Trustees Annual Report 2023

The Trustees

Annual Report | 2023

Fiscal Year

Welcome

MESSAGE from the Chair

Iam pleased to say that despite some challenges, 2023 was a very successful year for The Trustees, thanks to the great efforts of our outstanding staff and volunteers. 2023 also represents the dawn of a new era in The Trustees’ leadership with the arrival of our sixth President and CEO, Katie Theoharides, who has already brought new energy and focus to the organization. If the first six months in her role are any indication, we’re on a strong path forward as she and her team work hard to set a vision for the future. This is a very exciting time for The Trustees!

Planning has begun on shaping The Trustees’ next strategic plan, which will guide our work over the years to come. In the meantime, we have been very busy strengthening The Trustees, focusing on what is most fundamental and foundational to our mission: the conservation and care of our properties, our work to engage the public through experiences with nature and culture, and our organizational stability.

You will find many examples of this focus in the pages of this Annual Report—of the great progress we have made in conserving new lands, stewarding and investing in our properties, inspiring our visitors and striving to be more accessible to an ever more diverse population, and making our organization more sustainable for the long-term.

There is no better reflection of the Trustees’ sustainability than the growth of our membership—now totaling 98,000 households— and the growth of our philanthropic support, exemplified by a 56% increase in Founders Circle membership in the last five years.

We are so grateful to you all for your belief in our work and your generous and steadfast support of The Trustees and our collective mission. It is because of you that we can and will continue to accomplish so much as the conservation leader in Massachusetts.

MESSAGE from the President

It is with gratitude that I welcome you to The Trustees’ 2023 Annual Report. It is an honor to lead this storied organization and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this dedicated and devoted team—from staff to volunteers, Governance, Members, and our wonderful supporters.

I came to the Trustees following a path in environmental conservation that grew out of a love of nature. This love was nurtured through experience—a ramble through the woods, excavating ruins in an old field, creating watercolor maps of the forests and stream in my backyard. It was only later that I learned about the challenges facing our environment. I believe building this connection is what brings people into the work of protecting our environment—and in this time when the threat of climate change is so present and we’re ever more disconnected as a society on shared solutions, nurturing connection and creating better access to these special places will allow us to raise our voice collectively to understand and design solutions for the challenges ahead.

As an organization, we share the legacy of Charles Eliot, who over 130 years ago proclaimed we could no longer afford to wait to protect our beautiful landscapes and special “bits of scenery” as industrialization spread across the region. We find ourselves now at another moment where the urgency of the times calls us to raise our voice to protect our communities and our natural special places for everyone, forever.

With The Trustees’ rich history to guide us, I have hope that as an organization we will inspire the next generation of conservationists to choose to be solution makers. I have hope that we can lean into our strengths as the nation’s first land conservation nonprofit and demonstrate conservation results, lead by example with innovative natural climate solutions, invite people into our work more vigorously than ever before by connecting them first to a love for our special landscapes and then to the work of saving them.

Peter B. Coffin Chair, Board of Directors

Your unwavering support has sustained our organization and helped us achieve new heights of conservation and community impact. Thank you for being an integral part of The Trustees’ journey—together, we can build a future where our landscapes flourish and our communities thrive.

Katie Theoharides President & CEO

©P. COFFIN

©KRISTA PHOTOGRAPHY

2023

2. Tree Heroes: More than 100 tree specialists from around the state joined forces for the Massachusetts Arborists Association’s Arbor Day of Service in late April to prune and reinvigorate dozens of trees at Francis Wiliam Bird Park.

3. New Tent Rising: In the fall, Stewardship staff put the final touches on a beautiful new programming and events tent on the site of the old (and recently dismantled) house at the Governor Oliver Ames Estate.

4. Volunteer of the Year: An innovative and energetic contributor to bettering his South End neighborhood, Worcester Street Community Garden Coordinator Kory Wood is our 2023 honoree.

5. Employee of the Year: Josh Hasenfus, Landscape Construction Specialist, was honored for his significant and tireless impact on Trustees’ special places across the state.

6. Fond Farm Welcome: Chestnut Hill Farm hosted U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) as part of his 7th Annual Massachusetts Farm Tour. Joining the Congressman were, from left, Trustees COO Christine Morin, MA State Senator James Eldridge, Trustees Charles River Valley Portfolio Director D.A. Hayden, McGovern, and MA State Representative Kate Donaghue.

7. Happy Hikers: On New Year’s Eve, over 50 hikers joined several Trustees staff members to celebrate another successful year of the Hike Trustees program. This annual event, organized and led by two previous winners of Hike Trustees, draws more and more enthusiastic hikers every year.

(1, 2, 3, 6) ©Trustees; (4, 5) Above Summit; (7) Jake Belcher; (8) ©Krista Photography

1. Garden Connector: The new Garden-to-Garden interpretive trail was opened at Long Hill in May. The trail provides an engaging and gentle 10-minute hike connecting the Horticultural Learning Campus on the lower part of the property with the historic house and Sedgwick Gardens at the top of the hill.

8. Gather ’Round: Trustees staff gathered at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum for the annual All-Staff Meeting in October, and posed with the iconic DeWitt Godfrey sculpture, Lincoln, on its last day before being deinstalled after many years in the Park.

As we closed the book on the Momentum strategic plan, Fiscal Year 2023 brought another year of revenue growth and balance sheet strength. Year-over-year, operating revenue growth continued to impress with a 6% increase across all our key revenue categories with notable contributions from such areas as public programs, tours, rental events, and farm and retail stores. Notably, nearly 60% of our annual revenue now comes from Membership fees and property and programming income.

Nevertheless, we have faced challenges with our expense growth which continued to outpace revenue growth. Compensation expense has increased, largely in response to macro-economic forces as well as our commitment to remain fully staffed throughout and after the pandemic. Moreover, critical deferred maintenance has necessarily been prioritized, driving up property expenses as well as capital expenditures.

Meanwhile, our balance sheet remains extremely strong, with continued growth and virtually no debt.

Buoyed by our strong balance sheet, our incredibly talented leadership team and staff, and the enduring loyalty and generosity of our membership, The Trustees is actively engaged in right-sizing its expense base for long term sustainability. Not surprisingly, I remain extremely confident that The Trustees will successfully address our expense challenges in the near-term to enable us to emerge an even stronger organization as we launch our next strategic campaign.

Andrew P. Borggaard Chair, Finance and Audit Committee

Financial Report

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

Fiscal Year 2023

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

Land Conservation

In the past year, The Trustees protected, or helped protect, eight properties totaling 308 acres.

Acquisitions (Including Present & Future Reservations)

PROJECT | CITY/TOWN (photo#)

21 & 23 Winthrop St Garden Expansion (Gift) | Roxbury (1, 2)

0.13 Acres | City of Boston, Grow Boston

In 2021, The Trustees responded to an RFP from the City of Boston to purchase two parcels adjacent to one of the 56 community gardens we manage in Boston, Roxbury’s Winthrop Street Community Garden. The subsequent expansion of the garden—funding for which was secured through CPA and Grow Boston—included a redesign to increase the number of garden plots from four to 30, as well as the development of a memorial entrance area and gathering space.

Frye Meadow (Purchase) | Andover

13.2 Acres

The Trustees acquired this 13-acre forested parcel adjacent to the 716-acre Ward Reservation in Andover. This property will provide a buffer for the more than 15 miles of trails at Ward. It contains approximately 4.5 acres of wetland resource areas and is located within a 100-year flood zone.

Berens (Gift) | Cohasset (3)

2.2 Acres | William Berens, Barbara Burke

The Trustees accepted the donation of this 2.2-acre inholding at Whitney and Thayer Woods from William Berens and Barbara Burke. This parcel is forested and predominantly comprised of wetland, and is managed as part of a vast open space and trail network at Whitney and Thayer Woods, Turkey Hill, and Weir River Farm.

Estes Tract (Bargain Sale) | Windsor

130 Acres | Kenneth and Lisa Estes, Farkas Fund

The Estes Tract is 130 acres of forested land that has been added to the west side of Notchview, the Trustees’ largest reservation. The snowmobile trail on this land gives snowmobilers an alternative to the public roads within Notchview that serve as active cross country ski trails during the winter. Conservation of the Estes Tract further preserves the wild nature of some of Notchview’s most challenging ski trails.

