Welcome, Rob Kluin!

Wildlands Trust is ecstatic to welcome Rob Kluin to our growing staff! As Donor Relations Manager, Rob will forge and foster relationships with generous individuals and businesses across Southeastern Massachusetts, securing vital support for our mission. Get to know Rob in the bio below, and reacquaint yourself with our whole staff at wildlandstrust.org/staff.

Rob replaces longtime Donor Relations Manager Sue Chamberlain, who retired this spring after 11 years of service to Wildlands. We look forward to honoring her at our Leadership Council brunch next month. Stay tuned for more reflection on Sue’s impactful career.

If you would like to support our work to protect the region’s remarkable lands and waters, Rob would love to hear from you! Say hello at 774-343-5121 ext. 113 or rkluin@wildlandstrust.org.

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Rob Kluin, Donor Relations Manager - ☎️ 📧

A people person and a nature person, Rob Kluin is a rarity in the conservation field. As Donor Relations Manager, Rob leverages his networking and communication skills to connect Wildlands Trust with vital support from the communities we serve.  

Growing up in the Adirondacks, Rob developed a lifelong respect for land protection and stewardship. At a crossroads in his career, Rob knew he wanted to settle in a place with the same reverence for the natural world. As he flipped through an atlas for potential next stops, Plymouth’s ragged coastline caught his eye. Then came a serendipitous job offer that made his dream a reality. Rob moved in near Shifting Lots Preserve, where he got to know Wildlands’ far-reaching work. Two decades later, Rob jumped at the chance to put his people skills to work for the organization that helped him fall in love with the region. 

“I truly love people, and Wildlands brings people together for the common good,” Rob said. “That’s a very positive and impressive thing in a world of so many differences. I would love for my legacy to be that I opened doors for new people to support Wildlands’ mission.” 

As Donor Relations Manager, Rob collaborates with the Wildlands team to grow the donor base and maintain strong relationships with existing contributors. Before joining Wildlands, Rob held senior communications and marketing positions with corporate and nonprofit organizations, including Manomet Conservation Sciences and Plimoth Patuxet Museums. He continues to serve on Manomet’s board of trustees and was vice president of the board for Cape Rep Theatre for eight years. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the State University of New York and a master's degree in Corporate Communications from Ithaca College. 

Outside of work, Rob enjoys gardening, traveling, cooking, swimming, and spending quality time with his family, friends, and cat Mocha. 

Human History of Wildlands: Striar Conservancy

Striar Conservancy in Halifax. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

By Skip Stuck, Key Volunteer

Wildlands Trust’s land conservation work is all about context. No parcel is protected before the staff scrutinizes its place within regional trends in ecology and land use. Last month, I decided it was time for “Human History of Wildlands” to adopt the same approach. In accordance with Wildlands’ decades-long initiative to protect land along the Taunton River, I zoomed out my lens from individual preserves to the entire Taunton River watershed. From this 30,000-foot view, much came into focus about how the region has evolved over time and why it’s so critical to protect. For the next few months, I will zoom back in to the diverse histories of Wildlands preserves within the Taunton River watershed. But first, I encourage you to read "Human History of Wildlands: The Taunton River Watershed." It is from this context that the following accounts will come to life. 

Striar Conservancy is a 162-acre Wildlands showcase preserve located in Halifax, on the northern bank of the Winnetuxet River. It was acquired by Wildlands in 1999 from the Striar family, with hiking trails established the following year. The Town of Halifax's Randall-Hilliard Preserve abuts Striar from the south, creating a cushion of undeveloped land on both sides of the Winnetuxet. 

