Metacomet Land Trust Meets 30th Anniversary Fundraising Goal & Protects 31+ Acres in 2018
Dec 27, 2018 02:01PM ● By Pamela Johnson
“We are pleased to be celebrating our 30-year milestone as a regional land trust serving 15 communities,” said the organization’s president, Lisa Mosczynski, “We started out 30 years ago with 3 towns, and as more communities saw the need to partner with a land trust to preserve and protect their valuable open space, we have expanded to help them. Today we own 473 acres of conservation land and hold conservation restrictions that restrict development on an additional 343 acres. Among other partners, the trust works with individual owners, municipalities and the Commonwealth to preserve critical open space in the region.
In 2018 the trust finalized the acquisition of another 32 acres through landowner donations including the following:
Mendon: 17 acres were generously donated by George and Joan Ford to preserve and protect beautiful uplands and rich wetlands off Hartford Avenue West. “The Fords patiently worked with us through title searches going back to the original farmland in the 1800s,” Mendon board representative Patrice Murphy recalled. “This section of ‘sprouts and saplings’ will now be permanently conserved.”
Sutton: 11 acres were generously donated by Sutton Development Trust. This parcel abuts the 38 acres donated to the land trust in 2017. Both parcels preserve and protect the shoreline of Stevens Pond in the village of Manchaug. The land trust is currently working with the Sutton Conservation Commission to place a conservation restriction on the parcels to further protect the property in perpetuity.
Upton: 3 acres were donated by the Naze family. “The generosity of the Naze family created the Blue Conservation Area on Crockett Road with frontage on the Mill River,” Upton board representative Mike Penko explained. “The Town of Upton also holds a conservation restriction on the property, and Metacomet is currently working with the town to place a conservation restriction on Upton’s Heritage Park.”
The new year will be a busy one for the land trust with numerous ongoing projects in several of the communities it serves. Land owners and municipalities are urged to contact the trust to discuss a variety of “tools” that are available to help preserve and protect critical open space and trails for future generations.
Metacomet Land Trust is an all-volunteer, membership-based organization and is always ready to welcome new members and friends who want to work with us. We are motivated by our motto: “Because we love where we live!” and we work to keep open space and recreation available to everyone.
We are currently looking for an assistant treasurer, help with coordinating our social media outreach, volunteers to help with outreach and fundraising and outdoor enthusiasts to help us with new stewardship projects like the creation and maintenance of trails. We also have an open position on our 15-member Board of Directors.
“Preserving and protecting land comes at a cost, most of which is shouldered by our members and donors,” said treasurer Susan Speers of Franklin. “We truly depend on the public’s support for conservation close to home.”
Learn more about the trust at MetacometLandTrust.org, call us at 508-271-7131 or email us at [email protected].
Metacomet Land Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working on land conservation in 15 communities across southern Worcester County and Norfolk County, including Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Franklin, Hopedale, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, Norfolk, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster, and Wrentham. Metacomet Land Trust owns 473 acres of conservation land and holds conservation restrictions on an additional 343 acres.
