The Trustees are committed to ensuring that people across Massachusetts have an op portunity to enjoy and appreciate the natural and cultural resources of our state. Through a focused, place-based education initiative at Mt. Tom, we are using our reservation – Little Tom - and the community of which it is a part, to explore the relationship between people and the landscape. Our partner in this effort is the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club (HBGC), whose youth members (ages 6-13) will eventually attend summer camp on property adjacent to the Little Tom Reservation.
In 2004, The Trustees and HBGC joined forces to provide opportunities for youth to get outside and learn about nature. Since then, hundreds of Holyoke youth, most of whom have only known nature through TV, or if they're lucky, a city park, have had the chance to explore the wild fields and forests of Mt. Tom with guidance from The Trustees Education Coordinator Aimee Gelinas.
We invite you to learn more about the education program and the journeys of the youth as they learn new skills, develop their own sense of place and community stewardship, and become the future conservation leaders of Holyoke.
What We're Learning
There's a lot to learn at Mt. Tom and the youth at the HBGC have made amazing progress in learning about the natural world found right outside their door. These HBGC youth creations show how minds, skills, and imagination have blossomed through new outdoor experiences.
Exploring Our City
Experience the ways nature and culture have shaped the City of Holyoke over time though a variety of innovative and insightful HBGC youth projects.
In Our Own Words
No adventure is without its share of stories. Whether it is the fun of discovering a new animal or the excitement of a night-time hike through the woods, these voices of the HBGC youth and Trustees Educator Aimee Gelinas capture the wonder, the enthusiasm, and the respect for what they're finding in their outdoor world.