The area that would become Halifax was part of the 1661 "Twenty-six Men's Purchase" by settlers from the Plymouth Colony. The land contained parts of several current towns, including Middleborough, Plympton, Pembroke, and Halifax. In 1669, one of these 26 men, John Tomson, built his house on a large landholding of 6,000 acres on the Winnetuxet River. What would become Thompson Street (named after John, albeit with an alternate spelling) was described as an ox trail and cart path between Middleborough Green and the Tomson homestead. Other settlers soon followed. The land was fairly flat, swampy, and muddy, with few rocks owing to its past as a lakebed for Glacial Lake Taunton. It did have abundant woodlands of pine, oak, and especially the highly valued cedar, clearing the way for logging to become a principal industry. 

From History of Halifax, Massachusetts by Guy S. Baker (1976), page 126.

The initial settlers didn't prosper for long, because in 1675, King Philip's War broke out. Since their houses were spread out along Thompson Street, they could not be easily defended, and the raids burned many. John Tomson and others abandoned their homes and fled to a fort in Nemasket. Tomson took charge, but it soon became apparent that that their location was untenable, so he led the settlers to Plymouth for safety. Tomson soon became known as Halifax's "First Soldier." 

The next year, Captain Benjamin Church fought and captured 120 of the Monponsett ("near the deep pond") band of the Wampanoag Tribe at White Island, imprisoning them until the end of the war in Plymouth. Monponsett was the original name for the town of Halifax, and Monponsett Pond lies near the town’s center. 

When the war was over, settlers returned and rebuilt their homes, and the community grew once again. Forestry and now farming were taken up by the residents. The Winnetuxet River’s flow proved suitable for waterpower, and dams were soon built by the Thompsons, the Sturtevant family, and others. The dams powered sawmills, granaries, and a thriving charcoal industry. Remains of the Thompson Mill dam remain to this day at Striar Conservancy.  

From History of Halifax, Massachusetts by Guy S. Baker (1976), page 168.

In 1677, the first public grammar school was formed, although for most of the next 100 years, there was no school building; instead, classes were held in private homes. In 1734, the Town of Halifax was incorporated from parts of Middleborough, Plympton, and Pembroke. Agriculture grew in importance, with cranberry cultivation leading the charge, as in the rest of Southeastern Massachusetts. 

Halifax played an active role in the American Revolution, hosting the longest continuous militia company in Massachusetts. In fact, the first official mention of the war was made in Halifax, before it even began: "On December 26, 1774, it was voted that minutemen drawn out for military exercise shall have their pay for two half days in a week at 8 cents per half day." A week later, the town voted to send a member, Ebenezer Thompson, to the Provincial Congress in Cambridge.   

From History of Halifax, Massachusetts by Guy S. Baker (1976), page 115.

Halifax experienced slow, steady growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. Forests returned to the landscape in the place of abandoned farms. Maintaining its rural character and continuing cranberry production, Halifax evolved into an attractive modern bedroom community. 

Here, I have to include what some might see as a digression, but many might find entertaining. During World War II, a Halifax native made national headlines as the person who invented graffiti. His name was James Kilroy. In the 1940s, he worked at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. Perhaps out of boredom, he began signing his name on ships being built. The idea was picked up by servicemen, and soon the phrase "KILROY WAS HERE," often accompanied by a man with a big nose looking over a fence, adorned military ships, buildings, and equipment. Few might remember it now, but WWII vets and baby boomers might remember Kilroy as a local celebrity.

Kilroy engraved on the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

When you visit Striar Conservancy, the preserve’s natural history will speak louder than its human history. With pristine frontage on the Winnetuxet River, five certified vernal pools, and various other woodland and wetland habitats, Striar is home to as much wildlife as any Wildlands property. But when you imagine the battles fought, products made, and communities sustained in the area, the human stories are equally audible—if you’re willing to listen. 

Gray treefrog at Striar Conservancy in Halifax. Photo by Rob MacDonald.

Resources utilized in the preparation of this history include: 

The History of Halifax, Massachusetts by Guy S. Baker, 1976. 

Yesterday and Today: 250th Anniversary of Halifax, 1734 -1984. 

