A visitor to Beals Preserve noted a tree was down across the Hickory Trail. On Saturday, August 13, Whit Beals, Larry Samberg, Eileen Samberg, and Kathryn Korostoff worked together to clear the trail, using chain saws and lopper. The group also cleared some low hanging branches at other spots on the trail.
Freddie Gillespie, chair of the Southborough Open Space Preservation Commission, has been recruiting volunteers to install a Pollination Preservation Garden at SOLF’s Beals Preserve. Preliminary work was done last summer and fall. After poison ivy control work and garden prep in June, volunteers did a major planting on July 16–17.
Volunteers did another major planting on Saturday, July 23, in spite of the heat wave. Volunteers, including SOLF Board Members Sally Watters, Debbie Costine, Larry Samberg, Eileen Samberg, and SOLF volunteers Brett Peters and Kathryn Korostoff, started early at 8 am and worked to almost 12 noon. Great job, everyone!
Volunteers worked again on Saturday, July 30, taking the project close to completion. And more work was done on Saturday, August 6.
The Pollination Preservation Garden is getting a lot of love from Freddie Gillespie and her volunteers. Here is how it looks on September 14, 2022.
Freddie Gillespie, chair of the Southborough Open Space Preservation Commission, has been recruiting volunteers to install a Pollination Preservation Garden at SOLF’s Beals Preserve. Preliminary work was done last summer and fall. After poison ivy control work and garden prep in June, volunteers did a major planting on July 16–17. Another work day is planned for Saturday, July 23. Look for information on the Native Plant Gardens of Southborough Facebook group and the Southborough Open Land Foundation Facebook page.
We have two opportunities for volunteers to help us maintain our properties. Please email solf@solf.org if you are planning to volunteer. We would love your help!
Beals Preserve on Saturday, July 2, 10 am: Meet at the end of Hickory.
Bigelow Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, July 9, 9–11 am: Remove invasives and beautify the property trail located near the end of Bigelow Road in Southborough.
SOLF trustee Lawrence Spezzano and volunteers have been working to remove invasives and beautify the property trail at our Bigelow Wildlife Refuge, located near the end of Bigelow Road in Southborough. He wants to organize a work morning on Saturday, July 9, from 9 am to 11 am. When you come to work, bring gloves, firm rake, pruners, bug spray, etc. If you are available, please consider volunteering! Email us at info@solf.org to let us know you are coming. Details on access and parking, etc., when you sign up to volunteer.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has published a 25-page pictorial guide to Invasive Plants. You can view the guide on our Resources page.
The Southborough Open Land Foundation had its Annual Meeting on May 18, 2022 at the Southborough Community House. The evening started with a wine and cheese reception followed by a welcome by Vice President Debbie Costine. Debbie gave an overview of SOLF and its relationship to the town, explaining that SOLF is a private non-profit tax-exempt organization, and that the land, including Beals Preserve, is the private property of SOLF, and that the land is open to the public.
President Whitney Beals then gave a review of the activities and accomplishments over the past year, pointing out that we are the stewards of our 15 properties, with Beals Preserve our hallmark parcel. Debbie Costine has been spearheading Saturday work crews at Beals Preserve, clearing along the main lane, controlling the invasive and highlighting native trees and shrubs. Kat McKee, chair of the Southborough Trails Committee, and scouts from Troop 92 worked on maintaining the joint trail systems at Templeman Woods, a SOLF property and Watkins Woods, a town property. At Bigelow Wildlife Refuge, Eagle Scout Robby Stewart, with oversight by trustee Lawrence Spezzano, built a path and a viewing platform, and Lawrence has been working on knotweed control using fine wire mesh.
We lost Linda Hubley, a dear friend, in 2021. The Southborough Scholarship Committee started the Linda Hubley Memorial Scholarship Fund for students with a strong interest in environmental studies. Linda worked on environmental causes, volunteered in schools, was an election worker, started the first online newspaper in Southborough. She was awarded the Elaine Beals Conservation Award in 2010. SOLF issued a challenge to match $1000. We received $1600 in donations for the scholarship fund, making a total of $2600. Skip Hubley and two representatives of the Scholarship Fund (Kathleen Kuklewicz and Alexandra Mills) accepted the donation from VP Debbie Costine.
Whit Beals then presented the Elaine Beals Conservation Award 2022 to Jim Gorss. Jim lived close to Breakneck Hill, a town property. He was responsible for much of the look and accessibility of the property that we enjoy today. He was on and chaired the Stewardship committee. He also installed fencing at the Beecology Garden. Congratulations to Jim for this well-earned award.
