Only “YOU” Can Prevent Forest Fires

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Last week brush fires occurred at Larson Woodland and at the Colman Reservation.  We thank the Attleboro Fire Department, as well as the City’s Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks and Forestry for helping to put out these fires.

Signs like the one shown above have been posted at all the entrances to Attleboro Land Trust nature preserves.  Although there has been some rain since last week’s dry spell, we expect that the fire risk is going to continue for some time, and we ask everyone to follow our request to refrain from smoking and other activities that may cause fires to start in fields, forests, and other open spaces.

Attleboro Land Trust presents Family Tree Day

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Weather Update:  As of Friday evening, we are still planning to hold this event as scheduled from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday.

Bring the family for fresh air, fun and games. Take home a sapling tree to plant in your yard.  Learn about the importance of preserving open space, and the many hiking trails right here in Attleboro.  This event is free and open to the public in celebration of Arbor Day.  All are welcome!

Featured at this event:

  • Kids’ hike and scavenger hunt with prizes
  • Walk the trail at the nearby O’Donnell Nature Preserve
  • Meet Woody, the Talking Tree
  • Learn about rain gardens and pollinator plants
  • Take a sapling tree to plant in your yard (we’ll show you how!)
  • Play our local wildlife game
  • Ice cream coupons from co-sponsor Bliss Dairy
  • Enter to win a tree from co-sponsor Cryan Landscape
Any schedule changes due to weather will be posted on this website.
Share our  Family Tree Day flyer with your friends.

In Memory of Millie

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Millie Bauer, a longstanding member of the board of directors of the Attleboro Land Trust, passed away on March 13.  Millie and her husband Reverend Everett Bauer joined the board in 1995. After Everett’s death in 2000, Millie continued to be an active and engaged board member for another 10 years.  While on the board she served as secretary for 11 years.

Millie’s passion for the environment and for her community were an inspiration to others.  Among her many achievements on behalf of the land trust was “2000 Trees for 2000”–a project she and Joanne Wright completed to mark the millennial by distributing 2000 trees for planting by area residents.

We would like to send out our condolences to Millie’s family and friends, and to all whom she touched during her productive 96 years on the planetary home for which she cared so much.

https://www.hathawayfunerals.com/obituary/MildredH-Bauer

Attleboro Land Trust Board of Directors at a strategic planning retreat, November 6, 2010

Learn More About the Attleboro Land Trust on March 1

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On Wednesday, March 1, at 7:00 pm, the public is invited to attend a program that will provide an introduction to the land conservation work of the Attleboro Land Trust.

The program will give some background on the founding of the non-profit organization in 1990, describe the various public walking trails available on its 492 acres of conservation land, and explain how citizens can get involved to help maintain trails, save more land, and ensure that the organization continues to thrive.

The meeting will be held in the Balfour Room at the Attleboro Public Library, 74 North Main Street, Attleboro.

Some volunteers serve as site stewards by “adopting” one of the Attleboro Land Trust nature preserves, individually or with a group, such as a group of neighbors, church group, youth group, or fraternal organization. The duties of a site steward are to:

  • Walk the property on a regular basis
  • Pick up litter
  • Report vandalism
  • Help with routine trail maintenance
  • Assist with special projects

Volunteers are also needed to help with educational outreach, fundraising, social media, real estate transactions, boundary monitoring, and event planning.

For more information, contact Charlie Adler by emailing attleborolandtrust@gmail.com or by calling 508-223-3060 ext. 4.

Another Eagle Project Benefits the Attleboro Land Trust

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The Attleboro Land Trust recently benefitted from the completion of an Eagle project by Scout James Schwab of Troop 25 in Attleboro.  James and his crew constructed three bulletin boards and installed one at each of these properties:  the Leach Sanctuary, the Anthony Lawrence Wildlife Preserve, and the Nickerson Walking Woods Preserve.  The bulletin boards will be used to post trail maps, trail regulations, and other information about the properties.  We appreciate the hard work that went into this project.