“History of Halifax Massachusetts,” Mega Matt’s Ponderings, YouTube. 

Recollecting Nemasket, Michael Maddigan, 7/17/2009. 

The Human History of the Taunton River Watershed, April 2025, Wildlands Trust. 

Photographs and background by Rob MacDonald: robsphotos.blog/wildlands-trust/striar-conservancy/index.html. 

Thank you to Wildlands Trust Communications Coordinator Thomas Patti for his editing and encouragement. 

Land Protection Update: Duxbury, Scituate, Cohasset

Bates Lane Conservation Area in Scituate.

By Scott MacFaden, Director of Land Protection 

Editor’s Note: This land protection update first appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of Wildlands News, our biannual print newsletter for Wildlands Trust members. Be the first to hear about Wildlands projects and events by becoming a member today at wildlandstrust.org/membership. 

Another Duxbury CPA CR in Hand 

In November 2024, we completed the DeLorenzo Community Preservation Act (CPA) Conservation Restriction (CR) in Duxbury.   

The 27-acre DeLorenzo property was a priority for preservation primarily because of its direct proximity to the northern portion of the Historic O’Neil Farm, potential to support agricultural activities, wildlife habitat value in the form of two potential vernal pools, and location within a Zone II Wellhead Protection Area.

Duxbury residents approved the purchase of the property at the Annual Town Meeting in March 2018, and the Town closed on the land in October 2018. The Town used CPA funds to acquire the Property. The Town is granting the CR to Wildlands to comply with the CPA’s requirement that every CPA-funded open space acquisition be protected with a CR running to a qualified third-party entity.   

The DeLorenzo property in Duxbury, along its boundary with the O’Neil Farm.

The DeLorenzo parcel is irregularly shaped and includes two non-contiguous areas of road frontage on Route 53. Apart from a cleared area in its center and a rectangular strip of open field running parallel to its southern boundary line with the O’Neil Farm, the property is primarily wooded. It includes two distinct areas of mixed deciduous/coniferous wooded wetland, with the largest such area extending southwesterly into the O’Neil Farm. Topography is mostly level.    

A local farmer licenses a portion of the DeLorenzo property from the Town to raise sheep, goats, and chickens, and maintain beehives. The farmer’s future plans include constructing hoop houses to grow produce and establishing a seasonal farmstand.   

Wildlands Accepts Assignment of Two CRs in Scituate and Cohasset 

On May 1, in the latest of a series of partnerships with local land trusts in our service area, we accepted an assignment of two CRs comprising 98.4 acres, mostly in Scituate and partially in Cohasset, from the Maxwell Conservation Trust. Formed in 1997, the Scituate-based all-volunteer land trust is legally dissolving and identified Wildlands as a qualified entity to accept the CR assignments. 

Over the past two decades, we have collaborated with several all-volunteer land trusts that determined their most prudent option was to transfer their assets and then dissolve, including the Swansea Land Trust, the Milton Land Conservation Trust, and the Brockton Audubon Society.   

Bates Lane Conservation Area in Scituate.

Both CRs protect land owned by the Town of Scituate and located within a 330-acre expanse of Town conservation land known as the Bates Lane Conservation Area.   

Completed in 2007, the Moncy CR protects 45.3 acres along the north side of Bates Lane and two smaller contiguous parcels situated approximately 1,000 feet to the north. All three parcels are primarily wooded upland but include pockets of wetlands. The Moncy CR is situated within areas the Commonwealth’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) identifies as significant wildlife habitats.   

Completed in 2011, the Wheelwright-Bjorklund CR protects 53 total acres—51.1 acres in Scituate and 2 acres just over the municipal boundary in Cohasset. The land protected by this CR is primarily wooded and mostly upland, with variable topography. The Wheelwright-Bjorklund CR is also situated within multiple areas NHESP identifies as significant wildlife habitats.   

The CRs represent our first acquisitions of any kind in Scituate and Cohasset.   

