Lincoln Land Conservation Trust

TO PRESERVE THE RURAL CHARACTER OF LINCOLN, TO ACQUIRE AND MAINTAIN UNDEVELOPED LANDS IN TOWN, TO DEVELOP TRAILS THEREIN, TO ESTABLISH SOUND CONSERVATION PRACTICES, AND TO ENCOURAGE PRESERVATION, ENJOYMENT, EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF LINCOLN'S NATURAL AREAS.

EDUCATION: EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN 2021 INCLUDED TWO IN-PERSON TRAIL WALK SERIES AND 16 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL "SELF-DIRECTED" TRAIL ACTIVITIES.IN THE WINTER AND SPRING, LLCT HOSTED A SERIES OF "FIRESIDE-CHAT" PROGRAMS. IN JANUARY, ROBIN WILKERSON GAVE A PRESENTATION ON ECOLOGICAL GARDENING. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES GAVE A PROGRAM ON INVASIVE INSECTS IN FEBRUARY. LATER IN FEBRUARY, BARBARA PESKIN, A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER, SHARED NATURE PHOTOS IN A VIRTUAL PROGRAM.AS PART OF THE TOWN OF LINCOLN WINTER CARNIVAL, LLCT CREATED A TRAIL SCAVENGER HUNT USING THE MOBILE TRAIL APP OUTERSPATIAL. GEARED TOWARDS FAMILIES, PARTICIPANTS FOUND EIGHT ART INSTALLATIONS CREATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND STUDENTS AT BIRCHES SCHOOL. ALL THE ART WORK WAS ANIMAL THEMED. THE SCAVENGER HUNT CULMINATED IN AN ICE SCULPTURE DEMONSTRATION AT LINCOLN STATION, WHICH WAS CO-HOSTED BY THE RLF.IN THE SPRING, LLCT PARTICIPATED IN A SPEAKER SERIES CO-SPONSORED BY FIVE OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE SERIES, ENTITLED ON BELONGING IN OUTDOOR SPACES, SOUGHT TO BRING AN INCREASED DIVERSITY OF VOICES IN CONSERVATION TO LINCOLN AUDIENCES AND BEYOND. IN MARCH, AKIIMA PRICE SPOKE ABOUT HER WORK CONNECTING URBAN FAMILIES TO LOCAL PARKS. IN APRIL, EVELYN RYDZ SPOKE ABOUT HER ART INSTALLATIONS WHICH DEALT WITH A VARIETY OF TOPICS, INCLUDING WATER POLLUTION. IN JUNE, DREW LANHAM PRESENTED HIS EXPERIENCES AS AN ORNITHOLOGIST AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST. THE SPEAKER SERIES CONTINUED INTO THE FALL FEATURING RICH HOLSCHUH IN NOVEMBER. RICH SPOKE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WITH THE LAND. IN DECEMBER MARDI FULLER SHARED HER EXPERIENCES AS A BLACK OUTDOORSWOMAN.IN 2021 LLCT CONTINUED TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLLINATOR ACTION. IN APRIL, EVAN ABRAMSON SPOKE ABOUT THE COMPLETED POLLINATOR ACTION PLAN. LATER IN THE SPRING, LLCT ONCE AGAIN OFFERED ITS MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE POLLINATOR FRIENDLY PLANTS AT COST. NEARLY 2,000 PLANTS WERE PURCHASED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE PLANTED IN PRIVATE GARDENS IN LINCOLN AND SURROUNDING TOWNS.IN APRIL AND MAY, LLCT'S POPULAR BIRD WALK SERIES RESUMED IN PERSON. THE PERENNIAL VERNAL POOL WALK WITH MATT BURNE COULD NOT BE SAFELY HELD IN PERSON AND WAS HOSTED AS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM. LLCT COLLABORATED WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, FARRINGTON NATURE LINC IN APRIL TO OFFER A VIRTUAL EYES ON OWLS PROGRAM.BEGINNING IN THE SUMMER, LLCT AND THE TOWN OF LINCOLN'S CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT BEGAN COLLABORATIVELY HOSTING A MONTHLY CONSERVATION COFFEE. THESE PROGRAMS USUALLY FEATURED A SHORT PRESENTATION BY AN INVITED SPEAKER FOLLOWED BY UPDATES FROM BOTH ORGANIZATIONS.LLCT HELD THE ANNUAL MEETING VIRTUALLY IN SEPTEMBER. DAVID O'NEILL PRESENTED MASS AUDUBON'S NEW VISION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND TALKED MORE BROADLY ABOUT THE VALUE OF NATURE-BASED CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS.IN NOVEMBER, LLCT TRUSTEES ORGANIZED A VIRTUAL PROGRAM ABOUT STATE CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION AND INVITED SENATOR MIKE BARRETT TO PRESENT. LATER IN NOVEMBER, ALISON FIELD-JUMA SPOKE ABOUT RIVER HEALTH IN THE SUDBURY, CONCORD, AND ASSABET RIVER WATERSHED. LASTLY, LLCT AND THE TOWN OF LINCOLN'S CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT JOINTLY HOSTED A PUBLIC TRAIL USE FORUM IN NOVEMBER TO GATHER INPUT ON TRAIL USE IN LINCOLN.LLCT PUBLICATIONS INCLUDED A MONTHLY WILDLIFE COLUMN, PUBLISHED ONLINE, LLCT'S OPEN SPACES CALENDAR, AND A PACKAGE OF PHOTO NOTE CARDS ENTITLED "FOUR SEASONS OF CONSERVATION IN LINCOLN."LLCT CONTINUED TO SELL ITS TWO BOOKS, THE NATURE OF LINCOLN AND A GUIDE TO CONSERVATION IN LINCOLN AND ITS 2013 TRAIL MAP. LLCT CONTINUED TO GIVE WILD ABOUT LINCOLN NATURE GUIDES TO COMMUNITY GROUPS AND PROGRAM ATTENDEES.IN 2021 LLCT WENT LIVE WITH THE OUTERSPATIAL TRAIL APP. THE APP ALLOWS USERS TO FIND THEMSELVES ON THE INTERACTIVE TRAIL MAP USING THEIR PHONE'S GPS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, LLCT BEGAN PUBLISHING TRAIL "OUTINGS" WHICH INCLUDED PHOTOS AND SUGGESTED ROUTES AND POINTS OF INTEREST AT SEVERAL CONSERVATION AREAS.

