Forest Instructors: Mother Nature’s Support Staff

By Kelli Hanson

I truly cannot recall a time in my life when I did not dream of being a special education teacher. I’ll spare you the long and winding story explaining why it took me a while to get where I am now, but I finally completed my degree in Early Care and Education in 2015 and started working as a special education teaching assistant in 2016. I also have known for quite some time that my ultimate goal is to work in an alternative education setting, though I was not sure of exactly where my place in the world of education might be… until I saw a post online seeking “Forest Kindergarten Instructors.” I clicked the link, read the job description, and submitted my application as quickly as I could type. Today, having completed two full summers and two fall sessions as an instructor with the Friends of the Fells Youth Programs, I can say without a doubt that I have found my place in the world of education.

This program has obviously had a huge impact on me and my life. I am sure, however, that you really want to know whether I have witnessed any impact it may have had on the children who have attended. In a nutshell: absolutely! I could tell you a story for almost every child I have met since June of 2016. The best examples, though, as someone who works in special education, have occurred very recently. We have had several children with Autism Spectrum Disorder attend our program throughout this summer and fall. One struggles with being flexible when things don’t necessarily go as expected; one has Sensory Processing Disorder (in this particular case, life is never enough – never loud enough, never fast enough, never stimulating enough); one lacks an appropriate level of impulse control. Every day I watch children with ASD try to navigate a classroom, a playground, a gaggle of peers and teachers and therapists. And then I go to the Fells and spend two hours in a glorious setting with my co-instructor and a very small, integrated group of children and it is a completely different world. There is very little structure, and absolutely no “instructional materials.” Just the sky, the wind, the pond, and endless amounts of sticks and rocks and leaves. We build forts. We throw rocks in the water to see how far they will go and what kind of sound they will make. We search for the perfect hiking stick. We walk. There are no barriers between the children with special needs and the typical children. There is no “us” vs. “them.” There is no natural or manufactured segregation. We all play together in the forest and discover whether a certain stick will float or sink. We all (to paraphrase an old adage) just get along.

In a perfect world the Friends of the Fells Youth Program would be a full-time, year-round entity (and in an even more perfect world there would be similar programs all over the country!). Children would learn math, science, social skills, life skills, and so much more in a natural, relaxed atmosphere. “Classes” would be small and lessons would be primarily child-led and the instructors would really just be Mother Nature’s support staff, as she would be the primary teacher. And, because we all have a bit of a selfish side, I would finally be in my own perfect place in the world.

 

To register for our programs click: fells.org/youth-programs !

 

KEEP OUR PROGRAMS GOING BY POSTING OUR FLYER AT YOUR FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP, GYM, LIBRARY, OR SUPERMARKET! [DOWNLOAD HERE.]

We lost an important Friend last month.   Teresa Bello, member, supporter, and wife of long-time former Chairman Hue Holley, died in early May.  Hue tells us, “Teresa was always supportive of my involvement with the Friends, and loved being in the Fells with our children.  She admired our volunteers for their contributions, and became friends with many.”  Thanks for all you’ve done over the decades, Teressa and Hue!
Read on for the official obituary:

Teresa Bello (Holley) of Malden, passed away at home on May 10th surrounded by family after battling a rapid progression of ALS. Loving wife of 35 years to Hubert Holley of Malden, beloved mother of Anthony Holley and Grace Holley of Boston, daughter of Joseph and Santa (Barbaro) Bello of Roslindale, sister of late Jerome Bello and wife Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Gaquin of West Roxbury. Also survived by three step-children and many step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

Teresa was born on January 21, 1948 in Boston and attended Roslindale High School. She spent years serving her community as a cherished activist and environmentalist and was a devoted caregiver who was loved by many friends. She actively volunteered for local organizations including Malden Public Schools, Bike to the Sea, Malden Reads, Friends of the Malden River, and Malden Democratic City Committee.

 

Read on for a message from Claire O’Neill, President of Earthwise Aware, about our new joint programming initiative:

By Claire O’Neill

I am very excited to see Earthwise Aware (EwA) and the Friends of the Fells offering a new fun and engaging Nature program: ‘EwA at the Fells’.

Our joint mission is to foster awareness of species and habitat biodiversity and develop an understanding of the importance of ecology, phenology, and ethics while helping science.  We’re focusing on citizen science and nature & field journaling.

What is EwA?

For those of you who don’t know EwA yet, Earthwise Aware is a young nature conservation nonprofit which focuses on ecological literacy, ethics, and leadership. We are dedicated to reconciling environmental attitude, science & behavior, and we are committed to strengthening our connection with nature.

