Trust Mentoring Westford Academy Capstone Students by Rich Strazdas

This article tells the rest of the story of “Anatomy of a Boardwalk” from the Spring newsletter. Westford Academy runs a Capstone program every spring for senior students, who may choose to intern at a local business or perform community service. This is the second time the Trust has utilized this program to apply local talent (some may say manpower) for conservation projects. Of course, we also mentor the students on techniques, procedures and regulations. More on that later. It began with an inquiry from one senior. Then he told a friend, and he told a friend … Matthew, Sam, Edward and Kyle (pictured below top left) were my “Kapstone Kids” who together could lift ten times what I could do alone. The boardwalk for the Burns Hill Link at the Trust’s Hildreth Meadow property was a natural choice for this group to accomplish something permanent in a five-week window. Although they thought they were out of the classroom, the kid’s time with the Trust started with learning about wetland regulations and the preliminary work done to secure a boardwalk construction permit from the town and state. Only then could they translate the design into a parts list, purchase the materials, cut them off site, transport them to the trailhead, and assemble the boardwalk sections. A corporate volunteer group last year had made five 8-foot sections, and we made six more. It was early May and the trail segment needing the boardwalk would still be wet until late June. All eleven sections were carefully set atop supports in the mud and anchored to each other. It was challenging, it was dirty, but it was fun. It was also much faster than I could have imagined. Matt Salem, Westford’s Conservation Resource Planner, (pictured below right talking to the group) reviewed the final product, had them jump on the boardwalk to prove its stability, and scheduled a Conservation Commission hearing to request a Certificate of Compliance. He also graciously explained what his position entailed and the education and training it took to get there. A few weeks later, the students attended the hearing at which the Commission unanimously approved the execution of the project. Where else can a high schooler get their work judged and approved by a governmental body?! What did they do with the other three weeks? Well, plenty. The Trust’s nearby Pageant Field had invasive garlic mustard and burning bush. Gone. It also needed a sign installed farther from the small parking lot. Done. The MacDougall Trail from Blakes Hill Road to Boston Road was practically abandoned for a decade and needed rehabilitation. It was re-cleared, re-blazed, and had a simple bridge installed across a seasonal streamlet. This involved more learning, and instant application in the field. With so much dedicated manpower and time, the Trust’s backlog of property monitoring was a natural fit. The Kapstone kids learned how a Conservation Restriction is written and recorded, and how it governs the monitoring process. Eleven properties were monitored, and eleven reports were documented with pictures and descriptions. The students were eager to accomplish whatever tasks were thrown at them. But it wasn’t all work. The last day dawned clear, and we enjoyed a picnic atop Bluebird Hill (aka the old town dump) where we reminisced about what was learned, what went well, and what could have been easier. They all even volunteered to march with the Trust in the Apple Blossom Parade. It was a big commitment for mentoring, but so much was accomplished.

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