Author Archives: Eileen Samberg

Al Bezanson Receives Elaine Beals Conservation Award at the Annual Meeting

Southborough Open Land Foundation had its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 10 at the Community House at 28 Main Street in Southborough. The evening started at 6 pm with light refreshments, followed at 7 pm with Trustee introductions and remarks, the presentation of the 2023 Elaine Beals Conservation Award to Al Bezanson, and a program by Trustee Debbie Costine entitled, “A Virtual Walk in the Woods.”

Allan Bezanson, long-time Southborough resident, and native of Northborough, has, since his retirement, had a big impact on preservation; first in devoting hundreds of hours to saving the historic Burnett property and since then sharing his stunning photos of beautiful natural sights from Great Blue Herons, to goldfinches to ponds with amazing reflections. It is when we love and appreciate something that we will work to preserve it. [Presentation by Debbie Costine]

Allan Bezanson and Debbie Costine
Whitney Beals
A Virtual Walk in the Woods

SOLF Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 10

Please join us for the Southborough Open Land Foundation’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 10 at the Community House at 28 Main Street in Southborough. The evening starts at 6 pm with light refreshments, followed at 7 pm with Trustee introductions and remarks, the presentation of the 2023 Elaine Beals Conservation Award to Al Bezanson, and a program by Trustee Debbie Costine entitled, “A Virtual Walk in the Woods.”

Artist and “curious naturalist,” Trustee Deborah Costine is the past Vice-President of Southborough Open Land Foundation, a long-time member of Sudbury Valley Trustees SVT, and a National award-winning puppeteer. Slow, solitary walks in the woods pausing often to look carefully and taking pictures is what grounds her. In this presentation, previously hosted by SVT in 2021, Debbie will take her audience along with her, settling into the rhythm of the forest and looking at some of her favorite photos.

Earth Day Clean-up April 22, 2023

SOLF trustees and volunteers participated in this year’s Earth Day clean-up, starting at the trailhead to Templeman Woods on Route 85, and heading south past Richards Road, stopping at our other property at Lambert Corners.

Left to right: Destin, Susan and Will Heilman; Rick Ellis;Sally Watters; Debbie Costine; Kristie and Mike Dameri. Photo by Eileen Samberg.
Volunteer Kathryn Korostoff shows her catch of the day – a Ford hubcap.
Volunteer Susan Heilman, escorts a roadkill fisher into the woods

Program on Eastern Coyote/Coywolf on April 27

On April 27 at 7 pm at the Southborough Library, SOLF, in conjunction with Earth Day, offered a program by Dr. Jon Way on The Eastern Coyote/Coywolf – How Coyotes behave and live so successfully near people.

Topics included:

  • The typical home range and territory size of the Eastern Coyote.
  • Its movement and activity patterns.
  • Its sociality, denning behavior, and hybridization.
  • Many photos and some video clips.

The presentation ran about one hour and a half, including questions and book sales. Our thanks to the Southborough Library for hosting the event.

Jonathan (Jon) Way has a B.S. (UMass Amherst), M.S. (UConn Storrs), and doctorate (Boston College) related to the study of eastern coyotes/coywolves.

Trustee Sally Watters, Jon Way, Trustee Debbie Costine

Beals Preserve Saturday Work Day April 15, 2023

Saturday morning trail work by SOLF Trustees and volunteers has begun again! There’s always work to do from sprucing up our entrances to clearing and keeping invasives at bay and trails clear, for our first day, April 15, it was volunteer Kathryn Korostoff and Trustee Debbie Costine, doing what they enjoy: cutting, clearing and chatting. [Pictures by Trustee Debbie Costine]

Before wedding
After weeding
Stone bench parts
View from Main Street Field parking lot
View back to the Main Street Field parking lot
Please pick up your poop bags!!!!

Natural History Walk at Beals Preserve: New date TBD

Postponed from April 23 due to rain, with new date TBD: As part of Earth Day celebrations, SOLF will host a natural history walk at Beals Preserve. Join Whit Beals and other SOLF board members to learn about the history of the property, as well as the flora and fauna found there. [Photos by Trustee Debbie Costine.]

Whit Beals
Old Farm Lane looking north
Lane near the kiosk and looking north
Charles Choate’s farm in 1895, before the aqueduct was built. Looking north to Main Street from the lower pasture..

Dark Skies Initiative

Light pollution is an ever growing problem as land is continuously developed. Without an eye towards the future, open land conservation, and responsible lighting choices, we’ll lose what little we have left on the planet for truly dark skies.

Visit our page under Resources to learn about the Dark Skies initiative in Southborough.