Debbie Costine Introduced Peter Alden, our speaker for the evening. Peter gave a highly informative and entertaining presentation on perspectives on changing wildlife populations in New England since the time of Henry David Thoreau; new arrivals like the cardinal and moose and those no longer seen like the ruffed grouse.
Mark your calendars for the Southborough Open Land Foundation’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 18 at the Community House in Southborough, with a reception and light refreshments at 6 pm, followed by a presentation at 7 pm by Peter Alden — Concord native, ornithologist, naturalist, author — on changes over time to Concord’s bird and mammal inhabitants. Read more about Peter here. Meet the SOLF Trustees and help congratulate Jim Gorss, the winner of the Elaine Beals Conservation Award. See the flyer here.
Board members and volunteers have been meeting at the Beals Preserve kiosk on Saturdays at 10 am to do invasive clean-up, remove overgrowth from valuable trees and shrubs, and reveal the stone wall along the lane. Please join us! Follow us on Facebook for the next dates or email us at info@solf.org. Bring sturdy gloves, loppers, etc.
Debbie Costine, on Saturday, May 14, once again rounded up volunteers to work at Beals Preserve, continuing cleanup around the kiosk area and under the large juniper. Volunteers were Erin Flowers, Lawrence Spezzano, and Eileen Samberg. Debbie pointed out horsetail (equisetum) “spreading its wings”. About to move some brush, we discovered a bird’s nest with eggs, likely song sparrow, so we left the brush until the brood hatches and flies away.
Another successful cleanup day on Saturday, May 7. Whitney Beals, on his tractor, worked on the area by the kiosk and the old horse fence, removing a number of invasive honeysuckle shrubs and buckthorn saplings, and along with Eileen Samberg, freed the fence. Meanwhile Kathryn Korostoff and Debbie Costine pruned a silky dogwood, removing the overgrowth encroaching on the lane, and revealing more of the wall.
On April 30, Debbie Costine and Brett Peters cleared some of the wall, removing multiflora rose and bittersweet.
On April 16, Debbie Costine and Kathryn Korostoff (Native Plant Gardens of Southborough) were able to spend a couple of hours clearing invasives from one of the posts and gates near the kiosk.
Ongoing Saturday morning trail-work continues at Beals Preserve. On April 9, SOLF Trustees Debbie Costine and Eileen Samberg, and volunteer Brett Peters cleared out around an impressive High Bush Blueberry along the Old Farm Lane to feature its beautiful colors and structure. See the “before” (with Eileen and Brett) and after. Looking forward to seeing it bloom and berry. Next work day, April 16.
Although best known for the rustic landscapes and hiking trails of our Beals Preserve, did you know SOLF also maintains about 20 properties and community spaces in town? SOLF trustee Lawrence Spezzano and volunteers having been working to remove invasives and beautify our newest property trail at our Bigelow Wildlife Refuge near the end of Bigelow Road in Southborough. If interested in helping, please contact SOLF at info@solf.org. When you come to work, bring gloves, firm rake or pruners, if you have them!
Lawrence has been laying down a wire mesh to slow the growth of knotweed. As the stems continue to grow, they will expand in diameter. At a certain point, the stems will push against the steel mesh and girdle themselves. The surface growth (stems and leaves) of the plant wilts and will eventually die, but the rhizome will continue to push new stems up through the ground (and wire mesh). This will continually kill the stems and will lead to the depletion of rhizome carbohydrate stores, which are required by the stems for growth.
As part of the town-wide Planet Palooza Earth Celebration, SOLF sponsored “A Walk Back in Time” on April 22 at 11am at Beals Preserve – a review of the history of the Beals Preserve use since 1900. Participants met at the Pollinator Preservation Garden in the Main Street Field at Beals Preserve for a brief overview of the new pollinator garden before heading out for the history & nature walk. Kathryn Korostoff and Freddie Gillespie gave the garden presentation, and Whitney Beals gave a engrossing talk about the agricultural use and acquisition of the fields that became Beals Preserve.
In December 2021, members of the SOLF Board and a volunteer cleared invasive plants and brush around the Big Oak Woods sign post. In April 2022, members of the SOLF Board cleaned and repainted the post and hung a new sign.
Big Oak Woods
What?: The Trustees of SOLF are issuing a challenge. We will match donations to the newly established Linda Hubley Scholarship Fund up to a total of $1000. Make this donation as part of the town-wide Planet Palooza Earth Day Celebration.
Why?: Linda was one of Southborough’s champions of the environment. .SOLF recognized Linda’s lifelong devotion to environmental protection by awarding her the Elaine Beals Conservation Award in 2010. We want to continue honoring her legacy by supporting the newly established Linda Hubley Scholarship Fund. You can read about the scholarship and Linda at https://www.mysouthborough.com/2022/03/04/town-announces-linda-hubley-memorial-scholarship/.