Morss (Gift) | Dover

33 Acres | Christopher Morss

Through a generous donation, The Trustees acquired a 33-acre addition to Pegan Hill Reservation. Located on the western edge of Dover, along the Natick town line, this mixed-hardwood forest parcel abuts Pegan Hill Reservation and additional protected land to its south which is privately owned and protected by a CR to Mass Audubon.

Nunes (Bargain Sale) | Royalston (4)

4.4 Acres | Joseph Nunes

The Trustees acquired this 4.4-acre parcel from Joseph Nunes— who also donated 100 acres to The Trustees in 2021—at a bargain sale. This parcel is adjacent to the entrance of Royalston Falls and will allow The Trustees the opportunity to redesign the reservation’s visitor entrance and parking area in the future.

ALL PHOTOS ©TRUSTEES

105 Acres | Mass Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)

With support from MassWildlife, the Trustees affiliate Hilltown Land Trust purchased a 105-acre forested property in South Worthington. The parcel connects multiple parcels previously conserved by Hilltown Land Trust along Jackson Brook. Nearly the entire acreage is classified as BioMap2 Critical Natural Landscape, with a small area along Jackson Brook also classified as BioMap2 Wetland Core Habitat. Conservation of this land allowed Hilltown Land Trust to expand public trails at its most popular hiking area and to offer access to the scenic Jackson Swamp. The wildlife have been enjoying the area as well!

Upper Mill River | Williamsburg (6)

20.3 Acres | Kestrel Land Trust

Hilltown Land Trust conserved 20 acres of forest land in Williamsburg including 1,400 feet of frontage along a scenic section of the Mill River. The project was a joint effort of Hilltown and Kestrel Land Trusts emerging from a 2021 lawsuit—which had resulted from a violation of federal stormwater requirements associated with the installation of a large solar array directly uphill from the river and abutting the newly conserved land. The conserved land acts as a buffer against erosion, pollution, and floods. Hilltown Land Trust now owns the land, while Kestrel Land Trust holds a Conservation Restriction on the property.

Conwell North (Purchase) | South Worthington (5)

Ecology Report

Agroecology

Agroecology continues to be a pivotal focus for our agriculture and ecology teams. The practice takes advantage of existing ecological processes to improve agricultural productivity while minimizing tradeoffs between agricultural production and ecosystem functioning or biodiversity. Its further integration into Trustees practices has proved successful in bridging the perceived value divide between acreage reserved for conservation versus production acreage.

Highlights of our agroecology work this year include a new initiative at Appleton Farms involving potting native willows, which will be planted in summer 2024 along recently rechanneled agricultural drainage ditches. These trees will help to protect the ditches from erosion, improve the water quality, create new habitat for wildlife and, importantly, provide an alternative fodder source for livestock. Across Trustees farms, efforts are also ongoing to identify and control invasive species that can crowd out desired forages and all other vegetation.

The Trustees Agriculture Program also recently hosted an Agroecology Meet-up at Appleton Farms. Folks from Shelburne Farms (VT), Philo Ridge Farm (VT), Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment (ME), and The Trustees came together for a day of sharing ideas, current projects, and agroecological research and trial work.

Habitat Management & Biodiversity

The Trustees takes an active role in land management across many of our properties in support of healthy habitats for the native and diverse species found there. Promotion of natural and sustainable biodiversity drives habitat management practices.

Key projects in habitat management included multiple controlled burns across the state. The Trustees conducted controlled burns over 198 acres of land this year, a significant increase from the 15 acres burned in 2022. Both Long Point Wildlife Refuge and Wasque Reservation are home to globally rare and imperiled sandplain grasslands and woodlands habitat, collectively called “barrens.” Controlled burns are one of the best ways to manage this ecosystem, where many fire-adapted species live. Statewide, more than 40 state-listed species depend on these habitats. The fire also removes the duff layer, grasses, and other plants that build up year after year. The growth of these other plants and annual mowing can create a mulch that prevents the fire-adapted species from germinating, with seeds unable to reach the soil. Prescribed burns were also conducted at Appleton Farms & Grass Rides, Weir Hill, and Boston Hill in the Charles W. Ward Reservation to support natural regenerative growth in grassland habitat.

Trustees work in ecology is focused on a variety of critical issues at our special places across the state, including improvement of habitat for native species, promotion of biodiversity, climate resilience on our shores and in our forests, and shorebird and rare species protection. We now closely monitor more than 6,700 acres of ecological landscapes throughout the state. Here are highlights of this past year’s work.

Throughout the state, we continue to combat various threats to the variety of wildlife that call our Trustees places home. At World’s End, work is ongoing in a multi-year project to improve habitat for native pollinators, grassland birds, and other native species. Now in its second of four years, the project was developed in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service with guidance from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Among multiple initiatives in this project, hayfields are being enhanced by adding forage-friendly legumes that will increase floral resources for pollinators while also supporting hay growth, and fields where invasive and undesirable woody species are found—which threaten the longevity and sustainability of new wildflower meadows—are being treated with a targeted herbicide.

At Long Point Wildlife Refuge, local nonprofit BiodiversityWorks received a MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant in partnership with The Trustees to protect and support black racers. This pilot project included construction of a new snake crossing under the summer road to the refuge and around 2000’ of drift fence leading to the crossing to encourage any snakes moving across the landscape to use this under-road passage. Snakes and wildlife have since been captured on trail cameras utilizing the crossing (see photos, above right), and plans are in the works to expand the project elsewhere to promote continued survival of critical species.

Coastal Resiliency & Marsh Restoration

Massachusetts coasts remain vulnerable as climate change and human use impact the natural landscape. This year, The Trustees secured important funding to advance coastal resilience projects across the 120 miles of coastline we steward.

Advancements in our Great Marsh Restoration efforts continue. Planned work continued across project sites this year, including data collection at Old Town Hill and marsh abutting the Crane Estate. Planning and fundraising are also underway to restore the natural hydrology of the marsh surrounding Greenwood Farm through the

Supported by local fire departments, controlled burns are critical in reducing fuel loads and lowering the risk of wildfires on Martha’s Vineyard, in addition to promoting regrowth of barrens habitats.

removal of two tidal constrictions that have been contributing to the marsh’s decline by restricting flow and creating an abundance of invasive species growth.

On Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, The Trustees was recently awarded a $380,000 grant by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support the Building Beach and Saltmarsh Resilience to Protect Island Communities in Massachusetts project—a partnership between The Trustees, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission. Specifically, the grant will support preliminary design work for barrier beach resilience work at Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge on Nantucket and for salt marsh restoration and resilience efforts on Martha’s Vineyard’s Chappaquiddick Island.

Shorebirds

Rare coastal nesting shorebirds remain a focus for The Trustees, among many other rare species that also need protection and

management. This year, 74 total pairs of Piping Plovers nested across Trustees monitored sites, producing 61 fledglings. 24 pairs of American Oystercatchers were found, fledging 10 young across sites.

In August, conservation partners including The Trustees, MassAudubon, Manomet, MassWildlife, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Parker River NWR, and volunteers conducted a coordinated shorebird survey over 1500 acres of the Great Marsh ecosystem. The survey contributed to Manomet’s International Shorebird Survey (ISS) one-week statewide blitz, in which 89 observers counted 73,088 shorebirds and documented 29 different species across 115 sites in Massachusetts. During the survey, partners and volunteers at The Trustees site counted 8,959 shorebirds among 22 different species. According to the ISS newsletter, the statewide high count for Spotted Sandpiper was recorded on Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge and the high count for Piping Plover was recorded at Crane Beach.

SPOTLIGHT: Documentary Showcases Climate Vulnerability on Nantucket

The Trustees, in partnership with Nantucket Conservation Foundation and local production company Yellow Productions, has produced a documentary short to draw

attention to the vulnerability of Nantucket’s Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge to the impacts of climate change. Titled CoskataCoatue: A Refuge on the Edge, the film was honored as an official selection of both the Nantucket and Woods Hole Film Festivals this past summer. Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge is home to a critical barrier beach ecosystem and is jointly owned and managed by The Trustees and Nantucket Conservation Foundation. The two organizations are committed to ensuring this treasure remains a place for humans and wildlife to thrive for

many generations and the 12-minute documentary showcases the refuge’s many wonders and its ecological, recreational, and cultural importance for the island of Nantucket. Along with putting a spotlight on its vulnerabilities associated with climate change, the documentary also highlights the ways the two organizations are working together to build the resilience of the refuge. The documentary is now available on YouTube or by visiting thetrustees.org/ refugeontheedge

Lead Coastal Ecologist Russ Hopping points out a constriction in the marsh during a site visit to Greenwood Farm by neighbors and members of the Ipswich Historical Commission.

