the forest of green briar in the middle of the summer. It was impressive to watch Owen Grey mow down a 7-foot wall of briar.

What is your favorite thing to do while out on the property?

Definitely ID’ing organisms. I have identified 189 species at Willow Brook. This includes 94 species of birds, 8 mammals, 4 reptiles, 6 amphibians, 34 insects, and 47 plants.

What is your favorite trail work tool?

It would definitely be hand pruners. I’m a detail oriented person and it’s enjoyable to fine tune the trail behind the power tools.

What is the strangest item of trash you have picked up?

A 10-foot metal pipe during a beach cleanup at White Horse Beach in Plymouth.

What is your favorite spot on the trails at WBF?

The observation overlooking Herring Brook. It’s a great birding location and it gives you the best view of the property.

What’s the best time of year to visit Willow Brook?

The winter, it’s especially a great walk just after a snow fall as you can follow all of the wildlife tracks in the snow.

What is the coolest critter you’ve found out there?

A four-toed salamander under a log.

What is your favorite Wildlands property to visit outside of Willow Brook?

Shifting Lots, it’s my go-to spot for good birding – especially shorebirds!

What would you tell anyone who is thinking about volunteering with Wildlands?

You get to meet a great community of people at projects and other events. Adopt-a-Preserve is great because you can do it at your own pace and on your own time.


Want to Volunteer through Adopt-A-Preserve?


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.

Volunteer Spotlight: Mike Arsenault

By Stewardship Manager, Erik Boyer

Michael Arsenault, of Marshfield, is Wildlands’ first Adopt-a-Preserve volunteer at Hoyt-Hall Preserve. Adopt-A-Preserve is a training program in which volunteers help Wildlands monitor the most highly visited WT properties through monthly preserve visits and submitting online reports. Mike has volunteered his time over the last few years and enjoys going out to the preserve on a weekly basis. Mike assists us with everything from leading hikes to being our photographer at events. Recently, I sat down with Mike to find out more about why he enjoys working with Wildlands:

How did you first learn about Wildlands Trust?

In the spring of 2016, I caught a glimpse of a group clearing vegetation from a pull-off on Careswell Street in Marshfield. I was curious to what was happening so I pulled in and learned that an area was being cleared for a future trailhead parking lot. I, being a lifelong hiker and outdoor enthusiast, was excited to learn about the soon to be built 2-mile trail loop that would traverse around the perimeter of Long Tom Pond, an area that I had always been curious to explore. At that point I tagged along to help on multiple trail work days, where I assisted with building the trail and constructing bog boards on the wet areas of the trail.

Mike Arsenault and Wildlands’ Outreach and Education Manager Rachel Calderara check out the trees at Hoyt-Hall Preserve.

How did you first get introduced to hiking?

I started hiking at an early age when my father would take me for day hikes in the Blue Hills to explore. I was also a member of the Boy Scouts and we would go to Camp Dorchester in the Blue Hills for camping outings.

What is your favorite trail work memory?

One of my favorite memories is at Hoyt-Hall, where a Great Horned Owl watched us redirecting a trail during a Trailblazer project and then subsequently seeing the owl while out on hikes on the property.

What is your favorite spot at Hoyt-Hall?

The portion of the trail that runs [along] the earthen dam that follows the southern portion of the loop and all of the signs of human use of the land that are noticeable during a hike, such as the access road around the old cranberry bog that is now a red maple swamp, the well that water was drawn from for irrigating, and the foundation of a windmill.

What is the best time of year to visit?

The best times of year to visit is the winter after a light snowfall and in the fall as red maples throughout the property change to a brilliant red.

Mike Arsenault and Wildlands’ Stewardship Manager Erik Boyer look out over Long Tom Pond at Hoyt-Hall Preserve after performing trail work.

What has kept you involved at Hoyt-Hall?

