Trail Adopters
Since March, we have trained ten new Trail Adopters. Trail Adopters have submitted over 1,200 individual reports about trash, downed trees, erosion, trail usage, dog waste, and missing trail blazes. We use this data not only to help inform DCR about issues that need attention, but also to determine where to direct our future volunteer efforts. With the windy winter and blustery spring, these reports are valuable now more than ever.
Invasive Plant Management
Our first March volunteer event involved thirteen volunteers removing two 72-gallon bags of trash and a large bag of recycling from around Flynn Rink, Quarter Mile Pond, and along the southern shoreline of Spot Pond. Later that month, the Tufts Leonard Carmichael Society brought ten volunteers to remove another bag of trash and start removing bittersweet along the edges of Greenwood Park.
In April, we were joined by Gay for Good, SEEM Collaborative, Boston University’s Materials Science Engineering Grad Student Association, Boston University Graduate Women in Science and Engineering, Repair the World, and Triangle, Inc. to remove garlic mustard from Dana’s Meadow near Greenwood Park and in Virginia Wood. The meadow is now void of second-year garlic mustard specimens, and we are looking forward to seeing what the next few years will bring.
In May, volunteers started to pivot their focus from garlic mustard to porcelain berry, mugwort, bittersweet, and multiflora rose in Dana’s Meadow. We were joined by Liberty Mutual, Cadence, Triangle, Inc., and the Acera School to remove garlic mustard from the meadow and from along Spot Pond.
Dana’s Meadow
We are excited to note that, so far, the following native plants have been recorded in the meadow:
- Common milkweed (in increasing numbers!)
- White vervain
- Giant goldenrod
- Virginia creeper
- Common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod
- Allegheny blackberry
- Upright yellow woodsorrel
- Rice cut grass
- Broadleaf enchanters nightshade
- Eastern wild indigo
- White avens
- Rough cinquefoil
- Pennsylvania sedge
Additional work is planned to address more invasive plant species in Greenwood Park, Bellevue Pond, and along Spot Pond. Stay tuned for more information!
If you’re interested in getting more involved with invasive plant removal or even working on a project of your own, please contact Maddie here. You can also register for upcoming invasive plant removals here.
Fells Trail Crew
March opened the door for trail work to begin anew. Charlie has led 59 volunteers to address culvert issues, repair surrounding waterways, and improve trails since the snow melted. Three events were open to the public, while Team Rubicon joined us for a fourth event to address some culverts and drainage at Greenwood Park.
You can register for upcoming trail work days here.
Guided Outings
Since March, we have offered 55 guided outings led by FOF staff and volunteers. The outings have traversed the Fells from east to west, watching the landscape blossom with pinks, greens, whites, and yellows. They’ve explored the geology, plant life, history, and bird life of the Fells.
Volunteers and staff started back up our trail running series for women and non-binary folks, a bi-weekly weekend trail run club, and Senior Strolls in April, and our Queer and Trans Hiking Fell-ows hikes continue on the last Sunday of every month. The second year of the Native Land Learning series hosted Elizabeth James-Perry for an indigenous culinary workshop and a natural dye workshop and Brad Lopes for a talk on “Creating and Uncreating Native Americans: In Literary Traditions” later in May.
Check out our full lineup of more events later this spring and into summer here.
Thank you!
We’d like to thank the following groups who have joined us since March and have made a big impact in helping us remove invasive plants, pick up trash, and work on trails:
- Acera School
- Boston University’s Materials Science Engineering Grad Student Association
- Boston University Graduate Women in Science and Engineering
- Cadence
- Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
- Earthwise Aware (EwA)
- Gay for Good
- Liberty Mutual, Inc.
- Repair the World
- SEEM Collaborative
- Team Rubicon
- Triangle, Inc.
- Tufts Leonard Carmiachel Society
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.