A Word from the President
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 Small and Big. I love small things with big impact: soil, microbes, seeds, insects, fungi, snowflakes, frost heaves, rain drops, wind. I love small actions with big impact: smiles, a kind word, a helping hand, a listening ear, an inspirational idea, a secret wink, an inside joke.
Where do we – WCLT, people of Westborough, and our town – fit in with “small and big”? Everywhere. Many small collective behaviors, habits, and actions contribute to climate change, and many small collective changes in behaviors, habits, and actions will help mitigate it.
Here are some small ideas that I believe will have a powerful impact on our environment. Challenge yourself to go “car-free.” How about car-free for a day? A week? A summer? Walk or ride your bike; turn off screens and lights; pick up trash; compost; be a pushy consumer – push companies toward climate-friendly alternatives.
In February, WCLT Education Committee organized a well-attended talk at the Library by Martha Gach of Mass Audubon for WCLT. The video (click here to see the video) is on the Westborough TV site, and on the WCLT Facebook page: “Climate Change: Local Impacts and What You Can Do.” Small changes, big impact. Thank you, Martha. I hope we are inspired.
Gillian Beamer
president@westboroughlandtrust.org
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President's Award profile:
Rachel Raden
By Nancy Szostak Wright
The woods. The creek. Girl Scout camp.
That’s where the love for nature began for Rachel Radin, Westborough Community Land Trust’s (WCLT) webmaster and most recent President’s Award recipient. Rachel grew up near Rochester, NY, where she would explore the woodsy area near her childhood home, often trailblazing along the stream.
“Most of my childhood was spent near Rochester, NY. There was an area near my house that we called
‘The Woods.’ I realize now that it was quite small, but it had trees and a small stream that we called ‘The Creek.’ It was a place I liked to spend time.”
Rachel was also a Girl Scout, and gives some of the credit for her love of the outdoors to the scout camp she attended a few times. While she landed in Atlanta, GA for her high school days, her love for nature was deeply rooted in her time in New York.
After high school, Rachel graduated from the University of Michigan and then did some graduate school coursework at the University of California, Santa Cruz. While on the West Coast, Rachel enjoyed backpacking in the mountains of California. She recalls that after one of her backpacking trips she concluded that she should never hike with her brother again.
“It was not the first trip with him that involved unusually large and troublesome amounts of rain.” She joked about it and said her brother concluded the same thing about not hiking with her anymore.
After Santa Cruz, Rachel ended up taking a job that took her to the East Coast. “I ended up working for Data General, which is what brought me to Westborough in 1978.”
She has enjoyed her time in this area. It’s not uncommon to see her getting around town on her bicycle.
“I started using a bicycle for transportation to school when I was in kindergarten. Of course, I could not do that for much of the school year during elementary and middle school, given that I lived in the Snow Belt near Lake Ontario.”
When asked why she chooses to get around by bike, she continued, “I like bicycling for a number of reasons. Compared to cars, it is low-cost, has easy maintenance, and is not a significant contributor to pollution or traffic. And it gets me to my destination faster than walking. Also, I prefer to get exercise as a side-effect of something I am doing anyway, rather than exercise being the only point.”
Another way Rachel gets exercise in town is hiking trails, an activity that she has enjoyed for years with her husband, and shared with her two adult children when they were younger.
“We loved exploring the trails in Westborough. For a while we would hike every week, from the Andrews Street trailhead to the Mill Pond School site, to check on the progress of Mill Pond School as it was being built. Beyond Westborough, we especially enjoyed finding trails that led us to waterfalls.”
It’s no surprise that, eventually, Rachel found WCLT. Her first significant involvement was when she started taking care of the WCLT website about 15 years ago. In addition to being webmaster, she is on the education committee and involved with WCLT newsletter production. In the past she was also on the public outreach committee.
