Photo by Colgan Johnson and The Great Malden Outdoors.

by Jaclyn Roth

Much of our lives are spent indoors. From household chores to relaxation, we often breathe in the same air and surround ourselves with the same walls. Working outside and interacting with nature is paramount to health and overall well-being.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes that the air we breathe indoors includes five times the amount of common organic pollutants found outdoors. Being outdoors improves the immune system. Plants produce chemicals with antifungal and antibacterial properties, and our bodies respond to these chemicals by producing white blood cells, which are essential in the fight against infections and viruses.

Participants of the Hike ‘n’ Seek explored the forest. Photo by Matvei Mozhaev. Instagram: @mozhaev_eye

Humans possess an innate biological connection to nature. Biophilia, a term coined by Edward O. Wilson in 1984, describes a desire to seek connections with nature and living things. It is why we gravitate towards the sunshine, gardens, and the ocean.

Richard Ryan, lead author and University of Rochester professor, said, “Nature is fuel for the soul. Often when we feel depleted, we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature.”

Connecting with nature balances the body. It provides a sense of calm and peace. It reduces anxiety and improves memory and focus. A University of Michigan psychology study concluded that memory performance and attention improved by 20% after individuals spent an hour outside and interacting with nature.

If you can’t seem to step away from work, try taking a meeting on the patio or on the go with a walk around the neighborhood.

Start your morning or break at lunchtime with a hike or guided walk in the Fells! Check out our calendar for upcoming events and reach out if you’re interested in leading a hike of your own. Want to take to the trails on your own? Check out our website to find a trail and get started.

Changes in air, temperature, and scenery throughout the day lead to enhanced sleep, increased creativity, and happiness. So try to make sure nature is a daily part of your routine!

Audrey Killion

Originally from Cape Cod, Audrey Killion has lived in Winchester for 47 years. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in nursing and was a nurse and nurse practitioner for 55 years. Audrey has been retired for five years now and loves being out in nature.

Growing up on the Cape, she spent a lot of time in the woods, on the shore, and in the apple orchard in the backyard of her childhood home. Audrey’s mother and aunt knew a lot about the local flora and fauna and passed that knowledge onto her. “I did learn a lot growing up with my family who were always walking and saying ‘oh look there goes an Oriole’ or ‘there’s a hawk up in that tree.’ They knew their trees and plants and birds,” she explains.

Audrey has been a walk leader volunteer with Friends of the Fells for the last few years and has guided walks with Winchester Trails for 40 years. She leads walks on plants and the history of the Fells. History has always been one of Audrey’s favorite subjects, and she loves learning about all types of history, especially Native American and natural histories.

During the pandemic, Audrey and other Winchester Trails leaders took participants on socially-distanced bird watch hikes.

One of Audrey’s favorite memories in the Fells centers around a family of wood ducks. This spring she was out on a walk and saw a mother wood duck with seven babies paddling behind her. “They were almost walking over the water. They were cruising Long Pond trying to keep up with mother duck,” Audrey says.

For Audrey, the most valuable part of walk leading is getting people of all ages into the Fells. “Your job is done if you can get people out into nature. They can have that experience and that appreciation and [you can] encourage them to learn more,” says Audrey to anyone interested in guiding their own walk.

Thank you, Audrey, for all that you do for the Fells!

If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please reach out to friends@fells.org, complete the Volunteer Application, or keep an eye on our calendar here for upcoming volunteer events.

by Ashley McCoy

It is unbelievable how quickly my two years as Land Stewardship Coordinator (LSC) have passed. When I started as a TerraCorps member with Friends of the Fells (FOF), I had just graduated from college, and I was not sure what I wanted to do next, I just knew that I would like to be outside. Over the past two years, I have spent more time outside than I could have ever guessed.

I feel incredibly lucky to have spent so much time in the Fells. I walk the trails no longer afraid of getting lost. I now welcome the hikes knowing that I can find my way back. The trails and the plants that call them home are more familiar to me now than when I started. From the bench overlooking Long Pond to the view from Wright’s Tower to the beautiful falls of the Cascade, I feel comfortable in this forest. I have learned to look for the beautiful spring ephemerals like bloodroot and trout lily, the fragrant scent of sweet pepperbush, and the tiny toads that make their way across the trails in the spring.

Ashley created a project that enables the public to help us monitor work on invasive plants in the Fells.

My time with FOF has been nothing short of amazing. I have worked with Trail Adopters while running orientations, led invasive plant removal volunteer days, and developed and guided educational hikes. Through these programs I have had the opportunity to develop skills including volunteer management, public speaking, environmental education, fieldwork skills, and more.

I want to thank the FOF staff and board for being so supportive. Thank you to Maddie Morgan, who has been my supervisor for the past two years, for your guidance and advice. Thank you to the TerraCorps program, staff, and members for your leadership, community, and encouragement. I also want to thank the entire Fells community for being so welcoming, and for sharing your love and passion for the Fells with me.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who have come out to remove invasive plants and take care of the trails. Your hard work and dedication has made an enormous impact, and I have enjoyed getting to work with all of you. A final thank you to the Fells DCR staff. Your help and guidance has made running volunteer events so seamless.

Ashley participates in the maple syrup program with long-time hike leader Boot Boutwell.

Goodbyes are always bittersweet. I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have had through FOF and TerraCorps. But I am so excited for the next TerraCorps member to experience the amazing Fells community!

While I am ending my time as LSC, I plan to keep hiking in the Fells. I hope to see you out on the trails!

