We appreciate the many volunteers whose efforts make our work possible.
Thanks to these volunteers from Marcum LLP for their clean-up efforts at the Richardson Preserve on November 27. A large swath of the invasive multi-flora rose has been removed from the Lower Hayfield. This plant is known for its sharp thorns, which make it challenging to remove!
Every year the edges of Larson Woodland are piled high with the leaves dropped from the trees along Riverbank Road and Watson Avenue. It takes a lot of effort to rake them up and move them away from the old stone curb, so that pedestrians can walk along the edge of the woodland.
On Saturday, Nov. 25, we had an outstanding crew of site stewards and other volunteers helping with this effort, including seven members of the Ezekiel Bates Lodge of Attleboro. The Lodge has been partnering with the Attleboro Land Trust as a site steward of Larson Woodland since 2014.
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
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.
For almost three decades, the trail at the Colman Reservation was an “out and back” trail. Visitors entering the property from the parking lot on Steere Street could walk to the Giant Hemlock, or further, but to get back to parking lot they had to turn around and go back they way they came. All that has changed with the completion of a new section of trail that makes it possible to hike a loop that begins and ends at Steere Street.
The design and clearing of the trail was spearheaded by Dave Rolince, who volunteers as a site steward for the Colman Reservation. Because the new trail crosses wetlands, several boardwalks were necessary. Starting in the fall of 2021, Scout Zachary Dorrance of Troop 25 carried out an Eagle project that involved constructing the boardwalks.
Zachary assembled a crew of volunteers that did the bulk of the construction work last November. He returned with his crew in April to finish the boardwalks and make other trail improvements. Zachary also organized a fundraiser to cover the costs of materials for the project.
The Attleboro Land Trust is grateful to Zachary and his volunteers for the hard work they put into this much-appreciated improvement to the Colman Reservation.
Eagle candidate Felicity Norlin of Troop 1846 recently completed an Eagle project that involved construction of bulletin boards at the trail entrances for three Attleboro Land Trust nature preserves. Felicity is shown in the center of the above photograph surrounded by her volunteer crew of Scouts, adult leaders, family, and friends, at the entrance to the Joseph and Margaret O’Donnell Nature Preserve.
A second bulletin board, shown above, was installed at Vaughan Memorial Forest. The third bulletin board was installed at the Colman Reservation.
Bulletin boards have been on the land trust wishlist for a while and we thank Felicity and her crew for fulfilling this need.
On October 28, a team of three employees from Sensata completed two important fence construction projects for the Attleboro Land Trust–within a single day. One fence was constructed along a property boundary at the Colman Reservation. More fencing was installed around the parking lot at the Richardson Preserve. Thanks for a fine job to Tom Simbron, Tyler Hanna, and Harshad Tadas, who returned as a team after having completed similar fence projects for us in 2018 and 2019.
The Sensata partnership with the land trust goes back to 2013 and has included boardwalk and fence construction at three nature preserves, as well as construction of raised beds for the Attleboro Community Garden. We appreciate the enthusiastic support we have received from Sensata and its employees for our conservation mission.
It is impossible for the edge of Larson Woodland on Riverbank Road to absorb the huge amount of leaves that fall each year. It takes a crew of volunteers to rake and remove the leaves in order to keep the edge of the woodland walkable. Fortunately, a great group of volunteers answered the call on Friday, December 11, and the job was done. The leaves were used to help control erosion on a slope facing the Ten Mile River.
Thanks to everyone who helped in this annual effort.
This post features some of the volunteers who helped the land trust with outdoor maintenance projects this fall.
Alan Henry
Russ Pray
Mike Davis
Dawn Bender
Ken Drucker
On Tuesday, May 26, a work party of nine volunteers helped with the maintenance of Nickerson Walking Woods Preserve. The work was peformed with coronavirus precautions and the size of the group was limited to a maximum of ten people.
Most of the work focused on the meadow, which had become overgrown with invasive buckthorn saplings.
The invasive plants were removed by the roots to prevent them from growing back.
One of our volunteers helped to extend the life of a boardwalk by removing leaves and dirt that had collected between the slats.
If you would like to help with future work parties, contact us.
