Youth Conservation Stewards

This program is being supported by the Staples Foundation for Learning.

Staples Foundation for Learning 

View a list of current opportunities or highlights from past projects.

The Youth Conservation Stewards Program provides an opportunity for youths to build their skills in community service and conservation.  Youths learn new skills while contributing to the improvement and maintenance of our reservations or providing environmental education to the public.  Initially, the program focused on boy and girl scouts in the communities of Framingham, Sudbury, Wayland and Westborough; however, the program is open to all youths in any of our 36 communities and from any affiliation. 

Past projects have included environmental education, designing and posting signage, controlling exotic-invasive plant species, trail improvements and bridge work.  Youths are encouraged to visit our properties and suggest projects of their own. 

Our projects generally fall into two categories: leadership projects and general community service projects.  Leadership projects require the youth to do project design, planning and coordination as well as implementation.  Leadership projects are appropriate for Boy Scouts seeking their Eagle rank, Girl Scouts seeking a Silver or Gold Award, and school students doing an honor project.  The general community service projects are usually group projects, although some can be done by individuals.  They usually entail tasks that can be implemented during one or two work sessions. 

How does the program work?

A youth group leader or individual youth should first review the information contained on this web page and then contact an SVT staff member, Laura Mattei or Dan Stimson, about their interest.  We will discuss potential projects, suitability and timing and choose an appropriate project.  Project selection may include site visits.  SVT staff provides guidance and technical support throughout the project.  In the towns of Framingham, Sudbury, Wayland and Westborough, we have an SVT volunteer adult liaison who works with the youth or youths through their project.

Current Youth Volunteer Opportunities

Berlin
  • Garfield Woods - Problem solve, plan and carry out a wet crossing along the trail.
  • Garfield Woods - Remove invasive species.
Framingham
  • Cowassock Woods - Help to evaluate trails and possibly close and revegetate an unnecessary trail.
  • Cowassock Woods - Invasive plant control.
  • Harrington Field - Clear a stone wall of exotic-invasive plants.
  • Henry's Hill - Plan, get approvals for, and create a 3-car parking lot near the entrance kiosk on Wayside Inn Road.
  • Waters Field - Invasives removal, especially bittersweet vines on trees, this would be a good group project.
Southborough
  • Turenne Reservation - Invasive shrub removal.
  • Turenne Reservation - Bird garden maintenance and enhancements.
Sudbury
  • Brues Woods - create a crossing for a wet spot prior to the bridge on the trail.
  • Lyons-Cutler Reservation - Regularly monitor, prune and clear trails.
  • Memorial Forest - Turtle and trout surveys.
  • Wolbach Farm - Remove invasive species, including garlic mustard, pachysandra and lily of the valley.
Northborough
  • Cedar Hill - Build bench at hill-top kiosk.
  • Cedar Hill - Remove Japanese barberry, an invasive species.  Note that there is poison ivy at this site.
Wayland
  • Greenways - Create a handicapped accessible trail.
  • Upper Mill Brook - Improve trail from Claypit Hill Road.

Possibilities for multiple reservations

  • Nature study and education.
  • Design interpretive trails to be posted on the website.
  • Meet and greet day at local reservations, design and conduct visitor surveys.
  • Events or programs to bring more visitors to SVT reservations.

Past Projects

May 2010

Marlborough High School Seniors tend loosestrife for the loosestrife biocontrol project.
Marlborough High School Seniors tend loosestrife for the loosestrife biocontrol project.

May 2010

Volunteers build a new bridge over Cranberry Brook at SVT's Memorial Forest.Jason Porter designed and organized the building of the bridge over Cranberry Brook on the Pipeline Pass.
Jason Porter, a Sudbury Boy Scout, completed the work for his Eagle Project at SVT's General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts Memorial Forest.  Jason and his crew designed and built a new bridge to span Cranberry Brook at the Pipeline Pass, connecting the northern and southern trails on the west side of the reservation.  Jason and his volunteers also used an existing bridge to cross a small intermittent stream on the pipeline, to connect the trail to the Ocean ByPass.

May 2010

Michael Arsenault, a Boy Scout from Hudson, designed a bridge for SVT's Garfield Woods Reservation in Berlin.  Michael gathered donated materials from local businesses and coordinated volunteers to install the bridge on a rainy day in May, 2010.Michael Arsenault, a Boy Scout from Hudson, designed a bridge for SVT's Garfield Woods Reservation in Berlin.  Michael gathered donated materials from local businesses and coordinated volunteers to install the bridge on a rainy day in May, 2010.
Michael Arsenault, a Boy Scout from Hudson, designed a bridge for SVT's Garfield Woods Reservation in Berlin.  Michael gathered donated materials from local businesses and coordinated volunteers to install the bridge on a rainy day in May, 2010 as part of his Eagle Scout Project.  The bridge crosses a muddy portion of trail along North Brook at the boundary between Garfield Woods and Berlin's Forty Caves Conservation Land.

April 2010

Lauren Smith and Stewart Craig pulling up Japanese Barberry.Cooper Shumway applying a weed wrench to a stubborn Japanese Barberry.Lauren Smith, Stewart Craig, Tim Olson pulling up Japanese Barberry.Attacking Japanese barberry with a weed wrench.
The afternoon of April 9th seven students from Professor Scott Shumway’s “Alien Invasion” Senior Seminar joined nineteen Boy Scouts from Troop 100 Westborough to remove invasive plants from the Walkup and Robinson Memorial Reservation.  The Wheaton students prepared a photographic field guide to invasive / non-native plants that the scouts used to guide their efforts to eradicate Japanese Barberry, Bush Honeysuckle, and Burning Bush from this 62 acre conservation area owned by the Sudbury Valley Trustees.

April 2010

Students from Fay School participated in a conservation project at the Turenne Wildlife Habitat in Southborough. Students from Fay School participated in a conservation project at the Turenne Wildlife Habitat in Southborough.
Fay School and SVT Celebrate Earth Day
Students from Fay School participated in a conservation project at the Turenne Wildlife Habitat in Southborough.  Nine students and two teachers made improvements to the trail through the bird garden and also removed invasive plants from the woods near the bird garden.  The bird garden was initially established in 1995 by neighbors and volunteers.  SVT has worked over the years to control invasive plants and expanded the native plant bird garden two years ago.

February 2010

Troop #77163 tried their hands at sewing up net cages for the purple loosestrife project.  Photo by Elaine HausemanTroop #77163 tried their hands at sewing up net cages for the purple loosestrife project.  Photo by Elaine Hauseman
A second group of Sudbury Girl Scouts, Troop #77163, tried their hands at sewing up net cages for the purple loosestrife project.

January 2010

Sudbury Girl Scouts held a sewing bee to make nets for purple loosestrife plants, as part of SVT's Bio-control of Purple Loosestrife Project.
Sudbury Girl Scouts Troop #77171 held a sewing bee to make nets for purple loosestrife plants, as part of SVT's Bio-control of Purple Loosestrife Project.

October 2009

Ryan Healy organized volunteer work days to complete the Cranberry Brook boardwalk at SVT's General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts Memorial Forest in Sudbury.  Ryan and his crew built the remaining sections of the boardwalk as part of his Eagle Scout Project.

August 2009

Volunteers working on Ryan's bridge at Hazel Brook Conservation Area in Wayland.The completed bridge.
Ryan Jones designed and built a new bridge over an intermittent stream at SVT's Hazel Brook Conservation Area in Wayland.  The work was done as part of Ryan's Eagle Scout Project.

Sudbury Venture Crew Volunteers at Greenways

The Sudbury Venture Crew at Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland.The Sudbury Venture Crew at Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland.The Sudbury Venture Crew at Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland.The Sudbury Venture Crew at Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland.

The Sudbury Venture Crew helped to install a split rail fence along a trail at Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland on June 7, 2009. The fence will help keep foot traffic off of the slope next to the Sudbury River as vegetation is restored.

New Interpretive Trail Brochure at Round Hill

Kevin Ravesi's Eagle Project at Round Hill in SudburyKevin Ravesi's Eagle Project at Round Hill in SudburyKevin Ravesi's Eagle Project at Round Hill in SudburyKevin Ravesi's Eagle Project at Round Hill in Sudbury

Kevin Ravesi, of Troop 60 in Sudbury, created a new interpretive trail and map borchure for the Round Hill Reservation in June, 2009.  Kevin gathered volunteers to install posts at 6 points along the trail and to write the content for the map brochure.  The group also installed a map stand at the entrance of the reservation, where his brochure will be displayed.

 

November 2008

Crossroads Youth Action Council installing a boardwalk at Memorial ForestCrossroads Youth Action Council installing a boardwalk at Memorial ForestCrossroads Youth Action Council at Memorial Forest

Cranberry Brook Boardwalk, Memorial Forest

The Crossroads Community Foundation Youth Action Council and other SVT volunteers worked to add an additional 24' to the new boardwalk at memorial Forest in Sudbury.  The Youth Action Council (YAC) brings together a diverse group of youth from several towns in the MetroWest area.

October 2008

The piers for the boardwalk are driven in placeThe sills are secured to the piersThe frame for the bridge over Cranberry Brook is built

Cranberry Brook Boardwalk, Memorial Forest

Ian Wetherbee and his crew of volunteers start the construction of the new boardwalk over Cranberry Brook and the associated wetland at Memorial Forest in Sudbury.  Ian designed the bordwalk, went through the permitting process, and planned the first two work days to start construction of the project.  Concord and Littleton Lumber and Sudbury Lumber generously donated all of the lumber for the project.

August 2008

The old bridge is removedThe new stringers are put in placeThe finishing touches are put on the new bridge

Hop Brook Bridge at Memorial Forest

John Francis and his crew of volunteers built a new bridge over Hop Brook at SVT's Memorial Forest in Sudbury.  John designed the bridge and planned the work day where the old bridge was removed and the new one installed.  Sudbury Lumber generously donated the wood for the bridge.
 

October 2008

Betsy Griffin helps to instruct a group of Wayland Girl ScoutsWayland Girl Scouts volunteer at Upper Mill Brook Conservation AreaThe finished boardwalk!

Wayland Girl Scouts Volunteer at Upper Mill Brook

For the third year in a row, the Wayland Girl Scouts participated in a conservation project with Sudbury Valley Trustees.  This year, the girls learned how to locate, build and install boardwalks on conservation trails.  In addition to learning mechanical skills, the girls learned about trail design to minimize ecological impacts.  This is part of SVT's focused effort to get more girls involved in our youth conservation programs.

November 2007

In spite of the inclement weather, the Crossroads Community Foundation Youth Action Council and other SVT volunteers assisted with the native plant bird garden expansion at the Turenne Wildlife Habitat in Southborough. This is part of a larger habitat restoration and demonstration project. Funds for the planting were provided by the Crossroads Community Foundation. The Youth Action Council (YAC) brings together a diverse group of youth from several towns in the MetroWest area.

October 2007

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Wayland girl scouts, led by Judy LeFevre-Levy, Suzanne Tiberii and Peg von Rohr, assisted with a vegetation restoration project at the Greenways Conservation Area in Wayland on October 21, 2007. The girls assisted with site preparation, seeding and transplanting. It was a beautiful fall day for a community service project.

March 2007

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Ryan Rendano, a student at Hudson High School, created an informational brochure. "Invasive Plants: How They Impact Our Environment" discusses the problem of invasive species in our area and informs readers what they can do to help.

November 2006

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A group of more than twenty Boy Scouts with Troop 12 in Framingham recently volunteered to revitalize a section of trail in SVT's Henry's Hill Reservation in Framingham.

October 2006

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Wayland girl scouts assisted SVT with planting and maintenance of our eco-landscaping gardens at Wolbach Farm. These gardens provide wildlife habitat for butterflies and birds and also conserve water. For more information click here.

September 2006

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Tim Deschamps, as part of his Eagle Scout Project, organized a crew of volunteers to construct and install boardwalks at SVT's Cedar Hill Reservation in Northborough.

August 2006

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Alex Perry restored two sections of trail at SVT's Sawink Farm Reservation in Westborough as part of his Eagle Scout Project. Alex organized a volunteer crew to add stepping stones in a wet portion of trail and also rerouted another poorly located portion of trail.

November 2005

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Andrew Gentile built a hiking and horseback riding bridge over a stream at Memorial Forest in Sudbury. The bridge will allow visitors to easily cross the stream during wet periods and will also reduce the amount of erosion in the stream.

June - November 2005

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Troop 2436 of Sudbury received the Silver Award, Girl Scouts' 2nd highest level of achievement, for completing their troop project at Wolbach Farm. The girls' project was in two parts: clearing the final 1/2 mile path of the Interpretive Trail, and the design, construction and placement of a sturdy bench for field viewing. This was a 1 and 1/2 year long project that included over 100 volunteer hours by each girl scout.

September 2005

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Sudbury Boy Scouts Troop 60 spruce up the native bird garden at the Turenne Wildlife Habitat in Southborough. The boys spent an afternoon putting down mulch on the garden trail and pulling out invasive plants.

August 2005

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Justin Brodie-Kommit of Troop 63 in Sudbury finished his Eagle Project at Wolbach Farm in Sudbury. Justin made improvements to a culvert and the area surrounding it; repairing upstream and downstream ends of the culvert, rebuilding land above the cuvlert, adding a boardwalk, and removing nearby invasive species of plants.

June 2005

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A group of more than 25 students from the Framingham Charter School recently volunteered at SVT’s Welch Reservation in Framingham. The students helped to remove exotic invasive species along a stone wall at the front of the property.

April 2005

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Students from the Fay School in Southboro celebrated Earth Day by cleaning up sections of Cedar Hill in Northborough.

November 2004

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A group of fifth graders, their families and teachers from the Loring School in Sudbury as part of the school's Social Action Project volunteered to clear brush and invasive plants along the front of agricultural fields at SVT's Baiting Brook/Welch Reservation in Framingham. The school also participated in a wildlife survey over the course of a month. Click here to see the results of over 100 junior naturalists' observations!

October 2004

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Members of a Sudbury Brownie troop came to Wolbach Farm in October to assist with the planting of a rain garden. Water from a portion of the farmhouse roof is collected in gutters and channeled to the rain garden, which is home to plant species that can tolerate periodic inundation. Rain gardens are a great way to collect rain water that might otherwise be directed to storm drains, and instead allow it stay onsite and recharge groundwater. The Brownies expect to be back at Wolbach in the spring to check on the progress of the garden.

September 2004

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Mike Koshko designed and built a bridge crossing a channel as part of his Eagle Scout project. Mike also rerouted a small section of the trail in order to cross the channel with the most direct route. Mike also worked through all of the wetlands permitting with the town in order to complete the project for SVT on our Cedar Hill Reservation.

July 2004

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Steve Flaherty completed a trail closure and revegetation project on a section of trail in SVT's Baiting Brook/Welch Reservation in Framingham as part of his Eagle Scout project. Steve also seeded the area with a mix of wetland plants and installed signage (above) to educate visitors about his project.

June 2004

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Sam Shoolman designed, built and installed the signboard pictured above for the trailhead at Upper Mill Brook Reservation in Wayland. Sam worked with volunteers to do this as part of his Eagle Scout project. Sam also installed two smaller signboards to help hikers locate their position at two spots within the Memorial Forest Reservation in Sudbury.

May 2004

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Joel Norton conducted his Eagle Scout project at SVT's Cowassock Woods Reservation in Framingham. Joel worked to improve the parking area by adding crushed stone, and grading it to the level of the street. He also built and installed an informational sign board to welcome visitors to the property.

April 2004

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A group of ten girls from a Sudbury Girl Scout troop cleared the final section of new trail at the Wolbach Farm Interpretive Trail in Sudbury.

Alex Gill worked on his Eagle Scout project at SVT's Wolbach Farm Reservation in Sudbury. Alex mapped the location and extent of 5 species of invasive species at the reservation. He then conducted a work day with other volunteers in order to remove barberry and buckthorn from a stream corridor on the reservation.

October 2003

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Alex Daly built two bridges in the eastern section of the Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury while working to become an Eagle Scout. Click here (500kb Adobe pdf) to see a series of photos taken during construction of his bridges. Alex organized more than 20 other volunteers to help him with his project!

Local Girl Scouts assist with trail marking in natural area at Vietnam Veterans Park. SVT owns 35 acres (Ralph Hill Conservation Area) within the 150 acre natural area located at the Town's Park.

May 2003

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Bennet Leon built this bridge on the Wolbach Farm Interpretive Trail in Sudbury as part of his Eagle Scout project.

Matt Baird and several volunteers that he gathered built three bridges (above) to cross wet sections of trail near North Brook on SVT's Garfield Woods Reservation in Berlin. Matt built the bridges on a newly rerouted section of trail that he located slightly further away from the brook, making them much drier in the spring. He did the work as part of his Eagle Scout project.

November 2002

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Chris MacLeish designed and built a bridge and a long set of boardwalks to cross a stream at the northeast corner of the Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury. Chris (above left) organized a work party and built the bridge on a snowy November Saturday in order to gain leadership experience for his Eagle Scout project.

October 2002

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Zack Sheingold designed and built a bridge and some boardwalks to cross a stream and wet section of trail at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury. Zack (left) is shown above with a few of the volunteers he recruited to help with his work, which he completed on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout.