Great Barrington — On Saturday, June 7, the rain let up just in time for the Great Barrington Land Conservancy’s (GBLC) third annual Bluegrass Celebration and Fundraiser to get off to a slightly delayed start on the shores of Lake Mansfield. Again, the bluegrass trio of GBLC board member Kate Roblin on fiddle, Sam Clement on guitar, and Dave Lawlor on mandolin entertained a modest but enthusiastic crowd, though the musicians opted for an unamplified, acoustic set due to a threat of lightning. The community event was free; the nonprofit gratefully accepted donations and even garnered a few new volunteers through the event. As Director Christine Ward noted, SoCo Creamery, which has always donated very generously to their organization, provided free ice cream.
The Great Barrington Land Conservancy, which stewards the town-owned Lake Mansfield Recreation Area, was celebrating the completion of years of improvements to the tranquil public space, which feels much more removed than it is from the bustle of downtown. The projects have been a collaborative effort between the GBLC, the town, the Department of Public Works, and the town-appointed Lake Mansfield Improvement Task Force.
Christopher Rembold, assistant town manager and director of planning and community development, was “directly responsible for a lot of this,” according to Ward. In the GBLC’s most recent newsletter, Rembold describes the water-quality engineering projects completed, including a retention area in the improved and expanded Lake Mansfield parking lot to filter stormwater runoff and culverts that maintain water levels and allow greater connectivity between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The project was funded by two large grants from the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, as well as the town’s capital and Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds.
But teams of volunteers, along with GBLC’s dedicated board, are responsible for the work of planting and tending hundreds of trees, shrubs, and perennials that now create a buffer zone around Lake Mansfield—between the parking lot and the forest, where GBLC maintains a walking trail, and on either side of the pedestrian path connecting the beach area to the boat launch, which used to be a road.
“We just completed the planting of 200 perennials this week, which follows the planting of hundreds of trees earlier this spring and last November,” explained Ward. The perennial plantings, accomplished through a volunteer work day at the end of May, were tailored to improve habitat for pollinators and birds. The native trees and shrubs, many of which were donated by Ward’s Nursery and Helia Native Nursery, include species like serviceberry, red maple, chokeberry, alder, and viburnum, along with dogwood and willow that were propagated from cuttings.
In a rough count last year, Ward estimated that over 200 volunteers put in over 2,000 volunteer hours for these and other projects. The entire organization is volunteer, save for one contracted administrative assistant. And Ward attested, “this board puts an enormous amount of time into the work of trail maintenance and conservation,” not only leading it but doing it, and on top of that, they “have to put in the hours to raise the money to keep our organization fiscally strong.”
So the group, which maintains the River Walk and Riverfront Trails as well as trails at Pfeiffer Arboretum, is in need of fiscal support from the community, said Ward. “It’s a real challenge, because there’s a lot of need right now.” Despite generous in-kind donors, GBLC does finance a lot of their purchases. They also frequently hire Greenagers to work on their trails, investing in young people. This spring, a Greenagers trail crew fixed the ailing trail entrance from Christian Hill Road to Lake Mansfield Conservation Forest. “They literally moved tons of crushed stone to make it a more accessible trail,” said Ward.
They can always use more volunteers, too, to help with trail maintenance or pulling invasive species. GBLC will hold another volunteer work day on Saturday morning, June 21. The public is also welcome to attend their community meeting Tuesday, June 24, at Berkshire Food Co-op, to learn more about the nonprofit’s accomplishments, goals, and upcoming events.
“It’s a fabulous organization to be associated with,” said board member Ben Barrett. “Having open space is critical, and it’s an opportunity to give back to our community and keep open space open.”
“And well cared for,” added Ward.
In addition to morning yoga at Lake Mansfield throughout the summer, in July GBLC will hold a guided walk at the Pfeiffer Arboretum with forester Adam Brown, as well a program with Tom Tyning that will get up close with reptiles and amphibians. “You think of it as a kids’ activity,” said Ward, “but there are so many people that have fears and don’t really understand or feel at home with those wriggly things. So we provide those opportunities too.”
In a fundraiser planned for Indigenous Peoples’ weekend, they will hold a “walk for conservation” in Great Barrington that will explore the vision of interconnected trails and walkable communities. Regarding the River Front Trail, for example, Ward said there is a vision for connecting the existing portions of the trail with the remaining section that passes behind the Great Barrington Fairgrounds. “We’re waiting for the opportunity to make that happen. That would definitely be a high priority for the land conservancy—and for the town.”
Providing access to trails is a priority, as is helping people understand “how important our conservation spaces are to our everyday lives,” claimed Ward.
One component of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant created a Community Liaison team. Jovanina Pagano, in the GBLC newsletter, described her efforts as part of that team to ask questions about whether a diverse sector of the community knows about and feels comfortable accessing these trails. “Indeed,” she writes, “[these questions] are even more critical at this moment. Some members of our community are now fearful in the same spaces that just last year were treasured places to bring their children, relax, and have fun. We must continue to welcome people to places like Lake Mansfield.”
For more details on the work done at Lake Mansfield, the GBLC newsletter is available on their website, along with events and other information.
