Communities Unite to Expand D.W. Field Park

Waldo Lake in D.W. Field Park in Brockton and Avon. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

When we think about the benefits of nature, we often picture deep and dark woods, a majestic mountaintop vista, or vast, rolling fields. But acre for acre, city parks may do more for people, wildlife, and the planet than any other natural setting. When highly developed areas make room for nature, the social, economic, and ecological benefits are multiplied, making communities happier, healthier, cleaner, safer, and more resilient to climate change. 

D.W. Field Park serves hundreds of thousands in and around Brockton and Avon, two Environmental Justice communities in our region. Featuring miles of woodland paths, a public golf course, and five water bodies sprawled across 700 acres in the heart of this urban hub, the park represents a lot of things to a lot of people. A spiritual refuge from the commotion of city life. An outdoor gym for walking, running, and bicycling. An ecological haven for diverse wildlife. For many, the park is about family, and local generations past, present, and future: “I used to come here as a kid, and now I bring my son here,” said one park supporter. “A beautiful place that brought peace to my late husband and continues to bring peace to me,” said another. 

D.W. Field Park. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

Thanks to these supporters and more than 215 others in the Brockton, Avon, and Wildlands communities, D.W. Field Park is set to continue creating diverse meanings for the people and wildlife it sustains. On December 2, just 10 days after our campaign launch, Wildlands secured the 200 donations needed to unlock critical funding for the addition of 32 acres to this beloved urban sanctuary. These donors rose to the challenge of an anonymous foundation, whose generous contribution to the project was contingent on this show of community support. With these funds and others awarded by the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program (and approved by a positive town vote), the Town of Avon is finalizing the purchase of this woodland parcel west of Waldo Lake. (Read about our celebration of the MVP award here.) 

“The community continues to show up for D.W. Field Park,” said Wildlands Director of Special Projects Rachel Bruce. “Last time we asked for support, over 1,400 people answered a lengthy survey about park use. This most recent outpouring of generosity shows our current and future funders what we already know—that this park is cherished by those who use it, and that we need to do everything we can to keep improving this vital resource. I’m proud to be part of such an inspiring project and to work with so many caring people in Avon and Brockton.” 

D.W. Field Park. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

So far, 219 donations totaling $7,238 have affirmed the public’s investment in the future of D.W. Field Park. Pending completion of the land transaction, these funds will be integral to our efforts to improve natural access at this parcel. Planning and design work will take place through spring 2024, with implementation to follow. Stay tuned for updates on Facebook, Instagram, our E-News, and wildlandstrust.org/dwfieldpark as we carry on this vital work! 

To those who have donated: please accept our profound gratitude for your support. We are humbled by your generosity and eager to put it to good use, revitalizing the park for people and planet!

Haven’t donated yet? Act fast! Show your support by December 18 at bit.ly/expanddw. 

STC Progress Report

Leadership Council tour of the Stewardship Training Center in June 2023.

In its first year in operation, the Stewardship Training Center (STC) hit the ground running, offering pilot programs to diverse partners and developing creative and collaborative uses for its 12,000-square-foot building and 450-acre woodland campus on the shores of Halfway Pond.  

Wildlands Trust established the STC in 2022 to equip municipal and nonprofit partners with the stewardship capacity they need to maintain ever-expanding conservation lands across our region and state. 

From March to December 2023, 266 people engaged with the STC via programs, trainings, conferences, and residence. Training courses were presented by 17 different instructors and attended by staff of 16 organizations and eight municipalities. Nine organizations, in addition to Wildlands, used the facilities for their own training, research, and housing needs.  

Read on to learn more about the wide reach and varied programs at the STC this year. And stay tuned as the STC presses on into its second year!

By the Numbers

Since March, 28 organizations and municipalities have attended or led programs at the STC. These partners include Buzzards Bay Coalition, Manomet, Wareham Land Trust, New England Forestry Foundation, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Orleans Conservation Trust, North County Land Trust, Rochester Land Trust, Mattapoisett Land Trust, Barnstable Land Trust, Friends of Conte, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Mass Audubon, Brewster Conservation Trust, Sierra Club, Mass Land Trust Coalition, Essex County Greenbelt, Sudbury Valley Trustees, South Shore YMCA, and the Towns of Duxbury, Marshfield, Kingston, Hanover, Halifax, Hanson, Plymouth, and Rockland , in addition to Wildlands.

Over the same time period, 266 people interacted with the STC through training programs, volunteer events, organizational conferences, and temporary residence supporting local conservation activities.

By the Dates

March 4-5: Basic Chainsaw Training and Safety for Land Stewards  

Bill Girard of Girard Custom Cut Hardwood (a Game of Logging training organization) instructed seven conservation professionals in basic chainsaw safety, use, and equipment maintenance. Read more here. 

June 26-27: Seasonal Land Steward Training 

Twelve seasonal land stewards from across the state converged on the STC to gain invaluable conservation skills and expand their professional network. Read more here. 

July 12: Municipal Volunteer Training – Focus Group 

Wildlands hosted a focus group of 12 municipal conservation professionals to assess training needs for local volunteers. The group will develop a tiered volunteer training program to increase stewardship capacity on municipal lands, to be piloted in 2024. 

July 15: Adopt-a-Preserve Trainer Training 

Five seasoned Wildlands Trust volunteers were trained to train the next wave of Adopt-a-Preserve participants. 

July 27: Summer of Service – Carpentry 

Through our Summer of Service program, 14 high school students from across the region learned to build bog boards, which were later installed at North Fork Preserve. 

July 29: First Aid for Conservation Volunteers 

Chris Crowther of Certified Rescue Courses taught eight volunteers how to treat basic medical incidents in the field. 

August 14-18: Sierra Club Service Trip

Twenty Sierra Club members from across the continent completed a service trip at the STC and Shifting Lots Preserve. 

September 10-11: Wilderness First Aid 

Hal Beck of SOLO Wilderness Medical School trained nine attendees how to respond to medical emergencies on trails.  

November 1: Greater Boston Regional Land Trusts Meeting 

Essex County Greenbelt and Sudbury Valley Trustees joined Wildlands at the STC to share success stories and lessons learned. 

November 3-4: MLTC Early Career Conservation Network 

Eight early-career conservationists met at the STC to bond, network, and explore Halfway Pond Conservation Area together. 

November 11-12: Felling and Storm Damage Chainsaw Training 

Bill Girard of Game of Logging instructed 10 land stewards in proper tree felling and storm damage clean-up techniques. 

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To learn more about the Stewardship Training Center, visit wildlandstrust.org/training or contact Stewardship Operations Manager Zoë Smiarowski at zsmiarowski@wildlandstrust.org.

Wildlands Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Wreath Making Workshop in 2018.

’Tis the season! 

If you’ve been too busy wandering our snowy trails to think about the upcoming holidays, we totally understand. We can’t make any promises about your friends and family, though. To stay in their good graces, a thoughtful gift can make all the difference. No fear! If your loved ones care deeply about the natural world and its future in Southeastern Massachusetts, we have you covered. Read on for gifts that the conservation champion in your life is sure to adore. 

Experience Wildlands: guided hikes, meditations, and more 

Hike with Malcolm at Halfway Pond in 2017.

We environmentalists tend to prefer experiences to things. If that’s the case for your loved one, consider treating them to a Wildlands program! Upcoming events include: 

• Dec. 21: Winter Solstice Meditation at Davis-Douglas Farm 

• Dec. 27: Full Moon Hike at Shifting Lots Preserve 

• Dec. 31: Last Day Hike with Malcolm at Halfway Pond Conservation Area 

For all programs, visit wildlandstrust.org/events. 

Read Wildlands: trail guide and anniversary book 

For hikers and historians alike... Our two 50th anniversary books tell the stories of the people and places that make Southeastern Massachusetts special. 

• Our 50th anniversary trail guide updates and expands our trail offerings based on the last 20 years of land conservation in our region. Lovingly selected by Wildlands staff, the 30 preserves featured in this guide highlight the diversity of ecological, geological, recreational, and historical resources that Wildlands helps protect. Not only will our new guide help you find your way on our trails; it will teach you the rich stories of the woodlands, wetlands, and wildlands you cherish. 

• 50 Remarkable Years, 50 Remarkable People celebrates the key partners and volunteers who helped build Wildlands Trust. Their stories tell our story, beginning with a conversation around a kitchen table in 1973. 50 years later, Wildlands serves the people and places of 55 towns and cities throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. Curated by Wildlands President Karen Grey, this collection of photographs and essays offers a blueprint for the next 50 years of regional conservation. Whether you count these honorees as friends and family or can only appreciate them from afar, 50 Remarkable Years, 50 Remarkable People will leave you inspired by the small steps and giant leaps that rooted an environmental ethic in the natural and cultural landscape of our region.   

Note: Receive your books in time for the holidays by picking them up in-person at our Plymouth headquarters. 

Join Wildlands: gift a membership 

Sylvester Field in Hanover. Photo by Jerry Monkman.

Give your loved one the satisfaction of knowing they inspire you to support the special places of Southeastern Massachusetts. Their Wildlands membership will grant them access to all member benefits, including discounts on Wildlands programs and at retailers and farms across the region. 

