30 years of Friends of the Fells!

DCR Park Interpreter shows off some cool animal pelts. Photo by Matvei Mozhaev. Instagram: @mozhaev_eye

Thank you for celebrating with us!

On Sunday, October 15th, over 150 community members joined Friends of the Fells (FOF) and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) on a crisp fall day to celebrate 30 years of FOF promoting the conservation, appreciation, and sustainable enjoyment of the Middlesex Fells.

FOF members, staff, board members, volunteers, and partner organizations including Earthwise Aware, Mystic River Watershed Association, Stone Zoo, Save Arlington Wildlife, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and Feminist Bird Club Boston Chapter joined to help celebrate the day with guided hikes, fun activities, and outreach materials. The event was generously sponsored by MAVE Apartments and delicious food and snacks were supplied by MOM’s Organic Market and volunteers.
DCR horses Duffy and Mike made an appearance. Photo by Matvei Mozhaev. Instagram: @mozhaev_eye

“Love for the Fells runs deep, in our organization and in the wider community. It was really special to be able to spend the day expressing our appreciation for the Fells in so many ways, including through play, nature exploration, art, and stewardship,” said FOF executive director Chris Redfern.

At noon, kids participated in a variety of races including a sack race, run like an animal, and egg and spoon. Arts and crafts projects, including build your own bird feeder, rock painting, and scavenger hunts let kids show their creative sides.

Animals joined in on the festivities too! The Massachusetts Park Ranger Mounted Unit arrived with two of their horses, and Owlfredo the Eastern Screech Owl stopped by from the Stone Zoo for families to say hello. The DCR Forest Fire Patrol also attended with one of their trucks for attendees to learn more about their programs.
Participants of the Hike ‘n’ Seek explored the forest. Photo by Matvei Mozhaev. Instagram: @mozhaev_eye

An array of hikes departed from Greenwood Park throughout the day, including a 9 am birding hike led by the Feminist Bird Club Boston Chapter, and a family Hike ‘n’ Seek walk at 11 am to explore the wonders of our forest. Dedicated volunteers also joined forces to conduct trail maintenance to reduce erosion along nearby trails.

At 12:30 pm, Executive Director Chris Redfern, Board Chair Sandy Pascal, and Senator Jason Lewis gave remarks and FOF was presented with an official Massachusetts Citation recognizing the work of FOF. Shortly thereafter, two more hikes departed. One, led by longtime volunteer and expert naturalist, Boot Boutwell, explored the autumn colors and features of the Fells. Another longer hike trekked into Virginia Wood and around the eastern portion of the forest.

Thank you for celebrating with us!

The weather is beginning to cool down and the leaves are starting to change color, signaling that autumn is here. With the cooler temperatures and beautiful scenery, this time of year is perfect to get out in the Fells for a trail run. The Fells is home to many trails that are great for trail running, either on your own or with some new friends.

On Saturday, September 30th, a group of trail runners and Fells lovers enjoyed a trail run through the Eastern portion of the Fells. They headed east on the Cross-Fells Trail, with short detours to see the beauty of the waterfall at the Cascade and the views of Boston from Pinnacle Rock. They then headed back west to take in the beautiful views of Spot Pond and ended with a scenic loop around Wright’s Pond.

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!

Learn more about one of our wonderful volunteers, Jill Feldman, below!

Originally from Milwaukee, Jill Feldman has called Medford home for the last two years. After retiring in 2021, she moved to Medford to be closer to her son and grandson. Before retiring, Jill worked in the social work field where she practiced clinical social work, program development, and advocacy for women veterans. Within the first six months of moving to Medford, Jill began volunteering with Friends of the Fells (FOF) to get outside, learn more about the Fells, and meet new people.

Jill is an outreach and tabling volunteer with FOF. Her friendly, kind demeanor draws in guests of all ages to learn more about the Friends and the work we do in the Fells. She loves interacting with community members and meeting new people, especially the kids who visit the FOF table to make nature journals. “Kids just really love [making nature journals] and that, to me, is delightful,” Jill says.

In addition to volunteering with Friends of the Fells, Jill is also an active volunteer with the environmental activist organization Mothers Out Front. She works with their Healthy Soils Advocacy group to educate the public on the importance of healthy soils for sustainable food production and ecosystems.

When hiking in the Fells, Jill enjoys taking her time and absorbing her surroundings and all the beautiful scenery of the Fells. One of her favorite spots is the area between the north and middle reservoirs. Jill comments that this area is “so pretty, and you don’t expect it … it feels like you are out in the wilderness somewhere.”