How?: Send a check payable to the Linda Hubley Scholarship Fund and mail it to:
SOLF, PO Box 345, Southborough, MA 01772, or donate online on our Support SOLF Today page (details on that page). We will see that it gets to the town scholarship committee, but need to have it mailed to our address for the match.
Since April 2, Board members and volunteers have been meeting most Saturdays (weather permitting) around 9 or 10 am to continue invasive removal and clean-up, starting at the kiosk at Beals Preserve and working up the lane. Follow us on Facebook for the next dates. We welcome help! Please comment on the Facebook post announcing the clean-up or email us at info@solf.org if you are interested in helping to maintain our signature property for everyone’s enjoyment. Bring sturdy gloves, loppers etc. View our efforts on the Beals Preserve blog.
On Saturday, April 2, trustees Eileen Samberg, Lawrence Spezzano, and I met up with SOLF volunteer Brett Peters to begin what we plan to be weekly sessions of trail work and invasive plant clean-up at our properties, starting at The Elaine and Philip Beals Preserve. SOLF president Whitney Beals came by to give his thoughts on possible priority areas, like the old farm lane through the middle of the preserve for starters. There are some native shrubs we will save and feature: especially high bush blueberry, elderberry and silky dogwood.
We accomplished an impressive amount of clearing in the vicinity of the kiosk. (see before and after photos) Once we started, it was hard to stop — digging in to the oriental bittersweet, japanese honeysuckle, and very thorny Multiflora rose. Eileen had appeared first thing with new information beautifully designed and laminated to put in the kiosk. She had replaced the plexiglass in the doors previously after discovering some “projectile” holes of some sort.
We found our new volunteer Brett to be enthusiastic energetic and amiable, ready to dive into physical work as a break from sitting long hours at his desk.
The prior Saturday, new volunteer Meghan Ackley, (also energetic and enthusiastic), Eileen, and I tackled some of the nasty and highly invasive Japanese barberry encroaching the trail further up on the old farm lane.
It is truly heart-warming to see this progress! We are looking forward to continued productive Saturday mornings!
Next session: Saturday, April 9, 10:00 am meeting at the kiosk. We welcome help! Please email us at info@solf.org if you are interested in helping to maintain our signature property for everyone’s enjoyment. Bring sturdy gloves, loppers etc. (cancelled in the event of rain).
Debbie Costine SOLF Vice President
SOLF supports the Stewardship and Trails Committees’ Scoop the Poop campaign to protect our conservation lands, our trails, our wildlife habitat, our water, and to keep Southborough clean and beautiful. Over the coming weeks they will be posting information to promote awareness about the importance of picking up dog waste and where dog walking is not permitted. Please watch the link below to learn about the best practices for managing dog waste and the danger of improper disposal: https://bit.ly/3IM5CqX. This initiative is funded by a 2021 Choate Fund Grant. #Soboscoopsthepoop
The Southborough Open Land Foundation, in collaboration with Southborough Artist Catherine Weber, is pleased to present the 2022 Art On the Trails, with the theme: EXPOSURE. The exhibition will be installed from June 13 to September 11, 2022 at Beals Preserve. With the generous support again this year from Southborough Community Fund and the Southborough Cultural Arts Council, all accepted artists will again receive $100 stipends. Link to a map of the installations.
Southborough Open Land Foundation and Art on the Trails Program Director Catherine Weber are pleased to announce the call for art for the 6th annual juried exhibition, this year themed Art on the Trails: EXPOSURE. The exhibition will be juried by sculptor Anne Alexander. The exhibition will be installed from June 13 to September 11, 2022 at Beals Preserve.
With the generous support again this year from Southborough Community Fund and the Southborough Cultural Arts Council, all accepted artists will again receive $100 stipends. This year, along with a juror prize, there will be a popular prize, voted on by visitors to the show. The call for art opens on March 4 and closes on April 14. Learn more about the guidelines and the juror by visiting artonthetrails.com.
The Southborough Open Land Foundation (SOLF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1988 to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources in the Town of Southborough. Our goal is to maintain and improve the quality of life for the benefit of present and future generations of Southborough’s residents and visitors. SOLF is searching for an experienced, reliable, and task-oriented part-time Administrative Assistant, who is passionate about nature and land conservation. The Administrative Assistant will work directly with the Board of Trustees and will be responsible for performing a number of administrative duties that will provide critical support for our goals.
The position requires attendance at monthly meetings, otherwise remote and flexible. Expected commitment of 4-5 hours per week with potential for additional hours as needed. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and a minimum of three references to application@solf.org by March 15, 2022.
Details can be found here:
SOLF is planning some exciting programs and events. Watch this space.