Rachel is involved in Westborough's government, as a faithful attendee at town meetings, where she votes and occasionally speaks. Also, Rachel has been an Election Official for a number of years. You might see her during an election, when you vote.
When asked what she thinks WCLT’s biggest impact has been as the organization has grown over the years, Rachel responded, “I would suggest that the biggest impact is that WCLT has gotten more people to care about the environment, and many of those people have gotten personally involved. Look at how many people now participate in the annual Earth Day town-wide cleanup. I don t think they do it just for the picnic lunch.”
WCLT recognized Rachel’s contributions and longtime commitment to the organization by awarding the 2019 WCLT President’s Award to her at the annual meeting, noting that the success of the organization would not be possible without the expertise, talent, and time that volunteers like Rachel contribute each year.
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Live Animal Event Cancelled.
Earth Day Cleanup restructured.
Due to the coronavirus, Westborough Community Land Trust regrets to announce the cancellation of the event "Snakes of New England and the World" previously scheduled for March 21, 2020.
As of now, we plan to hold our upcoming outdoor events, with some modification to the Earth Day Litter Cleanup, but this is a fluid situation. Please visit https://westboroughlandtrust.org/ for a complete listing of our upcoming programs and their status before heading out to any of our events.
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Marshmallow roast at Bowman for CB anniversary
A perfect early November day featured several walks to celebrate the inception of the Charm Bracelet some 20 years ago and ended with an old-fashioned marshmallow roast at Bowman Conservation Area.
Bowman Conservation Area trail map
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Marge Fisher tests a new bog bridge Wile Forest
WCLT Board member Marge Fisher tests a new bog bridge, built as an Eagle Scout project by Michael O'Keefe of Troop 100 at Wile Forest.
Libbey/Wile trail map
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Larry Millman fungi walk
In October, a Fascinating Fungi Walk at the Walkup & Robinson Reservation, led by mycologist and author Larry Millman with a focus on ecology and identification, drew beginning and experienced mushroom hunters alike.
Walkup & Robinson Reservation trail map
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All About Monarchs
Did you miss last fall’s slideshow talk at the library about those beautiful monarch butterflies, by Dan Stimson of Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT)? You can watch it on Westborough TV video.
It includes sights that few of us get to see, including a monarch caterpillar wriggling out of its striped skin to become a pupa inside a chrysalis, and an adult monarch butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. The talk was offered by WCLT in partnership with SVT.
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Stewardship Notes
By Keith Martin, Stewardship Chair
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Logo for the MassTrails program, which is funding the Gilmore Pond grant.
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 By Keith Martin, Stewardship Chair
The Stewardship Committee's focus this year will be on the creation of an All Persons Trail at Gilmore Pond. We recently executed the contract for a MassTrails grant that will provide $93,000 in funding for the project. We are currently working on detailed plans for the project, and we expect to break ground this summer.
If you get a chance to go for a hike in the Headwaters Conservation Area (easily accessible from Andrews Street and the Mill Pond School), take a moment to appreciate the new signage at all of the trail intersections. This was a collaboration between Mark Fox of the Stewardship Committee and Troop 100 Eagle Scout candidate Alexander Honan. Great work!
As always, if you come across an issue on any trail in Westborough, or if you would like to volunteer to help out with trail maintenance, send email to stewardship@westboroughlandtrust.org.
Click here for Headwaters Conservation Area trail map.
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Left: Pileated woodpecker hole with characteristic rectangular shape by Scott Shumway.jpg Middle: Pileated woodpecker by Nancy Szostak Wright.jpg. Right: Opossum by Ann Pinto
There are always interesting nature sightings in Westborough!
Anyone can view the WCLT Facebook page, even without a Facebook account. (Note: Whenever Facebook asks you to log in or create a new account, you can click the "Not Now" link.)
