Learn techniques to make your paintings come alive! This six-week workshop introduces you to materials, and explores how to lay a wash, mix colors, create textures and highlights, build glazes and design a palette. Materials not included.

Program Full - Registration closed.

SVT’s Director of Stewardship Laura Mattei presents on the long term habitat restoration work at Memorial Forest and the Desert Natural Area, a unique habitat that is home to several rare and endangered species. The pitch pine-scrub oak barrens habitat has been dwindling in the northeast, which threatens the plants and wildlife that depend on it. SVT has led the effort which has included a prescribed burn and selective cutting of the forest to rejuvenate the native plant species and restore balance to the conditions found here.  Co-sponsored by Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

Join us in the barn at Wolbach for a recap of our work from the past year and presentation of our Annual Awards to recognize excellence in conservation. Refreshments and social hour begin at 6:30; Meeting commences at 7:15 pm.

David Foster, Director of Harvard Forest, will deliver the keynote address on the Wildlands & Woodlands vision, which calls for a 50-year plan for saving 70% of New England as forest. 

Thank you to Middlesex Savings Bank, Roche Bros./Sudbury Farms, and Capital Group for sponsoring this year's annual meeting. 

Please "register" here so we can plan for food and seating. 

Painting of the Wolbach Barn by SVT member and volunteer Greg Dysart

Walk the trails and see the results of the various phases of the intense habitat restoration process that has been underway for the past few years. Visit the sandy desert and pitch pine-scrub oak barrens, while learning about the wildlife that depend on this habitat. No dogs, please.

Co-sponsored by Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

Cycle the backroads of Sudbury and Wayland with cyclist Dick Williamson, stopping to explore some of the quieter trails at local conservation areas. Beginning at Wolbach Farm, the first stop will be at Watertown Dairy/Black Cat Farm, followed by Upper Mill Brook in Wayland. After gazing across the pond at Hazel Brook and stopping at Schoolhouse Pond/ Castle, participants will make a final stop to hike to the picnic location at the top of Round Hill for lunch. This casual ride is open to riders of all ages and abilities including families with appropriate child carriers (seat or trailer).

Help us finish installing a new trail at gorgeous new conservation land Horse Meadows Knoll in Harvard! Activities may include cutting and removing vegetation from trails, hanging trail markers, and leveling the ground along trail with hand tools. No experience necessary and tools will be provided.

Harvard ecologist and SVT Board member Richard Forman will explain how rocks, cliffs, trees, flowers, moss, and wildlife provide fascinating clues about how a landscape was used in the past and also offer hints about how the land will look in the future. Walking with Richard Forman, who is regarded as the father of landscape ecology, is guaranteed to be interesting and informative! No dogs, please.

Imagine our region in the year 2050. What does the local landscape look like? What natural areas and farmland have been protected for people and wildlife? Which have been developed?  What can we do to influence this future? Lisa Vernegaard, SVT's Executive Director, will describe strategies for protecting and caring for natural areas in the coming decades, and how we can accelerate the pace of this work in our region.

Every fall a dozen species of hawks and falcons migrate through our area on their way to their southern wintering ranges. In this period these normally secretive birds rise above the treetops to take advantage of wind currents and so can be seen by alert observers. This video-based program shows how to identify these raptors in flight and includes recommendations for local hawk-watching sites and the weather conditions that provide for large flights. 

Join farmer Ember Fleming to tour the herb garden at Stearns Farm and learn about various herbs you can dry to use in the winter months or to make into your very own tea blends. Gather herbs and learn to dry and store them. Discuss what herbs to include in your tea based on personal preference and medicinal properties. Each participant will leave with fresh herbs to dry on their own as well as a tea blend that you will mix with previously dried herbs from the farm. 

Join us for a special chance to observe the fall hawk migration.  We'll select a location to have a full view of the sky and hope to see some of the thousands of hawks working their way south through our area. Bring your binoculars. 

Celebrate new conservation land in Harvard with trail walks to explore this gorgeous property.  From white birch stands to a vast reservoir, Horse Meadows Knoll is a diverse landscape of rocky outcrops and various elevations of plant life. No dogs, please.

Co-sponsored by Harvard Conservation Trust.

Curious about volunteering for SVT? Have you recently signed up as a volunteer? Learn more about our Fall Volunteer Orientation to learn about SVT's work and the many ways volunteers contribute to our success: 

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Property monitoring
• Trail maintenance
• Invasives control
• Community events
• Office support

Walk on the trails and paths of this conserved land, including both cultivated gardens and shady woodlands. This property is featured in “Sudbury Valley Trustees’ Trail Guide: Forty Walks West of Boston(Revised Edition)” available Fall 2018.

Visit one of the most scenic areas in Sudbury with owner, Carole Wolfe, and the Sudbury Historical Society. You will have the opportunity to view historic buildings, farm fields, stone walls, and Pantry Brook, and learn about the history of the farm and Sudbury.  No dogs, please.

Co-sponsored by Sudbury Historical Society.

