The NRTB Annual Meeting will be held Friday March 24, 2000 at the Fireside Grill on Rt. 18 in Middleboro (at the rotary). See insert for details.

Park System Design Efforts Moving Forward
The dream of a sustainable system of accessible open space parks for the residents of Bridgewater has moved another step closer to reality. The Natural Resources Trust of Bridgewater has voted to support the Town Park Commission in their efforts to develop a sustainable park system for passive recreation on selected parcels of town-owned conservation land.

The NRTB has formally accepted the 1999 Park Design Recommendations created for us by the Conway School of Landscape Design, and has conveyed these plans to the Park Commission in the hope that the commission will adopt them as part of the initial Bridgewater Town Park Design & Development Plan. The Town Park Commission, with Neil MacLeod as chair, was established by the Bridgewater Selectmen last August to develop a unified design and management plan for the park system. Other members of the commission are Gloria Moran, Jud Kane, Judy Frederick, and Tom Schlatz.

The NRTB is actively partnering with the PC to make the park areas a resource that we can all use and be proud of. We have pledged to provide physical and financial support for projects identified in the Bridgewater Town Park Design & Development Plan, and will sponsor educational and land conservation programs to enhance sound stewardship practices for our open spaces.

Kitty Doherty, President

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Conference Draws Wide Audience
The “Stewards of the Land” conference held at the Moakley Center at Bridgewater State College on January 17, co-sponsored by the NRTB and the Natural Resources Trust of Easton, was a great success. Over 75 people attended the four-hour session, which featured speakers discussing “Stewardship Basics for Beginner Land Managers,” “Knowing Your Land,” and “Managing Your Land.”

Far from being a gathering only of professional land managers, the conference was designed to introduce interested people from all backgrounds to the issues and techniques of inventorying and managing conservation land.

Other sponsors of the event included the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Taunton River Basin Team, the Institute for Regional Development at Bridgewater State College, the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and The Trustees of Reservations.

Christmas Trolley Rides a Success!
On December 12, the Bridgewater Common came to life with the arrival of Santa Claus in a visit sponsored by the Bridgewater Business Association, of which the NRTB is a member. Children's joyful glee could be heard amongst the friendly and community atmosphere of the event.

The NRTB had a booth on the Common that day to continue our educational and community awareness activities, and also to sell tickets for the three scheduled half-hour trolley tour rides around town to view Christmas lights and displays. The trolley came out of Boston and arrived at 4:00 for our first tour. Our driver's name was Welby and he really contributed to everyone’s enjoyment of the rides. Along the route, people came out of their houses to wave each time the trolley passed. Some tour groups really got in the spirit and joined in Christmas Carols. Welby offered Christmas Trivia questions to the tourists. A good time was had by all.

Demand was so great that a fourth tour was added to accommodate all of the holiday revelers. Look for this event next December as we plan to expand the fun and would like to include you. If you have ideas or would like to work on this fundraiser, please contact Carol Chaffee at 697-7317.

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NRTB Board of Directors
The 1999-2000 NRTB Board of Directors includes:
Carol Chaffee, Peter Dangoia, Kitty Doherty, Betty Gilson, Kyle Hamilton, Anna James, Peter Lehtola

Five individuals have been nominated to take open slots on the board or to replace directors whose terms are expiring. The new directors will be voted on at the Annual Meeting at the Fireside Grill. All NRTB members are urged to attend and vote.

The Nominating Committee is always seeking motivated people to fill future positions on the board. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Linda Tokson at 697-7317.

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NRTB Committee Updates
Fundraising: There are still copies of the Tom Lowell print, "Dawn's Early Light," available. A framed copy is $150.00 and an unframed copy is $50. Tom Lowell, Jr. is a local artist who lives in Bridgewater with his wife, Brenda. We thank the Lowells for their generosity to the Natural Resources Trust of Bridgewater. All money received from the sale of these prints goes directly into the Land Preservation Fund.

PR & Outreach: The PR & Outreach Committee has completed work on a new banner and informational booth, as well as educational materials and handouts for public events and neighborhood coffee hours. Bridgewater State College has generously agreed to provide a ‘listserv’ for the NRTB, along with hosting our web site. To subscribe and receive e-mail notices of NRTB news and happenings, log on to www.nrtb.org.

Membership: The NRTB finished 1999 with over 80 active members, up from the 53 charter members who joined in 1998, our initial year. The Spring Membership Drive, which will be kicked off at the Annual Meeting, has a goal of doubling the active membership. If you would like to help out with the membership drive, please contact Pete Fuller at 697-7317. Also, when you get your renewal reminder postcard in the mail, please send it back promptly to continue supporting the NRTB.