A flock of migrating shorebirds at Crane Beach.

Soon after it was constructed, a black racer was documented using the new crossing under the summer road at Long Point Wildlife Refuge.

BY THE NUMBERS

The following pages contain updates and data from across many areas of the Trustees organization.

EDUCATION

School Programs & Partnerships

From the Southern Berkshires to the North Shore to Martha’s Vineyard, Trustees School and Youth Programs reached more students and teachers than ever this year. Trustees educators engaged preschoolers to 12th graders in coastal erosion investigations, tulip dissection, art and identity conversations, discovery of animal habitats, soil decomposition, and much more. Partnerships in eleven communities fostered year-long educational projects and dynamic service-learning opportunities, and deepened students’ understandings of The Trustees and their own potential for environmental stewardship. 15 Trustees reservations—including farms, coastal and cultural sites, and public gardens—served as living classrooms that made real world connections to curriculum in 300 schools and districts across the state.

+126%

+37%

Trustees Camps

Trustees Camps collectively provided 75 weeks of camp at nine of the Trustees’ signature properties, from Ipswich to the Islands. Enthusiastic campers dug in at five farm camps, created hillside art installations at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, hiked every trail at Rocky Woods, and explored the distinctive ecosystems of the Massachusetts coast. We trained 65 new Camp Educators to design camp curricula, lead activities, games, and art projects, and otherwise provide outdoor educational fun all summer long. As part of the Trustees’ commitment to creating more equitable and inclusive outdoor spaces, we awarded 99 camp scholarships and initiated an exciting new partnership with the YMCA of Greater Boston that offers nature-based summer experiences for city youth.

Left: Campers in the ever-popular SummerQuest at the Crane Estate.

Right: Second grade students from Morningside Community School in Pittsfield and their teachers learning about flowers in the Botany Buds program at Naumkeag.

NAUMKEAG STOCKBRIDGE ©TRUSTEES

SPOTLIGHT: Armstrong-Kelley Park Receives Extensive Renovations

STEWARDSHIP

Baseline standards—the Stewardship team’s methodology for assessing conditions at Trustees reservations—continue to improve, thanks to the efforts of our dedicated Stewardship staff across the state. Condition assessments at our properties are conducted over eight different mission-based programs—Buildings, Collections, Community Gardens, Designed Landscapes, Ecological Landscapes, Entrances, Living Collections, and Trails.

Over the course of the last year, 41 reservations and 18 community gardens were assessed, with two new reservations—Armstrong-Kelley Park and Becket Quarry—receiving their first assessments. Overall, the team was able to bring a net of seven properties from below to above our baseline standard goal of 70% of a property’s assets achieving a rating of “Good” or better. Out of the Trustees’ 122 reservations, 105 (86%) are now above baseline. Since the baseline standards process was initiated in 2018, we have nearly doubled the number of properties above baseline standards (+98%).

Above: Stewardship team members came together for a Day of Service at Field Farm in June. The day’s accomplishments included the cleanup of a severely overgrown perennial garden bed in preparation for replanting. Right: The revitalized Armstrong-Kelley Park celebrated its reopening in July.

The Trustees reopened Osterville’s Armstrong-Kelley Park in July 2023 after completing a large-scale renovation that had closed the park since early spring. With over 90 years of history and 8.5 acres of rare trees, shady trails, and flourishing gardens, Armstrong-Kelley Park is the Trustees’ twelfth and newest public garden and is also Cape Cod’s oldest and largest privately owned public park. The renovation project was grounded on beloved elements of the park such as the main green and Liam’s Train, with the new design including a gathering green, paths that meet universal accessibility standards, an expanded water garden, and improved parking. “Our stewardship does more than just keep these 8.5 acres as parkland,” said Katie Theoharides, Trustees President and CEO. “It ensures Armstrong-Kelley Park will be a cornerstone of the community for generations to come.” The acquisition of the park, which was completed in 2021, provided a welcome expansion of the organization’s presence on the Cape. “We are excited that this garden will be a way to deepen visitors’ connection with The Trustees, with our mission, and with the natural world,” added Joann Vieira, Trustees Director of Horticulture. “We are so honored to be part of Armstrong-Kelley Park and look forward to continuing to grow the collections and deepen our impact in this beautiful place.”

FIELD FARM WILLIAMSTOWN ©TRUSTEES

ARMSTRONG-KELLEY PARK OSTERVILLE ©KRISTA PHOTOGRAPHY

+3.3% MEMBERSHIP REVENUE FY23 $9,705,310 FY22 $9,391,509

-5.8% TOTAL VISITORS FY23 2,061,054 FY22 2,188,749

VISITATION

Following a surge in visitation during the COVID pandemic, we are delighted to report that we continued to welcome over 2 million visitors to our properties this year. Notably, our garden locations throughout the state are attracting a growing audience each year. As people continue to adapt to the rhythms of post-pandemic life and an ever-expanding online environment, the relevancy of the Trustees mission has never been stronger.

MEMBERSHIP

Our FY23 Membership support has been extremely strong. March was the third-highest month for Membership revenue in Trustees history, as we closed in on 100,000 Member households. Much of our end-of-fiscal-year growth can be attributed to early renewals—as Membership rates were set to be increased several months into FY24—and to the final phase-out of Crane Beach parking permits. But we have proven over the past few years that our growing family of visitors and program participants want to make The Trustees a bigger part of their lives by becoming Members. Support for our Members has been growing, too, through our outstanding customer service team and through the new CRM platform that will be introduced soon. These efforts, and the engaging experiences the organization provides every day on our properties, will help grow and sustain our vital customer base.

CRANE BEACH IPSWICH ©TRUSTEES

APPLETON FARMS HAMILTON & IPSWICH ©TRUSTEES

2023 saw continued growth in visitor engagement with robust program offerings across our properties. We continue to engage communities in local agriculture at our farms through a broad selection of cooking classes, popular seasonal Farm Festivals, and family-focused open barnyards. Sensory-friendly offerings continued to expand at Weir River Farm, while staff trainings with the Autism Alliance helped teams prepare to extend this accessibility to our other farms in 2024. The Historic House teams have explored new approaches to drawing in audiences through limitedrun themed offerings, including Christmas at the Manse, which increased tour visitation at The Old Manse by more than 400% over December of the prior year. Live music and performance flourished—aerial arts and opera connected to our contemporary arts program at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Castle Hill brought performances of the vintage Harrington Circus to the Crane Estate, and Scenic Songs offered hikers opportunities to connect with musicians and with each other during unplugged, intimate concerts presented at scenic outlooks on our reservations across the state.

Signature Events

The Trustees’ Signature Events—Spring Blooms, Winterlights, and our pumpkin shows at Long Hill and Naumkeag—are growing in popularity and are becoming annual favorites for our Members and friends. Examples of the expanding impact of our Signature Events include these year-over-year totals from Fiscal Years 2022 to 2023. As this report goes to press, metrics for the 2023 (FY24) events are being finalized and are indicating even further growth in popularity.

Right: Singer-songwriting duo Tall Heights perform at a Scenic Songs event at Peaked Mountain.

PHOTO BY WAYNE

NAUMKEAG PUMPKIN SHOW NAUMKEAG

PHOTO BY DAVID EDGECOMB

PEAKED MOUNTAIN MONSON ©TRUSTEES

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OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

Although our winter was without much snow and our summer was quite wet, 2023 saw continued expansion of outdoor recreation and engagement across The Trustees. Trustees Mobile Adventures—which provides outdoor programs for the communities of Fall River and New Bedford—completed its first full season, adding an exciting new partnership with the MA DCR and their Summer Nights program. The Outdoor Experiences (OE) team continued to steward and grow its partnerships with Big City Mountaineers, YES Boston, Outdoor Afro, and Latino Outdoors, and established a new partnership with Green Button Counseling for twelve mental health and wellness hikes this year. The Roving Recreation team focused its efforts on providing more hiking programs across six of the Trustees’ South Coast reservations. Additionally, we launched new outdoor recreation programming—including guided hikes, camping clinics, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing—at twelve reservations in Central MA, the Pioneer Valley, and the Berkshires through our partnership with Adventure East. We also deepened our commitment to inclusive outdoor experiences by expanding our partnership with NEMO to offer camping clinics and gear demo nights for women, which proved to be very popular.

