To commemorate twenty-five years of land conservation, Mount Grace will be holding twenty-five anniversary events in 2011! 

One event will take place in each of the twenty-three towns in the Mount Grace region.  Athol will host two events, and one event will be at the Arnold Arboretum in Cambridge, the site which inspired Peggy Biggs to plan Skyfields Arboretum.  The events have been selected to represent our entire service area and the diversity of natural resources, landscapes, and conservation projects Mount Grace has worked on since 1986. 

Anniversary events are listed below in chronological order.  Not all events have been finalized.  If you have questions about an event, please contact David Kotker at 978-248-2055 x19 or kotker(at)mountgrace.org. 

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

January 16, Tracking Walk in Arthur Iversen Conservation Area (Conservation Area, Warwick, 517Acres, conserved 1991):

 
Nick and Valerie Wisniewski led the tracking walk, which found signs of coyote and bobcat at Mount Grace’s largest Conservation Area.

 

January 20, Owl Prowl at Red Fire Farm (Agricultural Preservation Restriction, Montague, 122A, ongoing)  

Not all the owls were outside when Biologist Tom Wansleben called up barred owls and coyotes at the farm, which has 1,300 CSA and pick-your-own members.  Owners Ryan and Sarah Voiland are expanding their operations from Granby to Montague in 2011.  In addition to the APR, Mount Grace is working with the Voilands to create a Whole Farm Affordability Restriction for the farm.

 

April 16, Arnold Arboretum Tour (Boston)

The tour began at the Arboretum, which inspired Peggy Biggs to plan the arboretum at Skyfields in Athol, Mount Grace’s office and headquarters.  After the walk, members met to eat at The Red House in Cambridge, which supplies its produce from Charlie's Red House Farm in Winchendon, which Mount Grace helped protect in 1998.

May 1, Birding at Muddy Brook (Facilitated Project, Hardwick, 647A, 1992)

Mount Grace joined with the East Quabbin Bird Club and with East Quabbin Land Trust, to co-sponsor birding with Jeff Smith at this state wildlife management area which was established on land conserved by Mount Grace.  EQLT has also helped conserve land added to Muddy Brook, and board member Chris Buelow was on hand to describe forest managment plans for the land.

 

 

 

 

May 9, Dedication at Copeland (Conservation Restriction, Northfield, 183A, 2011)

Bill and Christine Copeland were joined by Mount Grace and local supporters of conservation to dedicate this newly conserved property to the memory of Bill’s grandfather, J. C. Masson.  The land is now used for outdoor education by area schools.

 

May 14, Seniors’ Walk at Wiinikainen (CR, Gardner, 195A, 1993)

Betty Wiinikainen led a seniors’ tour of her family’s former orchard and land.  Land owned by the Wiinikainen family was protected by Mount Grace and then transferred to the Massachusetts Audubon Society as part of their Lake Wampanoag Sanctuary in 1993.

 

May 21, Conservation Options Workshop (Bernardston)

Mount Grace held a land conservation workshop for the public in collaboration with town conservation officials. Attendees heard planning advice from an attorney and several land conservation specialists and heard stories from other landowners who chose to protect their land.

 

 

 

May 26, Spring Benefit Dinner in Bernardston

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bella Notte Ristorante hosted the fifth annual Mount Grace Spring Dinner, offering views of protected lands in the upper Pioneer Valley from its hilltop balconies.  Mount Grace founder keith Ross was in attendance to give the keynote speech.

 

June 11, Fern Walk at Pat Jackson’s (CR, Royalston, 71A, 2001)

Botanist Elizabeth Farnsworth moved the fern walk indoors out of the rain and showed samples of local ferns to those who braved the weather to attend.   Clearer weather at the end of the day allowed those who stayed late to see ferns in situ on Pat's property, which was protected during the groundbreaking Tully Initiative. 

 

 

 

June 18, Strawberry Picking at Upinngil Farm (CR & CA, Gill, 18A, 1993)

 

 

 

 

Farmers Cliff and Sorrel Hatch gave a tour of this local dairy and pick-your-own farm that has been a longstanding partner of Mount Grace. Those who joined closed out the tour by picking their own berries.

 

June 25, Trail Walk Russell Hill (FP, Ashburnham, 205A, 2007)

 

 

 

 

 

Ashburnham selectman Ed Vitone helped lead a trail walk with members of the Conservation Commission and of the Ashburnham Conservation Trust.  Ed and Linda Vitone then hosted hikers at their home, which is within sight of Russell Hill (now the Ashburnham Town Forest).

