SOLF is undergoing some significant property restoration at the Beals Preserve. This includes the creation of a comprehensive management plan by “Conservation Works” that will include ecological resiliency. Our visitors have already noticed the beginning that has also created some pretty muddy areas in the process! We appreciate your patience!
Recently, Pete Westover from Conservation Works toured the property with Trustees Sally Watters, Debbie Costine, and Eileen Samberg. Also present were Freddie Gillespie Chair of the town’s Open Space Preservation Commission and SOLF Supporter and volunteer Kevin Sanford.
Left to right: Pete, Sally, Eileen, Freddie and Kevin. Photo by Debbie Costine
On Saturday, April 27, SOLF will host a birding walk at Beals Preserve with Martha Gach from Massachusetts Audubon. Meet at Beals Preserve Main Street Field at 8 am.
This past Saturday, March 9, 2024, SOLF volunteers Kathryn Korostoff and Laurie Guertin joined trustees Lawrence Spezzano and Debbie Costine with some maintenance work at the Bigelow Preserve at the end of Bigelow Road. A large part of the work involved removing quite an excess of bittersweet vines and fallen branches.
On Saturday, March 16, SOLF Volunteers Kathryn Korostoff and Hannah Hayes joined trustee Debbie Costine to continue invasive vine removal at the property.
Upper left: Laurie and Lawrence return from assessing the necessary work. The viewing platform built by Eagle Scout Robby Stewart is in the background. Upper right: Lawrence pulling vines from a tree. Laurie working in the background. Lower left: Long time volunteer, Kathryn Korostoff cuts and tugs. Lower right: Trustee, Debbie Costine wallowed in the leaves and broken branches toward her goal of revealing beautiful moss on old logs.
In the early 1900s, Margaret Leland, daughter of Bostonian Samuel Carr, and her husband Charles Leland owned Chestnut Hill Farm and what is now known as Beals Preserve. The preserve was almost devoid of trees and was pasture land. A riding ring was built for the Leland family for horse riding practice.
The riding ring circle has now been brushed and is walk-able, with the old riding ring fencing and logs to mark the way.
Please join us for the Southborough Open Land Foundation’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at the Community House at 28 Main Street in Southborough. The evening starts at 6 pm with light refreshments, followed by a presentation on raptor rescue at 7 pm, the presentation of the 2024 Elaine Beals Conservation Award, and Trustee remarks and a short business meeting.
We are excited to have a presentation by Jess Zorge, the founder of Raptor Tales Rescue of Shrewsbury. Jess holds both state and federal wildlife rehabilitation and educational permits. She specializes in the rehabilitation of birds of prey. Raptor Tales Rescue admits injured and orphaned wildlife from members of the public, as well as State and Federal agencies. RTR has treated over 300 birds of prey since the start of the rescue in 2020. Jess volunteers speaking about raptors and wildlife rehabilitation to a variety of organizations. As part of her presentation, she will be bring Blue, a non-releasable barred owl. Please join us for this information and fascinating talk.
We are excited to have a presentation by Jess Zorge, the founder of Raptor Tales Rescue of Shrewsbury. Raptor Tales Rescue (RTR) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that is run entirely on a volunteer basis. Jess works full time in the biomedical field. She is a Shrewsbury, MA native and military veteran with a soft spot for animals in need. Jess holds both state and federal wildlife rehabilitation and educational permits. She specializes in the rehabilitation of birds of prey. Raptor Tales Rescue admits injured and orphaned wildlife from members of the public, as well as State and Federal agencies. RTR has treated over 300 birds of prey since the start of the rescue in 2020. Jess volunteers speaking about raptors and wildlife rehabilitation to a variety of organizations. She has a wonderful 12-year-old daughter named Harper that helps her on many rescue missions (a young wildlife rehabilitator in the making!) As part of her presentation, she will be bring a Blue, a non-releasable barred owl. Please join us for this information and fascinating talk.
SOLF’s Beals Preserve is getting some valuable maintenance done thanks to the generosity of SOLF supporter Kevin Sanford and his brother Mike. Kevin has a long-time love of both the Beals Preserve and the Beals family. He promised his friend Whitney Beals, who died this past September 14 that he would take care of the fall mowing, but his enthusiasm is now providing so much more! Thank you Kevin, so much!
Work has continued all through January and into February, with assistance from some SOLF trustees and Scott Mooney Tree Service. In addition to fields being mowed, some damaged trees were removed, and a significant amount of unsightly brush was removed to reveal the the beautiful stone walls.
Maintenance can take its temporary toll, and there are some sections of the trails with tractor treads and mud. This spring, when the ground has dried out, those areas will be smoothed out and repaired. We realize it can be an inconvenience for now, but please bear with us.
We are working with a view towards positive conservation and land management, and preserving a mix of habitat and levels of growth is best for the area, compared to a single wooded forest.
Rock wall along Old Farm Lane
Old Farm Lane, looking north
Path between the two meadows, looking towards Old Farm Lane
Southborough Open Land Foundation, in collaboration with Southborough Artist Catherine Weber, is pleased to present the 8th Annual Art On the Trails in the summer of 2024 on Beals Preserve. The art juror will be the amazing Marie Craig of Fountain Street Gallery. The call for art opens February 15. The installations will be on site from June 15 to September 15.
The 2024 Art on the Trails program is themed Legacy. It is dedicated to the memory of Whitney Beals, who passed away in September 2023. Whit was the President of the Southborough Open Land Foundation and dedicated his life to land conservation and forestry. As a child, the land across the street from his house, now Beals Preserve, was his playground. While he was well educated, he would attest that he was educated by and in the Forest. In his honor, we invite artists to consider the legacy that he and his family have left for the town of Southborough and propose art installations that support this theme. Visit the Art on the Trails website.
