At first blush, the former mill city of Holyoke seems an unlikely base for The Trustees of Reservations in the Pioneer Valley.
by Katharine Wroth
The Trustees have traditionally been associated with peaceful woods and well-manicured estates. But today The Trustees are active members of this struggling community, where they work to introduce local youth to the natural surroundings located just a few miles from their front doors, and reach out to rural communities to help them preserve their character.
This work all began thanks to an unusual partnership with federal and state land agencies and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, all of which united in 2002 to protect land on nearby Mount Tom. The resulting project has offered hope to Holyoke residents – and a valuable land-protection model to build upon statewide.
Ten years ago, the downhill ski area at Mount Tom closed, and the future of a ruggedly beautiful ridgeline overlooking the Connecticut River was suddenly at risk. Plans to expand a quarrying operation adjacent to the site aroused community ire, and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) looked into purchasing the nearly 400 acres jeopardized by development. DCR already managed a 2,200-acre reservation on the Mount Tom Range and protected a trove of biodiversity there (it’s home to old-growth forest, rare plants, more than 120 species of birds, and a full three-quarters of the state’s native species of reptiles and amphibians). But DCR could not afford the additional acres, so it reached out to possible partners.
Each partner had its own reasons for coming to the table: the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) was eager to ensure the protection of threatened species; the Boys & Girls Club hoped to use the base buildings for a summer camp; and The Trustees were working to build a stronger presence in the Pioneer Valley, where sprawl is a growing threat, by exploring opportunities from farmland preservation to urban outreach.
Together, the four groups invested $3 million in the property, with each buying and managing its own parcel. The Trustees’ named their 73 acres Little Tom Mountain. “None of us would have been able to find the resources for this alone,” says Trustees Pioneer Valley Regional Director Jocelyn Forbush.
The groups quickly discovered that their interests overlapped in other ways. Two years after the purchase, The Trustees moved their regional office to a storefront in downtown Holyoke and began working closely with the Boys & Girls Club. Together, they are showing the city’s children – some 40 percent of whom live in poverty – a part of their world they never knew existed, even though it’s just outside of town. Since 2004, explorations both in the city and at Little Tom Mountain have engaged hundreds of kids.
This work in urban Holyoke, where the population is 40 percent Latino, reflects The Trustees’ drive to reach new, more diverse audiences. “So many people in this community, especially children, don’t have the love, or even the understanding, of the outdoors,” says Nancy Budd, acting executive director for the Boys & Girls Club. “So this connection, working side by side with The Trustees, allows our own staff as well as the children to have firsthand experiences here. I just love to see the excitement in the children’s eyes.”
Mary Alice Wilson, a long-time resident of the Pioneer Valley and a volunteer on The Trustees’ Advisory Committee, agrees. She recalls spending a day with a group from the Boys & Girls Club working to eradicate honeysuckle and Japanese barberry at Little Tom Mountain. “It was a super morning. They worked so hard! Their energy level, their enthusiasm – and their interest in returning. It was just marvelous.”
Of course, achieving this successful partnership wasn’t always a walk in the park. “There have been some significant bumps in the road,” admits Forbush, including keeping things on track when staff change at a partner organization. Another of the original players, Beth Goettel of USFWS, compares such partnerships to marriage: “It takes work. It gets better the more you put into it.”
Despite the occasional hitch, those involved in the deal see it as a model for future agreements. “This was without question one of the best partnership projects I’ve been involved in,” says Terry Blunt, the former DCR land agent who spearheaded the deal. “Everyone pulled their weight, and everyone came to the table with conviction.”
The keys to such a partnership’s success, those involved say, include capturing the original vision, ideally with a management plan; respecting the priorities of each partner; following through on promises; and sharing credit.
Another key to success is community involvement. While the Holyoke education programs are going strong, it will be a few more years before the general public can visit Little Tom Mountain; it won't officially open until 2012, when quarrying operations wrap up per the terms of the sale. In the meantime, the partners have been working with local volunteers to map the forest, grassland, and marshes; mark trails; and make plans for the future. “We are so looking forward to opening our camp at Little Tom,” says Budd. “It’s heartening to have such a treasure in our own backyard.”
Says Wilson, “I feel that Little Tom is like something beautiful hovering, just waiting to take off. It holds promise for the whole community.”
For that matter, it holds promise for the entire state.
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