Land trust's 'Tuesday Trails Team' plays key role

BLCT has 23 volunteer stewards

By Karl Stephens
Posted 2/22/18

In order to fulfill its mission of protecting open space and wetlands from development, since its inception in 1979 the Barrington Land Conservation Trust (BLCT) has acquired 61 properties and 10 …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Land trust's 'Tuesday Trails Team' plays key role

BLCT has 23 volunteer stewards

Posted

In order to fulfill its mission of protecting open space and wetlands from development, since its inception in 1979 the Barrington Land Conservation Trust (BLCT) has acquired 61 properties and 10 conservation easements. 

Besides acquiring these areas to protect them from development, the BLCT provides stewardship for them (and 3 town-owned similar properties) in order to conserve in perpetuity the natural, scenic, recreational, and educational values they offer.

Management of these areas begins with 23 volunteer stewards, who monitor their areas for encroachment by neighboring  properties, as well as for any other adverse impacts to the habitat and conservation value of the area—trees down, invasive species (e.g. bittersweet) proliferation, litter, etc.  

In the past, individual stewards would check for encroachment on to Trust property and remove litter. To manage larger needed projects, the chair of the stewardship committee would, on an ad hoc basis, bring together a group of volunteers to complete the needed work. 

However, as BLCT Co-President Peter Burke explained, while discussing how the Tuesday Trails Team came about, “Major projects like field habitat restoration at Pic-Wil just did not get done. Also, major trail maintenance such as that needed at Johannis Farm did not get done on a regular basis.”

Enter Victor Lerish MD. 

In the fall of 2015 he was asked by present and past steward chairpersons Mr. Burke and Ed Schottland to organize a permanent volunteer trails team that would meet regularly to perform those tasks not getting done.

Organizing efforts began over the winter of 2016, and in April 2016 the “Tuesday Trails Team” (TTT) came to be. 

It takes its direction from the stewardship chairperson who, based on input from stewards, identifies and prioritizes properties in need of maintenance. The TTT assembles the second Tuesday of every month (from 10 a.m. to noon) at the area designated for work that month. The TTT hopes to expand to weekend projects beginning this spring to accommodate potential volunteers who are working and not available on weekdays.

In addition to basic maintenance, the TTT has accomplished some major, long-overdue projects—most noteworthy of which is the restoration of the field habitat at Pic-Wil. This project involved clearing forest encroachment back to the original fence line, lessening the danger to the Purple Martin Colony there from hawk predation as well as encouraging butterfly re-population.

Monthly TTT turnout ranges from 8 to 13 volunteers, of whom Mr. Lerish states: “As coordinator of this volunteer group, I continue to be amazed by and deeply appreciative of their willingness to come out in good weather or bad to do the work they are doing. Our regulars range from a university graduate student, to moms with kids in school, to retirees—all sharing a common love and appreciation of the outdoors and commitment to these unique environments right here in town.”

To become a BLCT volunteer go www.BLCT.org or email volunteers@blct.org

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.