The River Stewardship Council and its conservation partners are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 and the 20th anniversary of Congress designating 29 miles along the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers as Wild & Scenic.

Details coming in September!

Most of us appreciate trees for their aesthetic benefits, or for the shade they provide on a hot day. But there's more to know about the incredible extent of the impact trees have on our climate, our economy, and our psyches. This talk by SVT's Christa Collins, was inspired by Peter Wohlleben's "The Hidden Life of Trees." She will delve into the many reasons trees - in both urban, suburban and wilderness settings - are important for the well-being of our planet and our species. We'll also explore some of the fascinating strategies healthy trees and forests use to survive and thrive. 

Paddle this beautiful stretch of the river in the magical morning light. Led by SVT Volunteer Dave Witherbee. Participants must provide own kayak or canoe and PFDs.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to explore this lovely area brimming with glacial features, including Fort Rock, a massive split boulder. Walk this property and learn about more land conservation projects in the area.

Co-sponsored by the Littleton Conservation Trust. 

Gowing’s Swamp, which contains “Thoreau’s Bog,” is a rare habitat that was beloved and closely observed by Henry David Thoreau. In recent years, this special landscape has required significant intervention to save it from being overtaken by invasive species. Walk the trail surrounding the bog with SVT Director of Stewardship Laura Mattei and learn what makes this property unique and why it is important to protect and care for it.

Learn techniques to make your paintings come alive! This six-week workshop introduces you to materials, and explores how to lay a wash, mix colors, create textures and highlights, build glazes and design a palette. Materials not included.  

Join Bruce Porter, SVT Volunteer, Physicist, and Science Olympiad Coach for the Glaciers Competition, at SVT’s Gray Reservation and the Town of Sudbury Haynes Meadow Conservation Land. Learn about the geophysical events that shaped this land and see where the passage of glaciers left marks on this unique SVT property.

The Mount Pisgah complex of lands is a region including parts of Boylson, Berlin, Bolton, and Northborough. The land is wild, rural, and quiet, with few roads through the surrounding area. This walk will guide participants up a trail to a lovely overlook on land recently conserved by SVT and the Town of Berlin.

This lovely property with views of a vast heron rookery, is accessed through Town of Sudbury’s Landham Brook Marsh. This property is featured in “Sudbury Valley Trustees’ Trail Guide: Forty Walks West of Boston(Revised Edition)” available Fall 2018

A nature walk that explores the varied historical uses of the Smith property by examining the existing botany, stone walls, cart paths, rock formations, and other clues left behind. Past uses include agriculture, tree farms, a small quarry, and areas of woods relatively untouched (a not so common occurrence). 

Rob St. Germain, a volunteer steward for both SVT and the Ashland Town Forest Committee, leads a fascinating walk through this landscape whose known history includes both Native American and Salem Witch Trial references. Also learn about current forest management strategies for this lovely property. 

Learn more about the Bay Circuit Trail a 200-mile natural wonder that arcs around the city of Boston from Newburyport to Kingston. Creator Dan Brielmann hiked the trail in search of local environmental heroes and uses his journey to highlight issues of conservation in Massachusetts today. Dan and Marilyn Brielmann along with Alan French will be your guides in this multi-media presentation.  Free

Most of us appreciate trees for their aesthetic benefits, or for the shade they provide on a hot day. But there's more to know about the incredible extent of the impact trees have on our climate, our economy, and our psyches. This talk by SVT's Christa Collins, was inspired by Peter Wohlleben's "The Hidden Life of Trees." She will delve into the many reasons trees - in both urban, suburban and wilderness settings - are important for the well-being of our planet and our species. We'll also explore some of the fascinating strategies healthy trees and forests use to survive and thrive. 

Visit the newly conserved Great Oak Farm in Berlin and learn about the history of this local gem. While the land is still privately owned, there is a new perimeter trail open to the public. 

The tradition continues – now “opt-outside” on Black Friday! Join SVT Executive Director Lisa Vernegaard for a fast-paced walk the Friday after Thanksgiving. This is a moderately-paced walk over uneven terrain and which includes some short but moderately steep trail sections.  This is a special opportunity to connect with nature during the season of gratitude.

Walk the property of this current land protection project, rich in natural resources. The land includes frontage along Warren Brook, woodlands, and swampland. This project will preserve wildlife habitat and provide opportunities for trail development and public access to this beautiful property.

A true showcase of land stewardship and diverse habitat management. This property is featured in “Sudbury Valley Trustees’ Trail Guide: Forty Walks West of Boston(Revised Edition)” available Fall 2018.

Learn more about the birds who visit your backyard feeder and seasonal changes you can expect. Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary in Boylston provides excellent habitat for all types of birds, including hawks and owls. The presentation will be followed by an optional walk along the trails. This program will be led by Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary’s Ron McAdow and SVT’s Dan Stimson. Free.

View the winter solstice sunrise through the stone structures at Half Moon Meadow Brook, and hear the legends of their origins from leader George Krusen. The sunlight bores through the stones for a magnificent viewing. SVT members: Free, Non-members: $10