Celebrate Spring’s Return to the Fells — Some Highlights from our YouTube Channel
Spring has returned to the Fells, and with it the vibrant green that we all love! There is no better way to appreciate the beauty of the season than to learn more about the plant species that contribute to the vibrancy that is occurring in the forest.
Our YouTube channel, started in spring 2020, was inspired by a desire to continue our programming, even though we couldn’t do it with our usual guided walks. Spring has come around again, so if you missed them last time, or just want to watch again, explore with some experts in botany, ecology, and natural science. Enjoy!
Our first set of videos is the “Spring Ephemeral” series, featuring BU professor of biology (and prior Friends board member) Dr. Randi Rotjan discussing a few of the interesting plant species that are beginning to bloom in the Fells:
Next, local expert and long-time hike leader Boot Boutwell discusses some of his favorite plants to observe in the spring forests of New England:
Next, Dr. Lucy Zipf, Lecturer at the Wellesley College Environmental Studies Department, explains the strategies of different trees in the forest when it comes time to “leaf out” in spring:
Finally, Claire O’Neill discusses an important aspect of the work her organization Earthwise Aware (EwA) focuses on in the spring months– documenting and certifying new vernal pools in the Fells.
Claire is the founder of EwA, and a Friends of the Fells board member:
If you have an idea for a video topic that you would like to share, or have any interest/experience in videography or video editing and would like to volunteer those skills, please contact us!
We have many more topics of interest to explore on the channel, so check back often for updates!
Keeping up with the physical changes that occur in the Fells is a daunting task! With over 100 miles of trails and more than 2,200 acres of space to monitor, the task of identifying issues, hazards, and maintenance needs is a constant challenge at the best of times! And limited staff and time (for both the Friends and DCR) means that we rely nearly completely on the efforts of our volunteers and Trail Adopters to accomplish these scouting duties.
While the scouting need of the Fells is always a major undertaking, the inclement weather of the past few weeks has made this a critical need for our community to take on right away. Trail damage and erosion, downed trees, limbs, or other blockages, missing trail markers and signs, or any dangerous/ potentially dangerous situations new to the forest need to be identified and reported in order for us and DCR to add these issues to our “to-do lists” as soon as possible! In just a few weeks, winter weather will set in and many of these issues cannot be addressed until the spring.
How can you help?
Scouting in the Fells is easy: take a hike, and report back to us what you see and where! There are two easy ways to report a scouting trip to us:
Complete our Trail Adopters Report Form with as much information as you can, including uploading photos of the issue, or
One of the most important details to include in a report of a trail issue is an accurate location for us to reference. The most accurate location marker to use is the closest DCR “trail intersection marker” or markers, like this one:
Every trail intersection in the Fells has been assigned a 3-digit label (“E4-5” in the example above), and can be referenced on the DCR Fells map, found online here. [Important note: these intersection markers are not currently included on any of the printed Friends of the Fells maps.]
GPS coordinates, trail names, and location relative to a trailhead or fire gate can also be very useful details to record and share, too.
In addition to trail and tree damage that is a current priority, scouts are always on the lookout for regular issues like:
new invasive plant growth
graffiti
household waste or yard waste dumping
rogue trails and habitat fragmentation
unauthorized construction, damage, or misuse of the park
Trail scouting is a great way to get involved with our work, whether as someone new to the Fells and to outdoor volunteering, or a seasoned outdoor enthusiast with a keep eye for the forest!
If you have any questions, or to learn more about scouting in the Fells, contact maddie.morgan@fells.org.
In addition to our scouting needs, we are seeking the following volunteer assistance:
Seeking volunteer leaders to advance our communications and fundraising efforts
We’re looking for a communications professional to work directly with our staff to champion and help lead our communications work, including developing a strategic communications plan to better leverage our communications channels (email, social media, and new website presence) to engage our supporters, inspire volunteerism, and promote our programs and activities. If you have professional experience in communications and would like to learn more about this opportunity, contact Chris Redfern at chris.redfern@fells.org.
If you’re a nonprofit fundraiser who loves the Fells and would like to help us grow in our ability to meet our mission, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for a development professional who can help us develop relationships with the regional philanthropic community and identify strategies to fund initiatives in our Action Plan. To learn more about this opportunity, contact Chris Redfern at chris.redfern@fells.org.
Friends of the Fells launches new “My Middlesex Fells” video feature
Each of us has our own distinctive relationship to the Fells, and every experience we have visiting the Fells can be completely unique from the last. This new video project from our intern Dexter Fadness attempts to capture some of the diversity of those experiences.
