Bolton Trails

Montachusett Regional Trails Coalition Meeting: Cancelled
2020-04-07 09:00 - 10:30 UTC | Doyle Center, Leominster

Work party for new trail to 40 Caves in Berlin. Postponed until further notice
2020-04-18 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Work party planned for April 18 from 1-4pm. Need to clear understory on a proposed connector from Fyfeshire to a trail in Lancaster through Garfield Woods, to “40 Caves” and Franklin St.

Earth Day. Trail walks and clean ups. Postponed until further notice
2020-04-22
Details later

Monthly Hike - Bolton Flats: Postponed until further notice
2020-04-25 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Bolton Flats Parking, Route 117/Main Steet Lancester/Bolton Town Line, Rte 117, Lancaster, United States
Bolton Flats

Trails Steering Committee Meeting. Now Online.
2020-05-04 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
Send an email to info@boltontrails.org if you would like to attend.
Proposed agenda

Disappearing arrows – Annie Moore in particular – should we use paint?
Ad hoc trails (Rattlesnake in particular).
Guidebook, website, maps.

Base tile layer; preferences; Could be Open Street Map, OSM Piano or OSM Humanitarian
Guidebook content
Online maps
New trails to be added (or not) – Lancaster Road from Fyfeshire, connection from Welch Pond to Sawyer Road, Tadmor new trail.
Third Party Map use, e.g. http://masstrails.com

New field maps and other information signs.
Events

Delays
Lancaster Road connection
Monthly hike
Earth Day – what happened?

Trail work while under shelter in place guidelines
Sign Inventory (we didn’t really get to this last time)
Area review and known trails problems (big tree down at Fyfeshire, two trees down on Old Town Road, tree down at Haynes Wheeler; there must be more)
Anything else?

Trails Steering Committee. Online
2020-08-03 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Online. If you would like to attend, please send an email to info@boltontrails.org for login information
Chairperson – Larry Kunz
Note taker – Hemali Parekh

Suggestions for agenda:

Events

COVID Guidelines for activities – trails maintenance and walks.
New activities.

Guidebook and maps

Status
Display maps (all segments used for measurement)

Website

updates if any

Signs

Field maps
Posts
Sign inventory

International Golf Club sale and Schultz Farm trail(s)
Brushing the trails at Rattlesnake (Alexis)
Area review umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/anonymous-edit/208600:n6ETPGWLnMDcac23Wovwb5y3YtE
Anything else?

September Trails Steering Committee Meeting
2020-09-14 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
This meeting will be on Zoom due to the COVID pandemic. It you would like more information please contact the Trails Committee: info@boltontrails.org
Agenda

HQ web page.
MRTC (Montachusett Regional Trails Committee) and MCRT (Mass Central Rail Trail).
Guidebook, website, maps.
New field maps and other information signs.
Events.
Area review
Anything else?

Trails Steering Committee Meeting
2020-11-02 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
If you would like to attend, please contact the Trails Committee: info@boltontrails.org
Agenda:
Chair – Larry
Note taker – Hemali
Ideas for the Agenda:
1) Bowers Project
2) Winged euonymus pull
3) Annie Moore
4) Schultz Farm5) Powderhouse Extension Trail to Golden Run Rd
6) MRTC and MCRT https://www.mass.gov/mass-central-rail-trail-feasibility-study
7) Trailhead and junction signs
8) Trails segmentation maps
9) Website, Guides, Maps, “how-to”
10) New projects. E,G. Wilder Meadow
11) Area Review
Anything else?

Trails Steering Committee Meeting December 2020
2020-12-07 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
If you would like to attend, please contact the Trails Committee: info@boltontrails.org
Agenda:
1) MCRT – Larry and Gordon
2) Self Guided tour – Rebecca
3) Wilder Farm – Rebecca
4) Maps
5) Guide books – they are selling out.
6) New projects (are there any?)
7) Area review
8) Any other business

Trails Steering Group Meeting, January 2021
2021-01-04 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
7:00 PM
Zoom meeting – contact the Trails Committee for details.

Possible agenda:
1) Storm damage
2) Powderhouse Extension Trail to Golden Run Rd
3) MRTC and MCRT
4) Trailhead and junction signs
5) Trails segmentation maps
6) Website, Guides, Maps, “how-to”
7) Volunteer involvement

8) Self-Guided walks
9) New projects. E,G. Wilder Meadow
10) Big Projects – Bowers, winged euonymus, etc.
11) Area Review
Anything else?

Trails Steering Group Meeting, February 2021
2021-02-01 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Volunteers data collection form and system
Recent work
Guide – now in 3rd printing. Not much else to say other than it’s now handed over to the Trust.
Signs

Maps – maybe on hold except for those to be fastened on trees because ground is too frozen for digging post holes
Directions and destinations
Arrows

Major projects – are there any? Perhaps these ion we can get organised:

Wilder
Oaks (wait until March, but need to tell abutters)
Extended Powder House Hill Trails

Area review
Anything else

Trails Steering Group March 2021
2021-03-01 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
Volunteer data collection form and system

Review the latest version of the form
what next?

Self-guided tours
Web site

Wildlife postings
some minor changes
any suggestions?

Signs. Anything new here?
Major projects – are there any? Perhaps these are some we can get organised, but the snow and cold are still in the way.

Wilder
Oaks (wait until March, but need to tell abutters). This has been mentioned at ConCom – maybe an April project now
Extended Powder House Hill Trails

Area review
Anything else

Invasive Species Management
2021-03-15 12:00 - 14:00 UTC | Bowers Springs, Flanagan Road, Flanagan Road, Bolton, MA, 01740, United States
Bowers Springs Conservation Area, needs your help!
Join AmeriCorps Community Engagement Coordinator Jonathan Haarstick, AmeriCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator Matt Morris, Bolton Conservation Agent, and Bolton Trail Committee members as we care for our property while remaining socially distant!
Celebrate the onset of Spring with the staff and volunteers that maintain our conservation properties throughout Bolton! We are continuing the invasive species management plan efforts throughout our conservation properties by focusing on this property.
Click here for details. Volunteers needed, RSVP to 978-779-3304 or concom@townofbolton.com.

Trails Steering Group April 2021
2021-04-05 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
Contact the trails Committee if you would like attend: info@boltontrails.org
1) New volunteer sign up form and survey

Mail shot to the existing volunteers list.

2) Self-Guided walks
3) Trail head signs and posts
4) Trail Marking and clearing:

Horse ring
Oak Trail
Goose Pond Trail at Wilder
Forbush Mill
Any more?

5) Construction projects

Bridge over brook at Wilder – what’s the situation for materials?
Others?

6) Invasive species and weed warrior training with the Terra Corps member.
7) Area review

Trails Steering Group May 2021 meeting
2021-05-10 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
This is on the second Monday of May to avoid a conflict with Town Meeting.
Note the town election is also on 10 May. Polling closes at 8:00 pm.
If you would like to attend, please send an email to info@boltontrails.org for Zoom information.
Possible agenda
1) Volunteer sign up system
2) Trail Head signs
3) Self-guided tours
4) Bolton oddities
5) Major projects
* Wilder Bridge
* The Oaks
* Wilder Boy Scouts project
* Horse Trail. Is more work needed?
* Taggart Property – what next?
* Forbush Mill Rd
* Fyfeshire would be improved with a kiosk. Are there any Eagle Scout project requests and does ConCom have an opinion about the idea?
Anything else?
5) Maps. Should we be adding areas to the online maps? We seem to be working in new (for us) places.
6) Area review

Trails Steering Group June 2021 meeting
2021-06-07 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
Possible agenda
1) Update after Trust AGM
2) Volunteer sign up system
3) Trail Maps within areas
4) Self-guided tours.
5) Major projects
* Bowers rebars vs wattle
* Wilder Bridge
* The Oaks
* Forbush Mill Rd area. It seems that there’re several potential projects there.
* Woodside Drive Trail.
* Horse Friendly Trails. What next?
6) Area review
7) Anything else?

Taggart Land Clean Up
2021-07-07 09:00 - 15:00 UTC
https://naturegroupie.org/experiences/new-taggart-trail-clean?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Nature%20Groupie%20Newsletter&org=785&lvl=100&ite=17227&lea=5388193&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0W6f00000W4srgEAB

Trails Steering Group July 2021 meeting
2021-07-12 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
Possible agenda

1) Volunteers list. Are we ready to ask the tYrust to update trailsvolunteers@boltonconservationtrust.org and trailssteering@boltonconservationtrust.org?
We have had a few people contact us via the email recently. Are they signed up?
2) Horse compatibility – Standards and Priorities
3) Trail head signs
4) Map updates

Online – new areas – Taggart?
Printed Guide – the Trust has just purchased 50 more copies of the Guide. Maybe we will not be ready for another update until 2022 (2023 edition) at the earliest. Should we hold off until we have major changes e.g. 3 or more new areas and or new information (e.g. equestrian trails)?

5) Big Projects – everybody

Oaks and Schultz Farm – there’s nothing to stop us finishing this. For the time being, could it go to Sawyer Rd. walkers could then walk up Sawyer Rd to join Haynes-Wheeler
Wilder – now the bridge is complete we need to clear the old trail through the meadow
Bowers – wattles invasive species, clean up:
Vaughn Hills – Woodside Drive Trail. Where does this stand?

6) Arrowing

Keyes Farm
Any more?

7) Area review
8) New members of the Steering Committee?
9) Anything else?

Trails Steering Group August 2021 meeting
2021-08-02 19:00 - 20:30 UTC | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
1) Volunteers list.

2) Horse compatibility latest proposals

3) Trail head signs

4) Map updates

5) Big Projects – everybody

6) Arrowing

7) Table at backyard Bolton

8) Area review

9) New members

10) Anything else?

This meeting will be on Zoom. Contact info@boltontrails.org if you would like to attend

Invasive Species Work Party at Bowers Springs
2021-08-07 09:00 - 15:00 UTC | Bowers Springs, Flanagan Road, Flanagan Road, Bolton, MA, 01740, United States
https://www.townofbolton.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif2836/f/events/trailcleanup08022021.pdf

Lot off of Flanagan Road in Bolton.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK along entrance or exits.
Please do not block gate.

Bowers Springs volunteer maintenance oppportunity
2021-08-07 09:00 - 15:00 UTC | Bowers Springs, Flanagan Road, Flanagan Road, Bolton, MA, 01740, United States
Greetings to the generous Volunteers who help us keep our Conservation Properties and Trails System in good shape.

You’ve probably noticed that this has been a banner year for invasive species on conservation properties across the state. Trees are being engulfed by Poison Ivy vines and Bittersweet, and Multiflora Rose has been spreading more quickly than we’ve seen in recent years (not to mention mosquitos).

One of Bolton’s most popular properties, Bowers Springs, has been hit particularly hard. In 2019, we’d begun the implementation of a systematic, multi-year invasives management program to get those destructive species under control. The Covid crisis interrupted our efforts significantly last summer and now we’re trying to get things back on the original track to full, systematic control by 2022.

We’re essentially re-doing year two of our three year management plan, and we kicked off this year’s work on Bowers Springs a few weeks ago. We now need to expand our volunteer force significantly in order to complete the first of this year’s cutbacks before the Bittersweet begins going to seed. We’d love to have your help on either Saturday or Sunday next week(8/7 or 8/8) at Bowers Springs.

The work sessions will run from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, and from 12noon-4pm on Sunday if needed. This should allow us to complete our initial invasives cutback on the highest priority trails and meadow margins in time to prevent seed development.

The work on the climbing vines will include hand-cutting the risers at chest level with shears or loppers, pulling the climbers down wherever possible, and uprooting the vines by hand where possible. Areas too dense for uprooting by hand will be mowed flat with the Brush Hog. End Result looks like this

The work on Multiflora Rose will be done by small teams using a weed wrench and other hand tools like a mattock and/or pry bar.

Most of this work can be done as isolated individuals, and we’ll do our best to spread volunteers out for Covid safety reasons.

If you are interested and available for work this weekend, please let us know which day and what segment of your time you may be able to add to our efforts. (Reply to email or text to me below.) Thank you in advance for your interest and valuable efforts to help keep our Conservation land “in good hands”.
We look forward to seeing you again next weekend!

Bolton Trails Steering Group
Larry Kunz 508-868-6151 (mobile, text)
Info@boltontrails.org

https://www.townofbolton.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif2836/f/events/trailcleanup08022021.pdf

Bowers Springs volunteer maintenance opportunity
2021-08-08 09:00 - 15:00 UTC | Bowers Springs, Flanagan Road, Flanagan Road, Bolton, MA, 01740, United States

Backyard Bolton
2021-08-21 10:00 - 13:00, 2021-08-28 10:00 - 13:00, 2021-09-11 11:00 - 13:00 UTC
Support Bolton Trails Committee – stop by and sign up to volunteer at our table at Backyard Bolton

Trails Steering Group September 2021 meeting
2021-09-13 19:00 - 20:30 (Asia/Karachi) | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
Possible agenda:
1) Participants: New people, Volunteers List, Steering Group, Registration System on website.
2) Equestrians: Routes, Priorities, Structures
3) Major Projects: Trail Head and Junction Maps, Wilder, Taggart, The Oaks, Bowers, others?
4) Website and Maps: Suggestions for improvements
5) Self-Guided Routes
6) Walks and Events
7) Area Review
8) Anything else?
This meeting will be on Zoom. If you would like to attend please send an email to info@boltontrails.org for more information.

Trails Steering Group October 2021 meeting
2021-10-04 08:00 - 17:00 (Asia/Karachi) | Online: request details from info@taylor-kennedy.com for details
This meeting will be on Zoom. If you would like to attend please send an email to info@boltontrails.org for more information.

Bolton Master Plan Presentation
2021-10-17 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | Florence Sawyer School, Bolton, MA, 01740, United States

Take a walk on the Wild Side - Trail walk at Taggart
2021-10-21 09:00 - 11:00 UTC
10212021Taggart Walk

Map and Post installation Work Party
2021-10-23 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Woodside Drive Trailhead for Vaughn Hills
Hello to Trails Volunteers from Bolton Trails Committee.
We are looking for about 5 volunteers to help to install Trail Maps and posts. You may have noticed that new maps have been appearing at various places on the Town’s conserved land – there are still more and the majority of these require 4X4 posts.
Date: the morning of Saturday 23 October.
Meet at the Woodside Drive parking area – 9:00 am.
This is likely to be the first of a few opportunities to help. This first work party will be working at Moen/Vaughn Hills (2 posts) and Bowers Springs (2 posts). If we have time, we will continue and install some maps and posts on Powder House Hill (2 maps and posts).
The posts and equipment must be carried in. If you have useful equipment for digging post holes, then feel free to bring it.
RSVP.
