The path to preservation is not easy. It needs advocacy and raised voices, dedication and volunteerism, community involvement and action, and constant forward-thinking. The political and environmental challenges facing the preservation initiative today necessitate citizen support. In order to maintain the Fells for the coming future, the need for your generous support has never been greater.
Every mile of trail in the Fells is preserved by committed volunteers who provide valuable support to the Department of Conservation and Recreation to identify threats and maintain the safety and conditions of trails. Our volunteers range in age between 3 to 90; More than 1,200 volunteers have logged more than 10,0000 cumulative hours of work toward the preservation, maintenance, and enjoyment of the Fells. Your contribution will support our substantive efforts to preserve this urban oasis.
The Friends of the Middlesex Fells mission is to be “dedicated to the protection and harmonious use of the Fells, promoting awareness, policies and programs which honor and preserve the landscape and heritage of this public resource for current and future generations.” The Friends accomplishes this through educational and recreational programming and through advocacy in cooperation with others. Programs include year round guided hikes and nature walks, volunteer trail maintenance, Babes in the Woods, Forest Kindergarten and Students of the Fells programs, lectures and invasive species removal. The Friends continues to advocate for preservation, with support from elected officials and community members, by monitoring the development of properties surrounded by, or contiguous to, the reservation.
Helping youth appreciate nature and embrace Conservation is one of the many ways the Friends is meeting the needs of tomorrow. Thanks to a grant from the Cummings Foundation, the Friends have vastly increased our outreach in this area and we now offer directed learning and volunteer service programs for children and youth of all ages. Here, students from four area high schools participated in the Inaugural “Amazing Race” in the Fells. Your generous contribution will assist us to continue our growth and efforts in building the next generations of Middlesex Fells stewards!
The Friends are focused on the future, updating our programmatic and organizational priorities to make sure we are prepared for upcoming needs of the forest and its users. Urban forests face many unique threats, and this re-prioritization will help to ensure that the Fells continues to be the treasure that it is today, while meeting the needs of tomorrow.
Thank you, from all of us at Friends of the Fells.
If preferred, you may mail a check to:
Friends of the Middlesex Fells 235 West Foster Street, Melrose, MA 0217
Feature photo credit: Mike Ryan