Gift a membership at wildlandstrust.org/gift-membership. 

Become a member yourself to expand your gift-giving options. New and returning members may give a free six-month membership to a loved one. Use your member discounts to purchase regionally sourced gifts, such as Island Creek Oysters, Morrison’s Home & Garden, Serious Cycles, Nessralla Farm, and Vineyard Farm!

Become a member at wildlandstrust.org/become-a-member. 

Happy holidays from Wildlands Trust! May you and your loved ones find time to reconnect with each other and with nature this holiday season. 

Volunteers Flock to Bridgewater Trail Project

By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

Volunteers are the heart and soul of what we do. This has never been on greater display than in Bridgewater this fall, where friends and neighbors of Wildlands Trust are braving the elements and wilderness to help establish a new hiking trail at a hidden gem of our land conservation portfolio.  

North Fork Preserve, located off the southeast end of Plymouth Street in Bridgewater, comprises 41 acres of diverse woodland habitat along the banks of the federally designated Wild and Scenic Taunton River. The forest’s open, airy structure and varied composition of pine, oak, maple, birch, and beech trees create rich wildlife habitat and never-ending intrigue for the visiting naturalist. Over 1,000 feet of river frontage, along with a network of trickling streams, add to the preserve’s natural beauty and diversity.  

Purchased by Wildlands in 2001, the preserve has until now been managed as Forever Wild. We elected this passive management strategy in part because Wyman Meadow Conservation Area, owned by the Town of Bridgewater, lies between North Fork Preserve and Plymouth Street, precluding direct public access. However, a multiyear conversation between Wildlands and the Town spawned the idea to restore access to both preserves with a single trail. 

Wyman Meadow Conservation Area. North Fork Preserve begins at the tree line in the background.

"We’ve enjoyed working with Eileen Hiney and the rest of the Bridgewater Open Space Committee,” said Stewardship Operations Manager Owen Grey. “Wildlands and the Town shared a desire for public access at these scenic and ecologically significant preserves. They worked with us every step of the way to make our common vision a reality.” 

Wyman Meadow Conservation Area itself features 35 acres of open grassland habitat with additional Taunton River frontage, creating ideal conditions for various birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. 

Our work at North Fork began in September, when Owen and Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski surveyed the property to determine an optimal trail route through the preserve. Minimizing environmental impact, Owen and Zoë said, is always the guiding principle at this step.  

Once a viable path through the woods was flagged, it was time for volunteers to bring their time, expertise, and enthusiasm to the project. Thus far, four volunteer work days have forged remarkable progress toward trail completion. As of November 7, the entire 1.1-mile trail corridor has been cleared of vegetation using loppers, handsaws, hand snips, rakes, and chainsaws. The next objective is to smooth out the trail by leveling the ground and removing tree stumps. Finally, trail blazing will ensure safe and easy access for future explorers of the preserve.  

Stewardship Programs Manager Zoë Smiarowski shows volunteers how to use a Pulaski to clear roots and stumps from the trail.

“When we set our goals for this trail project, creating opportunities for volunteers to be involved was critical,” Zoë said. “Not only do our volunteer days engage our Wildlands community, but they also offer a space for new volunteers from the local Bridgewater community to become familiar with our organization and connect with a new recreational asset. The drop-in style work days have been a massive success, and feedback from volunteers has been overwhelmingly positive. The work is rewarding for everyone involved. We're not just building a trail, but a cohort that will care for the preserve into the future.” 

Thank you to the volunteers who have turned out already to help transform North Fork Preserve into a natural and cultural resource for the Bridgewater and Southeastern Massachusetts community! We could not do what we do without your generosity.  

Proposed trail map at North Fork Preserve and Wyman Meadow Conservation Area.

If you haven’t joined us yet, no fear! Wildlands is hosting several more volunteer trail work days through December, including from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, November 18, Tuesday, November 28, and Saturday, December 2. No experience, equipment, or registration is required—just bring weather-appropriate clothing and a can-do spirit! Visit our Events page to learn more about our upcoming work days. 

Stay tuned for updates on Facebook, Instagram, and our E-News as the North Fork project continues!

Click through the gallery below for more photos from our trail work days at North Fork Preserve and Wyman Meadow Conservation Area.

Thanksgiving Recipes from Wildlands

Thanksgiving is a special time in Southeastern Massachusetts. Evidence of its rich regional traditions is easy to find on both our natural landscape and our dining room tables. Connecting the two is a legacy of local agriculture, producing the cranberries, poultry, and produce that help define our region. The Community Garden at Davis-Douglas Farm is Wildlands’ small homage to the farming culture that built the communities we serve. Read on for delectable recipes inspired by our Community Garden and the culinary hallmarks of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Cranberries for sale at the Fresh From the Vine farm stand in West Yarmouth.

