Broad Brook Coalition Annual Meeting
Sunday, Nov. 9 — in person — 2:00–4:30 p.m.
Florence Civic Center, 90 Park Street, Florence
Members and friends are cordially invited to attend Broad Brook Coalition’s annual meeting on Sunday, November 9, at the Florence Civic Center. This year’s meeting will be in-person only, with no Zoom link. Light refreshments will be served at the Civic Center starting at 2:00 p.m. Please join us!
This year’s speaker is Elizabeth Wroblicka from The Trustees of Reservations, who will give the keynote address titled Recent Land Conservation Wins in the Connecticut River Watershed. The Trustees just launched a new strategic plan focusing on land conservation, climate resiliency, and connecting people to the land. The July 2025 acquisition of the 260-acre Beaver Brook golf course in Williamsburg and Northampton by The Trustees of Reservations has generated a lot of excitement in the local conservation community. Elizabeth was the project lead on that acquisition and will give us an overview of the Trustees’ new Beaver Brook Reservation including wildlife habitat, climate resiliency, and plans for public recreational access. In addition to Beaver Brook, the Trustees are in the process of saving large blocks of forest land throughout the Connecticut River Watershed. This past April, Elizabeth also assisted Bob Vollinger in protecting his family farm on N. Farms Road with an agricultural preservation restriction held by Kestrel Land Trust. Elizabeth is an expert in the tools and techniques that made these projects possible and can answer your questions about how they could be applied to enhance the Fitzgerald Lake Greenway.
Elizabeth Wroblicka is senior land protection specialist for The Trustees of Reservations where she focuses on protecting critical forest and farmland. She formerly practiced law specializing in land conservation, environmental justice, real estate, land use, estate planning, and litigation. Elizabeth has worked as a staff member of the Land Trust Alliance, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, the Napa Valley Land Trust, and the Pacific Forest Watershed Lands Stewardship Council and served as Chief of Wildlife Lands for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. She currently sits on the board of The Norcross Wildlife Foundation and LTA’s Conservation Defense Advisory Council. Prior board service includes Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture and the Northampton Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Commission.
Walks & Talks
BBC’s walk programs are free and open to the public. We ask that you register
beforehand, which will allow us to answer any questions you might have and notify you
of any changes or cancellations. To sign up for any of the following walks, please
send an email to Dave Pritchard at Registrar@BroadBrookCoalition.org. Please
check the Broad Brook website (broadbrookcoalition.org) for more information on any
of these programs, or call Dave Pritchard (413-695-8442) or Dick Wynne (413-584-
7930).
Night Sounds
Molly Hale
Saturday, September 6, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
North Farms Rd. entrance
Take a walk to explore the sounds of the woods and shoreline at night. We’ll be on trails using flashlights (bring your own, plus extra batteries). We’ll talk about the sounds we hear and also spend several minutes experiencing the dark in silence. To hone our hearing to the sounds of the wild, we’ll request people to refrain from much talking while we walk. Be prepared for mosquitos and ticks. Adults and children welcome. Molly has been an active participant with the BBC for many years, leading walks, advising us on habitat and wildlife issues, and serving on the Board of Directors. She taught natural history at Greenfield Community College and has a lifelong curiosity and wonder about the natural world.
The Role of Fungi in the Forest Ecosystem
Peter Russell
Sunday, Sept. 14, 10:00 a.m. – noon
North Farms Rd. entrance
Join mycologist Peter Russell on a foray to look at the fungi fruiting around Fitzgerald Lake. We will use the fungi we find to consider the roles they play in the ecosystem, especially their succession in space and time both on decomposing wood and as mycorrhizal partners with trees. The main purpose of the foray will not be to consider their edibility or medicinal qualities. Peter is a local resident, a member of the Pioneer Valley Mycological Society, and has been leading mushroom forays for many years.
Workdays at the FLCA
Shrubland Habitat and Native Plants
Saturday, May 3, 9:30 a.m. – noon
Several years ago, we established three “islands” of native shrubs in Cooke’s Pasture to
provide food and habitat for shrubland birds and small mammals. We return every year
to prune the shrubs, cut back competing undergrowth, and replace plants that have not
survived the winter. Tools will be provided, though additional clippers are always
welcome. Wear long pants and bring along your favorite insect repellent. Meet at the
Cooke Ave. parking lot at 9:00 a.m. or at the Fitzgerald Lake dam at 9:30 a.m. Contact
Brad Timm at bradtimm@gmail.com for further information.
Annual Cleanup at the North Farms Road Entrance
Saturday, May 17, 10:00 a.m. – noon
This is the day for cleaning up the North Farms Road entrance to the FLCA. We’ll clear
winter debris from the path to the bridge and boardwalk, pick up trash in the parking lot,
and remove by hand invasive plants such as garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, and
multiflora rose in the adjoining woods. Please help us spruce up this heavily used route
to the conservation area. Tools will be provided. Contact Dick Wynne at 413-584-7930
for further information.
Removal of Invasives on Boggy Meadow Road
Sunday, June 8, 10:00 a.m. – noon.
The margins of roads provide excellent habitat for the growth of invasive plants. There
are many patches of invasives along Boggy Meadow Road, which connects the old
Moose Lodge parking lot at the end of Cooke Avenue with the Fitzgerald Lake dam. We
will work our way along the road pulling, cutting, and digging invasive plants such as
multiflora rose, Asiatic bittersweet, Japanese barberry, autumn olive, and non-native
honeysuckle. Tools will be provided, but if you care to bring clippers, pruning saws, and
lopping shears, it would be appreciated. And don’t forget gloves, sunscreen, and insect
repellent. Meet at the Cooke Ave. parking lot. Contact Holly Mitchell at
mhnmitchell@yahoo.com for further information.
Removal of Water Chestnut from Fitzgerald Lake
Saturdays: June 21, July 12, August 2; Sundays August 24, September 14
9:00a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Several years ago we implemented a new approach to controlling water chestnut in
Fitzgerald Lake called “pull early, pull often.” In 2017, we removed roughly 1,100 lbs.
from the lake while in 2024 the yield was down to 90 lbs. Though we are pleased with
the results so far, water chestnut seeds can remain viable for up to ten years on the
lake bottom so we plan to continue our work again this year. We’ll organize crews in late
May, begin pulling in mid-June, and continue at 3-week intervals throughout the
summer. Volunteers should bring their own canoes or kayaks. If interested, contact Tina
White by email (broadbrooktreasurer@gmail.com) or phone (413-341-0240) for further
information.