Laurie Adamson and Dennis Crouse are originally from Cape Cod and Marion, Iowa, respectively. The pair have lived together in Melrose for 38 years. They are self-proclaimed “nature nuts” who love being outdoors and experiencing nature. This love of the outdoors has taken them hiking throughout the country and the Fells. They have been FOF members for many years and began volunteering as hike leaders over a decade ago. They often lead hikes for children and families through our Babes in the Woods and Hike ‘N’ Seek programs.

After retiring from working with elementary school students 15 years ago, Laurie was looking for ways to get involved. She discovered Babes in the Woods and decided to volunteer on the hikes. A few years later, Dennis retired from a career as a chemist and Laurie invited him to join her. They have both been pivotal members of the groups ever since.

Laurie leading a Hike ‘n’ Seek with some enthusiastic participants.

Over the years, Laurie and Dennis accumulated many memories, but their favorite one takes place by the High Reservoir. They once saw an exotic-looking bird wading near the shore with a plume on its head. They thought that maybe a bird escaped from the Stone Zoo, but it turned out to be a black-crowned night heron, which breed in this area. “Seeing it was one of our coolest experiences in the Fells,” they say about the sighting.

Laurie’s favorite part about leading hikes is the little walkers (children between the ages of two and five). “They’re curious and they get so excited about everything,” Laurie adds. Dennis’ favorite aspect of leading hikes is meeting all the attendees. “The young men and women who have babies, they are out there to talk and socialize, and they love the fact that I point things out on the way,” says Dennis.

Laurie and Dennis have some advice for anyone interested in leading hikes or volunteering. “Do it, jump in. Everyone who you will meet has a love of the Fells like you do, so look at all the different opportunities and join and try it out.”

Thank you, Dennis and Laurie, for all that you do for the Fells!

While winter slowed down our plants’ growth, our invasive plant removal efforts did not falter. The warmer-than-average winter granted us the ability to work on bittersweet and multiflora rose around the Botume House and along Spot Pond. In January, February, and March, we had 31 volunteers and the DCR team to help us remove aggressive bittersweet and multiflora rose from these areas. In April and May, our invasive plant removal efforts almost quadrupled as garlic mustard began to poke through the soil. We hosted 95 volunteers to pull out garlic mustard and bittersweet. At one of our larger events, Park Serve Day, volunteers removed trash from the Fells and assisted the planting of two trees.

Check out some before and after photos below!

Buckthorn and Bittersweet Before and After

Baldwin Wallace University students completed a service trip and removed garlic mustard with us.

In our growing Trail Adopter program, we trained 39 new Trail Adopters to help us monitor the trails and keep them clear and safe for all to use. These Trail Adopters and more volunteers also joined us for a work day on June 1st, National Trails Day, to cut down Japanese knotweed and work on a fire road in Greenwood. It’s been a busy and productive start to the season!

The following groups have joined us thus far in 2024:

Appalachian Mountain Club
Baldwin Wallace University
Google Serve
Intellia Therapeutics
Keep Stoneham Beautiful
Medford Boy Scouts Troop 416
Medford Girl Scouts
Roberts Elementary School
Tufts Mountain Club
Washington University Boston Alumni Network

Interested in assisting these efforts? Join us on Saturday, July 6th!

Want to volunteer with your group, company, school, or team? Learn more about our group volunteering opportunities here.

Reach out to friends@fells.org if you have any questions or if you’d like to get more involved in these efforts.

by Ashley McCoy

The blooms of spring are behind us and we have officially settled into summer. There is a lot going on in the Fells this time of year, from ghost pipe popping up on the trails to milk snakes laying their eggs. Read on for a glimpse of what’s happening out in the park this season.

Ghost pipe is just beginning to emerge on the edges of trails. Ghost pipe is different from most plants because it is almost entirely white. It has no chlorophyll and doesn’t perform photosynthesis. Instead, it takes nutrients from surrounding plants by tapping into the mycorrhizal network. The mycorrhizal network is the underground fungal network that trees use to share nutrients and communicate with each other. Because it doesn’t need sunlight to undergo photosynthesis, you’ll often find ghost pipe in the forest understory.

Sweet pepperbush is another plant you’ll see while out on the trails. It will produce white flowers in July and August. Later in the season, the flowers will produce brown capsules, which stay on the plant over winter. You can still see the capsules from last year on many of the plants today. The plant got its common name because these brown capsules look like peppercorns.

Some jewelweed flowers are starting to appear, and we will continue to see more as the summer goes on. The plant has beautiful red and orange flowers and a light green, watery stem. Sap from the stem is said to relieve any itch caused by poison ivy oil, and it is often found growing close to poison ivy. Later on in the summer, jewelweed will produce a fruit capsule that bursts open when touched. Watching the capsules burst is entertaining and it helps spread the plant’s seeds. Jewelweed’s other common name is spotted touch-me-not.

Milk snakes are largely nocturnal during the summer months, but you may see them slithering on the trails from time to time. They are light brown with darker brown spots along their backs. During the months of June and July, milk snakes lay clutches of six to 24 eggs. After an incubation period of about a month and a half, the eggs hatch around August.

While out for a walk this summer make sure to slow down and enjoy and appreciate all the species, big and small, that call this area home. Don’t forget to send us photos of what you see in the Fells at friends@fells.org!

The many benefits of being in nature and taking a hike

by Jaclyn Roth

Audrey Killion

by Ashley McCoy

Buckthorn and Bittersweet Before and After

by Ashley McCoy