 

July 9, Stewardship Day at Whitney Memorial Forest (CA, Winchendon, 80A, 2002)

 

 

 

 

Local businesses and volunteers joined together at the forest for a day of stewardship organized by AmeriCorps-MassLIFT Outreach Coordinator Jason Rhoades.  Mount Grace thanks Morin Real Estate, Murdock Dairy Farm, and the New England Wooden Ware for co-sponsoring the cleanup.  The forest was bequeathed to Mount Grace by Adelaide Whitney.

 

July 20, Farm Tour at the Farm School (FP, Orange, 346A, 2000-2002)

 

 

 

 

 

Staff at the Farm School joined with Mount Grace and Maggie Rouleau to host a tour of some of the protected school lands, including properties owned by the Gordon and Rouleau families.   

July 23, Hike the Ware River Watershed (FP, Barre, 80A, 1995)

Photos by John Burk

 

Mount Grace helped add 80 protected acres to the Ware River Watershed as part of the conservation of the Riley Farmstead.  Local photographer and author John Burk led a tour covering several distinct habitats within the watershed, which is part of the reservoir system that serves Boston. 

July 30, Blue Trail Tour (Templeton)

   

Twenty people paddled the new canoe trail on the Otter River, which is being planned by AmeriCorps-MassLIFT member Keith Davies in partnership with the Millers River Watershed Council.

August 5, Picnic celebrating the Lawton State Forest (FP, Athol, 365A, 1986)

For pictures, see Anniversary Picnic Page.

Community based conservation of the former Lawton Tree Farm in 1986 was the original Mount Grace project.  The picnic, at Skyfields, was followed by a hike through the state forest, which abuts Skyfields Arboretum, led by DCR forester Chuck Pernaa.  Visitors also toured the new interpretive bird trails set up by AmeriCorps volunteers Laurel Swope and Gwen Kozlowski with the Athol High School Honors Biology students.

September 10, Aster Walk at Hidden Valley (CA, Wendell, 66A, 1996)

Late-blooming asters were a specialty of Arthur Cronquist, the nationally known botanist whose widow donated this land to Mount Grace in his honor.  Botanist Karro Frost led a grooup of 20 on a hike examining the autumn flora of the site.

September 17, Mount Grace 25th Annual Meeting at Morgan Memorial Goodwill Fresh Air Camp (FP, Athol, 330A, 2007)

For pictures, see Annual Meeting Article

 

September 24, Open House at Greenfield Town Farm (FP, Greenfield, 31A, 2011)

Just Roots, the community garden group at the Greenfield Town Farm co-sponsored an open house, including garden tours, workshops, and a tour of the neighboring stream and woods led by Ted Watt of the Hitchcock Center.  Just Roots was chosen by the town to coordinate a community farm and education center on the former poor farm land after the town conserved the land under Agricultural Preservation Restriction with help from Mount Grace.

October 15, Milk and Cookies at Bree-Z-Knoll Farm (Leyden)

Warren, Randy, and Angie Facey, owners of Bree-Z-Knoll Farm, a 350-acre working dairy farm in the hills of Leyden, invited the public to an open house at the farm for all ages.  The day was co-sponsored by Our Family Farms and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) and featured a milking demonstration, a chance for children to meet the Bree-Z-Knoll cows, and milk and cookies provided by Our Family Farms

October 22, Mount Jefferson Trail Ride (FP, Hubbardston, 250A, 2002)

Participants rode a figure-eight loop on trails totaling about 8.5 miles.  The route included trails in the neighboring Hubbardston and Templeton State Forests. 

November 5, Walk at Bullard Farm (CR, New Salem, 200A, 1989)

Owner Adam Frost led a walk on the land, Mount Grace’s first conservation restriction. The property abuts the Chestnut Hill Loop Trail and helps connect open land around the Quabbin Reservoir to protected land in Orange and Wendell.

November 20, Town Forest Hike (FP, Erving, 125A, 2007)

Mount Grace joined with the Erving Conservation Commission to offer a walk on the new public trails of Old State Road at the former Giniusz Farm, Erving’s first town forest.

November 25, Contra Dance at Red Apple Farm (CR, Phillipston, 103A, 2007)

The Contra Dance at the farm’s event barn featured music from Calamity Physics (Kevin Blanchard and Becky Hollingsworth) with guest fiddler Susan Conger and caller Tim Van Egmond.  Bill Rose, of Red Apple Farm, hosted graciously and the farm provided hot cider and cider doughnuts. 

November 26, Forestry Tour at Maniha (FP, Petersham, 468A, 2003)

Forester Glenn Freden showed guests some of the work he’s done on the property, an early Mount Grace Forest Legacy project.  Owners Ken and Barbara Maniha also showed pictures of the history of the property, which has been in Barbara's family since the 19th century.

January 8, Winter Tracking at Muddy Pond (Westminster)

Tracker David Brown explored wildlife habitats in the woods and wetlands that surround Westminster's Muddy Pond, which is visible from the MidState Trail.