Most sightings reports appear on the Facebook Community page, which is listed in a column to the left on the Facebook home page. Click on the Community page to go there, and then scroll down to see posted sightings and photos. If you don't have a Facebook account, you can e-mail your nature sightings & photographs for posting to sightings@westboroughlandtrust.org. We welcome all nature from Westborough, whether plants, insects, animals, fungi, or something else! Please include your name, what you saw, and where. Photos are welcome but not required.
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WCLT 2020 Scholarships & Earth Day Essay Contest
Once again, the Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT) is pleased to offer two scholarships of $1,000 each to graduating high school seniors. The scholarships will be awarded to the winners of our annual Earth Day Essay Contest (March 2 – April 6). The contest is open to:
1) graduating seniors who attend Westborough High School (WHS);
2) graduating seniors who reside in Westborough but attend a different high school.
Scholarships will be awarded in June.
How do students enter the contest? WHS seniors can get essay questions, contest details, and scholarship forms from the WHS guidance office as of Monday, March 2.
Seniors who reside in Westborough and attend a different high school can go online to get essay questions and contest detailsas well as scholarship forms as of March 2 on the WCLT web site. All submissions must be on paper (not online).
Deadline: Monday, April 6. All essays and applications must be received by this date (on paper, not online).
For more information, including essay questions, please check the WCLT web site. Note that student applicants do NOT have to be planning an environmental focus in their future studies or career.
If you have questions, please email: scholarship@westboroughlandtrust.org
WCLT members: you can help by passing word of the contest and scholarships along to friends and neighbors.
How many scholarships has WCLT awarded over the years since the beginning of the scholarship program in 2006? WCLT is proud to have awarded 22 scholarships to graduating seniors in Westborough, plus 22 honorable mentions. The scholarship program is one way that we encourage environmental awareness in the next generation. See the scholarship section of WCLT’s Hall of Fame on the WCLT website.
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Birding Anyone?
New walks on WCLT’s spring calendar!
For the first time, WCLT is offering six bird walks in April and May at the Westboro Wildlife Management area (WMA) in partnership with the Forbush Bird Club, plus a slideshow talk on birds of New England swamps by wildlife photographer Peter Christoph at WCLT’s Annual Meeting in June.
The walks provide opportunities to bird with experts, see birds that you might not ordinarily see, and learn about the Westboro Wildlife Management Area and its good birding spots.
The best birding means getting up early! Join expert birder Nick Paulson of Upton at the WMA for a Sunday morning walk (7 a.m. & 10 am, April 5) and for any or all of four early Monday morning walks (6-8 am, April 27, May 4, 11, & 18) – great times to see colorful migrating warblers.
Or join Laura Lane of Northborough for a special Friday evening bird walk (6:30-8 pm, April 17) to find American woodcocks giving their unique call and performing their sky dance. This evening walk can be a special adventure for families with school-age children.
The Forbush Bird Club has been Worcester County’s bird club since 1931. It is named for Westborough resident Edward Howe Forbush (1858-1929), whose local bird specimens are displayed in the Westborough Public Library (glass case in the ground floor hallway). He was Massachusetts’ first state ornithologist and the author of a 3-volume Birds of New England.
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Try a Trail Close to Home!
Have you seen the new edition of WCLT’sTry a Trail e-newsletter? It features the trail from Mill Pond School to Osprey Point (in the Headwaters Conservation Area)? Check it out here:
Try a Trail – Mill Pond School to Osprey Point
And if you’re searching for more local trails to walk this season, look at the suggestions and maps in our past Try a Trail e-newsletters:
Try a Trail: John Malley Trail
Try a Trail: Osprey Point
Try a Trail: Gilmore Pond
Try a Trail: Sandra Pond
Write About Your Favorite Trail
If you have your own favorite trail in town, write about it for Try a Trail! E-mail us (300 words or less). We can add some trail information and share it with others. Photos welcome!
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WCLT Values Our Business Partners
We thank our business partners for helping WCLT to preserve and protect more land and to offer trails and educational programs: EMSEAL Corporation, Pearson Advisory Investor Relations, Thomas Financial Associates, Arturo's Ristorante, and Julio's Liquors. How can your organization join WCLT as a business partner? Find out by contacting bizpartners@westboroughlandtrust.org.
