Friends of the Fells

Photo by Colgan Johnson.

by Darren Josey

Outdoor recreation is for everyone, yet not everyone recreates outside. According to the 2024 Outdoor Industry Association Participation Report, 57% of Americans recreated outside one or more days last year, while 43% did not. When you look at the data, many groups are missing: ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and lower-income folks. So, why should people who already recreate outside care? How can we expect almost half the country to care or take action on solving climate change if they’ve never experienced the positive benefits outdoor recreation provides? To make it more personal, how would your life be different if you didn’t get outside for a hike, ride, or run in the Fells last year? What if you spent a lifetime without ever knowing it existed? For far too many people living in Malden, this is their reality.

My name is Darren Josey and I go by DJ, and I’m the person who created The Great Malden Outdoors with my company First Seed Sown. I spent a 15-year career working for outdoor and athletic brands being paid to play outside; however, as a Black and Puerto Rican kid who grew up in Medford, I didn’t see many people who looked like me in these outdoor playgrounds. In 2023 I made it my mission to start a company with the goal of building and maintaining equitable access to outdoor recreation for everyone while fostering existing participants’ recreational pursuits. If we are going to slow, stop, and someday reverse the negative effects of climate change, then we’re going to need everyone to have a personal connection to nature.

Malden, MA is the perfect starting point for a campaign like this. It has the unique combination of being the fourth most diverse city in the state and home to a wide array of some of the most accessible outdoor recreation spaces in the country. You can rock climb at several outdoor crags, view migrating birds at an official Hawk Watch Count Site at Pinnacle Rock, paddle along the Malden River, enter through multiple trailheads into the Fells, and enjoy some of the most diverse food in a single city.

This campaign has delivered a multilingual advertising campaign, a step-by-step outdoor recreation website guide, and dozens of outdoor programming and events for residents and visitors this year. A big thanks to the Friends of the Fells (FOF) team and volunteers for supporting this ambitious project.

This past summer, we partnered with FOF to offer an adaptive hike during Disability Pride month with over 30 participants. We are also working with FOF to expand their after-school programming through a Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation grant. Finally, we’ve partnered with FOF and municipal leaders to promote the Be Kind! Campaign, which encourages stewardship of our green spaces and respect for our fellow park users.

We are excited to continue to partner with groups like FOF to increase accessibility at the Fells, and I look forward to expanding upon the good work we’ve done in year one for many more people in the years to come.

To learn more about The Great Malden Outdoors, please visit (www.TheGreatMaldenOutdoors.com) and sign up for our newsletter to receive information on future events.

All photos in this blog post are by Colgan Johnson.

Initials carved into a birch tree. Just below, it’s stripped of a line of bark.

By Claire O’Neill

Claire O’Neill, President of Earthwise Aware (EwA), shares an important reminder about the need to protect our native trees. In the Fells, you may notice initials carved into the smooth bark of beech trees or birch trees with peeling bark stripped away. These actions can severely harm the trees, compromising their health and resilience.

Key ecological impacts of carving into thin-barked trees like birch and beech include:

Disease pathways: The incision creates a gateway for pathogens such as bacteria, and some harmful fungi, which can invade the tree’s vascular system causing decay and stunting its growth.
Insect damage: Open wounds can also attract pest insects, which may lay eggs and burrow beneath the bark, further compromising nutrient and water transport within the tree.
Reduced photosynthesis: Damage to the bark can hinder the tree’s ability to photosynthesize effectively, diminishing its growth and overall health.
Impact on wildlife: Birch and beech trees are critical to local wildlife. They offer food and shelter. Damage to these trees can disrupt the habitats of many animals.
Aesthetic damage: Carving into a tree can significantly detract from the natural beauty of the tree and its environment. It also sets a poor example for others, encouraging the spread of a damaging trend.

There are many ways to positively interact with our trees without damaging them and threatening their livelihoods. Each tree is a living entity, vital to the intricate tapestry of life. Trees are the lungs of our planet, harnessing sunlight and nurturing countless beings. Silent teachers, they offer lessons in resilience and interconnectedness. By caring for these natural gems, we ensure their survival and support the health of the entire ecosystem. Committing to leave no trace is a meaningful first step in preserving these steadfast guardians for generations to come.

For more information and resources about this, please see below:

Additional resources

Simard, S. (2021). Finding the mother tree: discovering the wisdom of the forest (First edition). Alfred A. Knopf.

Wohlleben, P., Flannery, T. F., Simard, S., & Billinghurst, J. (2016). The hidden life of trees: what they feel, how they communicate: discoveries from a secret world. David Suzuki Institute ; Greystone Books Ltd.

Municipal leaders gathered at the Fells to help promote the Be Kind! campaign.

This fall, we collaborated with public officials who represent and serve communities surrounding the forest to share the Be Kind! message, installing physical signage and promoting the campaign through social media channels and op-eds in regional newspapers. We’re grateful for their leadership in advancing the Be Kind! campaign in the Fells.

About Be Kind!

