Kingston Dam to be Removed Using State-Awarded Funds

By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter

KINGSTON– On July 28, Wildlands Trust received a $729,000 state grant to remove the Sylvia Place Pond dam in Kingston, MA. The award will allow the conservation group to improve public safety in the area and to restore fish passage by conducting a breach of this significant hazard, poor-condition dam.

Governor Charlie Baker announced the 2021 Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Dam and Seawall Program grant recipients from Gloucester’s Haskell Pond Dam on Wednesday. 28 grantees, including the conservation group and 27 cities and towns across Massachusetts, will receive more than $17 million to help repair failing dams, seawalls, and levees. Since the grant program’s inception in 2013, more than $95 million have been provided to address the state’s aging structures.

Wildlands Trust’s Executive Director, Karen Grey, says, “We have to be concerned with how severe storm activity is taking a toll on aging infrastructure. With this funding we can now eliminate the growing public safety issues to residents living downstream of this dam.”

Sylvia Place Pond is nearly surrounded by Wildlands Trust’s 27-acre Stewart/Person Preserve, in Kingston. The Sylvia Place Pond Dam has outlived its usefulness as an historic impoundment for mill power and ice harvesting. It is part of a series of interconnected manmade ponds that were originally constructed to supply power to nearby mills. There is a herring ladder at the north end of the pond that allows fish to complete their annual trek upstream for spawning in nearby Russell Pond. The area is also home to such wildlife as red fox, otter, mink, deer, osprey, and great blue heron.

Wildlands Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving land and preserving the natural heritage of Southeastern Massachusetts. The organization works to permanently protect and steward important habitats and landscapes, including woodlands and fields, ponds, coastal areas, agricultural lands, and river systems. Founded in 1973, Wildlands Trust has worked to protect nearly 13,000 acres of open space in 48 Massachusetts towns.

Many Hands Make Light Work

By President & Executive Director Karen Grey

Stewarding conservation land is messy, hard work, especially when a parcel has been neglected and stewards are called upon to clean up years of misuse, overgrowth and dumping. These types of projects require the good cheer, know-how and efficiencies brought to bear by a team of can-do people, such as the group that convened on May 15, 2021 to revitalize a parcel in Yarmouth recently protected by the Native Land Conservancy (NLC).

Founded in 2012 in Mashpee, NLC is the first Native-run land conservation group east of the Mississippi. Its mission is to preserve healthy landscapes for all living things and to help restore land to its natural state. As a developing land trust, NLC relies on volunteers for stewardship work, and Wildlands was happy to send a few members of our A-Team (Owen Grey, Marilynn Atterbury, and Rob MacDonald), along with our truck and tools, to assist with the set-up of this 11-acre parcel on Cape Cod. 

As time and resources allow, Wildlands is committed to helping other, less-resourced land trusts in any way we can. 

Volunteers Cleanup Pembroke, Hanover, Hanson Preserves

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Photos provided by Rob MacDonald

On April 24, volunteers led by members of the Indian Head River Coalition banded together to remove trash along the banks of the Indian Head River, Rocky Run, and North River, as well as from the conservation properties they run through.

Volunteers initially met at Luddam’s Ford Park (Hanover) prior to breaking out into groups that would focus on five locations selected at conservation lands in Hanson, Hanover and Pembroke. Volunteers in Hanson cleaned along State Street and Rocky Run, with a notable find being an old TV they pulled out of the river. Three locations were selected in Hanover for groups to canvass, including Water Street, the Luddam’s Ford Park parking lot and Chapman’s Landing. In Pembroke, volunteers cleaned-up Luddam’s Ford Park (Pembroke) and Tucker Preserve. 

In total, 25 bags of trash were removed from these areas. Items collected included everything from bottles, cans, mylar balloons, furniture cushions, and even a steel oil tank! Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and spent the day with the Coalition in order to help keep the river system clean and healthy.

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About the Indian Head River Coalition

The Indian Head River Coalition was created in 2017 for the purpose of preserving the historic and natural qualities of the contiguous conservation lands along the Indian Head River and engage the general public in taking advantage of passive recreational opportunities on these properties. The Coalition is composed of Wildlands Trust, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, and the towns of Hanover, Hanson and Pembroke. In 2018, the group obtained a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant to provide trail maintenance, trail markings, amenity improvements, and new kiosks and interpretive signage along the 6-mile trail corridor that runs through and connects each property.

Annual Fencing Goes up at Shifting Lots

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Erik Boyer installing this year’s fencing and signage along the dunes.

In preparation for the expected uptick in visitation at Shifting Lots Preserve, Stewardship Manager Erik Boyer and Wildlands volunteer and board member Marilynn Atterbury spent a day out on the property this past week installing temporary fencing along the dunes. This work is done in tandem with the Friends of Ellisville Marsh, who install fencing along the front portion of the property in order to protect the nesting sites of piping plovers and least turns.

