August Volunteer Spotlight

Audrey Killion

Originally from Cape Cod, Audrey Killion has lived in Winchester for 47 years. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in nursing and was a nurse and nurse practitioner for 55 years. Audrey has been retired for five years now and loves being out in nature.

Growing up on the Cape, she spent a lot of time in the woods, on the shore, and in the apple orchard in the backyard of her childhood home. Audrey’s mother and aunt knew a lot about the local flora and fauna and passed that knowledge onto her. “I did learn a lot growing up with my family who were always walking and saying ‘oh look there goes an Oriole’ or ‘there’s a hawk up in that tree.’ They knew their trees and plants and birds,” she explains.

Audrey has been a walk leader volunteer with Friends of the Fells for the last few years and has guided walks with Winchester Trails for 40 years. She leads walks on plants and the history of the Fells. History has always been one of Audrey’s favorite subjects, and she loves learning about all types of history, especially Native American and natural histories.

During the pandemic, Audrey and other Winchester Trails leaders took participants on socially-distanced bird watch hikes.

One of Audrey’s favorite memories in the Fells centers around a family of wood ducks. This spring she was out on a walk and saw a mother wood duck with seven babies paddling behind her. “They were almost walking over the water. They were cruising Long Pond trying to keep up with mother duck,” Audrey says.

For Audrey, the most valuable part of walk leading is getting people of all ages into the Fells. “Your job is done if you can get people out into nature. They can have that experience and that appreciation and [you can] encourage them to learn more,” says Audrey to anyone interested in guiding their own walk.

Thank you, Audrey, for all that you do for the Fells!

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please reach out to friends@fells.org, complete the Volunteer Application, or keep an eye on our calendar here for upcoming volunteer events.

Laurie Adamson and Dennis Crouse are originally from Cape Cod and Marion, Iowa, respectively. The pair have lived together in Melrose for 38 years. They are self-proclaimed “nature nuts” who love being outdoors and experiencing nature. This love of the outdoors has taken them hiking throughout the country and the Fells. They have been FOF members for many years and began volunteering as hike leaders over a decade ago. They often lead hikes for children and families through our Babes in the Woods and Hike ‘N’ Seek programs.

After retiring from working with elementary school students 15 years ago, Laurie was looking for ways to get involved. She discovered Babes in the Woods and decided to volunteer on the hikes. A few years later, Dennis retired from a career as a chemist and Laurie invited him to join her. They have both been pivotal members of the groups ever since.

Laurie leading a Hike ‘n’ Seek with some enthusiastic participants.

Over the years, Laurie and Dennis accumulated many memories, but their favorite one takes place by the High Reservoir. They once saw an exotic-looking bird wading near the shore with a plume on its head. They thought that maybe a bird escaped from the Stone Zoo, but it turned out to be a black-crowned night heron, which breed in this area. “Seeing it was one of our coolest experiences in the Fells,” they say about the sighting.

Laurie’s favorite part about leading hikes is the little walkers (children between the ages of two and five). “They’re curious and they get so excited about everything,” Laurie adds. Dennis’ favorite aspect of leading hikes is meeting all the attendees. “The young men and women who have babies, they are out there to talk and socialize, and they love the fact that I point things out on the way,” says Dennis.

Laurie and Dennis have some advice for anyone interested in leading hikes or volunteering. “Do it, jump in. Everyone who you will meet has a love of the Fells like you do, so look at all the different opportunities and join and try it out.”

Thank you, Dennis and Laurie, for all that you do for the Fells!

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please reach out to friends@fells.org, complete the Volunteer Application, or keep an eye on our calendar here for upcoming volunteer events.

Originally from New Jersey, Hobbit currently resides in North Reading where he has lived for 30 years. Hobbit enjoys working with computers and all things tech. He was in the computer and network security space for many years and is also interested in areas such as laser-show tech, theater lighting and sound, and electric cars. In 2005, Hobbit bought his first hybrid car and has been driving a hybrid or full-electric car ever since.

Hobbit is also a long-time barefooter. “I simply don’t need or want shoes anymore because my feet have reached a state that nature wants them to be,” Hobbit says about walking barefoot. One of his favorite things about walking without shoes in the woods is what he calls the “rich symphony of textures underfoot.”

Hobbit got involved with Friends of the Fells (FOF) just under a year ago, when he started leading hikes. Before leading hikes with FOF, Hobbit had previous experience leading hikes with the Friends of Harold Parker State Forest. He has been volunteering with Friends of Harold Parker for six years now, where he helps lead hikes every Wednesday and has helped with their annual 5k trail race.

Some of Hobbit’s favorite parts of leading hikes are meeting new people and getting to show folks parts of the Fells they have never been to before. He cares deeply about preserving our forests and greenspaces, and he wants to help teach others how to enjoy and protect them. Hobbit’s favorite spots in the Fells are the high rock peaks. He loves scrambling over big rocks, so he spends a lot of time on the Rock Circuit and Skyline trails. Hobbit is also interested in the historical aspects of the Fells and tries to remember what he learns and share it with his hike participants.

For anyone interested in volunteering, Hobbit has some advice for folks interested in leading their own hikes: “Go out with your map and GPS app and take a few loops on your own.”

Thank you, Hobbit, for all that you do for the Fells!

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please reach out to friends@fells.org, complete the Volunteer Application, or keep an eye on our calendar here for upcoming volunteer events.

