From rocky coastlines to sparkling waterfalls hidden in deep woods, Massachusetts offers a startling number of diverse landscapes. For more than a century, a portion of these stunning and historic spaces have been protected by The Trustees of Reservations.
In their own words, The Trustees of Reservations’ mission is “to protect and share the Massachusetts places people love for their exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value.” They are recognized as the first preservation and conservation nonprofit founded in the U.S. Today the organization oversees 47,000 acres of land in Massachusetts, including woodlands, trails, beaches, gardens, museums, and even a Colonial homestead.
Our team recently had the opportunity to visit one of The Trustees’ protected areas during our annual retreat in Somerville, Massachusetts. We traveled north of the city to Charles W. Ward Reservation in Andover, which offers 704 acres of woodlands, grasslands, orchards, a bog, and wetlands. When we arrived, we met with a few of our partners: Sally Naser, Conservation Restriction Stewardship Director, and Ava Lauer and Tom Dodd from the Stewardship team.
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We took to the trails and enjoyed the diversity of the landscape. As we walked, we spoke with Sally, Ava, and Tom about how they use Lens to monitor their Conservation Restrictions around the state. Using Lens in conjunction with field monitoring helps The Trustees spend their valuable time where it’s needed most. With recent, high-resolution imagery at their fingertips, stewardship staff are able to discover issues before they become irreversible or costly. As a Lens Plus user, The Trustees also have access to Parcel Owner Alerts and Vegetation Alerts to keep a passive, year-round view on their properties.
We eventually made it to the largest hill in the reservation, which is tall enough to offer great views of the Merrimack Valley toward the Boston skyline. We happened to be there on a snowy and foggy day so we missed the view of the city, but enjoyed the views of a typical winter day in New England. Sally, Ava, and Tom pointed out a variety of interesting sites and shared some facts about the unique landscapes that eastern Massachusetts offers.
Our team enjoyed getting out of the city and hearing directly from one of our partners about the amazing work they do in the field. We enjoyed hearing how Lens helps the team conduct ground monitoring while supplementing it with what’s become a necessary tool for land stewardship: remote monitoring. The Trustees of Reservations team illustrates how powerful Lens can be: it’s easy to learn, easy to train on, and offers efficient monitoring of a variety of unique landscapes.
Sign up with Lens today and get started with our how-to guides. Need some convincing? Get in touch with our team to learn how Lens might be right for you.
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