Giving Thanks from the Davis-Douglas Community Garden

By Nora Cannon, artist, cook, master gardener, and Wildlands member

So when I sit for every meal 

And say a grace, I always feel 

That I am eating rain and sun 

And fields where scarlet poppies run. 

— from “The Harvest” by Alice C. Henderson

It is with gratitude and joy that I share several fall recipes with you. Gratitude to Wildlands Trust, which has preserved the land and created the Community Garden space at Davis-Douglas Farm, and joy in sharing vegetables from my garden with family and friends. 

Cooked Cranberry Relish 

Every fall, I drive to a local cranberry farm for fresh, tart cranberries. If that is not feasible, every grocery store sells them. This dish can be made ahead of time and keeps well for several weeks when refrigerated. 

• 4 cups fresh cranberries 

• 1⁄2 cup to 1 cup sugar, to your sweetness preference 

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon 

• 1 cup water OR orange juice 

• Place all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat and stir. As cranberries “pop,” it will thicken. Add small amounts of extra water or juice if necessary. You’ll want a thick sauce; it will jell more when cooled. 

Roasted Root Vegetables 

This dish offers a welcome change in flavors and textures to your meal. You will create your own unique blend of vegetables and spices. Following these simple guidelines, it always comes out delicious. Like the cranberry sauce, it can be prepared or at least cut ahead of time and stored in plastic bags or a bowl. Roast with your turkey. 

• Heat oven to 400 degrees 

• 8 cups or more of a combination of at least 4 of the following: rutabaga, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets 

• If you do choose beets, they can be seasoned and roasted along with the other vegetables; I separate mine in foil, or they will turn everything red. 

• Cut everything the same size for even roasting. 

• In a bowl, mix 1⁄2 cup olive oil and a mixture of your favorite herbs 

• The total amount of herbs should be at least 1⁄8 cup; more if you like more robust flavor. Combine salt and pepper, plus your choice of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, dried parsley, onion, and/or garlic powder. 

• Pour your oil/spice mix over the cut vegetables in a large bowl or on the baking sheet. Toss, making sure the vegetables are evenly coated. 

• Roast for at least 50 minutes, depending on how small you cut vegetables. Check every 20 minutes and turn the vegetables for even roasting. Roasting is complete when vegetable centers are soft. 

• Helpful hint: Vegetables can start cooking at a lower temperature while other items are in the oven. In the last few minutes, turn up the oven temperature to make the vegetables a golden brown. 

Nantucket Cranberry Pie 

Nantucket Cranberry Pie. Photo and recipe by Pioneer Woman.

By Rachel Bruce, Director of Special Projects

This recipe was first shared with me by volunteer Liz Vigorito back in 2019; she learned it from The Pioneer Woman, who adapted it from Laurie Colwin. Great recipes like this tend to stick around and evolve over time, and while you’re free to adapt it to your liking, it would be a travesty not to use the almond extract (just trust me). I’ve made this pie for my family every holiday for four years, and I thought it was time I shared the love with our Wildlands community so you, too, can enjoy this incredibly easy and utterly addictive holiday treat. Spoiler alert—you don’t even have to make a pie crust! 

Ingredients: 

Filling: 

2 cups (heaping) cranberries – this year, I’m using organic cranberries from Fresh Meadow Farm in Carver, MA 

3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped (measure, then chop) 

2/3 cup granulated sugar – I use organic cane sugar when possible 

Unsalted butter for greasing pan 

Batter: 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 tsp. pure almond extract 

1/4 tsp. salt 

Topping: 

1 tbsp. sugar 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Generously butter a cake pan or pie pan. Add the cranberries to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on the chopped pecans, then sprinkle on 2/3 cup of the sugar.  

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine.  

4. Slowly pour the batter over the top of the cranberry pecan filling in large ribbons to evenly cover the surface. Spread gently if necessary.  

5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from the oven, sprinkle the surface with 1 tablespoon sugar for a little extra crunch.  

6. Cut into wedges and serve on its own, with ice cream, or with freshly whipped cream! This pie is delicious when it’s fresh and warm, at room temp, and even cold from the refrigerator (did someone say pie for breakfast?) 

Wildlands encourages you to support regional agriculture by buying local food this holiday season. Enjoy discounts at Bay End Farm in Bourne, Nessralla Farm in Halifax, Hornstra Farms in Norwell, and Vineyard Farm in West Bridgewater by becoming a Wildlands member at wildlandstrust.org/become-a-member.

Learn more about our Community Garden at Davis-Douglas Farm at wildlandstrust.org/community-garden.