Over the last five years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the public’s use of outdoor nature spaces, including our state parks. We’re glad to see that more people are benefiting from the physical health and mental well-being provided by time spent in nature.

As a conservation organization, we also believe in the intrinsic value of the biodiversity found in the Fells, and promote the protection of nature for its own sake.

By acting with kindness to other visitors, staff, and plants and animals in our state parklands, we can create a more welcoming space for all, and protect our environment. We celebrate everyone acting with kindness in our parklands and encourage everyone to join in!

**Winchester Sustainability Director Ken Pruitt**

Learn more about our 2024 accomplishments in the Fells here!

Volunteers from Verizon remove Glossy buckthorn.

Summer and early fall were a busy and productive time at the Fells! Since July, we’ve engaged ten volunteer groups and hosted five open volunteer opportunities for the community. Across these events, 267 volunteers donated over 524 hours to remove 15 bags and nine large piles of invasive plants and conduct trail work and maintenance. Volunteers removed invasive plants like Glossy buckthorn, Porcelain berry, and Asiatic bittersweet.

This year so far, 569 volunteers have given 1,095 hours to help in the Fells, and they’ve removed 194 bags of invasive plants and trash. We have already surpassed the number of volunteers and projects that we had in 2023!

Volunteers work to fix a culvert by Whitmore Brook to reduce trail erosion.

This summer and fall, we trained nine new Trail Adopters to help us monitor the trails and keep them clear and safe for all to use. These Trail Adopters submitted reports about downed trees, missing blazes, biopollution, and more.

The following groups have joined us since July to help remove invasive plants, pick up trash, and work on trails:

Braskem
Gay for Good
ICE
Live Blue – New England Aquarium Service Corps
Medford Girl Scouts
Patagonia
Paddle Boston
Tufts FOCUS
Verizon
Winchester Girl Scouts

Interested in assisting these efforts? Apply to volunteer here!

Want to volunteer with your group, company, school, or team? Learn more about our group volunteering opportunities here.

Reach out to friends@fells.org if you have any questions or if you’d like to get more involved in these efforts.

Participants traverse Fells trails while making new friends. Photo by Mac Doucette.

For over twenty-five years, Friends of the Fells has welcomed families to our popular weekday hiking program, Babes in the Woods. Hikes are designed for caregivers who carry their children and are offered every week, all year long, weather permitting. For new parents especially, it’s a great way to connect with others in the same stage of life, and get exercise, all while learning about nature. In the last 12 months, 231 families participated in Babes in the Woods hikes, with many enjoying multiple outings.

The program is very simple. Each week, hikers meet at a different trailhead, and then walk, usually moderately paced, for an hour and a half. This is usually about 2.5 to 3 miles. Hike leaders think about incorporating beautiful views or places of interest; such as the overlook at Long Pond or the Silver Mine near Sheepfold. Participants get a chance to learn about local flora and fauna. Sometimes they get treated to the smell of a sassafras leaf or a snapping turtle sighting in the Middle Reservoir. Deer, frogs, crayfish, snakes, bald eagles, and barred owls are just a few of the animals encountered on the hikes.

Dennis, a longtime Babes in the Woods leader and volunteer, points out some cool features of the Fells forest. Photo by Mac Doucette.

Many studies have shown how helpful nature can be for mental health. Because being a parent is difficult enough already, the Babes in the Woods hikes are offered for free—no one suffering from post-partum depression or anxiety should be denied this opportunity.

The hikes go out in all kinds of weather. Snow and light rain do not stop them, but heavy precipitation or poor air quality will. They are also canceled if the heat index is 90°F or above, or the wind chill is 25°F or below. Some people might be surprised that the hikes go out in below-freezing weather, but babies make fantastic personal space heaters.

There are several volunteers available to help, if someone needs to stop for any reason, such as to tie a shoe, to breastfeed, or to adjust a carrier. Hike leaders and assistants check in with each other frequently to make sure the group stays together. Very rarely, a participant will need to turn around and head back home, and there are extra volunteers to help guide them back for this reason. Leaving home with a new baby for the first time can be very daunting, and this gives people peace of mind when it comes to their precious cargo.

Learn more about our 2024 accomplishments in the Fells here!

So far in 2024, Friends of the Fells staff and volunteers have led 112 guided outings in the Fells, not including our popular Babes in the Woods programs. These hikes were attended by more than 700 people and covered a wide variety of topics and mileage around the Fells such as plants, wildlife, seasonal changes, and history.

Twenty-seven volunteer hike leaders donated many hours to scout, prepare, and lead these hikes for the Fells community. A huge thank you goes out to Boot, Jeff, Carol, Tom, Laurie, Dennis, Hobbit, Kyle, Karine, Jill, Audrey, Doug, Alison, Julia, Tinie, Leah, Jac, Jaclyn, Sean, Barbara, Joel, Max, Heather, Jodi, and Charlotte for providing so many incredible ways to explore the Fells for our community!

Take a look at some snapshots from our hikes this year below! Interested in joining us for a hike? Check out our calendar here.