Council News | Sanctuary Updates | Wellesley News
2011 Board of Directors Officers
Directors
Advisory Member
Welcome to the New Board Members Lauren Miklavic Raised in Wellesley with three older brothers, went through the public school system, with parents (Frank and Jacquelin) still residing in Wellesley. She worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in Marketing Communications. After 22 years in this field, she switched careers to Garden Design. She graduated from Garden Design School USA (based in Wellesley and Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston), trained by top British Garden Designers, and is now the school's USA Program Administrator, and has own business, La Vita Bella Garden Design & Care. She lives in Wellesley and Brewster with her partner of 23 years, Marybeth Sacramone, and their two Golden Retrievers! Felicia Nadel Has lived in Wellesley for 20 years. She has two children, a daughter who graduated from WHS in 2010 and a son currently in eighth grade at Wellesley Middle School. Felicia has, over the years, volunteered for numerous positions in Wellesley schools. She currently serves as administrator for the Eliot Church of South Natick. Seeking New Board Members The Wellesley Conservation Council is looking for new board members. We are particularly looking for a person skilled in marketing and fund raising. As we are a non- profit organization which we rely heavily on gifting as our source of income which we need to maintain our properties. We own several properties in Wellesley which total approximately 40 acres of open land in town which is used by the public. We are an eleven person board which meets monthly from September to June at the main library (Wellesley Free Library). If interested, please contact the Council at 781-237-2009.NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT The Board of the Wellesley Conservation Council met in mid September and reviewed its priorities for the coming year. One of the main topics of discussion was our shrinking membership list. Of course, we feel the effects of the struggling economy just like everyone else. However, our financial demands from our membership are relatively minimal and the return is very significant for the residents who live in the town. We own and maintain over forty acres of open land in the town which contribute to the popularity and character of Wellesley. We will be working on plans to publicize our organization better in the future which hopefully will encourage more people to become members. If you receive this newsletter it means you are already a member and we thank you for your support. It would be very helpful if each member spoke with a few friends or neighbors about the Council and encourage them to join. For $25. per year which is our current membership fee, members are not only protecting invaluable open space and their environment but hopefully enjoying our annual events: two open meetings per year with excellent speakers and refreshments, fairy house building for children at Pickle Point overlooking Morses Pond in the spring, our commitment to the public schools through conservation education, and our various publications, the most popular of which is "Walks in Wellesley" which was revised and updated last year. We thank you for your assistance. I feel like I just wrote my last letter in the spring and in it spoke about the harsh winter season. Here it is six months later and the weather becomes a topic again. Hurricane Irene dealt some of our properties a fierce blow. We are now in the process of removing trees which came down during that storm. We have large trees down in several of our properties which must be removed for safety reasons. We replaced the fence at Cronk's Sanctuary this summer. We have hopes of improving Coveside Bank which has been encroached upon for many years. As you can see our maintenance never ends. We will have a table at this year's Wellesley Marketplace which is run by the Wellesley Hills Junior Woman's Club on November 19 at the Middle School. Please note this on your calendar and come by and see us. We will be selling our publications which make excellent holiday gifts. Nancy L. Bagdasarian, President “WALKS IN WELLESLEY ” - A New Revised Edition Almost 40 years ago, the Wellesley Conservation Council published its first edition of Walks in Wellesley. Since then, four new editions and one extra printing have been published. Several years ago, more than ten years since the last printing, the Council decided to undertake a new, revised edition entitled Walks In Wellesley: Exploring Open Space and Trails. The first task was to walk the trails and actually explore Wellesley’s preserved open space with fresh eyes to revise the text of the old book. Members of the Council undertook this task. Then, last fall, a Book Committee was appointed to bring the new material together and publish a new revised edition. Publishing a new edition requires funds for professional assistance and printing. Quotes were obtained and a budget was established. We quickly realized that this venture would not have been possible without generous contributions that were provided by The Bailey Family Foundation, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and members of the Wellesley Conservation Council. For this thoughtful support, the Council is indeed grateful. Walks in Wellesley – Not Just a Walk in the Woods MINI-GRANT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL In support of our mission to promote the enjoyment of the natural environment through preservation, scientific study and education; the Wellesley Conservation Council is proud to provide the Wellesley Middle School Science Department with a grant of $250. The grant is being used to purchase jeweler's loupes (eye lenses with a 5x magnification) to be used by the seventh grade science classes for a new unit of study on ecology. Thank You Thank you to the Bailey Family Foundation which has been very generous in its grants to the council – the current one to be used for the revising and republishing of “Walks in Wellesley ”. Thank you also to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grants program) for its wonderful gift will also help us in the reprinting of the new revised edition of “Walks in Wellesley ”. Wellesley Garden Study Group Makes Donation The Wellesley Garden Study Group made a generous donation of $300 to the Council in May of 2008. Each year, this local club donates the proceeds of its annual fundraising auction to organizations that pursue gardening-related activities. The Conservation Council was delighted to receive this gift and it has been earmarked to purchase plant material for Cronk's Rocky Woodland Sanctuary. Cronk's is one of our pocket parks and neighbors from all over Wellesley enjoy walking its pathways through woods dotted with wildflowers and shrubs. To date, we have used these funds to purchase rhododendron bushes and witch hazel for Cronk's. This spring we hope to add a few native flowering trees to the sanctuary. We have just learned that the Wellesley Garden Study Group will be one of the sponsors of our spring meeting, featuring Maria Stella who will talk on sustainable landscape design. This donation will help defray the cost of speaker's fee. We are fortunate to have the support of this local garden club. Thanks so much to the Wellesley Garden Study Group for its generosityBailey Family Bench at Pickle Point
Wellesley Conservation Council dedicates a bench in memory of Nancy and Hamilton Bailey On a beautiful Sunday morning, October 14, 2007, a multigenerational Bailey Family gathered at Pickle Point along the shores of Morses Pond for the dedication of a bench in memory of Hamilton and Nancy Bailey. The Baileys were avid walkers throughout Wellesley 's reservations and sanctuaries. In later years one could meet Mr. Bailey often accompanied by his daughter, Ann Melanson, bringing a chair along for a well needed rest, making his way to Pickle Point, a peninsula along Morses Pond. Pickle Point was formed when the glacier retreated and this point we call Pickle Point remained. Maples, oaks, wild cherry, alder, dogwood, azalea and witch hazel are abundant and very different from other areas along Cochituate Aqueduct The Wellesley Conservation Council hopes that many weary walkers will find rest and renewal along the banks of Morses Pond, especially at Pickle Point. Click here to see a map of Pickle Point. |
Each board member has adopted a WCC sanctuary. Four times a year, the sanctuaries will be visited to clean-up trash and check the general condition of each sanctuary. We would appreciate it if you spot a problem in a sanctuary to let us know so that we can quickly remedy the situation. |
Coveside Bank Sanctuary Storm Damage
The Wellesley Dept. of Public Works cleared this blowdown from the trail. Volunteers from the Trails Committee and Friends of Morses Pond helped clear debris from our properties and adjacent trails. At Pickle Point Sanctuary, a large oak fell directly across the trail near the height of land. Every year we incur expenses to remove trees on our ten sanctuaries that fall or threaten to fall on neighboring developed property. Generally our insurance does not cover these expenses. Please help us pay for these and other required maintenance by sending a special contribution to Wellesley Conservation Council, Inc, P.O. Box 81129, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481. Thanks Cronk's Rocky Woodland Arbor Day 2011
The sanctuary garden located at Crown Ridge Road is kept in a natural state to preserve its wildflowers, plants and trees. Lady's- slippers are about to bloom with many native New England wildflowers. There is interest in the garden in every season. This high, rocky woodland was given to the Wellesley Conservation Council in 1977 by Mrs. Corydon P. Cronk in memory of her husband. National Arbor Day is the Tree Planter's holiday, and has been celebrated since 1872. It began in Nebraska, a largely treeless plain back in the 1800's. It is a day to plant and dedicate a tree to help nature and the environment. Millions of trees are planted on this day. Earth Day 2010 - Dedication of Flowering Dogwood Wellesley Conservation Council celebrates Arbor Day with planting a new tree at Cronk’s Rocky Woodland, the Council’s wildflower garden on Crown Ridge Road (across the Street from 21 Crown Ridge Road) on Friday, April 30 at 11:30 a.m. “The Garden Study Group” will participate in the ceremony and will help sponsor this tree panting event. This generous gift helps to beautify the sanctuary with a wonderful spring blooming tree. Rain Barrels Board members Kent Fox and Peter Rovick have adapted our rain Click here to see a link to a map showing how to get to Cronk's from Town Hall. Conserve Water, Time and Energy with “No-Till” Gardening With ‘no-till' gardening (also known as “lasagna gardening”), once a bed is established the surface is never disturbed. Items such as compost, manure, peat, lime and fertilizer are added to the top of the bed where watering and subsoil activities will allow them to be absorbed into the subsoil. Mulch is added to the top layer and therefore, weeding is not necessary. By adding material in layers, the underlying soil surface remains spongy, making it easy for the young roots of newly planted seedlings to work through the soil. This is similar to the way soil is formed in nature. Traditionally, gardeners turn over the top layer of soil before planting to get rid of weeds, and prepare for fertilization and planting. The act of tilling the soil is often the most arduous of a gardener's tasks. Digging into the bed can actually interfere with the natural symbiotic relationship that exists between the surface soil and the underlying micro-organisms. Tilling can also cause soil erosion and compaction and force dormant weed seeds to the surface where they will likely sprout. Benefits of no-till gardening are many: Promotes natural aeration and drainage via the tunneling of worms Saves water as the thick layers of mulch allow water to easily pass through and provides shade to the soil. Reduces the need to weed since dormant seeds are not disturbed and exposed to light during tilling. Helps soil retain carbon as nutrients are released in a slow and steady manner. Helps to reduce soil erosion as topsoil and fertilizers used in traditional gardening are often washed or blown away. To get started, you will need to establish a good, fertile soil structure by removing all rocks, roots and any such obstructions. Once the soil has been cleared, organic items such as peat, lime and compost may be added. A thick layer of mulch is essential to keep the soil from drying out and crusting over. If you plan to adopt the no-till gardening method there are many detailed online resources that will be of assistance. Resources: http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/no-till-gardening.html |
Guernsey Sanctuary Vernal Pools
Vernal pools are small temporary ponds, with no inlet or outlet. They hold water for only part of the year and contain no fish. They are essential for a healthy ecosystem because certain amphibians must live in a vernal pool for some part of their lives. These species include wood frogs, spadefoot toads, spotted salamanders, and fairy shrimp. Other animals may use vernal pools but can live in other habitats as well. There are many vernal pools hidden around Wellesley including one in WCC's Guernsey Sanctuary. To find a vernal pool in your neighborhood, click here to look at the Wellesley Wetland map.
Yellow/blue spotted salamanders, spring peepers, fingernail clams, caddisfly larva, and dragonfly nymphs were all found in the Guernsey vernal pool. |
Walker Woods As part of his duties for the Wellesley Trails Committee, Jim Eliott has been monitoring the Sudbury Path which runs adjacent to the Walker Woods. Jim notified us of dumping on the property and later returned with Peter Rovick to remove Christmas trees as well as glass and metal objects. Peter also visited some of the neighbors on Fuller Brook Road to ask for their help in preventing dumping and promoting protection of the Walker Woods natural state. |
Morses Pond Visit the Morses Pond web site at www.morsespond.org. Natural Resources Commission Visit the Natural Resources Commission web site to find out more information on Wellesley's parks, conservation, recreation, and open spaces. Wellesley's Pesticide Awareness Campaign WPAC - Find out how to eliminate or reduce pesticide use on your lawn, see listings of local events relating to environmental health, sign up for email updates on talks, research articles and legislation relating to pesticide reduction in Massachusetts, discover many good books and references and related links. Wellesley Trails Committee The Wellesley Trails Committee sponsors a series of free, guided trail walks. Enjoy some of Wellesley's beautiful open spaces and discover new trails that will expand your recreational options. Visit the Wellesley Trails Committee web site to find out more information about the walks and new trail projects and to download maps and guides to the Wellesley trails. |
Last Revised Oct. 10, 2011 |


Tropical storm Irene blew down two large trees and many small ones on our properties in August. A pair of trees on Cold Spring Brook Sanctuary was knocked down onto abutting private property. These trees fell on a fence and deck. We hired a tree service company to remove these trees and the home owner has agreed to share expenses with us.
WCC helped the globe on Arbor Day 2011 by planting 6 beautiful shrubs. This will not only help the earth but will help Cronk’s wildflower garden in its restoration program. We are very grateful for the generous donation of the Wellesley Garden Study Group for making this possible.
Last year
the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences studied our Guernsey Sanctuary pond as part of its Vernal Pool Project in the Charles River and Taunton River watersheds. We are pleased to report that Manomet gave the Guernsey vernal pool a good report card. 