Join the Weston Conservation Department and Weston Forest and Trail Association (WFTA) on the third Saturday of every month for stewardship and camaraderie as we work collaboratively to manage nearly 2,000 acres of conservation land and over 90 miles of off-road trails in Weston.  Both organizations rely on volunteers to assist with the management of these incredible resources. Stewardship Saturday projects include invasive plant management, trail construction, and maintenance, boardwalk and bridge construction, trash pickup, stone wall beautification, etc.

Saturday, December 16^th, 2023

New Trail Construction and Annual Maintenance of the Merriam Barn Historic Site

10 a.m. to noon

Join Weston Conservation Staff and WFTA volunteers as we construct a new trail segment just off the "Onion Field" at the College Land; the new trail segment will be located in the woods and will replace an existing trail that traverses through the open field. This will help alleviate the need for trail mowing, which is a major challenge in the summer months, as well as provide a shaded and cooler alternative for trail users. Additional, we will perform our annual vegetation clearing and trail maintenance around the Merriam Barn Historic Site.

Work on the new trail will involve removal of woody growth and other obstacles within the proposed trail corridor (rocks, downed logs, etc) and raking back the upper leaf "duff" layer to carve-in the new trail. The existing open field trail that will be replaced by this new trail will be left to grow-in; no additional work to re-naturalize or close it will be necessary.

Work at the Merriam Barn site will include cutting back of overgrowth to expose the barn's stone foundation.

We will meet and park at the Brush Dump on Merriam Street. MAP

How to Participate

No previous experience is necessary. We will provide all the know-how. To sign-up, contact conservation@westonma.gov. Children at least 13 years of age must have parental supervision, ages 16+ do not need parental accompaniment.

Bring work-appropriate clothing, no open-toed shoes, water and snacks, durable work gloves, and a good attitude!

No tools are necessary for this work event.