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"At the end of winter, there is a season in which we are daily expecting spring, and finally a day when it arrives." — Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 8 March 1853 |
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Walden Woods, Photo by Scot Miller |
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Dear Friends, As the days get longer, the trees leaf out, and the songbirds herald the arrival of spring, The Walden Woods Project is gearing up for an eventful time of year.
Planting season has begun at The Walden Woods Project Farm in Concord. It is not too late to sign up for our farm CSA, which offers weekly pick up - or delivery if you live in Concord or Lincoln - of fresh, locally grown organic produce. For more information on the farm and the CSA, go to www.walden.org/csa.
Spring is our busiest season for welcoming visiting school groups from MA and beyond. Our education programs for students and teachers, as well as our virtual and in-person lectures, grow in popularity every year. This fall, at The Walden Woods Project’s headquarters, we will be holding our first in-person lecture since the start of the pandemic! Land conservation in historic Walden Woods continues to be a major focus of our organization. We hope to have some exciting news about a new land purchase that we will share with you in our summer newsletter.
Along with our mission-driven objectives relating to conservation, education and research, we are leaders in advocating for the protection of Walden Pond/Walden Woods and for the global environment. A serious threat to Walden and to our collective efforts to address climate change has emerged. A proposal has been put forth to drastically expand luxury, private jet infrastructure at an airport located only 2.5 miles from Walden Pond. We hope you will join us in opposing this expansion by signing a petition described below.
As always, we are profoundly grateful for your friendship and support. Best wishes, |
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Kathi Anderson Executive Director |
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Help us Stop a Threat to Walden Pond and Walden Woods |
Aerial Image of Walden Woods and Nearby Hanscom Field, Photo by Scot Miller |
Please join us in protecting the historic and environmental integrity of Walden Pond and Walden Woods by signing a petition to MA Governor Maura Healey urging her to oppose the proposed expansion of Hanscom Field airport that serves non-commercial, private aircraft. The petition has already garnered over 2,000 signatures.
Click here to sign the petition: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-Hanscom-jet-expansion (Note: After signing, you can close out of the donation page that comes up. Donations go to iPetitions, not to this cause or The Walden Woods Project.) Walden would be impacted with increased noise and air pollution if the airport is expanded to serve more luxury, private jet aircraft – one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions/climate change.
The Hanscom runway is only 2.5 miles from Walden Pond. The Walden Woods Project has joined with other historic preservation and environmental organizations, with local governmental agencies and elected officials, with climate action organizations, and with many others in opposing this ill-advised plan. The Hanscom expansion would single-handedly undercut the total combined greenhouse gas reductions that Massachusetts is working diligently to achieve. For this reason alone, it should not be allowed to go forward at Hanscom - or at any other airport. The proposed development would: add nearly 500,000 sf of hangar space for 27 private jet hangars on 49 acres; triple the private jet capacity at Hanscom; impact 35 Environmental Justice populations within a 5-mile radius; add 23.9 acres of impervious paving; clear-cut mature trees (mature trees are a highly efficient sequester of carbon); represent the largest single development in Hanscom’s history.
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Get Involved with
The Walden Woods Project Farm this Summer |
The Walden Woods Project Farm, Photo by The Walden Woods Project |
Join The Walden Woods Project Farm CSA
There are limited shares available for The Walden Woods Project’s 2023 CSA, which runs for 16 weeks and offers customers shares of our own organically grown vegetables. Customers can purchase a full share of organic produce for $756 ($47.25 per week), or a half share for $504 ($31.50 a week). We will continue offering delivery to our CSA customers in Concord and Lincoln for $10 a week. Due to our limited staff, we can only offer delivery to these two towns at this time.
One of our 2022 CSA participants wrote, "The Walden Woods Project was my first CSA and it was great from start to finish — value, product, communication, staff, and pick-up location. It exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to sign up for next year."
Our USDA certified organic farm is located on Route 2 eastbound near the intersection of Sudbury Road in Concord, MA. Our farm stand will be open to all customers in July to purchase fresh, organic produce, fruits, baked goods, local honey, jams, and more. We are looking forward to seeing you this summer! |
Become a Friend of the Farm
We also offer farm membership opportunities through our Friends of the Farm program, which directly supports the farm through an annual membership fee of $50. Members will enjoy the following special benefits: *A 10% discount on all inventory at our seasonal farm stand;
*An e-newsletter with information on sales and promotions; *Early access to information about The Walden Woods Project’s programs and events;
*A private tour of The Farm with a complimentary produce sample. |
The Walden Woods Project Announces Winners of the Live Deliberately Essay Contest |
Walden Pond State Reservation, Photo by Little and Luther |
Earlier this month, The Walden Woods Project announced the winners of the 2022-2023 Live Deliberately Essay Contest.
