The Wrack

Volunteers measure river conditions at 20 monitoring sites as part of a statewide program.

Heidi Hubbard originally came from Germany but moved to Texas where she was an art and German teacher for many years until her retirement. She has used her retirement years volunteering around the world and was one of our Volunteers for Peace …

The local paper of record didn't print this letter to the editor these last two weeks, so we'll just publish it ourselves! Thank you again, one and all, for another great Crafts Festival. ----- For 27 years running, dedicated volunteers and the staff of the Wells Reserve and Laudholm Trust, along with hundreds of master artisans, have been proving that there is life here after Labor Day. …

Our appreciation to the 2013 summer interns who make the "busy season" that much more efficient and effective for everyone around here. In alphabetical order (and with their favorite candy)…

We had a great crew of volunteers for our first Spring Spiff Up on the morning of May 18. Folks from near and far, some old friends and some new to the place, pitched in to dig ditches and dandelions, plant trees and flowers, and paint fences and bathroom walls. After a busy and beautiful few hours, many paused to help us dedicate the ecology center solar panels before venturing off. Some went home or off to lunch or on to chores, while others headed down to the beach or into the woods for a well deserved relax. We appreciate everyone's help and hope the day was as rewarding for you as it was for us.

We held our annual meeting, volunteer recognition, and holiday party together this year, packing Mather Auditorium with good stories, tasty treats, and merriment on December 5. Here are just a few of the highlights and people who took part…

Last week, a group of sixteen devoted volunteers set to work to rescue the eggs and caterpillars of the Monarch Butterfly. Within the next week or two, many of the fields at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm will be mowed. Annual mowing of select fields is necessary to prevent important field habitat from growing up into forests, and to combat the spread of invasive species. The mowing is done in late summer, after field nesting birds like the Bobolink have finished rearing their young.

This summer the Wells Reserve's Interpretive Education Associate, Paige Rutherford, revamped and restructured the Guided Tours program for the season. Paige prepared all the docent training materials, organized outlines, templates, scripts, and resources, and held training sessions in late June.

The newly trained volunteers will be leading History of a Saltwater Farm, Life Between the Tides, Secrets of the Salt Marsh, and Nature Walk tours as well as other guided tours throughout the summer!

In late May, the Reserve was thrilled to host three Berwick Academy students for a two-week senior project. Devon Wood, Nicole Kleinmann, and Ellie Penati each painted large habitat murals with acrylics on canvas. Following a day of walking the Reserve's trails and sketching, each student chose her favorite habitat to depict. These murals will be used extensively in programs and at events throughout the year.

Twenty chestnut trees arrived at the reserve in May for planting in the Yankee Woodlot.