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2007 Annual Meeting

Keynote speaker Wes Wade, Director of Land Conservation of the Trustees of Reservations. spoke about the importance of conserving land and its significance to global climate change at the WCLT 10^th Anniversary Annual Meeting.
June 11, 2007

Clearing Aliens from Gilmore Pond Area

The Civic Club with Boy Scout Troop 4 joined a major work party to clear invasive alien plants, particularly Asian honeysuckle, from the Gilmore Pond open space.
May 12, 2007

Storm Drain Project

WCLT, in cooperation with Westborough's DPW, coordinated a Storm Drain marking project to alert the public that any waste poured into street storm drains flows directly into water bodies without being treated.
May 5, 2007

Westborough Spring Festival

As part of the Town's Spring Festival, WCLT coordinated a "Learn to Fish" Clinic and hosted an activity table with a "plant a seed" theme.
April 28-29, 2007

Earth Day 2007

More than 60 volunteers participated in the Town-wide litter clean-up of public recreation areas and adjacent streets, including many families with children, members of local Boy Scouts, Democratic and Republican Town Committees, and the Good Shepherd Lutheran Confirmation Class.
April 21, 2007

January Hike to Explore the Winter Landscape

Hike leader Ann Marie Pilch, naturalist and tracking enthusiast, points out the remains of a pine cone that a red squirrel chewed. Twenty-five hikers of all ages attended the WCLT winter hike in late January at the Mass Fish and Wildlife Management Area. The group followed a deer trail to a deer bedding area, identified dried plants such as wild cucumber, evening primrose, and milkweed, and found signs of beaver activity at a pond. Jan. 2007

Brownies on a Nature Walk

Recently Brownies took a nature hike with a WCLT nature guide toward earning their Outdoor Adventurer Try-it patch. They enjoyed a sensory hike in which they examined different textures, smells, colors and sounds of the natural world around them, including various lichen, mosses, and autumn leaves. Nov. 2006

Family Campfire Kindles Memories

Scout master and WCLT Director Andy Koenigsberg, aided by Boy Scout Dotts, tended a memorable September evening campfire at the Bowman Conservation Amphitheater for those who wanted to experience--or relive--campfire traditions. Waiting for the campfire to die into embers, WCLT members led the group in favorite campsongs, then children gleefully roasted marshmallows to their sticky delight. Sept. 2006

Cedar Swamp Orienteering

Veteran woodsman and former Scoutmaster Bob Brown, assisted by his sons Jim and Glenn, taught the basics of using a compass to WCLT hikers on September 17. The group followed a simple orienteering exercise through the meadow leading up to Cedar Swamp, then enjoyed a hike into the swamp to the old camping ground. Highlights included viewing white cedars for which the swamp is named, as well as chestnut oak trees and wetland plantlife. Sept. 2006

October 8 Crane Swamp and Cedar Hill Hike

A sweeping vista of autumn color greeted the hikers at the top of Cedar Hill on the five-mile hike through Crane Swamp to the Sawink Reservation. The trail led through many ecosystems, from open fields to deep woods, where some of the oldest stands of hemlocks growing in Westborough. Oct. 2006

November Mill Pond North Shore Ramble

Hikers began the walk at George Nichols Dam at the Mill Pond Road, where Helen Kidder and Nancy Sundstrom, daughters of George Nichols, explained that the dam was built in a cow pasture in the late 1960s to control the Assabet River as part of a flood control project. They described the wet meadow and small, meandering Assabet river where they remembered taking their cows to drink. The hike offered scenic views of Mill Pond and waterfowl as it continued around the peninsula and through the woods to the railroad tracks across Fisher Street. Nov. 2006

Summer 2006 Butterfly Walk

Butterfly expert Dolores Price led the WCLT summer Butterfly Walk for families in the meadows at the Fish & Wildlife open space near Lyman School. Participants learned to identify such butterflies as Black Swallowtails, Red Admirals, Sulphur Oranges, Cabbage Whites, Mourning Cloaks, and Eastern Commas. July 2006

Kim Simpson Receives Pepper Award

At the WCLT Annual Meeting, the 2006 Jack and Ellie Pepper Award was presented to Kim Simpson. This Pepper Award recognizes an individual in the community who has done outstanding work in land conservation and preservation and advances the WCLT mission.
(Read the entire press release.)

Zach Arnold Receives WCLT Young Environmental Leader Award

At the WCLT Annual Meeting, the Young Environmental Leader Award was presented to Zach Arnold for his enthusiasm, initiative, and dedication to improving the town’s environment. WCLT's Young Environmental Leader Award is given periodically to a young person in Westborough who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment and public service to the environment.
(Read the entire press release.)

First WCLT Scholarship Awarded

The first $500 WCLT Scholarship was awarded to graduating senior Rebecca Danis, who wrote about the problems of invasive bittersweet along local roads. Ben Gitkind received Honorable Mention for his essay on air quality and the burning of fossil fuels.
(Read the entire press release.)

Earth Day 2006 Hikes

Due to the construction of the MWRA Walnut Hill Water Treatment Plant, the trail connection from Sawink to Cedar Hill had been closed for several years. The MWRA has re-established this link with a new and improved trail. On Earth Day, there were two hikes: a five-mile figure-eight loop from Sawink Farm in Westborough to Cedar Hill in Northborough and back again, and a 2 1/2 mile hike from Scholastic Book Fair in Northborough. About 30 people did each hike.

Earth Day 2006 Town-wide Clean up

Residents of all ages joined the annual WCLT efforts to make our shared open spaces more beautiful by picking up litter at local parks and recreation areas.

Butterfly Watching

On March 15, 2006, residents of all ages, including Junior Girl Scout Troop 555, enjoyed the slide presentation of Dolores Price, vice president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, on how to identify butterflies seen in local gardens and meadows. Ms. Price also described fascinating butterfly behaviors such as puddling and mimicry

Spelling Bee

The WCLT Tree Huggers (l-r Annie Reid, George Barrette, and Kris Allen), sponsored by Attorney Christopher Senie, competed valiantly in the 6th annual town-wide Westborough Education Foundation Spelling Bee on March 6, 2006.

Al Sanborn Receives 2006 WCLT President's Award

At the winter 2006 Board Meeting the WCLT President's Award was presented to long-time Stewardship volunteer and original WCLT incorporator Al Sanborn, for his outstanding service to the Westborough Community Land Trust.

Don Burn, chair of the Stewardship Committee, said, " Over the last seven years,  Al has been involved with WCLT in building all of the 20 miles or so of trails in town. He is the one we rely on to be our 'rapid response' guy. When we need someone out on the trails in a hurry, Al is the first to answer the call...The WCLT Stewardship Committee can always depend on Al to step up and do the routine but critical maintenance to ensure that trails are open for people to enjoy. Al has a great positive, can-do attitude and is a totally reliable, invaluable volunteer for the Westborough Community Land Trust." 
(Read the entire press release.)

Archaeology Walk in Cedar Swamp

On Sunday, November 6, 2005, WCLT, co-sponsored with Westborough Historical Commission, held an archaeology walk in Cedar Swamp. Westborough was the site of Native American hunting, fishing, and stone tool making dating back more than 8,000 years. Families came to visit some of the sites and learned the lifeways of Native Americans in Westborough with local archaeologist, Michelle Gross.

National Trails Day

WCLT celebrated the National Trails Day weekend with two walks and the first Charm Bracelet Hike. On Saturday June 5^th the trust held a morning walk from the Gibbons School with a discussion of invasive plants.

That afternoon a second walk was held in Bowman Conservation area with a demonstration of trail maintaince.

On Sunday June 6^th sixteen dedicated hikers started from Minuteman Park and worked their way across town to the Grafton town line and then up to the MBTA train station on Smith Valve Parkway. This celebrated an essentially complete ten mile segment of trail.

Earth Day Cleanup

WCLT celebrated Earth Day weekend several cleanup efforts. Crews collected trash at several locations around town for eventual pickup by the DPW.

Earth Day Trail Project

WCLT also built a trail on Earth Day along Mill Road to eliminate a dangerous walk on the side of the road.  The trust thanks the Westborough Country Club Committee for giving us authorization for the trail on their property.