Hike to Cedar Swamp Pond, which can only be accessed by paddling in early spring or by walking across Cedar Swamp in winter.  Hikers may want to bring snowshoes or traction devices depending on snow and ice cover.  Hiking poles, cameras, and binoculars are also recommended.  If the weather has been very cold, we may be able to venture onto the pond.  Animal tracks may be in evidence: red squirrels, deer, and fisher abound.

Dress to stay warm and dry!  2.5 mile walk over flat terrain will be led by Marge Fisher.

If insufficient freezing makes it impossible to walk safely on Cedar Swamp, there will be a shorter walk over dry trails in the area.

Trail Map:
http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/hca_trail_map.pdf

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Bring the family and join us for our always-popular spring live animal show!

Meet some fascinating harmless reptiles you may find while out walking in Westborough, as well as some impressive specimens from around the world. Learn to identify, respect, and protect these fragile creatures. You will be allowed to touch the animals—this show is always a big hit with the young and the curious of all ages! Presented by Rick Roth of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team.

“Snakes of New England and the World” is supported in part by a grant from the Westborough Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Birder Jill Lapato took a year-long sabbatical from her teaching job to travel the world in a quest to photograph 1000 bird species. She photographed amazing birds of different continents, from the yellow-eyed penguin in New Zealand to the potoo in Ecuador. Jill will tell her story, show some of her beautiful photographs, and share fascinating facts about the birds she photographed.

What better way to spend an afternoon in March than travelling through the tropics with Jill and her camera!

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Westborough needs a little spring cleaning! Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by WCLT!

Early birds meet at 6:30 am at West Meadow Plaza or Bellows Road.

Families are invited at 9:30 am to Lake Chauncy Parking Lot to be assigned to a site to clean up.

Rally your co-workers or neighbors to form a team to beautify our streets! Help your kids learn to care for the earth! You will feel the pride of a job well done.

Wear gloves, long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes. Trash bags will be provided.

Contact: earthday@westboroughlandtrust.org

Whether you’re interested in your health, sustainability, or simple pleasure, knowing your wild edibles is fun and useful. From the woods to the meadows to our gardens, wild edibles are all around us.

Walk with Dan Jaffe of the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS) at the Westboro Wildlife Management Area for an introduction to the wild plants that can feed us. He will also address questions of sustainability and conservation of rare edible species.

Slow 1-mile walk on hilly terrain along paths and in fields.

NOTE: New LOCATION: Meet at the Rt. 135 gate area – from Rt. 135, take the dirt road on the right just before the Northborough line (almost opposite Davis St.). See map. Parking may be tight so please arrive 15 minutes early.

Change of location is due to the Mass Fish & Wildlife 150th Anniversary Open House at their Headquarters (check it out before the wild edibles walk!).

Trail Map:
http://www.westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Christie Palmer Lowrance, author of Nature’s Ambassador: The Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess, will offer a presentation on how children’s author Thornton W. Burgess influenced early 20th century conservation and environmental education.

A passionate naturalist, he used his charming yet scientifically accurate writings about nature, as well as radio programs and children’s clubs, to inspire generations of young naturalists, many of whom became famous in turn for their scientific and conservation work. A native of Sandwich, MA, Burgess was influential in the passage the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and in efforts to save the heath hen from extinction on Martha’s Vineyard.

Lowrance is a freelance writer and writing instructor from Sandwich.

Annual meeting will follow.

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Join WCLT and Sudbury Valley Trustees in two jointly-sponsored walks along the Westborough Charm Bracelet trails, to celebrate National Trails Day (a week late!).

The shorter 3-mile loop will explore land north and west of Lake Chauncy in the Westborough Wildlife Management Area and will end where it started. This will be a moderate speed hike on mostly level terrain.

The longer 7.5-mile hike will highlight the trails in the Crane Swamp Conservation Area, which includes 2,225 acres of open space straddling the borders of Northborough, Westborough, Southborough, and Marlborough. This is one of the largest networks of conservation land in our area, with properties owned by SVT and a variety of state agencies. This is a challenging walk with three hills which will end at SVT’s Sawink Farm- be prepared for a 2-mile/hour pace, and pack a lunch to enjoy on the top of Cedar Hill. A midway support vehicle will be offered if a drop off is needed. A car shuttle will be done before the walk so come early.

For both walks, meet at the new Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Building, 1 Rabbit Hill Road (at end of North Drive off Milk St./Rte.135 in Westborough).

Led by Alicia Coleman, Don Burn and Marge Fisher.

Registration is required; please indicate which hike you are interested in attending: http://svtweb.org/node/4132/register

Trail Maps:
http://www.westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
http://www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org/sites/default/files/CraneSwamp.pdf

Contact: Call Alicia Coleman at 978-443-5588 x138

Come hear Don Burn ("Father of the Charm Bracelet") talk about the Charm Bracelet. Learn about
• The history of the trail system
• Some history of the properties
• Interesting walks in each area
• How the trail system fits into efforts outside of Westborough

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Jon Nourse, owner of Nourse Farm, will take us on an informative and delicious farm tour. We will learn about the wide variety of food produced at Nourse Farm, the property’s history, and what the future holds.

On our tour we will sample some “pick your own” raspberries. We will finish up at the Farm Store where ice cream can be purchased and we will finish our talk about Nourse family history and the farm as it relates to the environment.

Meet at Nourse Farm, 70 Nourse St, Westborough

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Discover mushrooms and other fall fungi with mycologist Larry Millman, author of Fascinating Fungi of New England, the first-ever guidebook devoted exclusively to New England species. He will focus on mushroom ecology and mushroom identification rather than on edibility.

Meet at Headwaters Conservation Area (Mill Pond School parking lot).

Slow walk on woodland trails with mild hills.

Space is limited to 18, so please let us know if you are interested.
*** Note: the Fungus Walk is now full to capacity. ***

Trail Map:
http://www.westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/hca_trail_map.pdf

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org

Celebrate the 16th anniversary of the first Charm Bracelet walk!

Follow the route of the first hike and see how the area surrounding Sandra Pond has changed over time. Walk from Minuteman Park around the north side of Sandra Pond to the Bowman parking lot and onwards to the WCLT Hidden Meadow property.  Then loop back on the Tree Farm trail, cross the bridge over Picadilly Brook and return on newly created trails.

The hike will explore changes to the Bowman Conservation Area, both the work done by the town and the efforts of WCLT including a large number of Eagle Scout projects.  The hike will be approximately 3.25 miles long.

The terrain will be the rolling hills of Bowman and Bowman West, so there are some climbs including one with steps. The pace will be moderate (roughly 2 miles an hour) with a number of stops to describe what was done and why the work was needed.

Meet at Minuteman Park on Upton Road. Led by Derek Saari and Don Burn.

Trail Maps:
http://www.westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/bowman_map.pdf
http://www.westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/bowmanwest_trail_map.pdf

Contact: events@westboroughlandtrust.org