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NRTB’s Mission
The Natural Resources Trust of Bridgewater shall work to acquire and preserve the natural resources and wildlife in the Town of Bridgewater and abutting communities. We shall strive to maintain the rural character and charm of the towns, protect the river corridor and wetland areas, preserve open space and wildlife habitat, and provide for recreational areas. The Trust will operate in harmony with each town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan.

If you would like to support the NRTB’s achievement of its mission, return the membership form on the opposite page or contact NRTB at 697-7317 to find out about volunteer opportunities. If you are already a member, consider inviting a friend to join!

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Carver’s Pond
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles describing some of the beautiful and accessible open spaces owned by the town of Bridgewater.

Carver’s Pond, a 35-acre pond in the center of Bridgewater, is a gem with many facets of value to the town and its residents. The pond and surrounding land are owned by the Water Department, and are an important part of the water supply system. The pond sits on the aquifer that runs through the center of town, and a well field is located in the southeast corner of the property. The wetlands surrounding the pond provide valuable filtering and water retention benefits. The pond is also a prime outdoor environment for walking, canoeing, fishing, skating, and nature study.

The pond is accessed from a parking area on Summer Street, and a network of trails allows hikers to explore the shoreline and the surrounding forest. Once the site of an ice house, today it is used as an outdoor classroom for all ages from elementary students to ecology students at Bridgewater State College.

Protecting the pond while making the most of the recreational and educational opportunities it affords is the delicate balancing act that all of the residents of Bridgewater need to be involved in. The Friends of Carver’s Pond, a grassroots stewardship organization, has formed for that very purpose. The park design project by the Conway School of Landscape Design, which was sponsored by the NRTB through a grant from the Boston Foundation, features the pond as a key to Bridgewater’s passive open space.

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NRTB Annual Meeting on Friday, March 24, 2000
The featured speaker at the Annual Meeting will be Dr. Reed Stewart, retired professor of Environmental Geography at Bridgewater State College. Dr. Stewart will present a talk entitled “Change is Constant in Forest History,” discussing the physical and ecological changes in the Bridgewater area through history. A Massachusetts native, Dr. Stewart has traveled the world extensively to research and to teach. A resident of Marshfield since 1971, he has been active in several open space preservation groups.

A feature of this year's Annual Meeting will be a Silent Auction with gifts donated by members and local merchants. Included will be a chance for the NRTB's own webmaster to create a web site for your family or business, a high end thermos and cooler for your next camping trip, and other items to be announced. Bring your competitive spirit and get in on the bidding! All proceeds from the Silent Auction will go directly to the NRTB’s Land Preservation Fund.

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Conservation Options for Private Landowners
(reprinted with permission from the Land Trust Alliance)
Editor’s note: This is the second of three features describing some options for protecting your land. For more information, contact the NRTB or your own legal and financial advisors.

Land Donation (Part 1)
Donating Land. Donating land for conservation purposes is truly on of the finest legacies a person can leave to future generations. It may be the best conservation strategy for you if you do not wish to pass the land on to heirs; own property you no longer use; own highly appreciated property; have substantial real estate holdings and wish to reduce estate tax burdens; or would like to be relieved of the responsibility of managing and caring for land.

An outright donation of land to a willing land trust releases you from the responsibility of managing the land and can provide substantial income tax deductions and estate tax benefits (while avoiding any capital gains taxes that would have resulted from selling the property). Most important, if the land is donated because of its conservation value, it will be protected. (Although our focus here is on conservation land, commercial and residential properties can also be donated to a land trust, with the understanding that they will be sold to support the land trust’s conservation work.)

Donating a remainder interest in the land. An outright donation is not the only way to give land. You can continue to live on the land by donating a remainder interest and retaining a reserved life estate. In this arrangement, you donate the property during your lifetime, but reserve the right for yourself or any other named persons to continue to live on and use the property (called a “reserved life estate”). You have donated the land with a “remainder interest” in the property. When you or those you’ve specified die or release their life interests, the land trust will have full title and control over the property.

By donating a remainder interest, you can continue to enjoy your land and may be eligible for an income tax deduction when the gift is made. The deduction is based on the fair market value of the donated property less the expected value of the reserved life estate.

In the next issue: Land Donation (Part 2) and Bargain Sale of Land

If you have suggestions for articles in future editions of The Trust, please contact Pete Fuller at 697-7317.