Luke Killion is a lifelong resident of Winchester. He has always been a supporter of environmental causes, as his mother is a guide for Winchester Trails and emphasized the importance of the natural world and how we can protect it.
Luke often attends Friends of the Fell’s (FOF) volunteer days to remove invasive plants and conduct trail maintenance. He has been a Trail Adopter in Virginia Wood since July 2022. Interestingly, Luke and his family have a special connection with this part of the Fells. Back in the 1800s, several members of Luke’s family worked at the rubber shoe factory that was once in Stoneham and the pumping station that supplied water to Malden at the time.
Volunteering is an important part of Luke’s life. In addition to volunteering with FOF, he also volunteered at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester and Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm in Lincoln. At these two locations, he worked with the chickens and harvested crops in the fields. He also volunteered with the Mystic River Watershed Association’s Herring Monitoring program. Luke says that “volunteering is a great way to be a part of a cause in the community and have a positive impact [that] provides you with great experiences.”
Hiking is Luke’s favorite activity to do in the Fells. He especially enjoys attending guided hikes. “The guided hikes increase my awareness of the Fells’ natural and historical importance. They reintroduced me to the healing power of nature,” Luke says.
Along with being Luke’s Trail Adopter zone, Virginia Wood is also his favorite spot in the Fells. “[This area] represents a lot of historical aspects of New England and land stewardship,” Luke shares. Virginia Wood was the first piece of land given to the Trustees of Public Reservations (now the Trustees) in 1894 by Fanny Foster Tudor. You can learn more about the history of Virginia Wood here.
Luke enjoys giving back to his community. For anyone interested in volunteering, Luke says, “[There are] more volunteer opportunities today than there ever were. Finding a good fit is probably the most important thing, then you can contribute to a cause that is worthwhile and rewarding to you.”
Thank you so much for all that you do for the Fells, Luke!
If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities, read about our volunteer program here or check out our calendar here.
Check out some of the trail work Luke has participated in as a volunteer and Trail Adopter in the photos below:
