Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will mark its new inclusion as part of the Bay Circuit Trail (BCT) with a ribbon-cutting celebration on Saturday, July 15 at 12:30 p.m. and a volunteer work day.
A section of an existing Drumlin Farm trail will become part of the 230-mile BCT greenway, which arcs through 37 communities in eastern Massachusetts along hiking, biking, and paddling routes linking Plum Island to the north and Kingston Bay to the south. Signage and distinctive trail markers will indicate where the trail passes through the wildlife sanctuary. Drumlin Farm now joins Mass Audubon’s Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon and Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport as conserved greenspaces that are part of the BCT.
The Bay Circuit Trail’s origins date to 1929 with a proposal for a protected greenbelt through the expanding metropolitan area based on concepts reflected in landscape visionary Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Boston. After some initial progress, the ambitious conservation initiative ground to a halt for lack of funds and in the face of explosive development.
The long-dormant project regained momentum in the 1980s, spurred by conservationists, trails advocates, and the state’s environmental agencies. By 1990, the Bay Circuit Alliance had been formed. That group now includes hundreds of volunteers and numerous local, statewide, and regional organizations, including Mass Audubon and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), which serves as the BCT’s administrative and stewardship manager.
Local management of the Bay Circuit Trail is typically the responsibility of the communities it passes through. In Lincoln’s case, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust oversees stewardship, although Mass Audubon will continue to care for the section of the trail passing through the sanctuary.
As part of the day’s events, the AMC, in collaboration with local BCT partners, will lead a day-long Bay Circuit volunteer work event starting at 9 a.m. to support the new trail section and local conservation lands. To sign up for the volunteer event, contact AMC/Bay Circuit Trail Volunteer Program Supervisor Beth Gula at bgula@outdoors.org or visit www.baycircuit.org/events for more information.
“With the Bay Circuit Trail now passing through Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, both sanctuary visitors and BCT ‘through-hikers’ will be able to enjoy enhanced outdoors experiences,” Mass Audubon President Gary Clayton said. “As a conservation organization committed to helping people connect with nature, we appreciate how the Bay Circuit supports that same important goal, and we are particularly happy to partner with the Bay Circuit Alliance and the Appalachian Mountain Club in this valuable work.”
“We are excited to celebrate this significant milestone for the Bay Circuit Trail in partnership with Mass Audubon and the Bay Circuit Alliance,” said John Judge, Appalachian Mountain Club President and CEO. “The sanctuary greatly enhances this section of the trail for the enjoyment of all who pass through by allowing it to be rerouted off-road to a protected conservation area in close proximity to numerous historic landmarks, including Drumlin Farm, the Codman Estate, and the Gropius House.”