We thank the Maxwell Conservation Trust for its years of dedication to preserving land, and for entrusting these CRs to our stewardship.   

Wildlands Attends Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference

STC House Managers Paul Gallerani and Judy Savage share information about the Stewardship Training Center with attendees of the 2025 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference.

By Wildlands staff

At Wildlands, we’re always looking for ways to improve and expand our work in Southeastern Massachusetts. Sometimes, that search leads us far beyond our region’s borders. Invariably, we come home with new insights, skills, and relationships to share with the communities we serve. 

On March 21, a record 15 (!) Wildlands staff members and volunteers traveled to Amherst for the 2025 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference, hosted by the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition (MLTC). Wildlands Trust is a strong supporter of MLTC’s mission “to advance land conservation across Massachusetts by providing education, tools, networking and advocacy for land trusts and their partners.” In addition to sponsoring the annual conference, Wildlands shares Chief of Staff Rachel Bruce with the MLTC Board of Trustees. 

“The Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition provides the platform for land conservation professionals to stay connected to one another and to present a unified voice,” Wildlands President Karen Grey said. Grey served on the MLTC board for 14 years. “Wildlands Trust is a stronger organization because of the resources we access through our active participation in MLTC.” 

Wildlands President Karen Grey spoke about our Brockton Kids Lead the Way Initiative with Manomet Conservation Sciences during her presentation about our Community Stewardship Program.

Beyond our attendance numbers, Wildlands was well-represented at the conference, presenting workshops, organizing networking events, and tabling with information about the Stewardship Training Center. Four Wildlands-hosted workshops shared our successes and lessons learned with the state land conservation community. Karen Grey presented with Jen Plowden of the Land Trust Alliance about “A Blueprint for Better Boards: Three Strategies for Board Recruitment.” Land use attorney and Dennis Murphy presented on Wildlands' complex project to save Picone Farm in Middleborough. Rachel Bruce and Programming Coordinator Amy Burt presented “Beyond DEI Statements: A Case Study for Delivering a Land Trust Mission in a Gateway City,” recounting our ongoing environmental justice work in Brockton. To end the day, Karen Grey presented once again, this time with Barnstable Land Trust’s Janet Milkman about our Community Stewardship Program. 

The MLTC conference offers land conservation professionals a rare opportunity to bond over their shared missions and values. Communications Coordinator Thomas Patti serves on the Organizing Committee of the Early Conservation Career Network (ECCN), an interest group of the MLTC that “provides networking and training opportunities for those in their first 10 years of a career in land conservation.” ECCN gathers the night before the conference every year to build camaraderie and community. This year, the event saw over 30 early-career conservationists, including eight from Wildlands, learn about spotted salamanders at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment before heading to Tree House Brewing Company for pizza and drinks. 

Rachel Bruce presents at the pre-conference ECCN gathering.

ECCN listens for frogs at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment.

ECCN learns about spotted salamanders at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment.

Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski also led a stewardship networking lunch during the conference, giving land stewards across the state a chance to come together and “talk shop.”  

Below, hear from Wildlands staff and volunteers about their experiences at this year’s Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference. 

Rachel Bruce, Chief of Staff & MLTC Trustee 

“The conference is a great opportunity for Wildlands both to showcase our work to our colleagues, as demonstrated at our multiple presentations and our outreach table, and to learn from the incredible work taking place at nonprofits and state agencies across the state. Networking with land professionals from many walks opens up doors for creative problem solving, big-picture thinking, and meaningful collaboration that advances our collective mission to protect and steward Massachusetts' natural landscapes.” 

Amy Burt, Programming Coordinator 

"The ECCN meeting was a timely reminder of the importance of new generations' commitment to the conservation field. I am inspired to look towards the future with such enthusiastic individuals." 

