Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust celebrated its 35th anniversary this year by commemorating 35,000 acres conserved since 1986 and launching plans for the next 35,000 acres. “Protecting our trails, woodlands, and watersheds are not only critical for our health and peace of mind, but for nature’s sake,” said Executive Director Emma Ellsworth. “At Mount Grace we celebrate our tremendous accomplishments, but we still have much urgent work to do.”
Mount Grace has expanded its programming to meet community needs while maintaining its commitment to large-scale land conservation. The trust’s newest projects have been overseen by Youth Education Coordinators Meira Downie and Amanda Carotenuto. In Orange, students and teachers at Dexter Park School learned about nature while creating a woods trail with interpretive signage. During the spring, youth participated in a workday to clear brush, paint trail markers, and mark paths for the trail. Inspiration for the signage came from the students who after learning more about local flora and fauna with Mount Grace created their own artwork to be used in the signs. In Winchendon, Mount Grace launched the Nature Adventure Backpacks pilot project with the Beals Memorial Library. Backpacks contain binoculars, a compass, field guides, and interactive worksheets for children, and can be checked out for free by families looking for something to inspire a walk in the woods. The backpacks were made possible thanks to grants from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts and the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation.
This year’s biggest project pairs Mount Grace with Mass Audubon and other partners to protect 700+ acres of open meadows, working forests, and riparian habitat along Gales Brook, Rum Brook, Black Brook, Hodge Brook, and Fish Brook in the Millers River Watershed. The Greater Gales Brook Conservation Project creates corridors connecting thousands of acres of existing protected land so that large, connected parcels of open space are sustained — providing habitat that is more resilient in the face of climate change. Mount Grace was awarded over $589,000 from the Massachusetts Landscape Partnership Program to help fund the work. This fall, Mass Audubon completed the first project: the 53-acre Littlewood property in Warwick which will be added to the Town Forest. Mount Grace conserved an additional 10 acres of forested land in Warwick adjacent to the project area this month.
“In Northfield, we have been working with the Appalachian Mountain Club to ensure permanent access to the Richardson Overlook for all,” said Conservation Director Sarah Wells. “Mount Grace will own and steward the land, while AMC will continue to manage the use of the Richardson-Zlogar cabin and the New England National Scenic Trail.”
“I encourage everyone interested in making a difference for our region’s natural and working lands to make a year-end gift and help meet our $180,000 goal,” said Ellsworth. Donate online at mountgrace.org/donate or by mailing a check to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust at 1461 Old Keene Road, Athol, MA 01331.