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Piping plover eggs in the sand.

In addition to creating space around the nesting sites to prevent scaring the birds away, the fencing also helps visitors avoid accidentally stepping on their eggs when walking along the shore. Just as we ask visitors to stay on trail at our wooded preserves, we ask that if you visit the property, please be mindful that this area is an important habitat for the survival of these creatures and keep out of the fenced-off areas. As in past years, this fencing will remain up until October.

 If you’d like to learn more about threatened shorebirds at Shifting Lots and Cape Cod, you can check out the recording of our recent Zoom presentation on our website: https://wildlandstrust.org/wildlands-online.

Volunteer Spotlight: Cindy Letourneau

Recently, Land Steward Eamon Horrigan interviewed one of Wildlands’ Adopt-A-Preserve volunteers and outdoor enthusiast, Cindy Letourneau, to discuss Halfway Pond Conservation Area and her volunteer work at Wildlands:

Cindy in front of the Mashpee River at Mashpee River Reservation.

When and how did you first learn about Wildlands Trust? 

We moved to Plymouth in 2015 and I think we found out about Wildlands Trust through the local paper and became members. We first went out to a Wildlands property on a Post Feast Waddle with Malcolm. We have enjoyed that hike three times now, as have our grandchildren, who have also come twice. We definitely missed it this past year though.
 

How long have you been a part of Adopt-A-Preserve (AAP)? 

I just started in July because the pandemic finally gave me the gift of time. 

How did you discover Halfway Pond Conservation Area?

I discovered Whippoorwill and Blackmer Hill trails on my own but did not discover the Conant Storrow and Joe Brown trail sections until I walked them with Malcolm on March 15th. 

How did you discover the AAP program?

I was informed about the program by Betsy Hall, another AAP volunteer at Halfway Pond. She noticed that I came out to the trails a lot and then proceeded to tell me about the program. 
 

What is your favorite thing to do while out on monitoring visits? 

I love to pay attention to everything around me. I spend my time looking for wildlife and taking in my surroundings. 

What are some highlights for you along the Halfway Pond trail loop? 

Big Point is my favorite part of the trail because you get a panoramic view of the whole pond. It makes you feel like you are the only person in the world. I come across it right at the beginning of my hikes usually. 

 
What have been your favorite wildlife sightings at Halfway Pond? 

One of my favorite wildlife sightings has been a fox that crossed right in front of me on the trail. I have also had several close encounters with deer. I’ve seen a bald eagle over the pond from Mast Road but not while on the actual trail loop. I’ve seen evidence of coyotes too but never actually seen one. Blue herons and turtles are also some nice sightings I see along the pond. I have also frequently seen and taken pictures of a pair of swans that I was very excited to see with seven cygnets one time. I had to take a lot more pictures on that occasion. I also love to take pictures of the lady slippers that come up in May.

What is the most memorable experience you have had while at a Wildlands property?  

I remember walking out to the large European beech at Emery Preserve West on a Post Feast Waddle as being a special memory. Other than that, the aforementioned wildlife sightings are memorable experiences. 

 
What is your favorite thing about AAP? 

It feels rewarding to clean up the trails and see the difference day-to-day in having clear trails. It’s also nice to not have deadlines when you go out to the trails and have the freedom to visit them when you want. Additionally, during quarantine times, walking the trails is a good connection to the outside world because it creates an opportunity to bump into people. For example, one time in early summer, I encountered and spoke with a couple, which ended in an invitation to go kayaking with their group the following week. On other occasions, I have encountered people who have been able to share history of the area, as well as their favorite spots for wildlife sightings.

Enjoying the winter weather while snowshoeing in the Berkshires.

Do you have a favorite time of the year to visit Halfway Pond? 

I love wintertime because you can see everything from the trail without foliage blocking your view. Also, there are no mosquitoes and you don’t sweat during the winter. Spring is also great because you get to see everything in bloom, the turtles are out, as are the vernal pools. Fall is also beautiful of course. I really like the trails all year round, apart from 95 degree summer days. 

Do you have a favorite Wildlands property to walk outside of Halfway Pond? 

I mostly just walk the trails at Halfway Pond, but I have been to Emery Preserve several times because it is conveniently right here in Plymouth. 

Outside of Wildlands’ properties, are there any nature preserves in the region that you like to visit? 

Some of the other regional properties I have enjoyed are: 

Kingston: Muddy Pond (New England Wilderness Trust)
Mashpee: Mashpee River Reservation (The Trustees of Reservations)
Plymouth: Black Cat Preserve (Town of Plymouth), Hio Hill (Town of Plymouth), Center Hill (Town of Plymouth)
Rochester: East Over Reservation (The Trustees of Reservations)
Sandwich: Lowell Holly (The Trustees of Reservations), Talbot’s Point (Town of Sandwich)

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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.