Rob Kluin, Donor Relations Manager 

“Overall, the Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference was very beneficial for me. Beyond the knowledge and great insights that I gained from a variety of informative workshops, the conference offered many opportunities for making conversations and meaningful connections. I was impressed by the mission-driven organizations and passionate people at this conference and came away feeling inspired and even more grateful for the work of Wildlands Trust.” 

U.S. Representative Jim McGovern delivered the keynote address at the 2025 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference.

Zoë Smiarowski, Stewardship Programs Manager 

“At my first MLTC conference in 2023, I spent a lot of time at the Stewardship Training Center table, talking with folks. This time around, I had the opportunity to attend more sessions. I really enjoyed not only the speakers but also listening to questions and comments for the speakers from audience members. It's inspiring to see the ways our land trust community shows up for each other and engages in reciprocal learning.” 

Rebecca Cushing, Land Steward 

“The ECCN 'Big Night' talk and social gathering was definitely a highlight for me. I loved connecting with a diverse group of people brought together by their passion for conservation and hear about what they're doing in the early stages of their careers in the field. I also really enjoyed the presentation on managing invasive plants at the conference. The presenters shared their unique experiences in great detail and offered strategies that could be applied across different organizations with different resources and goals.” 

Sam Butcher, D.W. Field Park Initiative Project Facilitator 

“As a member of a challenged land trust board, I found Karen Grey and Jen Plowden’s talk on how to build a successful board extremely insightful and helpful. The interactive role-play format highlighted board challenges and brought audience members into the presentation, further broadening the perspective and enhancing the value of the presentation.” 

Paul Gallerani, Assistant STC House Manager 

“It was so nice to be surrounded by hundreds of people that care about the environment.  Such a new thing for me. It charged my nature battery!” 

Vernal pool certification to educate and inspire

Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski handles a red-backed salamander at Striar Snake River Preserve in Taunton.

By Zoë Smiarowski, Stewardship Programs Manager 

At Wildlands Trust, April 1 means one thing and one thing only: April Pools’ Day! In our book, protecting vernal pools is a more fun and fitting way to celebrate the arrival of spring in Southeastern Massachusetts than sitting on a whoopee cushion. 

In observance of our favorite holiday, Wildlands staff and volunteers visited Striar Snake River Preserve to gather evidence of vernal pools on our 84-acre Taunton property. Vernal pools are one of the most delicate yet biodiverse ecosystems in our region, so Wildlands is working with the state to identify the ones we protect on our lands. 

You may be wondering, what is a vernal pool? According to the Massachusetts Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP), “vernal pools are small, shallow ponds characterized by a lack of fish and annual or semi-annual periods of dryness. Vernal pool habitats are extremely important to a variety of wildlife species, including some amphibians that breed exclusively in vernal pools, and other organisms such as fairy shrimp which spend their entire life cycles confined to such locales.” Organisms that depend on vernal pools for at least part of their life cycle, such as wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp, are called obligate species. Organisms that frequently use vernal pools but can survive in other habitats, such as spring peepers, gray treefrogs, and American toads, are called facultative species.  

Wood frog egg mass discovered at Striar Snake River Preserve in Taunton.

Vernal pools occur widely across Massachusetts, wherever small depressions in the ground collect water in the spring. The important thing is no fish can enter the pool. Only when these predators are absent can certain frogs, salamanders, and invertebrates survive and reproduce there. 

You can’t protect what you don't know is there. So, the state has mapped out where vernal pools might exist on the landscape. NHESP staff used aerial photographs between late March and early May of 1993, 1999, and 2000. Using stereo pairs (essentially two images, from slightly different angles, side by side), approximate centers of vernal pools were identified and then digitized onto the aerial photographs, creating a GIS data layer called “Potential Vernal Pools.” According to MassGIS, the data layer identifies more than 29,000 potential vernal pool habitats. 

So how does a vernal pool go from potential to certified? 