STEWARDSHIP: LLCT STAFF WORKED WITH VOLUNTEERS, FIELD WORK ASSISTANTS, AND TOWN OF LINCOLN CONSERVATION STAFF. WE PERFORMED ANNUAL MAINTENANCE OF 40 MILES OF PUBLIC TRAILS, WHICH INCLUDED REMOVING DOWNED TREES WHICH WERE BLOCKING PATHS, AND PRUNING VEGETATION. IN ADDITION, NEW DUCKBOARDS AND BRIDGES WERE CONSTRUCTED FOR THE TRAILS AT SILVER HILL BOG. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED IN A CHAINSAW SAFETY TRAINING WORKSHOP. LLCT STAFF MONITORED DEEDED CONSERVATION LAND AND CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS, AS WELL AS CONSERVATION LAND AND RESTRICTIONS OWNED/HELD BY THE TOWN OF LINCOLN. LLCT WORKED TO REMOVE/CONTROL INVASIVE PLANTS, INCLUDING GARLIC MUSTARD, WALL LETTUCE, WATER CHESTNUT, BUCKTHORN, BURNING BUSH AND JAPANESE KNOTWEED. LLCT WORKED WITH TOWN CONSERVATION STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS TO UPDATE EXISTING RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING CONSERVATION LAND AND TRAIL USAGE, INCLUDING IMPLEMENTING A GROUP USE PERMIT FORM, UPDATING THE RULES REGARDING DOGS ON TRAILS, AND WORKING TOWARDS UPDATED RULES AND TRAILS WHERE BIKES ARE PERMITTED. A GREAT DEAL OF SUMMER WORK WAS ON IMPLEMENTING THE POLLINATOR ACTION PLAN. TWO NEW "POCKET" POLLINATOR GARDENS WERE PLANTED, ONE IN A TRAFFIC ISLAND ON CODMAN ROAD AND ONE AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE STONY BROOK SOUTH CONSERVATION AREA. IN ADDITION, EXISTING POLLINATOR GARDENS WERE EXPANDED, BOTH AT THE MALL AT LINCOLN STATION AND AT THE POLLINATOR MEADOW. IN TOTAL, STAFF, SUMMER INTERNS, AND VOLUNTEERS PLANTED NEARLY 400 PERENNIALS AND SHRUBS AT THESE SITES. AT THE POLLINATOR MEADOW, LLCT AND TOWN CONSERVATION STAFF, INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AS PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY, WORKED ON SOD CUTTING TO SOW SEEDS AND PLANT PLUGS WITHIN THE FENCED AREA. OUTSIDE THE FENCED AREA, NEARLY 100 SHRUBS AND WILLOWS WERE PLANTED. FOOTINGS WERE PLACED FOR A PAVILION TO BE BUILT TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE FENCED AREA, TO PROVIDE SHADE AND GUTTERS TO COLLECT WATER IN RAIN BARRELS. A MAJOR MULTI-YEAR REHABILITATION OF ONE CONSERVATION AREA, CHAPMAN PASTURE, WAS STARTED; THIS INCLUDED A PRESCRIBED BURN TO REMOVE SOME INVASIVE PLANTS, AS WELL AS MOWING THE FIELD EDGES, REMOVING FENCING, AND PLANTING WILLOWS AND OAK SAPLINGS. THROUGHOUT THE SPRING AND SUMMER, LLCT STAFF AND A VOLUNTEER MONITORED ACTIVITY AT BLUEBIRD BOXES IN CHAPMAN PASTURE AS WELL AS IN A FIELD IN STONY BROOK SOUTH.

ACQUISITION: LLCT SUPPORTED THE RLF TWIN POND ACQUISITION PROJECT WHICH RESULTED IN A NEW TRAIL EASEMENT TO BE HELD BY LLCT. THE EXISTING TRAIL WAS AT-RISK AND NOW WILL BE A PERMANENT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FERNALD WOODS AND UMBRELLO CONSERVATION AREAS, AND THE STONY BROOK AND BEAVER POND CONSERVATION AREAS.