Amanda Treat moved to Malden seven years ago. She works as a project manager for Wilson Sporting Goods and supports their Wilson Pact sustainability committee and different initiatives to help get folks together outdoors. Running, gardening, hiking, writing, and rock climbing are all activities that Amanda enjoys.

“Coming out of COVID, I really wanted to get out there and do something that gives back to the community and do things with other people,” Amanda says about her motivations to join the. Friends of the Fells’s Communications Committee. She writes blog posts and helps get information out to Fells community members.

Before joining the Communications Committee, Amanda volunteered at invasive plant removal work days. After attending these events and learning about invasive plants, she noticed large areas of black swallowwort near the Oak Grove T stop. She got in touch with the Fells DCR staff and asked about scheduling an event to remove invasive plants near the T stop. Members of groups like Friends of the Malden River and Bike to the Sea also joined in this event. “It was a cool way to expand something Friends of the Fells repeatedly organizes and spread it out into the community.”

Amanda frequents the Oakdale Park side of the Fells; Pinnacle Rock and the Cascade are two of her favorite places to visit and take in the view. She also walks in the Fells while participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count and considers herself a casual birder.

If you are interested in volunteering, Amanda has some advice for you. “Whatever you are interested in, there is an opportunity that matches that,” says Amanda. “[Volunteering] helps get people outside and get them together.”

Thank you, Amanda, for all that you do for the Fells!

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please reach out to friends@fells.org, complete the Volunteer Application, or keep an eye on our calendar here for upcoming volunteer events.

Anna Rudy has spent her entire life in Stoneham with her family, where she is a close drive from the Fells. After earning an Associates degree in Psychology from Middlesex Community College, Anna transferred to Salem State University where she is currently majoring in Biology.

Anna loved reading as a kid, especially the Magic Treehouse book series. This love of literature has stuck with her, as she is now pursuing a Professional Writing minor and wants to help make science concepts more accessible.

Anna has been volunteering with FOF since January 2023. She has helped tremendously with office work in addition to volunteering at invasive plant removals. She found this volunteer opportunity through social media after the pandemic. Anna says she “needed to get back outside and reconnect with nature.”

“Whenever I think of nature, comfort, or happiness, I think of Bellevue Pond,” Anna says about her favorite place in the Fells. Every Easter, her family visits Bellevue Pond and goes for a walk while they appreciate nature and the beginning of spring. Anna has numerous memories in the Fells and it is hard to pick a favorite, but one thing that she has always enjoyed is birding.

Anna’s love of birds developed from a young age after she saw a great blue heron fly overhead on a walk. “They are absolutely amazing, I still love great blue herons to this day. They are so majestic and goofy,” says Anna.

If you are interested in volunteering, Anna has some advice for you. “Volunteering can take all kinds of forms,” Anna says. “Ultimately, I think you shouldn’t let any preconceived ideas about what volunteering is prevent you from helping a cause that you love. There are so many different ways to help out. You just have to ask!”

Thank you, Anna, for all that you do for the Fells!

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please reach out to friends@fells.org, complete the Volunteer Application, or keep an eye on our calendar here for upcoming volunteer events.

Jac Goldstein (she/her) and Leah Nussbaum (they/them) have been leading hikes for the Queer and Trans (QT) Hiking Fell-ows, an LGBTQ+ community hike group in the Fells for the past year. In the fall of 2022, they joined a hike with The Venture Out Project and Friends of the Fells, where the idea of monthly hikes for the LGBTQ+ community in the Fells began.

Currently living in Arlington, Jac was born and went to college in California before moving to Wisconsin to earn her Ph.D. in astronomy. She currently teaches scientific communication to engineers at MIT. Jac enjoys dancing, climbing, gardening, and camping. She also loves any activities where she can relate to other people, land, or communities.

Leah is originally from Framingham and has spent most of their adult life in New York, Philadelphia, and Jerusalem before moving back to Massachusetts for work. Leah is a rabbi and chaplain who works in a long term care hospital with seniors and their families to provide support as they age. Leah helps build community connections among seniors and their families where they may not expect to find a Jewish community otherwise. In addition to hiking, Leah enjoys indoor and outdoor rock climbing and board games.

June 2023 Pride Hike

Before leading hikes for FOF, Jac organized a Queer Climbing Social Madison, WI. She and Leah didn’t have prior hike leadership experience, but they were excited to get to know community members and get out in the Fells. Leah’s favorite part of leading hikes is the opportunity to explore new parts of the park and be outside. “I like seeing new places and new spots, especially in winter,” Leah says, and “getting to know both the regulars and new folks.”

Jac says that she gets excited to see how many people show up [for the hikes] every month. “The group has become more popular over the last year and typically reaches its maximum capacity … each month.”

If you are interested in leading hikes, Jac and Leah have some advice for you. Both Leah and Jac encourage folks to reach out and express their interest. Jac says that “FOF is there to help with event organizing and advertising and … provide logistical support. So if there is an interest, then there is a way [for you] to do it.” When leading hikes, Leah recommends “[setting] expectations for how long [the route is] and [giving] opportunities for breaks, which helps make the hikes more accessible.”

Thank you, Leah and Jac, for leading these amazing hikes for the community!

If you are interested in learning more about leading hikes or getting involved, please visit the QT Hiking Fellows Facebook group. You can also reach out to friends@fells.org or keep an eye on our calendar here.