Potential vernal pools are based on aerial imagery alone. They must be ground-truthed to confirm a vernal pool community is actually present. With the right resources, anyone can submit data to help certify a vernal pool! MassWildlife provides guidelines for scientists, land managers, and community members alike to submit evidence for vernal pool certification. There are two certification methods: the obligate species method and the facultative species method. Since obligate species require vernal pools to breed, breeding evidence of these species, such as egg masses, larvae, or spring choruses, is a strong indication of a vernal pool. Evidence of facultative species is helpful, but not as definitive, so this method requires more information about the physical characteristics of the pool. As a result, the obligate species method is easiest for community scientists. 

Vernal pool at Striar Snake River in Taunton.

Here’s how you can help certify a vernal pool: 

1. Find potential vernal pools near you: explore the map here. Enter your address in the top search bar for local results. 

2. Review the MassWildlife vernal pool certification guidelines. 

3. Submit the necessary photo and video documentation to MassWildlife’s Heritage Hub. 

4. All done! NHESP will notify you if your submission has been accepted for vernal pool certification.  

As you can see, vernal pool certification is an involved process. You may be asking, what’s the point? 

Certification can help protect vernal pools from human destruction or degradation. Some vernal pools are protected under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (WPA). That means that all proposed work that may alter these vernal pools must undergo a careful review by the local community’s conservation commission. Not all vernal pools fall under WPA jurisdiction, but several other state and local regulations extend protections to these sites, as well. Vernal pools must be certified by NHESP to trigger a review under any of these laws. 

Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski wades in a vernal pool at Striar Snake River Preserve in Taunton in search for amphibian egg masses.

Given the somewhat complicated nature of the vernal pool certification process, what better way to learn the ins and outs than from the very organization that approves vernal pool certifications? In May of 2024, Wildlands teamed up with NHESP to lead a training at the Stewardship Training Center on vernal pool ecology, stewardship, and certification. Jacob Kubel, NHESP conservation scientist, and Matt Burne, a senior ecologist at the BSC group and Vice President of the Vernal Pool Association, led 15 land trust volunteers and staff in a seven-hour program, both in the classroom and out in the field. Attendees remarked on the excitement of discovering a salamander egg mass for the first time. I couldn’t help but agree. It's a magical, near-indescribable feeling!  

Back at Striar Snake River Preserve on April 1, we found 77 egg masses of both wood frogs and spotted salamanders in pools throughout the property. (And that’s just the ones we were able to see, as we aimed to minimize disturbance in the center of the pools and focused when possible on what was visible from the shoreline.) Spotting and documenting amphibian egg masses feels like one of the most special experiences a person can have in the woods. Last year, Wildlands helped certify vernal pools on Duxbury Rural and Historical Society properties through a Community Stewardship contract. Even through some of the rainiest days of New England spring, the egg mass excitement carried us through! 

Matt Penella, Town of Kingston Conservation Agent and Wildlands volunteer, searches for vernal pool evidence at Striar Snake River Preserve in Taunton.

Wildlands preserves are home to 10 certified vernal pools so far: five at Striar Conservancy in Halifax, four at Willow Brook Farm in Pembroke, and one at Brockton Audubon Preserve in Brockton. Dozens of potential vernal pools are located on Wildlands properties throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. 

Previously, I mentioned that one of the strongest reasons for vernal pool certification is protection. So, what’s the use on properties that are already protected in perpetuity? 

Indeed, vernal pools are safe and sound on Wildlands preserves. But certifying vernal pools on our properties gives our stewardship staff (and our supporters!) a better idea of the amazing natural resources we have the opportunity and responsibility to care for. Vernal pools are incredible features of our landscapes that support critical and unique habitat for some of our favorite little creatures. Spring peepers, wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and several other species rely on these habitats. We benefit from them, too, as they give us wonderful signs of spring. In springs to come, we hope to certify more vernal pools to teach our neighbors and supporters about their ecological importance and to help our community discover their otherworldly magic.