EwA is both a global and a local organization. Global, since our science and conservation collaborators —who help us developing our content— come from anywhere in the world where we have connections. Our core team itself is American, French, British, Romanian and Indian. Local, because we believe that nature conservation starts at home, and so, we collaborate with local organizations to bring nature experiences here where I and a few of us, at EwA, live.

Our tools include a wide range of guides, etiquettes, and tips for the engagement of the people and professionals within our immediate environment, while visiting nature habitats, and for interacting with wildlife.

We also provide “practice” tools in the form of nature experiences, which we call Nature Circles. EwA Nature Circles cultivate mindful ecological experiences combining science, wellness, ethics & art. Any one of us, anywhere in the world, can participate and implement EwA Nature Circles activities that are freely available on our site.

Last November, we launched local circles and ran spontaneous events anywhere where something interesting was happening at the moment: snowy owls at Crane beach and Newburyport, fall’s colors at Beaver Brook Reservation, winter trees in Somerville, etc.

The Beginning of an Inspiring Partnership

But we also wanted to lead events on a regular basis, in a few dedicated locations that would become our exploration bases. Doing so, we would provide “bonding” experiences that get our local circle members familiar and knowledgeable about the ecology of specific interesting places.

Crane fly on a lady slipper at the Middlesex Fells

Then, of course, The Fells, with its beauty and the richness of its diverse habitats naturally came to our mind. And, as I am a member of the Friend of the Fells, it was also natural to reach out to the Friends and discuss a potential collaboration, as we thought that EwA’s circles would be a terrific addition and complement to the many wonderful programs that the Friends of the Fells already offer.

It took only a meeting with Ron, Ann, and Lindsay from the Friends of the Fells this past April, to know that, indeed, we wanted to work together. So here we are: The result of this collaboration materialized and is ready to start this June!

“EwA at the Fells”— Together with the Friends of the Fells, Celebrating Biodiversity All Year Long

“EwA at the Fells” is a two-series program that we will run year round. It includes a citizen science series (Fells’ Biobliss: Biodiversity & Citizen Science), and a nature & field journaling series (The Fells’ Naturalists & Sketchers Circle).

Both series will explore different habitats of the Fells. We’ll look at everything: birds, amphibians, insects, fungi, plants, you name it – big and small, and even smaller… We’ll also pay attention to the relationships between species and reflect on the meaning and implications of these relationships in relation to the forest, including the cities nearby and further away. This intimate exploration will help us build a deep understanding of the place over time while documenting, journaling and/or sketching its many species wonders for the benefits of the Fells, its scientists, and ultimately our communities.

These two series are wonderful opportunities to connect with like-minded people who want to learn, enjoy nature, and be active protectors of this incredible gem that the Fells is.

Come join us! Be part of these nature experiences —be part of nature with us!


More about the ‘EwA at the Fells’ program » https://www.earthwiseaware.org/ewa-at-the-fells/

About Claire » https://www.earthwiseaware.org/main/our-team/#Claire

The Friends of the Fells are excited to partner with The Friends of Harold Parker as sponsors of a Fundly campaign launched by Walter Kittredge, a member of our Stewardship Committee. Walter seeks funding for a summer intern/research assistant with particular expertise in lichens and mosses. 

Walter tells us:

“Lichens and mosses have been used to monitor air and water pollution, to which they are particularly sensitive, and are ideal organisms to monitor the effects of climate change as they react more quickly to environmental changes than do the flowering plants. They are, in a sense, the canary in the coal mine.”

Walter is a botanist who has worked at the Harvard Herbaria for 40 years. Walter was co-author of “Changes in the vascular flora of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from 1895 to 2011.” published in 2012 in the journal Rhodora, which won the Fernald Award. He also co-authored several subsequent additions to the flora in the journal. He is also author of “The Middlesex Fells, a Flourishing Urban Forest” published in 2013 in the journal Arnoldia. 

Anyone who has walked in the woods with Walter has witnessed his encyclopedic knowledge of plants. However, lichens and mosses are a bit out of his area of expertise, and engaging a summer intern is key to completing his survey. He points out that while the Fells and Harold Parker are only 10 miles away from each other, they are a half zone apart in temperature and have different ecologies. Establishing a comprehensive early 21st century inventory of the plants in each area as a baseline will inform climate change studies in years to come.

Funding for basic research is sadly lacking, particularly for plants without obvious commercial benefits. The Boards of our Friends’ organizations recognize that this project presents a wonderful opportunity to encourage students and scientists working in these fields. Visit Walter’s Fundly site to learn more and make a contribution to support a project that will have long-range significance for our local environment.