James Schwab and crew installing a new bulletin board at the Leach Wildlife Sanctuary.    Image credit: C. Adler

Reusable bag sales raise $199 for the ALT

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This offer was in effect only for the month of January, and only at the Stop and Shop at 469 Pleasant Street, Attleboro.  Thanks to everyone who participated and to Stop and Shop for selecting us for this program.

A New Partnership in Plainville

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The Attleboro Land Trust has partnered with Wildlands Trust, a regional land trust based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to ensure the continued preservation of land that has been under the stewardship of Crystal Spring, a spiritually-oriented ecology center in Plainville, since 1991.  Until recently, Crystal Spring was a vital center for learning and practicing ecological pursuits such as organic gardening.  Sadly, the center is now closed and a 6-acre portion of the land containing residential buildings and meeting spaces has been sold.

While Crystal Spring has closed its doors, the vision of the Dominican Sisters who founded the center was that most of the land would remain in its natural state as forested upland, and they made sure that the necessary protections would be in place before they left.  In 2008 Wildlands Trust agreed to play a role in this plan by holding a legally-enforceable conservation restriction on the vacant portion of the property.  Last year, Wildlands Trust transferred the responsibility for that conservation restriction, which protects 36 acres, to the Attleboro Land Trust.  Soon, the Dominican Sisters will convey ownership of the 36 acres to Wildlands Trust.

Once that final step is completed, Wildlands Trust will assume an expanded role as as owner and manager of the property and its hiking trails, which will be open to the public.  The ALT will carry the ongoing responsibility for monitoring the condition of the property on an annual basis, and making sure that the terms of the conservation restriction are observed.

The completion of this agreement with Wildlands Trust brings the total area of conservation land protected by the Attleboro Land Trust up to 728 acres.

Eagle Project Breaks New Ground

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The Handy Street Conservation Area is an 80-acre parcel of land purchased by the City of Attleboro in 2014 with the involvement of the Attleboro Land Trust and Mass Audubon, and a substantial grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  There are trails crisscrossing the area, making it easy to get lost on the property.  The Attleboro Land Trust has designated a main trail route that utilizes some of the existing paths to form a loop, beginning and ending at the main entrance on Handy Street.

Scout Jason Zenofsky (right) with crew installing signposts at the Handy Street Conservation Area.    Image credit: C. Adler

Scout Jason Zenofsky of Troop 61 in Norton has completed an Eagle project that involved the installation of directional signposts at 33 trail junctions along the route.  Digging holes to a depth of two feet for each of these posts was challenging, to say the least.  Sometimes the problem was large rocks.  At other times the Scouts hit hardpan, which is soil that has hardened like concrete and has to be chipped away with a heavy iron bar in the shape of a chisel.  Thankfully, Jason and his crew persevered, and the signposts were all installed.

Scout Jason Zenofsky (next to signpost) with his crew after installation of 33 signposts at the Handy Street Conservation Area.    Image credit: C. Adler

In the spring, the ALT will put the finishing touches on the trail, which will be named in memory of Larry St. Pierre, who served as ALT president from 1991 to 1994 and 1997 to 2001.  A temporary map of the trail is available here.

Annual Meeting to be held November 17th

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The Attleboro Land Trust is pleased to announce this year’s annual meeting will be held again in person.  We welcome the public to join us in celebrating our achievements from the past year and participate in discussing environmental topics key to the Land Trust mission and the community at large.

We are especially excited to have former city councilor Mike Davis deliver our keynote address:  Sustainable by Design.

Mike will be introducing an Environmental Master Plan for the City of Attleboro.

A great deal of volunteer work has gone into organizing all the aspects of planning a sustainable future for Attleboro, including:

  • Water security
  • Waste reduction
  • Renewable Energy
  • Conservation
  • Sustainable Growth
  • Education and Participation

The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm with the traditional brief social half-hour, followed by a short business meeting, then the keynote address.

This meeting is open to the public, so please bring a friend.  Only members of the Attleboro Land Trust can vote during the brief business meeting.

Location: Murray Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 N. Main St., Attleboro Mass.

Time: 7:00pm

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022