Being part of the trail establishment and the evolution of the property to one of the most visited Wildlands Trust properties. I feel a deep connection with the land and I am constantly impressed seeing other hikers picking up trash during most of my hikes. I enjoy  keeping trails safe and accessible to hikers and helping connect other people to the natural beauty that is around them.

What is your favorite aspect of trail work?

I would say being part of the raking crew as we get to visually make the trail look complete and it’s a good way to be productive and still chat with other volunteers.

What is your favorite Wildlands Trust property to hike on outside of Hoyt-Hall?

Great Neck Preserve in Wareham. It’s close to a 4-mile hike and you get such a variety of views as the trail gives you views of a salt marsh, sheep farm, pond, and forest.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in volunteering with Wildlands through the “Adopt-a-Preserve” program?

My advice to anyone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer with Wildlands Trust is simply to just try it out, no matter your background, any amount of your time that you can give is valuable. I’ve felt a sense of support throughout the years from Trust staff and I feel that I’ve been part of a community with my fellow volunteers.

 

A fun fact Mike shared with me during my time with him, this past Christmas Mike received the perfect present from his grandchildren that tells it all: A t-shirt with “Hoyt-Hall Trail Guide” blazed on the back. Thank you to Mike for sitting down and speaking with me about his experience volunteering at Widlands Trust. If you’d like to learn more about Wildlands’ Adopt-A-Preserve program, visit our volunteer page: https://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.

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.

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.

Eagle Project Enhances Wildlands' Preserves

By Stewardship Manager, Erik Boyer

John Schelling, second from right, and the rest of Troop 1620 install one of four recently built benches.

John Schelling, second from right, and the rest of Troop 1620 install one of four recently built benches.

Eagle Scout candidate, John Schelling from Plymouth Troop 1620, recently completed the construction and installation of four benches at South Triangle Preserve in Plymouth and the Gleason Family Preserve in Wareham for his Eagle Scout Service Project. Eagle Projects, a requirement to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout, provide a Scout with the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and planning skills by choosing a project that meets a needs of the community. Wildlands has worked with numerous Scouts over the years who have chosen to complete their Eagle Project with us. Past projects include: building water crossings, picnic tables, benches, new trails and mini kiosks.

One of the four benches recently built by Plymouth Troop 1620.

One of the four benches recently built by Plymouth Troop 1620.

Two of the benches completed for John's project went to South Triangle, one was installed about a half mile into the trail system and the other overlooking Triangle Pond. At the Gleason Family Preserve, the remining two benches were installed at locations overlooking Mark’s Cove.

John has taken part in Wildlands' Green Team for the last two summers, including this summer, and has volunteered a number of times with us. We would like to thank John for both his hard work and the great leadership he exhibited throughout the project and wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors

Canvassing Increases Awareness, Participation for GGCP

Wildlands Trust hits the streets of Brockton to promote Greening the Gateway Cities

Tommy Blanchard and Conor Michaud with a recently planted tree at Brockton City Hall

Tommy Blanchard and Conor Michaud with a recently planted tree at Brockton City Hall

Spring has launched the new planting season for the Massachusetts Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) and in Brockton, it’s off to a great start. As of April 27, 611 trees have been planted throughout the city, 179 on public land and 432 on private, putting the program on track to reach its overall goal of planting 2,400 trees within three years. Success will increase canopy cover by 5-10 percent and reduce heating and cooling use and costs for households throughout the planting zone.

Responsible for supporting the program's outreach initiatives, Wildlands’ Community Stewardship Program Coordinator, Conor Michaud, and AmeriCorps member, Tommy Blanchard, have met with community members throughout the planting zone and have received overall positive responses from residents. Many who utilize the program report they first heard of GGCP from a canvasser.

Conor and Tommy will be kicking off their first tabling event of the season at the Plant and Seed Swap at the Frederick Douglass Community Garden on Sunday, May 6, from 12:30–3 p.m. To learn more about the Greening the Gateway Cities Program, stop by their table or visit our website at wildlandstrust.org/greening-the-gateway-cities.