Looking ahead to 2024, OE will continue to build on all its existing programs and plans to expand further with unique experiences for LGBTQ+ and Latino audiences. We are proud to also soon launch the Trustees’ first accessible nature discovery trail, at Copicut Woods in Fall River.

NOANET WOODLANDS DOVER ©TRUSTEES

VOLUNTEERS

The volunteer workforce engaged at The Trustees provides an essential element to fulfilling tasks and mission goals. More than 1,000 generous and committed volunteers are woven into the fabric of Trustees life and work. They donate their time, energy, and a robust variety of skills to benefit many mission-critical program areas, including: Ecology—coastal monitoring, weed/invasive species removal, revegetation, and land restoration; Stewardship—supporting local farms, beach clean-ups, and trail management; Education and Learning— programming and event support, guiding tours, interpreting history and environmental priorities for visitors, and working with animals/livestock; as well as data management, thought partnership, volunteer recruitment and training, outreach and inclusivity, and more.

SPOTLIGHT: Two Grants to Provide Deeper Cultural Study

The Trustees has recently received two grants that will enable the organization to advance important elements of its mission in history and culture. A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will launch a two-year initiative to process, conserve, and digitize two sets of archives: the Colonel John Ashley Papers (1755-1818) and the archives of the Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN; 1977-2014). BNAN first began working with community gardens in 1982, in an effort to preserve Boston’s inner city green space. In 2014, the organization was integrated into The Trustees, by then having acquired 54 gardens in eight Boston neighborhoods. Colonel John Ashley built what is now the Trustees’ Ashley House in Sheffield in 1735—the oldest house still standing in Berkshire County. Ashley was instrumental in drafting the Sheffield Resolves in 1773 at Ashley House. Related to the work enabled by the NEH grant, the Decorative Arts Trust has also provided a grant to support a Curatorial Fellowship for researching and cataloguing the collections of Ashley House. Work is now underway in each of these grant-based activities.

Above: A crew from Toll Brothers helped prepare the planting beds at Powisset Farm last spring. Below: In October, The Trustees hosted Rebuilding Together and the Huber Family Foundation who helped our Boston Community Gardens team replace the rear fence at Erie Green in Dorchester, along with a few fall clean-up tasks.

ASHLEY HOUSE SHEFFIELD

PHOTO BY ABOVE SUMMIT

POWISSET FARM DOVER ©TRUSTEES

EXPLORING THE CONNECTIONS OF ART AND NATURE

In 2022, we launched Art at The Trustees, a broad initiative comprising all of the organization’s art-based programming and showcasing innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions that explore the connections between creative expression and the natural world. Art at The Trustees brings together under one umbrella initiative our two museums, the Art & the Landscape commissioning program, and individual installations and exhibitions that interpret and respond to Trustees landscapes throughout the state, with a goal to elevate fresh perspectives while inviting diverse audiences to experience the wonders of the world outside.

DECORDOVA SCULPTURE PARK AND MUSEUM

To ensure that deCordova’s indoor exhibition spaces meet The Trustees’ and the museum industry’s stringent standards for the protection and care of artwork and the visitor experience, we suspended use of the indoor galleries in February 2023 to begin work upgrading the building’s HVAC and climate control systems. In the months since the announcement, we have worked with internal and external colleagues, museums guests, the Lincoln community, schools, the Indigenous community, and more to shape our vision for the next iteration of deCordova. These community convenings capped off with a symposium titled What is the Nature of the Museum? in December that engaged the deCordova audience with thought leaders in climate advocacy, architecture, design, and the arts.

The Sculpture Park remains extremely vibrant, with the addition of new temporary and permanent pieces including Hugh Hayden’s Huff and a Puff (see Art & the Landscape, right), Tall Feather from Arlene Shechet, and Last Out from Andrea Carlson, part of our ongoing PLATFORM series.

FRUITLANDS MUSEUM

Oklahoma-based artist Rachel Hayes showcased her talents at Fruitlands Museum this season with Transcending Space, an indoor work highlighting large-scale color block fabrics and dried flower bouquets, and The Edge of Becoming, a new commission responding to the history of the site and Fruitlands’ dramatic hillside views. Taken together or apart, the works reflect the vast

range of awe-inspiring experiences offered at Fruitlands, including outdoor recreation, the historical significance of the Fruitlands Farmhouse, and works from Indigenous, Shaker, and Hudson School landscape artists from the permanent collection.

ART & THE LANDSCAPE

Innovative Brooklyn-based artist Hugh Hayden received the 2023 commission in the Trustees’ Art & the Landscape initiative. A new permanent installation at deCordova, Hayden’s Huff and a Puff features a slanted replica of the one-room home at nearby Walden Pond where Henry David Thoreau lived in relative isolation and wrote his seminal Walden-Or A Life in the Woods in 1845. Hayden has dramatically slanted every aspect of the piece toward the viewer, conveying a surreal, tensioned force upon this iconic home. The commission advances Hayden’s innovations as a sculptor who forges conversations around the myths and markers of American identity.

LOOKING AHEAD

The curatorial team has been actively planning for what will be a very exciting year ahead, which will feature a new Art & the Landscape commission for Appleton Farms, the re-opening of Fruitlands’ galleries—including an expansive reimagining of the Trustees stewardship of Indigenous art and culture—and more.

Hugh Hayden, Huff and a Puff, 2023, wood, mirrored glass, brick, steel. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mel Taing.

Rachel Hayes, The Edge of Becoming, 2023, nylon, cotton, steel, aircraft cable. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mel Taing.

Confronting Critical Conservation Issues

Over the last year, Trustees staff have advocated for several state and federal priorities with the support of lawmakers, administrative officials, and nonprofit partners. Here are some of the major accomplishments in 2023.

BIODIVERSITY EXECUTIVE ORDER

Governor Maura Healey signed an historic Biodiversity Executive Order (EO) directing the state to develop its first ever biodiversity goals for 2030, 2040, and 2050. In November, The Trustees met with Commissioner Thomas O’Shea of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game to discuss ways to move forward together in implementing the EO.

RESILIENT COASTS

In November, Governor Healey announced the ResilientCoasts initiative, which addresses the impacts of climate change along the Commonwealth’s coast. As the largest private owner of coastal property in Massachusetts, The Trustees has long been committed to pursuing a resilient future along the coastline. ResilientCoasts will address regulatory, policy, and funding mechanisms necessary to support coastal communities.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION, CLIMATE RESILIENCE, AND FOOD ACCESS

State legislators steered public investments in The Trustees’ work around historic preservation, climate resilience, and food access, including on our reservations. Naumkeag was the recipient of funding for historic preservation: the iconic Fletcher Steeledesigned Blue Steps—which have been deteriorating due to water leaking into the masonry—were restored via $38,000 in state funding secured by State Senator Paul Mark (D; Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire counties).

Salt marsh restoration work at World’s End’s Damde Meadows is being supported by funding secured by State Representative Joan Meschino (D; Plymouth). This restoration project provides an ideal opportunity to implement a suite of innovative, creative, and low-cost strategies to help protect and restore salt marsh. By promoting new and expanded growth of salt marsh grasses, this work will allow existing salt marsh to become more resilient and thus further restore Damde Meadows. This work is also being supported by generous grants from 11th Hour Racing and Restore America’s Estuaries.

State Senator Nick Collins (D; First Suffolk) secured $30,000 this year to ensure that Monadnock Community Garden in Dorchester will continue to be a thriving oasis for gardeners. State funding supports improvements to the garden, including re-laying the entrance patio, and ensuring accessibility to raised beds.

PARTNERSHIP ACROSS THE STATE

As a core member of the Green Budget Coalition, The Trustees helped secure additional funding for key state agencies and programs in Massachusetts—such as, among others, a $22 million increase for the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the doubling of the Natural Heritage and Engangered Species program budget. The Coalition was successful in working with lawmakers to secure all of its requested funding. Through these budget increases, these agencies will be able to further conservation, restoration, and climate goals to benefit people and nature across the state.

As we look ahead to 2024 and the conclusion of the 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth, we are excited to continue to partner with the state on important issues that impact the Trustees mission.

WORLD’S END HINGHAM ©TRUSTEES

Steps with Trustees Vice President of Cultural Properties Beryl Jolly and Associate Curator Mark Wilson.

NAUMKEAG STOCKBRIDGE ©TRUSTEES

Expanding OUR Urban Connections

VIDYA TIKKU, VICE PRESIDENT, BOSTON & URBAN OUTDOORS

Charles Eliot founded The Trustees in 1891 in response to the growing industrialization of Massachusetts, and in increasingly urban Boston in particular. The capital city’s population was growing rapidly and the need for relief from industrialization through access to the natural world was becoming, in turn, more and more imperative. Throughout much of the organization’s history since then, its conservation focus has been on open space outside of Massachusetts cities, but in the last decade The Trustees has been working to expand its urban presence and reconnect with Boston, as well as a number of the state’s Gateway Cities.

Initially marked by a 2014 merger with the Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN)—which brought 54 community gardens and pocket parks in eight Boston neighborhoods under the Trustees umbrella—the organization has since built new community gardens and new programs to improve access to fresh food, and launched the Boston Waterfront Initiative, which includes opportunities for the City’s youth through its Waterfront Ambassadors program.

Building on these successes, The Trustees aspires to acquire and protect more urban open space, and to grow its outreach and engagement, in Boston as well as cities across Massachusetts as part of a new Urban Outdoors initiative that will establish The Trustees as the leading urban

land conservation organization in the Commonwealth and help to build a diverse new generation of environmental stewards and enthusiasts.

The first goal of the initiative will be to build access to fresh food. The Trustees’ community gardens currently host 1,600 garden plots, serving nearly 10,000 residents, and with hundreds of city residents on waitlists for plots, there is a very real and urgent need for more gardens. We are currently working with Mayor Michelle Wu and the Grow Boston program offered through the Mayor’s Office of Housing to identify vacant and underutilized spaces throughout the city, to build new growing spaces as well as seek out expansion opportunities within our existing gardens, all with a goal of increasing Trustees-managed garden plots by 20% in the coming years.

Focusing on environmental justice populations—communities that bear a disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards and disproportionate access to open space than the general population— The Trustees will continue to create opportunities to build resilient open spaces for climate mitigation. We will establish coastal parks, restore marshlands, protect urban forest and woodlands, and more. Parks and open greenspace can yield significant cooling and ecological benefits to local urban environments, reduce water runoff and pollutants, improve air quality,

©TRUSTEES

and help mitigate the effects of sea level rise. This work includes the Trustees’ ongoing efforts to build a coastal park in East Boston, a neighborhood with among the lowest total acreage of open space per capita in Boston.

One of the hallmarks of the Trustees engagement efforts has been to invite the next generation outdoors by connecting them to our special places. In recent years, the organization has developed partnerships with schools in Brockton, Salem, and Pittsfield, among others, to bring students to Trustees reservations for unique and meaningful experiences in nature (see Education, page 8), and created a mobile adventure team that engages youth and families at pop-up events and community gatherings in Fall River and New Bedford (see Outdoor Experiences, page 12). The Trustees will build upon these efforts and offer more opportunities for urban youth across the state to connect with the outdoors at our properties and beyond.

The Urban Outdoors initiative is just getting off the ground as we close out 2023, with research and exploratory conversations underway to see how The Trustees can have the greatest impact. We are eager to bring this initiative to life in partnership with our urban communities and partners in the upcoming year and look forward to being able to report on our progress in coming Annual Reports.

The 2022 Waterfront Ambassadors gathered for a group photo at Joe Ciampa Community Garden in East Boston.

Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity

The Trustees’ commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity (DBIE) is deeply grounded in our mission to protect and share Massachusetts’ iconic places for everyone, forever. Through our multi-year roadmap, we are working to incorporate inclusive and welcoming practices, along with policies and programming that center the needs of underrepresented or underserved audiences at our properties and our workspaces across the state. Through thoughtful community collaboration, we celebrate a number of key initiatives from 2023 that not only helped build welcoming spaces but also engaged all in deeper conversations about diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

Mish8n Building

A host of native communities across Turtle Island, in collaboration with the Westport Land Conservation Trust, The Trustees, and the Westport River Watershed Alliance, united at Westport Town Farm to build a Mish8n (pronounced ‘mishoon’) in May. This dugout canoe—created by burning and carving a freshly cut 12-foot log—was built over the course of several days, with people coming and going at all hours. This project was co-led by Andre Strongbearheart

Gaines Jr., a cultural steward of the Nipmuc nation and the cultural director of No Loose Braids, and Annawon Weeden, a cultural steward of the Mashpee Wampanoag nation and the founder of the Wampanoag Experience.

Cataloging and Uncovering Untold Stories

The Trustees stewards and cares for more than 50,000 items in its collections and archives. Staff estimates that 40% of the collection remains uncataloged, leaving countless stories hidden and untold. Trustees’ historical collections are critical to our mission if we are to remain relevant, to play a leadership role in our DBIE work, and to respectfully tell all histories from the diversity of voices that have inhabited this region. Our collections are products of their eras, reflecting the values and priorities of the donors. We acknowledge there are other stories and perspectives to consider, and we must make a commitment to uncovering and telling them. In support of this work, The Trustees received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of our two-year initiative A Tale of Two Cities in Two Centuries. See the Spotlight article on page 13 for more about this project.

Promoting Access to Local Food

In July, The Trustees joined community gardeners, city officials, and special guests to celebrate the grand reopening of the Winthrop Street Community Garden in Roxbury. Over the previous winter, the garden was completely gutted and expanded into an adjacent vacant lot (see Land Conservation, page 4) and now boasts 30 individual plots, including five raised beds. At the reopening, gardeners shared stories of the formation of the original garden and Celtics legend Dana Barros spoke about the importance of increasing access to local, fresh food for urban communities. A new entrance gate designed for the garden, which recognizes the contributions to the community of the Boston Black Panther Party—which provided food, education, and healthcare to residents and operated on this site in the late 1960s and early 1970s—was unveiled.

Please read A Warmer Welcome, on the following two pages, to hear more about ways we are working toward making our reservations and programming more inclusive and welcoming, such as building accessible trails, providing adaptive equipment, and creating sensory- and allabilities-friendly programs, among others.

Annawon Weeden (Mashpee Wampanoag; right) instructs his community on how to apply water to the canoe to prevent overburning, at the Mish8n -building event at Wesport Town Farm in May.

The new entrance gate—commemorating the Boston Black Panther Party and its history at this site—welcomes visitors to the renovated Winthrop Street Community Garden in Roxbury.

A Warmer Welcome

COLLABORATION AND LISTENING IS KEY AS THE TRUSTEES WORKS TOWARDS MAKING PROPERTIES AND PROGRAMMING MORE INCLUSIVE

BY SARAH LYDON

For people eager to explore the outdoor world together, a visit to one of the Trustees’ working farms, historic homes, gardens, beaches, or hiking trails can be a wonderful experience with family and friends. But for people with mobility challenges or other disabilities, a successful excursion often requires advance planning. Individuals who have difficulty walking over uneven ground may worry about their stability during a walk in the

woods; people with sensory issues might feel overwhelmed by crowded spaces or loud noises.

As part of the Trustees’ ongoing work on accessibility initiatives, the organization is exploring and implementing new ways to make more of its reservations welcoming and accessible for people of different ages and abilities and making it easier for visitors to get the information they need to plan ahead.

Above left: An all-abilities hike at World’s End this past fall, through the Trustees new partnership with Waypoint Adventures. Right: The Trustees invested in an accessibility “makeover” at Weir River

PUTTING FEEDBACK INTO ACTION

Mark Lindsay, Director of Visitor Experience, heads a new Accessibility Working Group for The Trustees. One of the first steps the Working Group prioritized was to develop trainings for front-line staff about how to make the visitor experience the best it can be for people of all ages and abilities. Detailed information about accessibility issues, from accessible parking and restrooms, to special programming is now available on the Trustees website for every property. Feedback forms available online and on-site are designed to encourage visitors to share thoughts about their experiences. “We get a lot of constructive comments from people who want to partner with us to make things better,” says Lindsay. “We’re striving to develop more relationships with people who have lived experience to help serve as resources and consultants on these issues.”

ACCESSIBLE TRAILS

While it’s early yet in the initiative, a number of Trustees properties are leading the way in welcoming visitors with disabilities. Former bridle paths have been repurposed as more than a mile and a half of wheelchair-accessible trails at Doyle Community Park in Leominster, including a meandering loop through woods, fields, and over tranquil streams. “Doyle is a model for how we do accessible trails,” says Lindsay, noting that several other properties like ArmstrongKelley Park in Osterville have been retrofitted along the same lines.

The meadows, forest, and seasonal wetlands of Mary Cummings Park in Burlington and Woburn can be explored through a network of accessible trails and boardwalks, and Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens in North Andover has a crushed bluestone pathway throughout the grounds, accessible railings, and a ramp to the terrace around the historic house, along with accessible parking spaces, restrooms, and picnic tables.

At deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, work is underway on new accessible trails through the property that will allow visitors to explore even more of deCordova’s unique combination of art and natural landscape.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY PROGRAMMING

Through a partnership with the Autism Alliance, Weir River Farm in Hingham is one of the first Trustees properties to offer sensory-friendly programming to encourage and support neurodiverse children, teens, and adults. Visitors to the working farm will find calm kits with noise-reducing headphones as well as visual story guides, and some programs offer limited admission at certain times for visitors who might feel overwhelmed by crowds and noise.

“Programming has proved to be the strongest area where we can work directly with groups that support people who live with disabilities—such as the Autism Alliance and ASL providers for events and historic house tours—and connect with people in those communities,” says Kristen Swanberg, Managing Director of Engagement, Education & Visitor Analytics.

COMING FEATURES

Copicut Woods provides a gateway to the 13,000-acre Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve, one of the largest protected

lands in the Commowealth. Located near the cities of Fall River and New Bedford, it offers a unique opportunity to help urban families build lasting connections with the outdoors. State grants are enabling construction of an Accessible Nature Play Trail at Copicut Woods, due to open in the spring of 2024. Jen Klein, Director of Outdoor Experiences, sees projects like this as an essential way to welcome visitors from different backgrounds and create multigenerational experiences for families. “It’s so important for kids to discover these magical places, especially for those families who live in places where they don’t have a lot of access to nature,” says Klein.

ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT

Making changes to physical spaces and structures isn’t the only way to make a property more welcoming. Through a partnership with Waypoint Adventures, an organization that encourages people with disabilities to travel and explore the outdoors, many Trustees properties now offer visitors adaptive equipment such as hiking poles, beach wheelchairs, and adaptive bicycles and kayaks for use during their visit.

Not every property can be made accessible for everyone. Retrofitting hilly paths and trails can be prohibitively expensive and adapting the narrow passageways or twisting staircases of historic houses isn’t always feasible. But The Trustees is well begun on a journey to create more places where people of all ages and abilities feel comfortable, acknowledged, and welcomed as they explore our rich natural and cultural landscapes.

Adapted from an article in Special Places.

WEIR RIVER FARM HINGHAM ©TRUSTEES

WORLD’S END HINGHAM ©TRUSTEES

Farm in Summer 2023, resurfacing the barnyard to be wheelchair-friendly and adding accessible parking spaces nearby.

Wilmot R. Hastings 2023 CONSERVATIONIST

OF THE YEAR

The Trustees is pleased to honor the late Wilmot R. “Wil” Hastings, former Hilltown Land Trust Board President, who throughout his lifetime shaped a vibrant land conservation community through his passion for the landscapes and vitality of the Hilltown communities of Western Massachusetts. Preserving special places for the public to experience and enjoy is at the heart of Trustees founder Charles Eliot’s fundamental values. Wil Hastings embodied this principle and worked tirelessly to ensure nature remained the dominant characteristic of the Hilltowns landscape.

Wil served on the Hilltown Land Trust (HLT) Board from 1992 until 2012 and served as President for the last 17 of those years. During his tenure, he oversaw the transition of the Trust from an all-volunteer to a staffed organization and helped establish their affiliation with The Trustees in 2009. He also led the charge to their first accreditation certification with the Land Trust Alliance, a long and arduous process that helped ensure the Trust met important professional standards.

Hastings’s passion for conserving the natural world and the beauty of the Hilltowns led him to bring his legal expertise and interest in finance and complexity to HLT and prompted its significant growth. Today, the Trust boasts 46 properties conserved, including more than 5,000 acres, 20 miles of trails open to the public, and the ongoing engagement of scores of local residents in the unique rural landscapes of Wil’s beloved Hilltowns.

We uphold and celebrate Wil Hastings’s work stewarding and caring for the landscapes of the Hilltowns and are pleased to honor his legacy, albeit posthumously, with our Charles Eliot Award as Conservationist of the Year for 2023.

We uphold and celebrate Wil Hastings’s work stewarding and caring for the landscapes of the Hilltowns and are pleased to honor his legacy.

BULLITT RESERVATION

ASHFIELD & CONWAY

PHOTO BY JONATHAN BELLER

A Passion for Exploration, Discovery, and Preservation

From summer days in the Berkshires as a child to current-day hikes through the Charles River Valley, Amy Sales has a lifelong love of the outdoors. As a walker, hiker, biker, snowshoer, and more, her passion for exploration and discovery has drawn her to scores of Trustees properties across the state.

“I’ve always felt like Massachusetts was the Garden of Eden,” Amy said. “To find that there was an organization that cares about the same things I do, the cultural and natural resources of the Commonwealth, makes me feel deeply connected to The Trustees.”

That love of the outdoors also comes with a deep concern for its conservation. A Trustees member since the 1990s, Amy joined the Semper Virens Society in 2021 by making a generous bequest intention to The Trustees. According to Amy, that decision to make a gift through her will was rooted in her belief in our shared mission to preserve and maintain our state’s most precious treasures.

“I thought about how my assets will endure and I tried to choose a few different

areas I truly care about and where I want to show gratitude in my will,” she said. “Massachusetts would not be what it is without its forests, farms, gardens, meadows, and coastline. I cannot think of anything more important to support than the Trustees’ work protecting all this and making it accessible to everyone—now and in the future.”

Nature has been important to Amy’s life from the very beginning. As a child growing up in Springfield, she was raised to spend time outdoors. “Even in the depths of winter, my mother would put my sisters and me outside and lock the door to make sure we got fresh air and exercise,” Amy said. “On weekends, we would all pile into the family car and make an excursion to some special place and new experience, from Nantucket to the top of Mt. Greylock.”

That sense of adventure and desire to visit new places continued through her adult life living in both Greater Boston and the Berkshires. Some of her favorite Trustees experiences include pasta-making classes and cross-country skiing at Appleton Farms with her friend Ruth, Fourth of July at the

Amy Sales loves making new Trustees memories. She ended 2023 with her first ever New Year’s Eve hike, joining a Hike Trustees group at one of her favorite properties, Noanet Woodlands.

Crane Estate with her daughter Leila, and hikes everywhere from Rocky Woods to Tyringham Cobble.

Learning about the history of these special places has also inspired Amy to help protect their future. She recalls a chance encounter with Katharine McLennan, who along with her husband John bequeathed Ashintully Gardens to The Trustees, and days spent researching the history of various Berkshire properties when she organized “The Great Berkshires Scavenger Hunt” in the early days of the pandemic. Learning the stories behind these Massachusetts landscapes and landmarks has only strengthened her connection to The Trustees.

“There is so much narrative and so many good stories at these places,” she said. “When you know a site’s history, you want to preserve the place even more.”

PHOTO BY JAKE BELCHER

Governance Volunteers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Directors serve as the governing board of The Trustees, charged with the ultimate responsibility for the organization’s operations.

Peter B. Coffin, Chair

Eunice J. Panetta, Vice-Chair

David D. Croll, Secretary

William G. Constable, Assistant Secretary

Brian M. Kinney, Assistant Secretary

Edward H. Ladd, Assistant Secretary

Priscilla J. Bender

Andrew P. Borggaard

Elizabeth de Montrichard

Laura DeBonis

Philip J. Edmundson

Uzochi C. Erlingsson

Thomas D. French

Edward G. Garmey, MD

Roland E. Hoch

Elizabeth L. Johnson

Julia G. Krapf

John D. Laupheimer

Martin Lempres

Robert H. Mason

Sukanya L. Soderland

Cyrus Taraporevala

Phyllis R. Yale

ADVISORY BOARD

This governance body advises the Board of Directors and staff on key issues, bringing diverse viewpoints and expertise to its decision-making process.

Jeffrey Bellows, Chair

Michelle M. Abel

Marcela Aldaz-Matos

James M. Alden

Eleanor T. Andrews

Margaret G. Bailey

Joanna Ballantine

Deborah J. Barker

George P. Beal

Jennifer Bender

Rebecca Bermont

Richard M. Burnes, Jr.

John G. Carey

Richard M. Coffman

Cecily C. Colburn

Katherine Collins

Karen S. Conway

Lisette S. Cooper, PhD

Brendan Coughlin

Natalie R. DeNormandie

David A. Fleischner

Martha L. Gangemi

Jade T. Gedeon

Daniel A. Grady

Trevor C. Graham

Linda Hammett Ory

James H. Hammons, Jr.

Christopher E. Hart

Alexandra C. Hastings, PhD

Timothy G. Healy

Gregory Herrema

Onyinye Ibeneche Avbovbo

Bradley C. Irwin

Frederick N. Khedouri

Joshua A. Klevens

Nushin Kormi

Ann W. Lambertus

Peter K. Lambertus

Robert A. Larsen

Marie LeBlanc

Alexandra C. Liftman

Molly Macleod

Adam J. Margolin

Erica A. Mason

Todd Millay

Katherine M. Morris

Albert A. Nierenberg

Christopher Oddleifson

Jeryl Oristaglio

Glenn P. Parker

Kirsten Poler

Jonathan H. Poorvu

Michael T. Prior

Jonathan Rapaport

Carter S. Romansky

Robert A. Seaver

Christopher A. Shepherd

Jonathan A. Soroff

Arthur K. Steinert

Susan Stevens

Hope E. Suttin

Richard Taggart

Caroline Tall

Suzie Tapson

Yanni Tsipis

Melissa A. Tully

John Vasconcellos

Mark F. Vassallo

Bradford B. Wakeman

Leslie Waldorf

Catherine Walkey

Andrew S. West

Lily Wound

Naomi Yang

Marc Zawel

TRUSTEES COUNCIL

Established in 1995, this Council was created to honor former members of the Standing Committee, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board. It provides the opportunity for The Trustees to continue to benefit from their advice and deep institutional knowledge.

Amy L. Auerbach, Chair

Lee Albright

Clement C. Benenson

Steven A. Bercu

Tatiana Bezamat

Laura A. Bibler

Jane L. Bihldorff

Sarah H. Broughel

Ronald Brown

Lalor Burdick

Rebecca G. Campbell

Liza R. Carey

Robert A. Clark

William C. Clendaniel

Frances Colburn

Susanna Colloredo-Mansfeld

Mary C. Cooper

David L. Costello

Peter H. Creighton

Andrew O. Davis

John P. DeVillars

Walter C. Donovan

James V. Ellard, Jr.

Jeffrey B. Fager

Ronald L. Fleming, FAICP

Allen W. Fletcher

David R. Foster

Ann C. Galt

Elizabeth W. Gordon

Marjorie D. Greville

Gale R. Guild

Douglas B. Harding

Carter H. Harrison

Nathan Hayward, III

Thomas J. Healey

John K. Herbert, III

Eloise W. Hodges

Paul S. Horovitz

James S. Hoyte

Lily R. Hsia

Stephen B. Jeffries

Elizabeth B. Johnson

Charles F. Kane, Jr.

Jonathan M. Keyes

Edward H. Ladd

Theodore C. Landsmark

David I. Lewis

Deborah Logan

Charles R. Longsworth

Caleb Loring, III

Jonathan B. Loring

Peter E. Madsen

Eli Manchester, Jr.

Katherine J. McMillan

Wilhelm M. Merck

Sara Molyneaux

Brian W. Monnich

Amey D. Moot

W. Hugh M. Morton, Esq.

Virginia M. Murray

Scott A. Nathan

Thomas H. Nicholson

Nicholas W. Noon

Thomas L. O’Donnell

Ronald P. O’Hanley, III

Kathryn P. O’Neil

Carolyn M. Osteen

Russell J. Peotter

Richard F. Perkins

Samuel Plimpton, AIA

Beatrice A. Porter

Margaret L. Poutasse

Hillary H. Rayport

help us keep our special places forever green.

Gene E. Record, Jr.

Henry S. Reeder, Jr.

G. N. Ryland

Jane Saltonstall†

Stanley L. Schantz

David W. Scudder

William Shields

Norton Q. Sloan, Jr.

F. S. Smithers, IV

Caroline D. Standley

Augusta P. Stanislaw

Elliot M. Surkin

Jane M. Talcott

John E. Thomas

Natalia K. Wainwright

William F. Weld

R. A. West

Susan S. Winthrop

LIFE TRUSTEES

Honoring those who have made extraordinary gifts of property, financial assets, or service to The Trustees.

Lee Albright

Elsie J. Apthorp

Wilhelmina V. Batchelder-Brown

Nancy B. Bates

Frances Colburn

John Fiske

Alan F. French

Dorothy C. Fullam

Elizabeth W. Gordon

Ralph D. Gordon

Gale R. Guild

Roslyn E. Harrington

Nathan Hayward, III

Elizabeth B. Johnson

Andrew W. Kendall

John W. Kimball

Planned gifts have allowed The Trustees to advance its mission for more than 100 years. You can be part of that legacy and help ensure our work continues far into the future.

Contact Julie Lazarus, at 978.338.1172 or mylegacy@thetrustees.org, to learn more about how these gifts can help you meet your financial and philanthropic goals. If you have already named us in your estate plans, please let us know so we can honor your generosity through The Semper Virens Society.

thetrustees.org/svs

Catherine C. Lastavica

Edward P. Lawrence

Robert P. Lawrence

Susan P. Little†

Pamela F. Lohmann

W. Hugh M. Morton, Esq.

Thomas H. Nicholson

Nicholas W. Noon

Thomas L. O’Donnell

May H. Pierce

Rebekah Richardson

Jane Saltonstall†

David W. Scudder

Norton Q. Sloan, Jr.

F. S. Smithers, IV

Caroline D. Standley

Elliot M. Surkin

Wesley T. Ward

Pamela B. Weatherbee

R. A. West

Frederic Winthrop, Jr.

CORPORATE TRUSTEES

Corporate Trustees, along with Life Trustees, are the voting members of the organization. Each year at the Annual Meeting, they elect Board of Directors and Advisory Board, as well as new Corporate Trustees and Life Trustees.

For the list of Corporate Trustees, please visit our website at thetrustees.org/governance

Trustees Governance, as elected at the 132nd Annual Meeting, November 2, 2023.

† Deceased

©J.BISHOP

ASHINTULLY GARDENS, TYRINGHAM

The Semper Virens Society

Semper Virens , which means “always green,” honors and recognizes generous individuals who have made a legacy gift to The Trustees. Since the first recorded bequest in 1902, support via wills and life income gifts has built and strengthened the Trustees mission. This strong financial base has provided important stability, enabling The Trustees to secure important landscapes and landmarks, acquire new reservations, implement innovative stewardship, share our conservation mission, and promote ongoing protection of threatened land across the state. We are delighted to list the members of the Semper Virens Society. In making a planned gift, these individuals have turned their passion into a legacy, and set an inspiring example for others to follow.

Anonymous (27)

Ms. Rosamond W. Allen

Lindsay and Blake Allison

Mr. Manuel Fernando Álvarez-González

Judith Ann Amelotte

Ms. Christine G. Anastos

Louis F. and Mary W. Andrews

Josephine H. Ashley

Mr. William S. Babbitt

Ms. Kate Barnhart

Jeannette Harvey Bart and Walter J. Bart, Jr.

Ms. Alison Bassett

Elisabeth Bayle

Mr. Christopher M. Begg

Mr. David A. Behnke, Jr. and Mr. Paul F. Doherty, Jr.

Carole Berkowitz

Neil Berman

Rene Berry

MaryEllen Beveridge

Deborah M. Blake

Gwen M. Blodgett

Ms. Cynthia C. Bloomquist and Mr. Thaw Malin, III

Philip H. Brewer

Corey W. and Donna M. Briggs

Loring C. Brinckerhoff

Mr. Edward Broach and Mr. Caleb Broach

Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Brockelman

Peter Brooks

Cornelia W. Brown

Bonnie D. Brugger

Holly Elissa Bruno

Lois E. Brynes and Serena Hilsinger

Mrs. Eustace W. Buchanan

Mary M. Burgarella

William L. Burgart

Raymond and Susan Burk

Rick Burnes

Mrs. Douglas E. Busch

Ms. Winifred B. Bush

Mr. John S. Butterworth

Mrs. Mollie T. Byrnes and Mr. John H. Byrnes, Jr.

Rebecca Gardner Campbell

David Caponera and Mamie Wytrwal

CDR Robert H. Chambers Jr. USN (ret.) and Theresa M. Chambers

Jennifer C. and Stephen T. Chen

Dr. Nancy Clair

Peter Coffin

Mrs. I. W. Colburn

Ken and Sally Collinson

Mr. and Mrs. William Gordon Constable

Nathaniel S. Coolidge

Mr. and Mrs. James N. Cooper

Mia Corinha and Peter Vernam

Ms. Paula V. Cortés

Mrs. Albert M. Creighton, Jr.

Mr. Peter H. Creighton

Gregory and Anne Crisci

Mr. and Mrs. David D. Croll

Patricia Crosthwait

Susan W. Crum

Ms. Randi Currier

Barbara A. Field

Elizabeth H. Dakin

Dianne C. Dana

Deb Davis and Art Raiche

Mr. Philip H. Davis

Andy Rubinson and Robert Davison

Ms. Karen Deane

Elizabeth A. DeLucia

Robin L. Desmond

Elizabeth Dill and Chris Rowbottom

Robert A. and Suzanne Dixon

Caitlyn and Kimberly Duncan-Mooney

Deborah and Philip Edmundson

Mr. David T. Edsall

Mr. Nicholas C. Edsall

Thomas and Jane Ellsworth

Dr. Ronald H. Epp

Lynnette and Jerry Fallon

Mrs. Christine Ferrari

Gaffney J. Feskoe

Jacques P. and Fredericka B. Fiechter

Steven Fitzek and Ann Bracchi

Pamela Herideen Fowler

Ms. Adele Franks

Albert and Suzanne Frederick

Bradford and Marilyn Freeman

Mr. Thomas D. French

Diane J. Gallan

Sven and Ivy Gerjets

Ms. Cynthia Gibson

John Gintell and Robert Coren

Ms. Marjorie Coleman Glaister

Larry and Lauren Goldberg

Joel Goldstein and Reed Goodman

Mr. Ralph D. Gordon and Mrs. Elizabeth W. Gordon

Alexander Yale Goriansky

Mr. Morris Gray, Jr.

Francie Grynkraut

Mrs. Henry R. Guild, Jr.

Christopher Gunning and Louise Dube

Philip Guymont and Susan McLaren

Mr. James H. Hammons, Jr.

Mr. Douglas B. Harding

Mrs. Roslyn E. Harrington

Margery Harris

Carliss Baldwin and Randolph Hawthorne

Nathan Hayward, III

Mary Higgins

Kenneth H. Hill

Mrs. Eloise W. Hodges and Mr. Arthur C. Hodges

Margaret A. Hogan

Marcia Hunkins

Jan B. Ireton

Judith E. Izen and Myles H. Kleper

Jay Jaroslav and Susan Erony

Susan Jones

Dana P. Jordan, Esq.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Jordan

Charles F. Kane, Jr. and Anne W. Eldridge

The Kaufman and Rubin Family

Judith E. Izen and Myles H. Kleper

Steve and Betsy Kendall

Joyce P. Ketcham

Mr. Jonathan M. Keyes

Mary Ellen Kiddle

Becky J. Kilborn

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Kimball

Mr. Richard W. Kimball and Mrs. Athena G. Kimball

Mrs. Judith J. C. King and Mr. Mark A. King

Brian Kinney and Nancy Keating

Ms. Gaye Kirshman

Lawrence and Sarah Klein

Suzanne L. Kolm

Mr. Jeffrey R. Kontoff

Jeffrey D. Korzenik

Carol S. Krieger

Judy Kronwasser

Mr. Edward H. Ladd

Mrs. Berthe K. Ladd

Ellen B. Lahlum

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Laipson

Gertrude Lanman

Mr. Robert A. Larsen and Ms. Judith A. Robichaud

Mr. Allan S. Leonard

Josh Lerner and Wendy Wood

Mr. Edward C. Lingel and Mrs. Pamela M. Lingel

Terri Loewenthal

Caleb Loring, III

Nancy J. and Holger M. Luther

Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Lyford

Robert and Linda MacIntosh

Leandra MacLennan

Harry and Caryl MacLeod

Sylvia S. Mader

Mr. and Mrs. Eli Manchester, Jr.

Ms. Lisa Manning

Shirley and Jim Marten

Ms. Eugenia N. Masland

Robert and Erica Mason

Linda J. Mazurek

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. McAulay

Claire McCall

Ms. Nancy F. McCarthy and Mr. Paul Creamer

Cathleen D. McCormick

Mr. H. Bruce McEver

Stephen McGoldrick

Mrs. Kathleen T. McIntyre and Mr. A. Duncan McIntyre

Mrs. Janice McKeever and Mr. Joseph McKeever, III

George and Suzanne McLaughlin

Katherine J. McMillan

Heather McSween and Patrick Gallagher

Barbara Merrill and David Twombly

Jennifer Meshna

Virginia Michie

Richard J. Erickson† and Laurie S. Miles

Mary Mintz

Wendy D. Morgan

Christopher Morss

W. Hugh M. Morton

Lisa Moses and Heidi Sjoberg

Lorelei Mucci

Mr. Thomas H. Nicholson and Mrs. Catharine Nicholson

Ross and Rebecca Novak

Thomas L. P. O’Donnell

Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Oman

Kleopatra Ormos

Mrs. Carolyn M. Osteen

Mrs. Olivia H. Parker

Alan Pasnik and Cynthia O’Neil

Mrs. Douglas D. Payne

Dorothy S. Peirce

Joan Person

Kirk E. Peterson and Christine M. Yario

Margaret Peterson

Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Petino

Robert F. Pilicy

Harriet Marple Plehn

Nancy and David Ratner

Mr. Peter R. Rawlings and Mrs. Ellen Rawlings

Colm J. Renehan

Bea A. Robinson

Stephen C. Root

Mr. Philip W. Rosenkranz

Johanna Roses Robichau and Joseph Robichau

Mrs. Johanna Hansen Ross

James L. Roth

Paul E. and Lisa B. Sacksman

Amy L. Sales

Stanley and Barbara Schantz

John R. and Rebecca C. Schreiber

William E. Schroeder and Martitia Tuttle

David W. Scudder

James G. Shanley and Karen P. Battles

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Shapp

Sharon L. Sharnprapai

Jennifer C. Shaw

Mary Waters Shepley †

Thomas Slaman and Kenneth Stone

Marcia Slaminsky and Jane Slaminsky

Mr. and Mrs. Norton Q. Sloan, Jr.

John L. Slocum

Martha and Christopher Smick

Mr. and Mrs. F. Sydney Smithers, IV

Ms. Emma-Marie Snedeker

James W. Spinney

Mrs. Caroline D. Standley

Mary Ann Streeter †

Beverly M. Sullivan

Carol F. Surkin and Elliot M. Surkin

Jane M. Talcott

Cyrus Taraporevala

Judi Teahan

Mr. Phillip Terpos

Stephen Patrick Driscoll and Robert A. Tocci

Peter L. Torrebiarte

Peter H. Van Demark

Lori van Handel and Ms. Nancy A. Roseman

Frank Vartuli

Gay Vervaet

Julie M. Viola

Edward Vitone and Linda Vitone

Ralph B. Vogel, II

Ms. Carol Wadsworth

Mrs. Natalia K. Wainwright and Mr. Andrew S. Wainwright

Miss Roberta H. Waller

Pamela B. Weatherbee

Mr. Edward J. Weiner

Ms. Jane A. Weir

Constance V. R. White†

Mr. and Mrs. Richard White

Mr. and Mrs. William B. Whiting

Carol L. Wilkinson

Mr. and Mrs. Frederic Winthrop, Jr.

Mr. Richard S. Wood

Mr. Stanley W. Wood

Nancy C. Woolford

Meredith Young and John Chmura

Mr. Mark Zawacki and Mrs. Nancy Zawacki

† Deceased

For more information about joining the Semper Virens Society, please contact:

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