To anyone interested in volunteering at outreach events, Jill says that tabling at markets and fairs is a “really wonderful place to meet people, people that will have some of your same interests and values.”

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

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

A Fells Forest Camp camper keeps an eye on some nearby birds.

Over 500 campers explored the Fells this summer through unstructured, opportunistic nature-based learning at Friends of the Fells’ Fells Forest Camp. Traversing rocky trails and pine needle-strewn forest floors, counselors and campers learned the importance of our woods, how to minimize our impact, and how all the nature elements we encounter are connected.

“Enhancing children’s curiosity for nature, this camp is taking them out, engaging with hikes, wood, stones and mud, while observing wildlife and knowing how to behave respectfully,” said one camp family. “We (and they) loved it!”

This year’s camp season included eight one-week sessions for kids ages 4-12, as well as new two-week Science and Discovery sessions that focused on building campers’ nature knowledge of the Fells and local ecology.

Camp staff worked with children in self-guided explorations that encouraged natural curiosity and inquisitiveness. Campers learned to communicate with their groups and their counselors, and to respect the natural world.

“Our kids look forward to Fells Camp every summer,” said another camp family. “The child-led structure encourages discovery, curiosity and ultimately empowers them to be stewards of their surroundings. They come home excited to share stories and confidently show us the new trails they got to know. The counselors are positive and engaging and they foster teamwork and delight.”

Camp registration for the 2024 season will open early next year. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook for updates!
2023 First Day Hike at the Fells with the Department of Conservation and Recreation

On Wednesday, August 9, Governor Healey signed a $56.2 billion Fiscal Year 2024 budget from the state legislature that included $105.6 million for Department of Recreation and Conservation (DCR) operations. This allocation for our state parks provides a $20.6 million increase from last year’s budget.

Friends of the Fells worked with partners throughout the budget cycle to advocate for our state parks. “This result shows that our collective efforts paid off, and that Governor Healey and her team recognize the important role parks play in the health and well being of everyone in the Commonwealth,” said FOF Executive Director Chris Redfern. “We’re also grateful our partners in the state legislature came together and delivered for our parks, which are key to protecting biodiversity and addressing climate change.”

We thank all of our park advocates who made your voices heard and contributed to this win!

Learn more about one of our wonderful volunteers, Dan Bender, below!

Originally from Newton, MA, Dan has lived in Medford for 10 years. After working in the tech start up space for some time, he eventually found his way to professional scuba diving. Dan discovered his love for diving in the Caribbean where he became invested in reef conservation efforts. He now co-owns a dive boat in Gloucester and has been teaching others to dive for about six years.

After participating in reef conservation work in the Caribbean when he was able to, Dan decided he wanted to work on conservation projects closer to home, which is where his interest in the Trail Adopter program began. He stumbled upon the Trail Adopter program and Friends of the Fells through an online event posting during the early days of the pandemic. Dan dove into the volunteer activities straight away.

Dan’s passion is in the conservation of biodiversity and his focus is on invasive species management and education. Dan wants to educate the public about invasive plant species and help spread awareness about their impact on the ecosystems and native plants of the Fells.

In addition to volunteering with Friends of the Fells, Dan also spends time volunteering with Earthwise Aware (EwA). He uses his knowledge of invasive species and works with EwA with their invasive plant monitoring project, as well as participates in their rogue trail mapping project. Dan discovered EwA when a friend expressed interest in documenting vernal pool activity utilizing tools and skills from their experience with underwater photography. EwA has extensive ongoing initiatives to certify vernal pools and document the diverse organisms that they hold.

Dan discovered the Fells because of its mountain biking trails and he fell in love with the Fells for its walking trails. He moved close enough to spend every day in the Lawrence Woods walking his dog, Coco. Dan and Coco spend their time out in the Fells hiking, documenting, and exploring.

Some of Dan’s favorite spots in the Fells are the damp, verdant, and sun-dappled environments that are jeweled with a diversity of native ferns and carpeted with mosses. One of Dan’s favorite memories from walking with Coco is when she was investigating an old log on the side of the trail and a flying squirrel jumped out. “I knew they existed, but I had never encountered one in the wild, so that was really special that we have flying squirrels and they live right here in the Fells,” Dan said.

“Start somewhere,” is Dan’s advice to anyone interested in volunteering. “[Make] a decision about where you want to start and dive in. There are so many cool opportunities, it can seem overwhelming. Pick a trailhead that looks promising and meander along the paths until you find an initiative that you love. Like the Fells, everything is connected in one way or another so go out and participate.”

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

 
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