Thank you to our 2023 Volunteers!

Scroll to see photos of this year’s volunteers and their hard work!

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!
Volunteer with us!
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

You’re the best!

This was an impressive year for volunteering in the Fells! Over 175 volunteers participated in our Trail Adopter program, led hikes, removed invasive species, picked up trash, collected data, and helped with community outreach. Our volunteers donated 737 hours of their time to support and engage with 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:

Boot Boutwell leads one of his famous hikes around Long Pond.

Our 34 Trail Adopters were busy out on the trails this year. They covered more than 72 miles of trails and contributed 134 hours to clearing trails, removing and reporting downed tree limbs, picking up trash, clearing culverts, and other special projects.

Our hike leaders lept into action this year to lead free public hikes for the community. There were a total of 183 social and educational hikes, 40 Babes in the Woods hikes, and seven Hike ‘n’ Seeks. Altogether, hike leaders donated 365 hours to lead hikes and build community in the Fells. A total of 1,111 people attended the community hikes this year.
The Cambridge Running Club helped us remove three bags of trash from around Spot Pond and Flynn Rink.

Friends of the Fells offered 11 open volunteer days in 2022 and our dedicated volunteers showed up ready to make a difference. 113 volunteers donated 245 hours of their time to participate in trash clean-ups, invasive species removals, and community outreach events.

We held three trash clean-ups at Sheepfold Dog Park and Flynn Rink. 50 volunteers came out to the Fells to pick up trash and help keep the forest clean and healthy.
Medford Boy Scout Troop 416 helped us remove two massive piles of multiflora rose and bittersweet.

Volunteers also tackled Asiatic bittersweet, multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed, black swallowwort, and garlic mustard at Crystal Springs, Virginia Wood, Medford High School, and the Botume House. The hard work that the 53 volunteers put into removing these invasive plants has a visible and tangible impact on the Fells ecosystem.

We attended the Stoneham Fair, Melrose Victorian Fair, Medford Farmers Market, Tufts University Community Day, and Malden Summer Festival in 2022 and had seven wonderful volunteers table with us to offer a friendly face and provide information about the Fells and FOF to community members.

This year was an exceptional year for volunteering, and we look forward to more fun volunteer events and hikes in the Fells in 2023!
Volunteer with us!

Name: Katie Aberbach

Town: Stoneham

Involved Since: 2016

Profession: Writer/Communications Professional

Katie tells us:

I moved to Stoneham about two years ago, and since then, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the Fells. My husband and I love to bring our dog and 1-year-old son on hikes around Spot Pond, Sheepfold, the Reservoir Trail, and the many other trails in the Fells. A highlight of my maternity leave last fall was taking hikes with the Babes in the Woods group. It was such a great way to learn about the natural landscape and connect with other new parents and babies (as well as the very dedicated and friendly hike leaders and volunteers). While I’m no longer able to make those hikes, I continue to spend weekends with my family in the Fells. We love visiting year-round, and we are always amazed at the natural beauty in what’s essentially our own backyard. In addition, I have started to volunteer my time as a copy editor and proofreader for the Friends of Fells. I hope that my contributions help the Friends of the Fells effectively spread their message and protect and promote this local treasure.

In the spring of 2014, the Friends of the Fells launched an updated Fell Trail Adopter Program.  Two dozen interested volunteers attended an information session and ultimately 17 individuals and groups applied to adopt a Middlesex Fells trail in 2014.

Throughout the year, over 15 miles of trails and paths through the Fells were actively maintained by trail adopters.  I could see the impact of their work when scouting trails to plan community service events like National Public Lands Day.  Areas that have often required cleanup efforts were found in a pristine state.  Several trails have been easier to navigate thanks to volunteer efforts to clear brush from the trails and signs.  While hiking or running during hurricane season, I would often encounter downed trees or branches one week, only to find the trail clear and passable the following week.

The efforts of individual Trail Adopters complemented the ongoing efforts of DCR to maintain the Reservation.  Park Ranger Mike Nelson noted that “It’s great to have extra eyes and a fresh perspective out there to let us know what problems exist so we can address them.”  DCR staff have cut away fallen trees reported by trail adopters, and also re-blazed a confusing section of the Cross-Fells Trail based on input from the adopters.

Several local groups have joined the effort.  Melrose Boy Scout Troop 615 (pictured), a Girl Scout troop from Winchester, employees and volunteers from Zoo New England, students from Medford High School working with Eagle Eye Institute, and the Young Members of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Boston chapter all participated in the Trail Adopter program this year.

Thank you to all of our Trail Adopters who have worked to make this program a great success!

Looking forward, DCR has approved the program to continue in 2015 and I have already received reports from Trail Adopters working in the Fells this January.  With 79 miles of trails and paths running through the Fells, there is room for many more to join the program this year.  The Friends of the Fells Trail Adopter Handbook will tell you all you need to know about adopting a trail.  To get involved, see the Fells Trail Adopter Program page.

Sunday’s low humidity and clear skies was perfect for the third running of the 2014 VERT Sasquatch 2.3 mile Fells trail race!  Starting from the field across from the Stone Zoo three waves of a total of 931 runners headed out for the sprint to the finish line!

While the fastest runner completed the course in just 12:37 minutes(!) everyone was happy to have experienced the results of their training and determination to complete the race!  Here is a map of the course and see photos from previous Fells races.

The after race dj party was a blast with free food & beer sponsored by Notch Brewing, Slumbrew, Night Shift Brewing & Downeast Cider.

The race benefits Friends of the Fells and the Stoneham Senior Center.  Thanks to VERT organizer Eddie O’Connor and so many other race volunteers including Friends of the Fells members, DCR Rangers, Stone Zoo, State Police,  City of Stoneham and many others for helping make this event a highlight of the summer!

For more information on additional VERT races click here: http://www.vertraceseries.com

Woodland Road route before entering the Fells

VERT after race DJ Party!

 

 

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