Deer Ticks: One Bite Can Change Your Life

On Tuesday, May 23 Entomologist Larry Dapsis came to the Wildlands Trust Community Conservation Barn for a special presentation about ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Dapsis is the Entomologist for Barnstable County and Deer Tick Project Coordinator for Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. He works both to study tick populations and diseases and to educate the public. An engaged crowd of nearly 30 volunteers, members, and nonmembers made for an interactive program and lively discussion. If you missed it, or just want to review the information, you can download the PDF below.

Here at Wildlands Trust, we want to help inform and educate everyone who loves to get outside to enjoy nature in order to best protect themselves. Every time we're out on the trails with a group, without fail someone has a personal story about how tick-borne illnesses have effected their lives. Living in an area  where the rate of tick-borne illness is among the highest in the country, this information from Larry Dapsis is invaluable. We look forward to having him at Wildlands again next year! 

Brockton Envirothon Team Storms Competition

On May 18, 2017, the Brockton High School / Wildlands Trust Envirothon Team competed at their third consecutive Massachusetts Envirothon Competition. Teams from across the state spent the morning at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farms taking field tests in Forests, Wildlife, Soil, and Water, presenting their community research projects, and volunteering with the Student Conservation Association. Our team of ten dedicated students placed 6th overall in the state, took the 3rd place award for their Current Issue Presentation, and brought home the Community Research and Community Action Awards.

The Brockton team tests their knowledge at the Forests field test, one of four tests at the Massachusetts Envirothon competition.

Each year, teams are asked to research a new current issue topic as it effects their community. This year’s topic was Agricultural Soil and Water Conservation. Since the fall, our students have been out in the community researching this topic and talking with the experts. They’ve met with the city’s water commissioner, farmers, AmeriCorps members, the Brockton city planner, soil scientists, and more. As their research developed, the team identified the need to help Brockton’s Promise assess the conditions of community gardens around the city. On their own time after school and on weekends, team members visited community gardens to collect soil samples for testing at the UMass Soil Lab, assess the availability of water, and assess the overall potential for community gardening at each site. They even came up with a unique rainwater collection trough design that uses fences rather than gutters.

The Brockton team presents their Current Issue Research to a panel of judges, taking 3rd place in this category at the 2017 Massachusetts Envirothon Competition.

At the competition, the team blew the judges away as they presented their research and action project. Comments from judge score sheets include:

“Great presentation – wonderful work.” 
“Excellent explanation of the issue.” 
“An exciting and good presentation. Thank you for your drive and your dedication." 
“Q&A at the end was excellent!”
“Good for people and the environment. Awesome!”

This and other Brockton Envirothon projects truly have an impact on the community as whole and on the lives of the students who spend their time getting involved with environmental issues in their city. Everyone at Wildlands Trust is extremely proud of this team’s efforts and achievements this year! We can’t wait to get back to it in the fall for another great Envirothon year!

After their presentation, the team is interviewed for the Community Research and Community Action Awards.

Special thanks are due to Biology teacher and coach Joyce Voorhis, who has spearheaded the Envirothon efforts in partnership with Wildlands Trust since 2015. Also thank you to Jack Jezard, SEMPBA’s MassLIFT AmeriCorps member who helped coach the team this year, and to all of the wonderful professionals who helped our students this year!

Ray Brown's "Talkin' Birds" Broadcasts Live from Wildlands Trust

On the last day of April, Ray Brown arrived at the Wildlands Trust Community Conservation Barn prepared to remotely broadcast his Sunday morning radio show, Ray Brown’s "Talkin’ Birds". Normally broadcast from local Marshfield station 95.9 WATD on Sundays at 9:30 am, "Talkin’ Birds" is also broadcast across New England, New York, and Maryland, is available on podcast and live stream services.

A live audience enjoyed brunch as they listened to and participated in the show; cheering on Ray, his on-air guest Trevor Lloyd-Evans, and various call-in guests to the show. Trevor joined us from Manomet, where he leads the Landbird Conservation Program. The two longtime friends talked about the effects of climate change on bird populations, how bird behavior can be an indicator of climate change, and more.

From the left: Debbie Bleacher, Ray Brown, and Trevor Lloyd-Evans broadcasting live on Sunday, April 30 from Wildlands Trust.

After the live show, special guests Wayne Petersen of Mass Audubon, Brian Harrington formerly of Manomet, and Trevor Lloyd-Evans hosted an off-air panel discussion about this important topic, touching on the challenges that land birds, shore birds, and sea birds face due to accelerated climate change.  The discussion was dynamic and engaging, allowing the audience to participate and still leaving much to be seen as these charismatic animals adapt, “or not” as Trevor says, to a rapidly changing planet.

After the show, Wayne Petersen, Brian Harrington, and Trevor Lloyd-Evans hosted a panel discussion titled "Climate Change: Listen To What The Birds Are Telling Us".

The morning was truly a delight, and we’d like to thank our special guests Ray Brown, Trevor Lloyd-Evans, Wayne Petersen, and Brian Harrington, the folks at 95.9 WATD, and caterer Faith Flemming for making the show a success and for the importnat work they do in our community.

Didn’t catch us on Sunday? You can listen to the show right here on the Talkin’ Birds website: http://www.talkinbirds.com/archive/

Trust Expands Kingston Preserve with New Acquisition

Courtesy of the Frey family, Wildlands Trust’s Indian Hill Preserve in Kingston has almost doubled in size. On April 21, 2017, Daune and Bill Frey donated a 4.6-acre parcel off of Indian Pond Road in south Kingston. 

The donated parcel consists of scenic upland woods with steep slopes, is within multiple areas identified as important wildlife habitat by the Commonwealth’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, and is also significant for water supply protection.  It is located within a Zone II Wellhead Protection Area, and helps protect the Plymouth-Carver sole source aquifer, a vital regional resource that provides drinking water for thousands of area residents. 

The donation expands and complements the adjacent Indian Hill Preserve, donated by Mary Hathaway in 2003. 

Thank you to the Freys for their generous donation! 

Massasoit Students Canvas for Brockton Audubon

On a beautiful Monday afternoon in April, Massasoit Community College Honor Students led by professor Susan Martelli met up with Wildlands Trust staff, Erik Boyer and Ryan Krapp, to canvas the neighborhoods surrounding the new and improved trail system at Brockton Audubon Preserve. 

Massasoit students, professor Susan Martelli, and Wildlands Trust Property Manager Erik Boyer at the 20 ft. boulder, or "glacial erratic", at Brockton Audubon Preserve. 

The goal of the day was to hand out over 100 invitations to come enjoy the new trails located in the backyards of Brockton residents. There are now over 1.5-miles of trails with two new boardwalks, a large kiosk at the Pleasant St. parking lot, and five interpretive trail-side signs along the way. If you haven’t been to Brockton Audubon Preserve in a while you better stop by to check it out! Get the map here http://wildlandstrust.org/trail-brockton.

Thanks Massasoit Community College honor students for your volunteerism and enthusiasm for the work we're doing in Brockton!

One of the new boardwalk trails at Brockton Audubon Preserve.