About research assistant Giovanna Bishop:

Giovanna graduated from Wheaton College in 2017 with a B.A. in Environmental Science. At Wheaton, Giovanna started the Farm House along with the WheaFarm–Wheaton College’s Community Garden–the summer of 2015, and was the president of both for two years. Not only was Giovanna a leader on campus, but she was also a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team, as well as part of the staff at the Wheaton Greenhouse. Giovanna was a key member of a project to digitize, curate, and identify the Wheaton mollusc collection during her senior year, which is when she started to realize her interest in cryptogams. She created her own independent study her last semester at Wheaton, and collected lichens and bryophytes from the Wheaton Woods learning to identify and curate them. Giovanna was awarded the Clinton V. MacCoy prize in Ecology at Wheaton, an award only two students get every year. After graduating she took two field courses at the Eagle Hill Institute in Steuben, Maine on lichens and bryophytes, which improved her identification skills. Giovanna was hired as a field assistant in the Western US this past summer, working with Polystichum ferns. She joined the curatorial staff of the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard in November 2017, where she deepened her knowledge. She is planning on applying to PhD programs to study bryophytes and lichens in December. 

More about Walter:

Walter graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Botany in 1975, and has a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Harvard University. As the Senior Curatorial Assistant in the Harvard Herbaria, Walter has been a team leader in major restructuring of the collections. His most recent project was to database the several thousand specimens in Thoreau’s Herbarium. Research interests include Charles Wright, and New England floristics.

 

Join DCR’s Step into Spring StoryWalk® during April School Vacation Week and beyond. The program will run from April 14-29. Walk a trail, read a story, use your senses and connect with your surroundings. Enjoy this unique opportunity to bring the joy of nature and the magic of reading together outdoors!

Over in the Forest – Come and Take a Peek

Written by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Jill Dubin.

Come and participate in this self Guided StoryWalk® for Pre-K kids with adults! This story follows the rhythm and rhyme scheme of “Over in the Meadow” as mothers teach their babies life skills. Follow the tracks of ten woodland animals but . . . uh-oh . . . watch out for the skunk!

 About the Trail: This StoryWalk® takes place on the Crystal Springs Trail at Greenwood Park (across from Stone Zoo). Trail starts from the Parking Lot behind the granite wall. The trail is an easy walk; about ¼ mile. Trail can accommodate jogging strollers.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Mass in Motion,  North Suburban Child and Family Resource Network and Friends of  the Middlesex Fells Reservation would like to acknowledge and thank The StoryWalk® Project, created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the KelloggHubbard Library for their work and inspiration.

Park info & directions: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/middlesex-fells-reservation.html

By Phaea Crede

Since first grade, the Medford Girl Scouts of Troop 75198 have enjoyed hiking the many trails throughout the Middlesex Fells. Now, seven years later, these Cadettes are switching from visitors to environmental stewards as they prepare an impressive meadow restoration project.

“We are restoring a meadow,” Cadette Lydia Twiddy told the Friends of the Fells. “We’re going to plant flowers…and of course, we want to make it habitable for animals to live a sustainable lifestyle.”

Located at the former military anti-aircraft 90mm site not far from South Border Road, the meadow restoration project will transform the overgrown field into a pollinator’s paradise featuring native grasses, wildflowers, and berry plants for the local birds, butterflies, and deer to enjoy year-round.

But before the planting there needs to be extensive planning. The Cadettes have passed the long winter researching native species, planting, and fertilizing techniques (including potentially using spent grain from local breweries) and meeting with experts and botanists from the DCR, Friends of the Fells, and the Mystic River Watershed Association. Their resulting five-part action plan features a cleanout day to combat invasive species like Asian bittersweet. They will also be mowing, laying loam, planting, weeding, and watering. To read more about previous restorations in this space, click here

The troop will continue to maintain the meadow until it becomes an established site. “It has to be sustainable,” says Cadette Ellie Hunt.  “And we have other troops who actually want to take it on, [so] when we’re done with this project they will help sustain it.”

This meadow restoration is the troops’ Silver Award Project, which requires Cadettes to create positive change in their community. The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. If that sounds like a big deal, it is. Scouts make a commitment of at least 40 hours of work each. Troop 75198 is already 20-plus hours in.

So why meadow restoration? Cadette Charlotte Gingo explains: “For me, it’s the idea that I’m helping something that’s a lot bigger than myself. It’s something that you can appreciate every day. You can come back to it and go,’I helped do that, and it’s going very well.’”

The Cadettes plan to invite the whole community to join them for the site cleanup day soon. Bookmark the Friends of the Fells calendar and stay tuned for more information.

Until then, the Cadettes only have one final challenge to overcome: rocks. Because much of the Fells dirt is jam-packed with solid Massachusetts granite and other stone, the troop faces the age-old Bay State issue of growing anything in this stubborn soil. But their solution is straightforward: “We picked [the area] that we think has fewer rocks,” says troop leader Gretchen Gingo.

I’d say these Cadettes have the Silver Award in the bag.