Three decades of supporting the Fells

Learn more about the Friends of Fells milestones

In 1993, a group of dedicated volunteers came together to establish the Friends of the Fells (FOF) as a nonprofit. Thirty years later, we continue to protect the Fells through conservation work, guided hikes, and educational programs. Let’s take a look at our key accomplishments and growth over the past three decades:

The FOF office in the garage the Botume House.

1993-2000:

  • FOF opened its first office at the garage by the Botume House in 1994 and later relocated to the Beebe Estate in Melrose.
  • In 1999, FOF started its Babes in the Woods program, a group created with new parents in mind. For more information, read this article here.
  • Also in 1999, FOF cultivated its strength as an environmental organization and focused heavily on activism. It successfully opposed the building of a frisbee golf course in the Fells and later defeated the building of a sports complex planned near Greenwood Park.
The Tudor Barn. Photo by Mike Ryan.

2001-2010:

  • From 2001 to 2016, FOF advocated to reduce the size of development at the former hospital site on Woodland Road.
  • FOF was instrumental in siting a new MWRA-covered storage on the former hospital site, preserving woodland in the Fells.
  • In 2005, FOF created a coalition to maintain DCR historic parkways in their rustic state.
  • FOF employed its first part-time director in 2005, and by 2023 had expanded staff to include a full-time director, two full-time staff, one part-time staff, and an AmeriCorps member.
  • FOF led successful campaigns to rebuild Tudor Barn (2006) and re-dedicate Wright’s Tower (2008) after securing state funding.
  • In 2009, FOF co-sponsored and published a significant mammal tracking survey of the Fells.
Trail Adopters attend a group work day.

2011-2020:

  • In 2011, FOF members and others published a major survey of plants in the Fells, documenting the exceptional biodiversity found there. That same year, FOF mobilized hundreds of citizens to write to DCR to prioritize nature in a new Resource Management Plan, but the plan was not fully carried out.
  • In 2012, FOF re-launched a volunteer Trail Adopter program.
  • In 2016, FOF was awarded a $100,000 Cummings Foundation grant to expand youth programs in the Fells, which helped launch Fells Forest Camp.
  • In 2018, FOF worked with local politicians to prevent the construction of an indoor hockey rink in Lawrence Woods, collecting 7,000 signatures for the effort via an online petition.
  • In 2019, FOF launched a YouTube channel and produced video shorts highlighting people’s connection with the Fells and seasonal nature happenings.
  • In 2020, FOF began a participatory science partnership with Earthwise Aware.

2021-2023:

  • In 2021, FOF convened the Fells Caucus, a group of elected officials who represent communities adjacent to the Fells and meet regularly to stay up to date on Fells issues and support the forest.
  • That same year, FOF launched a multi-year Sustainable Fells Campaign that addresses invasive plants, rogue trails, and visitor behavior.
  • In 2022, FOF completed an Action Plan and restructured its staff team to align with plan goals, adding a Community Engagement and Operations staff member and a Camp and Youth Development Director.
  • In 2023, FOF partnered with DCR and Friends of the Blue Hills to launch the Be Kind! Campaign to encourage a culture of care and stewardship in the Fells.

As FOF continues to grow and develop as a professional conservation nonprofit, we plan to expand the removal of invasive species, close rogue trails that disrupt wildlife habitat, develop after-school educational programming, expand our Fells Forest Camp offerings, and monitor the plans for additional construction at the former hospital site.

As we look toward increasing our capacity to better protect and ensure the sustainable enjoyment of the Fells, we’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can best accomplish this work. Reach out at friends@fells.org and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things Fells.

Our invasive plant removal program was very active and productive this fall, focusing primarily on glossy buckthorn patches around the Botume House and along Spot Pond as you head toward the Tudor Barn. Since October, seven volunteer groups of 165 total volunteers and the DCR team joined us to remove almost all the buckthorn in this area. Together, the groups donated 376.5 hours of work to this space. We look forward to seeing how the area responds in the coming growing season.

Check out some before and after photos below!

Medford Boy Scout Troop 416 helped remove bittersweet.

As fall drew to a close and most invasive plants went dormant in the colder months, we shifted our invasive plant removal efforts to focus on the aggressive Asiatic bittersweet in the Botume House area and around Greenwood Park. A high school group joined us in October to cut back the bittersweet around Greenwood and remove as many of the berries as possible.

Community members and scouts from the Medford Boy Scout Troop 416 joined us along Spot Pond to cut back bittersweet and remove a few piles. This summer we look forward to monitoring how the area responds to the vine removal and what new plants might be growing there.

Interested in assisting these efforts? Join us on Saturday, March 2nd!

With fresh snow cover, our trash removal efforts are paused until the spring. FOF staff and volunteers continue to collect trail and usage data using Earthwise Aware’s (EwA) Trail Reporting App. If you are interested in learning more about our Trail Adopter program, please join us for an orientation on Saturday, March 2nd.

Trails continue to suffer from erosion and flooding due to a warmer and wetter than average winter. Stay tuned for additional ways to help us manage trails through upcoming trail maintenance volunteer days and, once you are trained, use EwA’s app to report any trail issues you see.

Reach out to us at friends@fells.org if you’re interested in getting involved with our invasive plant removal or trail projects! And, as always, let us know if you have any questions.

Happy Trails!

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.

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!

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: