January Volunteer Spotlight

Currently living in Melrose, Regina Gibbons grew up in southern New Jersey. Regina has worked as an acupuncturist for the past 23 years. Before that, she got her MBA and worked as an accountant.

Regina has volunteered with Friends of the Fells (FOF) for about a year. She regularly attends FOF’s monthly invasive plant removals and tries to make volunteering a part of her routine.

Her introduction to the Fells was in 2012 after her niece moved from Somerville to Washington D.C. and left Regina her 2007 illustrated edition trail map of the Fells. After learning more about the Fells and FOF, she signed up for emails to stay updated on events and activities in the park.

Kayaking on Spot Pond, snowshoeing, biking on fire roads, and hiking are all favored activities. “I kayak the pond as often as I can, delighting in the variation in weather and the progression of the seasons across land and sky,” Regina says about one of her favorite activities in the Fells.

Another aspect of the Fells that Regina treasures is the age and history of the rock formations. She loves to learn about the geologic history of the Fells. The rocks of the Fells have been dated at 900 million years. Parts of what is now the Fells and the city of Boston were originally attached to Northwest Africa. “That’s just wild and helps me keep things in perspective in an otherwise chaotic world,” Regina says.

If you are interested in volunteering, Regina has some advice. She says that “[volunteering is] the best antidepressant, unlimited refills, and no copay,” and, “[working] alongside other volunteers is an important reminder that there are good folks out there and good things are being done.”

Thank you so much for all that you do for the Fells, Regina!

If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities, read about our volunteer program here or check out our calendar here.

Scroll to see photos of this year’s volunteers and their hard work!

Our volunteers are incredible!

This year, we saw a massive increase in volunteers helping out at the Fells. Over 600 volunteers participated in our Trail Adopter program, led hikes, removed invasive species, picked up trash, collected data, conducted trail maintenance, assisted in communications efforts, and helped with community outreach. We also worked with 24 generous businesses, schools, and organizations on a variety of projects throughout the Fells.

In total, volunteers donated over 1,100 hours of their time to support the Friends and the Fells. In Massachusetts, that’s $43,109 in dedicated work at the Fells. We cannot thank our volunteers enough for all their hard work and dedication to keeping our Fells beautiful and safe for years to come!

Read more about the amazing work our volunteers have done below:

Volunteer and Trail Adopter, Mike, helps paint new trail blazes.

Our Trail Adopters submitted over 200 reports this year to keep the trails looking sharp. They covered more than 285 miles and contributed over 350 hours to clearing trails, removing and reporting downed tree limbs, picking up trash, clearing culverts, and other special projects. They removed 34 bags of trash, cleared 23 culverts and waterbars, and addressed issues with seven trail blazes or markers. Three volunteers helped paint dozens of new trail blazes to keep the trails well marked.

Interested in becoming a Trail Adopter? Complete the application here!
Laurie leads a Hike ‘n’ Seek for toddlers and their families.

Our volunteer hike leaders offered a wide variety of guided routes throughout the Fells. There were a total of 119 social and educational hikes, over 50 Babes in the Woods hikes, and seven Hike ‘n’ Seeks. More than 700 people attended FOF community hikes this year.

Want to join a hike? Check out our calendar here! Want to lead a hike? Let us know by contacting Community Engagement Manager, Maddie Morgan, at maddie.morgan@fells.org

Thank you DCR!

A huge shoutout and thank you go to the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the DCR Fells team. We could not do these volunteer events without the generous support, guidance, time, and tools of the Fells team. Join us in thanking the DCR Fells team for keeping our park safe, clean, and enjoyable for years to come!

Community volunteers cut and removed bittersweet and multiflora rose.

Friends of the Fells offered 11 open volunteer days in 2023 and our dedicated volunteers showed up ready to make a difference. We worked with 324 volunteers to remove 161 bags and 13 big piles of invasives from the Fells. We tackled black swallowwort, bittersweet, garlic mustard, multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed, buckthorn, and porcelain berry. Volunteers also removed 56 bags of trash at these events.

2023 was an incredible year thanks to the hard work of our wonderful volunteers. We look forward to working with you all again in 2024!
Volunteer with us!
If your company, school, or organization is interested in partnering with Friends of the Fells in 2024, please contact Maddie Morgan at maddie.morgan@fells.org.

Thank you to our 2023 partners and volunteers!

Acera School
Alexion Pharmaceuticals
ALKU
American Tower
Analog Devices
Arc’teryx
Braskem
Cambridge Running Club
Eastern Bank
Farrington Nature Linc
Fortis Life
Gay for Good
GoogleServe
Idle Hands Craft Ales
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Medford Boy Scouts Troop 416
Mitre
National Grid
New England Mountain Bike Association
New Ecology
Patagonia
Sana Biotech
Sublime Systems
Tufts FOCUS
Tufts Leonard Carmichael Society
Verizon
Winchester Girl Scouts
Winchester High School Fells Club

A bright fall sun greeted a group of 16 runners for a guided trail run through the Middlesex Fells Reservation on the morning of November 19th. Many of our runners were running the Fells for the first time. They were rewarded with gorgeous views of Spot Pond, the Boston skyline from Wright’s Tower, and the South and Middle Reservoirs along our 6.75 mile route, which sampled parts of the Cross Fells and Reservoir trails and the fire roads along the reservoirs.

The newcomers agreed that they loved their first experience of trail running and we’re all excited to do another trail run soon. Thank you to the run’s leader, Shawn Hoyt, for guiding such a fun run. Watch the event calendar for the next guided run.

Shawn Hoyt, who lives near the edge of the Fells in Medford and can frequently be seen running through the Fells on his Instagram account @shawnhoytstayactive, organized and guided the trail run. Shawn is a FOF member, volunteer, and an avid trail runner. Since turning 50 years old, he has run the full length of every marked trail in the Fells Reservation. Shawn is starting to plan for another run, so watch the FOF website for upcoming details about the next trail run!

Keep an eye on our calendar here for more trail runs and other guided hikes!

Luke Killion is a lifelong resident of Winchester. He has always been a supporter of environmental causes, as his mother is a guide for Winchester Trails and emphasized the importance of the natural world and how we can protect it.

Luke often attends Friends of the Fell’s (FOF) volunteer days to remove invasive plants and conduct trail maintenance. He has been a Trail Adopter in Virginia Wood since July 2022. Interestingly, Luke and his family have a special connection with this part of the Fells. Back in the 1800s, several members of Luke’s family worked at the rubber shoe factory that was once in Stoneham and the pumping station that supplied water to Malden at the time.

Volunteering is an important part of Luke’s life. In addition to volunteering with FOF, he also volunteered at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester and Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm in Lincoln. At these two locations, he worked with the chickens and harvested crops in the fields. He also volunteered with the Mystic River Watershed Association’s Herring Monitoring program. Luke says that “volunteering is a great way to be a part of a cause in the community and have a positive impact [that] provides you with great experiences.”

Hiking is Luke’s favorite activity to do in the Fells. He especially enjoys attending guided hikes. “The guided hikes increase my awareness of the Fells’ natural and historical importance. They reintroduced me to the healing power of nature,” Luke says.

Along with being Luke’s Trail Adopter zone, Virginia Wood is also his favorite spot in the Fells. “[This area] represents a lot of historical aspects of New England and land stewardship,” Luke shares. Virginia Wood was the first piece of land given to the Trustees of Public Reservations (now the Trustees) in 1894 by Fanny Foster Tudor. You can learn more about the history of Virginia Wood here.

Luke enjoys giving back to his community. For anyone interested in volunteering, Luke says, “[There are] more volunteer opportunities today than there ever were. Finding a good fit is probably the most important thing, then you can contribute to a cause that is worthwhile and rewarding to you.”

Thank you so much for all that you do for the Fells, Luke!

If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities, read about our volunteer program here or check out our calendar here.

Check out some of the trail work Luke has participated in as a volunteer and Trail Adopter in the photos below: 

Luke’s work on a trail by Greenwood Park.
Luke’s Trail Adopter section in Virginia Wood.