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WCLT Values Our Business Partners
We thank our business partners for helping WCLT to preserve and protect more land and to offer trails and educational programs: EMSEAL Corporation, Pearson Advisory Investor Relations, Thomas Financial Associates, Arturo's Ristorante, and Julio's Liquors. How can your organization join WCLT as a business partner? Find out by contacting bizpartners@westboroughlandtrust.org.
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Below is a brief list of upcoming WCLT events and important dates. For information, updates, or cancellations, check the WCLT website calendar or email events@westboroughlandtrust.org.
Live Animal Event Cancelled.
Earth Day Cleanup restructured.
Due to the coronavirus, Westborough Community Land Trust regrets to announce the cancellation of the event "Snakes of New England and the World" previously scheduled for March 21, 2020.
As of now, we plan to hold our upcoming outdoor events, with some modification to the Earth Day Litter Cleanup, but this is a fluid situation. Please visit https://westboroughlandtrust.org/ for a complete listing of our upcoming programs and their status before heading out to any of our events.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
7 am-10 am and/or 10 am -1 pm
Early Spring Birding
Hike at a relaxed pace in the Westborough Wildlife Management area with Nick Paulson of the Forbush Bird Club. Explore easy to moderate trails in search of early spring arrivals in a variety of marsh, field, and woodland habitats. We will check the ponds and marsh for any migrant ducks and swallows. Participants may hike either or both sections. We will walk the eastern trails until around 10 a.m. and then explore the western trails until around 1 p.m.
Meet at 7 a.m. or 10 a.m. at the Westborough Town Beach parking area near 60 Lyman Street.
Leader: Nick Paulson, (508) 330-4401 [grendelpgill@yahoo.com]
Trail map: http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
Friday evening, April 17, 2020
6:30-8 pm
Evening Woodcock Walk
As the sun sets in spring, the American woodcock performs a spectacular mating ritual. We will walk gentle trails at the Westborough Wildlife Management Area with Laura Lane of the Forbush Bird Club to listen for the woodcock’s unique call and watch its amazing sky dance. Families with school-age children are welcome.
Meet at the Mass Wildlife Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road (off North Drive) in Westborough.
Note: Walk will be canceled in case of heavy rain.
Leader: Laura Lane (508)-480-8259 pete.lane@comcast.net
Trail map: http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
Saturday, April 18, 2020, or week of April 12 - 17
Earth Day Town-Wide Cleanup with Online Signup only — No Same Day Registration.
The picnic lunch has been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns.
Join the annual town-wide litter clean-up sponsored by WCLT! NOTE: Due to coronavirus concerns, the event has been restructured this year. Nothing will take place at Bay State Commons; all signups MUST be done online by April 11. Go to https://westboroughlandtrust.org/ between April 1-11 to sign up and choose an area to clean. Trash bags will be dropped off at participants’ homes on the 12th or you can pick them up, and you can clean your chosen area any day or time before noon on April 18. Leave closed bags by the road, and they will be removed on the morning of April 18. For the cleanup, wear gloves, long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes. Trash bags, some rubber gloves provided.
Contact: earthday@westboroughlandtrust.org
Monday, April 27, 2020
6-8 am
Monday Morning Bird Walk #1
We will hike in the Westborough Wildlife Management Area on the north side of Lake Chauncy in search of migrant warblers with Nick Paulson of the Forbush Bird Club. This is the first of four Monday morning walks in this very productive area.
Directions: Take Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Way (formerly Hospital Road) off Lyman Street in Westborough at the ball field entrance. Park and meet at the yellow gate at the end of the road near the water.
Leader: Nick Paulson, (508) 330-4401 [grendelpgill@yahoo.com]
Trail map: http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
Sunday, May 3, 2020
1:30-3:30 pm
Family Nature Hike and Scavenger Hunt!