The first video in the series features Friends of the Fells board Chair Jeff Buxbaum, who talks about his own realization of this diversity and the joy of getting lost in the Fells.
We want to hear about your unique relationship to the Fells! If you’re interested in sharing your own personal experiences with our community, contact Dexter at dexterfadness@gmail.com. We also welcome your own submissions to the My Fells project we launched last year, featuring your own artistic interpretations of the Fells.
The Friends of the Fells are pleased to welcome our 2021 Video Production Interns Dexter Fadness and Paige Colley to our staff this summer. Dexter and Paige both bring media production experience and a love of the outdoors to the positions, and we are very excited to work with them over the next few months!
Dexter Fadness
Dexter Fadness
“When I was younger, I spent countless hours wandering the Fells with my Great Dane, Thea. Living in Winchester, just minutes from the reservation, we were in there every day, and when she died we scattered her ashes along her favorite trail. It is that connection and intimacy that I bring as the Friends of Fells’ new video intern. As a recent graduate from Bard College with a degree in Film and Electronic Arts, I have cultivated knowledge of writing, directing, editing, and producing video content. Those skills, and my experience working with veteran filmmakers such as Kelly Reichardt and Charles Burnett, will be put into action developing the Friends of the Fells video presence and sharing what makes the Fells so special.”
Paige Colley
Paige during the 2019 Concord Cheese parade posing in front of a 1,000 pound wheel of cheese.
“Hi everyone! My name is Paige and I’m looking forward to working with Friends of the Fells this summer. I’m originally from Anchorage, Alaska, where I enjoyed all sorts of outdoor activities from hiking to kayaking to skiing. I did my undergrad at NYU studying physics, although I have an appreciation for all things science, from astronomy to biology. I recently finished my journalism MS at BU, and am looking forward to staying in Massachusetts for a while and getting to know the Fells better.”
The first project that the interns will focus on this summer is a “Community Highlight” series featuring personal narratives from individuals with a love for the Fells. And for this video series, we need your participation:
What does the Fells mean to you? COVID mental health walks? Pet exercise? Fun with friends? A biological laboratory? Whatever your answer, we need YOU for a new video series. We are seeking on-camera participants who highlight the diversity of the Fells community, both in demographics (age, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual and gender orientation) and activity (biking, research, hiking, boating, restraining your dog from jumping in the reservoir). 😊 The Friends of the Fells welcomes everyone to this special natural resource.
We’re looking for an hour or two of your time to explore your Fells experience, filming content that will be edited into short videos.
If you would like to participate, or you know someone who would be perfect for this project, you can contact Dexter Fadness at 845-399-6662, or through email at dexterfadness@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing this project come together, and to all the new content that they produce this summer!
The Friends of the Fells YouTube channel continues to be a source for engaging educational content related to the natural history of the Fells.
Over the past months, more members of our community have offered to share their expertise with us to create informative and entertaining videos for you!
Here are just a few examples of the new content now available:
First, local expert and long-time hike leader Boot Boutwell discusses some of his favorite native plants:
Boston University Ph.D. candidate Lucy Zipf explains the strategies of different trees in the forest when it comes time to “leaf out” in spring:
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And Tufts professor Colin Orians discusses how the Eastern Hemlock manages to survive despite attacks by the hemlock woolly adelgid and other insect species:
Many additional videos are available now on our channel, with more in the queue! To see all our videos, or to subscribe to our channel, click on the YouTube icon below.
Special thanks to Board President Jeff Buxbaum for his continued curation of the YouTube page.
If you have an idea for video topic that you would like to share, or have any interest/experience in videography or video editing and would like to volunteer those skills, please contact us!
The Friends of the Fells had a lot of programs and events planned for this spring, but COVID-19 is keeping us all away from each other. We’ve launched our new Youtube channel to pique your interest in the Fells and enhance your experience when you visit. We will be using this platform to highlight plants, animals, history, geology and events related to the Middlesex Fells.
Our first set of videos is the “Spring Ephemeral” series, featuring BU professor of biology (and Friends board member) Dr. Randi Rotjan discussing a few of the interesting plant species that are beginning to bloom in the Fells:
If you have an idea for video topic that you would like to share, or have any interest/experience in videography or video editing and would like to volunteer those skills, please contact us!
If you would like to share your own relationship with the Fells, please participate in our My Fells project. We’re looking forward to seeing the different ways we experience this shared resource.
We have a full queue of videos already planned for the channel, so check back often for updates!
Update: Inspired by our new YouTube channel, videographer Fritz Bosch offered this video he produced featuring former board chair and botanist Bryan Hamlin, talking about the Fells. It is as relevant today as it was eight years ago. Have a look:
