DEIJ Projects and Resources

North County Land Trust believes that it is imperative for the conservation community to become a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just movement. We are committed to being full partners in this essential transformation. To achieve our mission of protecting and preserving land, we need to ensure our organization reflects the communities we serve throughout our organization, from board and staff to members and supporters.

In support of this commitment, we will continue to seek and listen to community input on our work, as we strive to elevate and incorporate diverse viewpoints into our plans.

Currently, we have several projects in motion that are aligned with our DEIJ values.

One of NCLT’s versatile GRIT Freedom Chairs

Accessibility on the Trails

In an effort to improve trail accessibility, North County Land Trust purchased two GRIT Freedom Chairs that can be borrowed by all members of the NCLT community. Designed by MIT engineers, the GRIT Freedom Chair is a revolutionary hybrid between a manual wheelchair and a mountain bike. These chairs allow riders to join their family and friends on trails that traverse mountainous, sandy, and rocky terrain.

NCLT hosted a ribbon cutting at the new Mobility Friendly Trail. Click to learn more about “The Wild Walk: A Wheelie Good Trail”

In addition, North County Land Trust partnered with the North Quabbin Trails Association to build a trail in the Underwood Conservation Area that is accessible to chair riders, as well as folks with physical, visual, or mobility impairments. The trail is five feet wide, level, and clear of obstructions. Following the trail’s completion in 2019, NCLT recruited the creative assistance of students from Hubbardston Center School to name this mobility friendly trail. They came up with, “The Wild Walk: A Wheelie Good Trail”. Since this project, North County Land Trust has been working diligently to expand the number of fully accessible trails on our land.

Busy Bee Preschool graduate hugs her favorite tree. More about our Quarry Lane Project

Conservation for Communities

QUARRY LANE:

North County Land Trust understands the power of land conservation in the movement for justice and diversity among local communities. In 2018, NCLT obtained 5 Quarry Lane, the last undeveloped parcel of land in a Fitchburg neighborhood. This 1.4 acre lot preserves the woodlands behind the Harugari Street neighborhood as well as provides connectivity beyond for both the neighborhood and the Busy Bees Preschool to 100 acres of city conservation land, including the summit of the popular Rollstone Hill and Quarry. Development of 5 Quarry Lane would have resulted in tree clearing, heavy machinery, and significant drainage infrastructure, all for the construction of one single-family home.

Busy Bees Preschool graduates help set up community garden beds. Click to watch “Just an Acre” on Quarry Lane – NCLT

Busy Bees Preschool is a microcosm of the Fitchburg community that emphasizes and celebrates the diversity of young students. They offer both English and Spanish instruction as well as free meals for all students. In addition, Busy Bees affirms the importance of nature in early childhood development and uses the beautiful environment of its adjacent lot (5 Quarry Lane) to enrich the education of its students. These incredible surroundings and access to 100 acres of Fitchburg’s conservation land could have been lost if this parcel was developed. Instead, North County Land Trust’s acquisition of 5 Quarry Lane has allowed Busy Bees to expand their use of the land. With the help of NCLT’s stewardship coordinator, Emily Merlino, and Growing Places, neighbors, families, and preschoolers alike worked together to build raised garden beds at Busy Bees. Now the entire community has access to outdoor learning opportunities and recreation.

Ebenezer Keyes Conservation area is a 157 acre property. It includes a secluded pond that drains into Otter River
EBENEZER KEYES CONSERVATION AREA:

North County Land Trust owns a conservation area in Gardner, MA that also has a significant impact on community justice, diversity, and equity: the Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area. In Spring of 2022, North County Land Trust directed two students from the Conway School of Landscape Design, Claire Baglien and W. Kyle Finnell, who created a comprehensive master plan for the Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area entitled “Reconnecting People and Place”. An important part of this plan is the opportunity to offer recreational amenities and open space to environmental justice populations in Gardner. Environmental justice (EJ) populations are determined based on a community’s percentage of members who identify as a minority group and annual median household incomes (click here for the complete definition). The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs states that EJ populations are “most at risk of being unaware of or unable to participate in environmental decision-making or to gain access to state environmental resources.”

Cleaning up trash at Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area in Gardner, MA

Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area is located less than two miles from many downtown EJ communities in Gardner. However, it is most accessible by vehicle which limits many lower income households. Public transportation doesn’t reach beyond downtown and many neighborhoods’ only access to Keyes is by crossing an active railroad and a dam over Parker Pond. NCLT, in conjunction with Baglien and Finnell, strive to make Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area an open space that can be safely accessed by EJ communities in Gardner. The current plan focuses on developing regional trails and expanding public transportation in order to achieve this goal. In addition, NCLT wants to foster a recreational space that is accessible to all income levels, abilities, and cultures by connecting directly with Gardner’s EJ communities and delivering based on their values, wants, and needs.

Opportunities and Resources

North County Land Trust believes it is essential for a community to represent and provide resources for all the cultures within its population. So, upon recognizing that 29% of the Fitchburg population is made up of Spanish speakers (HomeSnack 2022), NCLT was driven to update the trail signs currently only available in English. NCLT teamed up with the Fitchburg Trails Committee and obtained a grant from Mass Trails in 2020. This grant was used to produce signs written in Spanish and English that will replace major Fitchburg trailheads and the trail signs on the Crocker Conservation Area. These signs are scheduled to be posted in the fall of 2022. North County Land Trust is excited to promote diversity and inclusion by making the Fitchburg trail network a place navigable by Spanish and English speakers alike.

In addition, NCLT is thrilled to be promoting DEIJ values among youth. In the summer of 2022, North County Land Trust worked with Just Understand My Potential (JUMP) to launch an outdoor skills program entitled, J.U.M.P.’s Adventure IRL! This 8-week program is open to all youths between 5th and 8th grade in the Gardner, Fitchburg, and Leominster areas. Participants explore NCLT’s Rome Conservation Area on weekly adventures that build confidence while reinforcing the values of safety, commitment, leadership, respect, accountability, and positivity. These adventures cover many naturalists’ skills such as fire and shelter building, plant identification, animal signs, and sensory awareness. J.U.M.P.’s Adventure IRL is an incredible program that supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice among young nature-lovers.

North County Land Trust is proud to be an organization that strives to protect land for the environment and for the people. We understand how important environmental conservation is in the movement to create and preserve diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just communities.