To counter wintry blasts, treat yourself to a preview of the wildflowers that you can find on warmer days in Westborough’s woods, fields, and wetlands. Annie Reid and Garry Kessler of WCLT’s “Nature Notes” column in the Westborough News will present a slide presentation of wildflowers found in Westborough. A joint program with the Westborough Garden Club.
Contact: Annie Reid at 508-366-8429

Join Michele Grzenda, Biologist and Naturalist, to listen for owls and learn about their special adaptations for silent flight and locating prey. Discover which Massachusetts owl asks “who’s awake?” and which one sounds like a horse.  After a brief presentation, we will venture out to the Headwaters Conservation Area on an owl prowl.  Warm clothes, boots, and flashlights are a must!
Contact: Scott Shumway sshumway@wheatonma.edu

During these two months Westborough High School seniors are invited to submit essays for the WCLT Earth Day Essay Contest and scholarship applications. The $500 WCLT 2008 Scholarship will be awarded to the contest winner. Get application and contest details at the WHS Guidance Office.
See scholarship page for details.
Contact: Annie Reid anneareid@aol.com

Join nature photographers Garry Kessler, Paul Weisbach, Barry Hall, and Robin Fleming as they discuss their approaches, share tips, and answer questions about capturing the beauties of nature in photography.
Contact: Kris Allen@charter.net

WCLT will be again heading out to our Gilmore Pond Project to remove invasive plants from this beautiful area. If you have loppers and work gloves please bring them, but mostly a willing pair of hands. We will be happy to teach you about the invasive plants on that property and how to identify and remove them on your own land.
Contact: stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Falcons. Owls. Hawks …How are these magnificent raptors struggling to survive as their habitat disappears? Raptor expert and environmental educator Larry Keating from Rulers of the Wind presents a live birds of prey program on Saturday, April 12, from 10 – 11 a.m. to highlight this challenge. The program will be held at the Westborough Knights of Columbus Hall on 17 Willow Street. This special Earth Day event is coordinated by the Westborough Community Land Trust for local families and schoolchildren and is partly sponsored by a Westborough Cultural Council grant.
Contact: rosemjohn@verizon.net

Last day for WHS seniors to submit essays for the WCLT Earth Day Essay Contest and their scholarship applications to become eligible for the $500 WCLT Scholarship to be awarded on Graduation Day. Hand in essays and applications to the WHS Guidance Office.
See scholarship page for details.
Contact: Annie Reid anneareid@aol.com

Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by WCLT! Early birds meet at 6:30 am at West Meadow Plaza traffic island. Families are invited at 9:30 am to Lake Chauncy parking lot or Sandra Pond’s Minuteman Park to be assigned a site to clean up. Wear gloves and sturdy shoes—trash bags will be provided. Rally your neighbors to form a team to pick up litter and beautify the streets in your neighborhood!
Contact: Bruce Tretter tretter5@charter.net

On Thursday May 8, 2008, bring the fundraiser ticket (follow the link below) and enjoy dinner or order take-out from The Chateau Restaurant of Westboro. When paying your check, give the waitperson your ticket. The ticket will be attached to your check. The Chateau Restaurant will contribute 25% of the total bill to the: WESTBOROUGH COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
Details and fundraiser ticket (.pdf)
(Note: Chateau prefers that the ticket be printed in color.)

Decrease the pollution in our streams and ponds from storm water run-off by alerting the public to avoid dumping waste into storm drains. Wear work clothes and gloves for painting.
Contact: Kris Allen krisallen@charter.net

WCLT last year started a multi-year effort to turn our land around Gilmore Pond into a woodland park. We are doing this work with the support and assistance of the Westborough Civic Club. The long term goal is to create a pleasant ten acre area with handicap accessible walking trails, benches to sit, and restock the pond with trout.

Come to our work party on May 10^th to help remove invasive plants from the area. This work is easy in that it requires just a lopper (WCLT has a few if you do not own one) to cut the plants. The plants are then dragged to a staging area where they will be disposed of. What we do need are volunteers to help us since we have several acres of plants to remove.

The work party will meet at the start of Gilmore Farm Road, which is the road into the Orchard Hill over 55 development.
Raindate: May 17
Contact: stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Observe expert Mark Blazis and his team as they catch neotropic migratory birds in a mist net, then examine and band them to collect valuable data on the birds’ health, population trends, and migration. Meet at BJ’s parking lot at 7 a.m. to carpool if not raining.
Postponed from May 4 due to weather.
Contact: Kris Allen krisallen@charter.net

Join Annie Reid and Gary Kessler, of the WCLT “Nature Notes” in the Westborough News, on a one-mile walk to see pink lady’s-slippers in bloom at Bowman Conservation Area plus other May wildflowers and some invasive plants along the way. This walk is sponsored with the Westborough Garden Club. Meet at the Bowman Conservation Area parking lot on Bowman St.
Contact: Annie Reid anneareid@aol.com

Celebrate National Trails Day with WCLT and SVT.  Starting at the Fish and Wildlife Headquarters, this 7-mile hike will lead you through SVT’s Cedar Hill and Sawink Farm, plus Crane Swamp. Experienced hikers preferred.  Bring a lunch for a break on top of Cedar Hill.  Please arrive 30 minutes early to coordinate a car shuttle, as the ending location will be different from the starting location.  WCLT Members: Free, Non-members: $5.
Contact: Don Burn trailsdayhike@westboroughlandtrust.org

Gossamer membrane wings, flashes of iridescent blues and greens, giant eyes that seem to take in the world. Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) intrigue and delight people with their beauty, speed, and hunting prowess. These insects numbering 5,000 species are some of the largest known and most ancient, with fossils dating back 325 million years.

The Westborough Community Land Trust invites you to learn about the behavior and identification of these amazing insects in an "Introduction to Dragonflies and Damselflies" by David Small, president of the Athol Bird and Nature Club, on Sunday, June 8. A one-hour program at 1:30 p.m. at the Westborough Senior Citizens Center, Rogers Road, will be followed by a walk to identify and watch these insects in the field.  
 
  Small has been studying Odonata for more than 10 years and is a recognized expert in their behavior and identification.  He has organized statewide surveys for the Mass Natural Heritage and Endangered Species program for the American Rubyspot fall Stylurids http://www.rubyspot.net/ and continually adds records for rare species occurrences to NHESP. He has given numerous trainings at Audubon sanctuaries, nature centers, and area schools. Dragonflies and damselflies are attracting increasing attention, says Small, because the presence and condition of the dragonfly and damselfly aquatic larvae are indicators of water quality and environmental health.

The public is invited to this free program to learn more about dragonflies and damselflies and, weather permitting, to join the following walk. (You may want to be prepared to wade.)
Contact: dave@dhsmall.net

Come to our work party to help remove invasive plants from the Gilmore Pond area. This work is easy in that it requires just a lopper (WCLT has a few if you do not own one) to cut the plants. The plants are then dragged to a staging area where they will be disposed of. What we do need are volunteers to help us since we have several acres of plants to remove.

The work party will meet at the start of Gilmore Farm Road, which is the road into the Orchard Hill over 55 development.
Raindate: June 15

Note: If there is interest we will add an afternoon session.
Contact: stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Join members of WCLT to learn about the year’s achievements and to hear Christine Loughlin, O.P., Director of Crystal Spring Center for Earth Learning (www.crystalspring.org), speak on sustainability and our wider connection to the earth.
Contact: Rosemary Johnson rosemjohn@verizon.net

Come to our work party to help remove invasive plants from the Gilmore Pond area. This work is easy in that it requires just a lopper (WCLT has a few if you do not own one) to cut the plants. The plants are then dragged to a staging area where they will be disposed of. What we do need are volunteers to help us since we have several acres of plants to remove.

The work party will meet at the start of Gilmore Farm Road, which is the road into the Orchard Hill over 55 development. Bring loppers and workgloves.
Raindate: Saturday, July 19
Contact: stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Swing into a outdoor concert with the Willows on East Main St. Donations benefit WCLT.

All are invited to help clear invasive plants from Gilmore Pond and create a woodland park. This work is easy in that it requires just a lopper (WCLT has a few if you do not own one) to cut the plants. The plants are then dragged to a staging area where they will be disposed of. What we do need are volunteers to help us since we have several acres of plants to remove.

The work party will meet at the start of Gilmore Farm Road, which is the road into the Orchard Hill over 55 development.
Raindate: Saturday, August 16
Contact: stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Field trip to Crystal Spring Earth Learning Center (Plainville) to enjoy local food fest celebration and explore woodland trails and educational center. The center is dedicated to sustainability, ecological spirituality and enhancing human connection with the planet. Meet in front of Public Library to carpool.
Contact: Rosemary Johnson rosemjohn@verizon.net

Hike to Gilmore Pond via the Bowman West Meadow. This 4+mile hike will take you through the reclaimed meadow, farmlands and forests to see progress on Gilmore Pond. Meet at Bowman Conservation Area parking lot.
Contact: Mark Fox mafox@charter.net

Come out and help Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT) turn the Gilmore Pond area into a woodland park by removing invasive plants.  Bring loppers and work gloves if you have them. WCLT has some extra loppers. The work is easy – cutting brush and hauling it to a large pile for removal.
Meet Gilmore Farm Road, 1:00 PM
Rain date: Sunday October 19, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Contact: 508-366-6458 or stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Come out and help Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT) turn the Gilmore Pond area into a woodland park by removing invasive plants. Bring loppers and work gloves if you have them. WCLT has some extra loppers. The work is easy – cutting brush and hauling it to a large pile for removal.
Meet Gilmore Farm Road, 9:00 AM
Rain date: Sunday October 19, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Contact: 508-366-6458 or stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Family Hike through Wile Forest to see the woods ablaze with color.
Meet at end of Carroll Drive (off of West Main/Kendall/Frances Dr.)
Contact: Barry Hall barry@ninestones.com

Trailblazers welcome to bring loppers and bowsaws to build a new trail.
Meet at Mill Pond School parking lot.
Contact: stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org

Discover the beauties of the Town’s newest open space parcel, the Lee Property off West Main Street. Walk the Malley Trail along the south shore of Mill Pond from the Mill Pond boat ramp to the Lee Property and back again. Wear appropriate footwear if the weather has been wet.
Contact: Annie Reid 508-366-8429 anneareid@aol.com