Newsletter Special Edition

Your Town Park System
This special edition of “The Trust” is dedicated to sharing with the members of the NRTB and the residents of Bridgewater the tremendous treasure that is being created in our own town, for our own use. The six parcels of town-owned land that make up the sustainable system of accessible open space parks for the residents of Bridgewater are shown on the map inside this newsletter. The six phase 1 parcels total over 210 acres that will be devoted to open space and passive recreation uses.

The development of the integrated park system is the focus of a great deal of effort by the Interim Town Park Commission, chaired by Neil McLeod, the grassroots stewardship groups at each site, and the NRTB. We were instrumental in obtaining a grant from the Boston Foundation which funded the development of preliminary plans by the Conway School of Landscape Design. Initial steps in implementing these plans are taking place this summer (see ‘AmeriCorps’ article).

These parklands belong to us, the residents of Bridgewater. Most are available now for walking and other passive recreation. (The Stanley Ironworks site is not, due to safety concerns.) At the other sites, go out and explore. Tell your neighbors and friends what a great treasure we have in Bridgewater. Have a look at the Conway School park recom-mendations at the library’s reference desk. Support the Park Commission and the stewardship groups. Help to make the Bridgewater Park System a reality. Call 697-7317 to find out more.

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NRTB Welcomes AmeriCorps Team
During the week of June 8-12, a crew of six young people from the AmeriCorps Service were in town to assist with the making of a universally-accessible trail at Carver's Pond, and to clear invasive vegetation at the Iron Works Park. The AmeriCorps work was the result of a grant application sponsored by the NRTB.

The dedicated crew did a great job of leveling a section of trail at the pond as well as clearing vegetation to improve access and views of the pond at the start of the trail. On Thursday and Friday morning they were at the Iron Works Conservation Site, clearing the non-native invasive species that have been hampering efforts to fully survey the cultural and archaeological features of the site.

AmeriCorps is a youth service program funded and administered by the federal government. Sometimes referred to as ‘the domestic Peace Corps,’ AmeriCorps volunteers serve in a wide variety of community service projects, ranging from inner-city literacy programs to the environmental conservation work exhibited in Bridgewater.

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Stewards of the Land Conference
The NRTB hosted a conference entitled “Stewards of the Land” in January as part of our ongoing educational outreach program. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Bridgewater Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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Biodiversity Days A Success
The NRTB facilitated and hosted Bridgewater’s participation in the first annual Massachusetts Biodiversity Days, June 9-11. Biodiversity Days is the brainchild of Secretary of Environmental Affairs Bob Durand. The purpose is to catalog the existing range of species in the commonwealth and to raise awareness of the importance of biological diversity in the ecosystems around us.

The weather was perfect for all of our events, and we had over 60 people participate in at least one of the tours. Local events started on Friday, with guided nature walks around the Senior Center and the two elementary schools. Dr. John Jahoda led the senior tour, and Beth Curry (Burnell) and Don Padgett and Kathleen McCauley (Elementary) introduced about 100 Bridgewater third graders to a variety of plant species living on school grounds.

About a dozen early risers joined Dr. Kevin Curry on an early morning bird walk at Carver’s Pond. The highlights included Baltimore Orioles and a nesting snapping turtle. Later that morning, Dr. Curry was joined by Dr. Don Padgett and led a group of ten or so curious folks in examining the small aquatic creatures living in the pond.

The centerpiece of the BioDays was a well-attended walking tour of the northern stretches of grasslands on prison property, between the Ice Pond and the Flagg Street fields, led by Dr. Jahoda. Secretary Durand joined the tour with several of his staff, and he was particularly delighted to meet and thank our AmeriCorps volunteers who also participated in the Carver’s Pond events and the afternoon tour. Senator Marc Pacheco also dropped by for a few minutes.

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"Nature was put here for a reason, and the reason is to enjoy it, not to destroy it."
- Katie Fuller, age 9

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Welcome to New Members
This may be your first NRTB newsletter, or maybe you’ve been on our mailing list before, but if you are one of our new members, welcome! Thank you for responding to our first major membership drive, which so far has added over forty individuals, families and businesses to the list of active NRTB supporters.

The NRTB depends on a sustaining core of members to make possible our ongoing efforts to preserve open space and the special character of Bridgewater and surrounding towns, and is always looking for volunteers to add their creativity and energy to the many tasks needed to make a grassroots organization run. If you are interested in volunteering, please call 697-7317. Thanks for your interest and support.

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It is against NRTB policy for names, addresses and other personal information of our members or constituents to be given out to the public or shared with other organizations in any way.

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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, contact NRTB at 697-7317 to find out about volunteer opportunities. If you are already a member, consider inviting a friend to join!

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