The contest, offered annually since 2010, invites youth ages 14-19 from around the globe to respond creatively and thoughtfully to a selected quotation from Henry David Thoreau— reflecting on the ways in which Thoreau’s words are still relevant today. This year, we received over 1,000 submissions, coming from all 50 states and 10 countries! Winners in each age category were awarded a $500 cash prize and an annotated copy of Walden, signed by the book’s editor, Jeffrey S. Cramer, The Walden Woods Project’s Curator of Collections and resident Thoreau scholar. The essays were reviewed by volunteers comprised of educators from a wide range of disciplines and settings, as well as writing and publishing professionals. Final decisions were made by the Essay Contest Advisory Board: Abdullateef Abdul, Julie Bastedo, Jeffrey Cramer, Lindsay Dent, Ellen Resnek, Sarah Walker, and Christie Wyman. The prize in the 14-16 age group was awarded to Arooba Khan of Houston, Texas. The prize in the 17-19 age group was awarded to Skye Kletz of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Finalists included: Adriana Behl, Evelyn Duval, Lucy Moran, William Palumbo, Isaura Rolón, Kate Bright, Amanda Feldmann, Elena Hook, Kate-Yeonjae Jeong, Anna Kerr, Ashley Stirpe, and Alice Wang.
Read the winning essays on our website: https://www.walden.org/education/essay-contest/ |
The Walden Woods Project Partners with WorldCat.org to Celebrate Earth Day |
In honor of Earth day, The Walden Woods Project collaborated with WorldCat.org to showcase sustainability and conservation resources. Thoreau believed that the path to a greater appreciation for our life on earth is through an understanding of the natural world around us and of which we are a part. We enjoyed working with WorldCat.org to highlight historic and current resources that shine a spotlight on the struggle to protect the natural world. While Earth Day 2023 has passed, we hope you will take a minute to view this list and read some of the resources it features.
View our resource list on WorldCat.org here. |
The Walden Woods Project Receives Generous Grant Support |
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We are pleased to share the news that The Walden Woods Project has received generous grant support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Foundation for MetroWest.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency that promotes excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences, fosters a rich cultural life for all Massachusetts residents, and contributes to the vitality of our communities and economy. We are honored to be a recipient of $75,000 in funding from the Council's Cultural Sector Recovery grant, allowing us to further preserve Thoreau's legacy through our conservation, research, and education initiatives.
We also received a $6,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation's Partnership Matching Funds Program to assist with tree planting at Walden Pond State Reservation. The Walden Woods Project is the official “Friends of Walden Pond” group, as designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Friends of Walden Pond partners with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to support programs and stewardship projects at the Walden Pond State Reservation. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we raised sufficient funds to qualify for this matching grant from DCR.
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The Foundation for MetroWest is a community foundation that improves the quality of life in 30+ MetroWest communities. Since 1995, the Foundation has been providing financial and educational resources to local nonprofit organizations, sharing essential data about the region to inform decisions, and partnering with donors to help guide and align their giving with the areas of greatest need in the community. Currently, the Foundation stewards more than $30 million in charitable assets for immediate needs and future impact. We deeply appreciate the $5,000 in funding we received from the Foundation for MetroWest that will further our impact in the MetroWest region through our school group visits, conservation lands, library, and in our support for Walden Pond State Reservation.
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Apply for The Walden Woods Project's Transportation/Program Support |
School Group at Walden Pond State Reservation, Photo by The Walden Woods Project |
We are inviting school groups to participate in our Transportation/Program Support! The Walden Woods Project provides funds for school bus transportation and program support for selected middle or high school groups up to 35 students, who participate in one of our place-based programs: A Walk at the Pond; Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill; or Faith in a Seed (farm program/service project). Our intent is to assist schools that have limited transportation and/or program support for field trips. To learn more we encourage you to visit our website.
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Upcoming Event at
Walden Pond State Reservation |
MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)/Friends of Walden Pond – upcoming event at Walden Pond: Walking in Thoreau's Footsteps: Birding with Expert Peter Alden Saturday, May 13, 8:00 - 10:00 am EST Location: Walden Pond State Reservation About the Event:
Join world-renowned naturalist Peter Alden for a bird walk at Walden Pond. Alden is the author of numerous wildlife books including the Audubon Society Regional Field Guide series. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Wear walking shoes, hat, and insect repellent. Bring binoculars and water. Meet on the deck of the Walden Pond Visitor Center. Co- sponsored by the Friends of Walden Pond. This event is free and open to the public. WPSR Parking fees: $8 MA resident; $30 non-MA resident. |
Ways to Support The Walden Woods Project |
Planned Giving:
There are several options to consider when making a legacy gift to The Walden Woods Project. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to find the alternative that best aligns with your objectives. Planned gifts may include cash bequests or estate gifts (e.g., real and personal property, retirement accounts, life insurance). By including The Walden Woods Project in your estate, you will help us preserve historic Walden Woods and keep Thoreau’s legacy alive through environmental education. Learn more about Legacy Giving at www.walden.org/plannedgiving/.
Recurring Donations:
You can make recurring donations on our donation page. By changing the frequency of your donation, you can make automated donations on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Set up a recurring donation on our donation page.
Donor Advised Funds:
Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) enable donors to direct tax-deductible funds to nonprofit organizations. You can designate The Walden Woods Project as a beneficiary of your DAF. Once you have established a DAF, you can recommend a grant through the fund to The Walden Woods Project. Learn more about DAF at www.walden.org/waystogive/.
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ABOUT US...
The Walden Woods Project is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the land, literature, and legacy of Henry David Thoreau through conservation, education, research and advocacy. The Project uses the land it has protected in Walden Woods to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship and social responsibility, both cornerstones of Thoreau's philosophy. We invite you to contact us at (781) 259-4700 or send us an e-mail using our Contact Form.
Please consider supporting our mission. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Thank you! The Walden Woods Project 44 Baker Farm Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773-3004 |
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