CONSERVATION SCIENCE
Bioinventory Underway in Rowe Some of the most treasured properties in the roster of any land trust are those that come in the form of gifts by landowners who want to
express their love of the land in permanent terms. In 2018, Franklin Land Trust was honored to receive, from local resident Nan Williams,
the gift of a 94-acre upland property situated remotely above the Deerfield River in Rowe, Massachusetts. The parcel is largely wooded, with a diverse set of microhabitats that have led us to designate it as a biological reserve. In March
of this year, we were able to begin a bio inventory of the property through the field services of botanist Glenn Motskin and UMASS
graduate student Sophie Argetsinger. An extended transitional spring this year resulted in a healthy display of ramps, dutchman’s breeches, red trillium, yellow trout lily,
and spring-beauties, as well as cohosh, waterleaf, and other spring ephemerals. The work of observation, mapping, and cataloging will
continue throughout the year and will be the subject of a publication sent out to FLT members later this year. Nan Williams spent many years chronicling the natural history of this special landscape. FLT is working to honor her legacy by using
this comprehensive bio inventory to inform our management practices moving forward. 
FOREST LAND CONSERVATION
The Warner Hill Conservation Project
The
work of FLT Lands staff members Alain Peteroy and Emily Boss has resulted in the recent inauguration of the Warner Hill Conservation Project
in the towns of Rowe and Charlemont. Eleven parcels will be conserved permanently, totaling just over 1,000 acres. Once completed, this
1,000-acre project will connect 2,000 acres of already conserved land, resulting in a 4 1/2 square mile unbroken block of protected wildlife
habitat just above Route 2 and less than 20 miles from Interstate 91. About 200 acres of this land is farmland, with the remainder in upland,
south-facing forest within the watershed of the Deerfield River. The total project cost is just over $2,000,000, with a combination of
state funding grants and landowner donations covering all but $250,000 which must be identified to complete and steward the effort. $75,000
of that amount has been raised to date. Conservation on this scale is a rare opportunity here in the Commonwealth, as is leverage of this
magnitude. To learn more, or to support this effort please contact Mary Lynn Sabourin at mlsabourin@franklinlandtrust.org.
AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION
An Overview of the Year Ahead
The
completion of a permanently protected conservation project is the visible “tip” of a much larger, longer, and often confidential dialogue
with landowners and funding sources. Franklin Land Trust was founded more than 30 years ago largely in response to a loss of local
farmland that remains a major concern for all of us who love the area. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, like the entire New England
region, produces only about 10% of the food it consumes; any responsible measurement of our health, security, and self-reliance calls
for skilled and sustained efforts to conserve what remains of our agricultural heritage and abilities. FLT staff members are actively
working with landowners on a broad variety of agricultural conservation projects throughout our region. Each parcel is unique, and each has its own characteristics, but there are some commonalities. Ironically, local farmers struggle economically,
even as our complex national food systems continue to prove out their vulnerabilities. As always, planning makes the conservation
process easier, and lately, circumstances sometimes outpace the structure and pace of available funding. Our job is to work with the
tools we have in the interests of the long haul. In the short run, honoring confidentiality, we hope to pass along to you our enthusiasm for the active potential in productive fields
and farmlands that we are working to preserve. These include meadows, croplands, gardens, and hayfields along fertile river and brook
courses, an old sugarbush, orchard land, and prime examples of the old hill-country farmland that has lent both sustenance and identity
to our culture, to our economy, and to our pantries and kitchens for centuries. 
PROTECTING RIVER CORRIDORS More Land to be Conserved on the West Branch of the North River
The
FLT Land Conservation and Stewardship team is preparing to add a 154-acre parcel in fee simple ownership to the 96-acre Crowningshield
property along the West Branch of the North River in Heath that was protected in 2016. These fields and forests are home to significant numbers of birds and other wildlife species, but the major focus of this project is
protecting and improving habitat for healthy populations of brook trout by conserving an additional 2600 feet of river frontage along
the West Branch of the North River. FLT has taken the lead on this effort, which has been made possible by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, The John T. and
Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, The William P. Wharton Trust, and by the hard work and generosity of local and regional chapters of
Trout Unlimited. Protecting along our river corridors is more important than ever as we begin to see the effects of climate change in our region. Severe
storms bring flash flooding that negatively impacts stream biology, fish populations, and riverbank stability. This underscores the
need to protect our streams and rivers, and in some cases, take remedial action to see to it that these fragile habitats are restored.
Visit masswoodlands.org to learn more about a new program called
Forests for the Fish, designed to help landowners manage their woods and streams for fish habitat. 
COMMUNITY OUTREACH Tree Planting in Greenfield
Franklin Land Trust is starting its second
year of a 3-year grant through the U.S Forest Service to plant 2400 trees in Greenfield, Montague, and North Adams. FLT and community
partners in each city are continuing this effort even in the midst of the pandemic, finding ways to creatively and safely plant trees
despite the challenges posed by COVID19. We are on track to plant over 85 trees in the three cities before the start of summer! The
goal of this project is to plant trees along city streets and neighborhoods that are lacking in tree canopy cover. Street trees provide a variety of environmental benefits. As temperatures reach record highs due to climate change, trees can cool hot
city streets and reduce cooling costs for residents by providing shade to homes and buildings. Trees also reduce stormwater runoff,
reduce air pollution, and even provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. There are also a lot of social and community benefits
that trees bring by making streets more walkable, slowing traffic, and increasing access to outdoor spaces. As a rural land trust, we are excited and honored to be part of a program that benefits people who live in our regional cities. This
grant allows us the opportunity to work with new partners and volunteers for community-driven positive change. There is nothing more
hopeful than planting trees during a time that calls for both short-term adaptation and a focus on the long view. To learn more about this program contact FLT Director of Community Outreach and Education, Melissa Patterson-Serrill at mpatterson@franklinlandtrust.org.
And check out the Greenfield Recorder’s recent coverage of the tree planting project in Greenfield! 
VIRTUAL RIDE – DIYD2R2
D2R2 Ride Looks Forward
Franklin Land Trust has had to adjust the
calendar of activities that had been planned for 2020 due to COVID19. These had included a series of events, hikes, and workshops,
a membership event at APEX Orchards this spring, and the 15th Annual D2R2 (Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnée), ordinarily the highlight
of every August. FLT Director of Philanthropy, Mary Lynn Sabourin has worked throughout the spring with a dedicated group of D2R2 volunteers
to monitor a response to the COVID situation, and early in June, made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s event. Rider response
has been both generous and understanding; as one noted: “I’m sure it was a difficult decision, but we all know it was the only correct one. You’ve done right for all of us.” A Virtual Ride for the Land – DIYD2R2 – will take its place instead this summer, allowing cyclists to participate in their
own hometown throughout the month of August. With leaderboards for distance, time, and elevation, as well as prizes and raffles for
participants, it is hoped that riders will join in the fun from around the country. Learn more at bikereg.com/diyd2r2. Plus share your adventures across social media with the #DIYD2R2 ! Planning
is already underway for an August 2021 in-person event. 
GIVE THE GIFT OF CONSERVATION
People like you make it possible for the Franklin Land Trust to ensure that local farms
can provide you with fresh food, that our waterways are here to provide clean water, that wildlife can thrive in our woodlands, that
you have natural spaces to play in, and that the land that sustains us all will be here forever. THANK YOU! Between now and June 30, when you renew your membership with FLT, we will offer you a second FREE membership to gift to a friend or family
member. Visit franklinlandtrust.org/donate and chose “In Honor Of” to provide us with the gift recipient’s name and email address. We will email them a Gift of Conservation card on your behalf. Thank you for your support! | 