Come on a kid-length hike where youngsters will explore nature with their parents, followed by a fun scavenger hunt for ages 6 and up to practice what you have learned. Prizes will be awarded! Parents/Guardians must supervise their children; this is not a drop-off event. Sturdy shoes and insect repellent recommended. Event is being held in conjunction with Unplugged Week in Westborough. Event is being held in conjunction with Unplugged Week in Westborough.
Meet at the Gilmore Pond Trail Entrance, 19 Quick Farm Road. Westborough. Park along one side of Quick Farm Road.
Contact events@westboroughlandtrust.org with questions.
Trail map: http://www.westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/upperjackstraw_trail_map.pdf
Monday, May 4, 2020
6-8 am
Monday Morning Bird Walk #2
Join us for our second walk in the Westborough Wildlife Management Area on the north side of Lake Chauncy in search of spring migrants with Nick Paulson of the Forbush Bird Club.
Directions: Take Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Way (formerly Hospital Road) off Lyman Street in Westborough at the ball field entrance. Park and meet at the yellow gate at the end of the road near the water.
Leader: Nick Paulson, (508) 330-4401 [grendelpgill@yahoo.com]
Trail map: http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
Monday, May 11, 2020
6-8 am
Monday Morning Bird Walk #3
Many newly arrived migrant warblers can be expected during our third early-morning hike at the Westborough Wildlife Management Area with Nick Paulson of the Forbush Bird Club through the trails on the north side of Lake Chauncy.
Directions: Take Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Way [formerly Hospital Road] off Lyman Street in Westborough at the ball field entrance. Park and meet at the yellow gate at the end of the road near the water.
Leader: Nick Paulson, (508) 330-4401 [grendelpgill@yahoo.com]
Trail map: http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
Monday, May 18, 2020
6-8 am
Monday Morning Bird Walk #4
Spring migration is at its peak! Don’t miss our last early-morning hike at the Westborough Wildlife Management Area on the north side of Lake Chauncy with Nick Paulson of the Forbush Bird Club.
Directions: Take Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Way (formerly Hospital Road) off Lyman Street in Westborough at the ball field entrance. Park and meet just before the yellow gate at the end of the road near the water.
Leader: Nick Paulson, (508) 330-4401 [grendelpgill@yahoo.com]
Trail map: http://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/map_FishWildlife.pdf
Monday, June 15, 2020
7:00-9:00 pm
St. Luke’s Parish Hall, 1 Ruggles St., Westborough MA
Birds of the New England Swamp Speaker: Peter Christoph
And WCLT Annual Meeting
Wildlife photographer Peter Christoph presents a narrated slideshow, sharing both his award-winning images and his photographic secrets as he brings you inside a typical New England swamp. Enjoy an intimate look into the many varieties of birds that inhabit our swamps, including ospreys and herons, shorebirds, and woodpeckers and other cavity dwellers. Sloshing through the swamp so you don’t have to, Peter captures the birds’ many activities including nest building, feeding their young, and catching their prey. You’ll almost want to bring your own wading boots and bug spray as you experience this captivating presentation! Reception and Annual Meeting to follow.
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Watch Videos of WCLT Events and More!
Looking for something to watch when you’re inside this winter? Did you know that Westborough TV (WTV) has more than 40 videos of past WCLT walks, talks, and other events? Get in touch vicariously with Westborough’s great outdoor environment! Explore the offerings available for instant viewing online on Westborough TV’s WCLT page |
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Board of Directors 2019-2020
Gillian Beamer, President
Christopher Sassetti, Vice President
Marjorie Fisher, Secretary
Kelly Thomas, Treasurer
Warren Anderson, Member at Large
Adam Last, Member at Large
Vince Aquilino
Ellen Bishop
Pete Dunbeck
Michelle Scerbin
Karen Yeowell
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