Mike Jones grew up in Malden and now lives in Burlington, where he has resided for the last 30 years. Before retiring at the beginning of 2023, Mike was a software engineer.

Mike began volunteering with Friends of the Fells as a Trail Adopter and work day volunteer in the spring of this year, but he has always enjoyed the Fells, especially over the last five or six years. After retiring, Mike found that he had a lot of extra time and thought that volunteering would be a good way to get involved and give back to the Fells. “Having done a lot of hiking in my life, I felt as though it would be good to give back a bit and do what I can to help make the trails more enjoyable for future generations, as well as for those who currently want to use the Fells,” Mike says.

Two of Mike’s favorite activities are hiking and snowshoeing. Mike says that he enjoys “being out in nature and uncovering the history” of the Fells, such as the old culverts, roads, and structures that have been covered in vegetation over time. Since the Fells does not always get enough snow, most of the snowshoeing that he does is in the White Mountains.

The White Mountains area is one of Mike’s favorite places to hike. He he has gone up for day trips or to camp. The White Mountains and other New England mountains have specific hikes that are included on a number of lists that hikers can aim to accomplish and earn a patch for completing. Mike is currently working to complete the New England Hundred Highest hike list. He has used the trails of the Fells to train for the larger hikes that he completes up in the Whites.

Mike has some advice for anyone interested in volunteering. “Don’t hesitate,” says Mike, “there is no reason to hesitate for anything that you want to do in life, and if you want to volunteer and make a difference, you should just do it.”

Thank you so much for all of your help, Mike!

If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities, read about our volunteer program here or check out our calendar here.

Cover photo by Karine Thate. Written by Jaclyn Roth.

Aster photo by Anita Gould

It’s peak foliage season in the Fells!

September 23 marked the autumnal equinox. The change in season brings lower temperatures and photoperiodism, the process of leaves changing colors. While the environment adapts to these changes, some members of the daisy family (Asteraceae) will continue to bloom with the final vestiges of sun. Asters, particularly those that are blue, mauve, and white, and goldenrods are colorful throughout the woods, particularly along paths with direct sunlight. Joe-Pye-weed, a tall pink goldenrod-esque plant, and Butter-and-Eggs, a member of the snapdragon family, are also in bloom along sunny paths. Turtlehead, a native plant to the Fells, can be found next to streams deep in the woods. Witch Hazel, which has black pointed hats with yellow flower clusters looking like thin fingers, begins to bloom this time of year.

One may also find flowers on low blueberry bushes. While the main flowering time is in May and blueberries yield in July, this fruit will pursue a second crop in optimal conditions. There are many woodland mushrooms too. Many mistake Ghost Pipes, a tall white plant that lives off decaying matter on the earth floor, as a fungus. This colorless saprophyte is common in the Fells, particularly after rainfall.
Oak gall photo by Helge Busch-Paulick

Galls are bountiful this season. There are five different types of them – those created by insects, bacteria, and fungi along with those created by nematodes and plants. Mites and insects, including wasps, are the most common creator of galls. Galls serve as both a home and a food source.

Oak trees are the most common type of tree in the Fells. As they often hybridize and their bark evolves throughout their lifespan, these trees can be challenging to differentiate. White oak is identified by their rounded leaves and longitudinal bark with intersections. Red oak has sharper leaves with ridges and bark that resembles ski slopes. Black oak contains more circular-like leaves and the bark looks like separate islands. As leaves change color, red maples are plentiful around damp areas or alongside bodies of water.

Bird migration increases in the fall. Wood pewees, white-breasted nuthatches, and black-throated blue warblers can be found passing through on their migratory path. Turtles can be found sunbathing on partially submerged rocks, as they hatch during the fall before laying dormant beneath the mud. Take a stroll around Long Pond to see if you can catch any turtles before the weather gets much colder!

There’s much to see in the Fells this fall. On your next visit, make sure to bring a pair of binoculars and pay close attention to your surroundings to identify the beautiful flora and fauna this time of year.

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