Friends of Quabbin

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Friends of Quabbin Through educational, recreational and interpretive programs we help to protect and preserve the pristine natural beauty of the Quabbin Watershed.

We are a diverse group: educators, environmentalists, parents, hikers, people who once lived in the towns beneath these waters; we are people from all walks of life who recognize how special Quabbin is. The Friends of Quabbin, Inc., was formed in 1984 as a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of the unique natural and historical resources of the Quabbin Reservoir and Reservation. Through educational, recreational and interpretive programs we help to protect and preserve the pristine natural beauty and the water and environmental quality of Quabbin for future generations.

The first (annual?) Quabbin Days Photo Contest will take place October 2026!This is a chance to share what makes the Qua...
09/16/2026

The first (annual?) Quabbin Days Photo Contest will take place October 2026!

This is a chance to share what makes the Quabbin Region special and you can learn more about it at https://quabbindays.org/events-and-activities/quabbin-days-photo-contest-2/

NOTE: The link works now, not sure why it didn't before as a redirect. Also, if you had type the URL www.QuabbinDays.org/PhotoContest into your browser, that does work. Facebook, I guess, does not play well with redirects.

A link also exists on the page's dropdown menus under "Events"

Thursday October 15, 10am-12pmDCR ProgramUnderstanding Watershed Forestry-Ware River WatershedWatershed forestry project...
09/16/2026

Thursday October 15, 10am-12pm
DCR Program
Understanding Watershed Forestry-Ware River Watershed

Watershed forestry projects are designed to achieve specific goals that are dictated by specific forest conditions. Join DWSP foresters on a tour of several recently completed projects that achieved different specific goals and each added to DWSP’s goal of overall diversity for long term forest resilience.
Meet at the DCR Oakham Field Office at 536 Old Turnpike Rd, Oakham MA We will carpool to the sites from there.
Register here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/01a0103b355f7eb1971a1493c4e0876c

DCR ProgramSunday, October 11, 11am-2pm Exploring the Road to MillingtonThis 3-mile round trip hike will introduce you t...
09/14/2026

DCR Program

Sunday, October 11, 11am-2pm
Exploring the Road to Millington
This 3-mile round trip hike will introduce you to some of the residents of the lost village of Millington as you learn what daily life was like in the years leading up to the Quabbin Reservoir project. We will stop to see the Keystone Bridge along the way.
Please bring water and dress appropriately for the weather. All ages welcome.
Dogs are not allowed. Meet at Quabbin Gate 29 on Elm Street and Route 202, New Salem, MA 01355:
Register here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/01a02533bfba7bd2930d0f2ac9a2c69c

Our friends at the Swift River Valley Historical Society are asking people to take this survey to help them chart their ...
09/14/2026

Our friends at the Swift River Valley Historical Society are asking people to take this survey to help them chart their future...thanks so much!

Gravestone conservation and preservation continue at the historic Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Massachusetts. The prese...
09/02/2026

Gravestone conservation and preservation continue at the historic Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Massachusetts. The preservation effort on Wednesday & Saturday, August 26 & 29, 2026.

The focus of the team of Friends of Quabbin volunteers in the gravestone preservation is to reset leaning gravestones and to repair fallen fragmented marble gravestones. Numerous gravestones and monuments were also treated with Endurance Gravestone & Monument Cleaner. A hearty thanks to Friends of Quabbin members Bill Cote and Gene H. Theroux for thei preservation of these gravestones.

Prior to traveling to Quabbin Park Cemetery, DCR's Request to Clean Gravestone was completed for each gravestone scheduled for preservation. It is critical to follow DCR's protocol prior to touching any gravestones at Quabbin Park Cemetery: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/aacee46038fc47f0a989c881db074003?portalUrl=https://Mass-EOEEA.maps.arcgis.com

The completed work is documented into a database to include the treatment and completion date. The completion date for the preservation helps establish a baseline for the recurring requirement to treat the gravestone with D/2 Biological Solution or Endurance Gravestone & Monumet Cleaner due to the growth of algae, lichens or other biological growth. Gravestones near shrubery and trees will require a more frequent application that those in direct sun.

It is important to note that there were once thirty-four cemeteries in the Swift River Valley, where remains were disinterred and the associated gravestones, markers, and family monuments relocated to newly constructed Quabbin Park Cemetery beginning in 1929.
The Friends of Quabbin has been an advocate for the preservation of Quabbin Park Cemetery. The Friends of Quabbin is a support organization for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Quabbin. To learn more of the Friends of Quabbin, visit: www.foquabbin.org. To learn more of Quabbin Park Cemetery, visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/quabbin-park-cemetery

The Friends of Quabbin has been an advocate for the preservation of Quabbin Park Cemetery. The Friends of Quabbin is a support organization for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Quabbin. To learn more of the Friends of Quabbin, visit: www.foquabbin.org. To learn more of Quabbin Park Cemetery, visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/quabbin-park-cemetery

Gravestone conservation and preservation at historic Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 19,...
08/24/2026

Gravestone conservation and preservation at historic Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

A team of volunteers from the Friends of Quabbin that included members Bob Howe, Bill Cote, and President Gene Theroux met at Quabbin Park Cemetery and began conservation of four snapped marble tablets, one marble gravestone (tablet on a base that the corrosive metal pins and of the monument leaning resulted in the tablet to be broken in several pieces and some of the mass to be missing, and the preservation of two leaning direct buried marble tablets. We had a first-time gravestone preservation volunteer (Mikayla Tavilla) that traveled from Springfield to participate. Mikayla accomplished a superb job and contributed significantly.

Prior to traveling to Quabbin Park Cemetery, DCR's Request to Clean Gravestone was completed for each gravestone scheduled for preservation. It is critical to follow DCR's protocol prior to touching any gravestones at Quabbin Park Cemetery: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/aacee46038fc47f0a989c881db074003?portalUrl=https://Mass-EOEEA.maps.arcgis.com

There were once thirty-four cemeteries in the Swift River Valley, where remains were disinterned and associated gravestones, markers, and family monuments relocated to newly constructed Quabbin Park Cemetery beginning in 1929.

The Friends of Quabbin has been an advocate for the preservation of Quabbin Park Cemetery. The Friends of Quabbin is a support organization for the Massachusetts Department of Conservaton & Recreation Quabbin. To learn more of the Friends of Quabbin, visit: www.foquabbin.org. To learn more of Quabbin Park Cemetery, visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/quabbin-park-cemetery

UMass Professor to Present Public Program "Understanding Drought and Water Supplies" Thursday, August 206:30 pmBelcherto...
08/12/2026

UMass Professor to Present Public Program "Understanding Drought and Water Supplies"

Thursday, August 20
6:30 pm
Belchertown Town Hall Auditorium

As drought conditions become an increasingly familiar part of life in Massachusetts, residents will have an opportunity to learn more about how drought develops, how it affects local water supplies, and what the future may hold during a free public presentation on Thursday, August 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Belchertown Town Hall Auditorium hosted by the Belchertown Conservation Department.

The program, “Understanding Drought and Water Supplies” will be presented by Professor Konstantinos (Kostas) Andreadis of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, whose research focuses on hydrology, water resources, drought, and climate impacts.

Designed for homeowners, residents, and anyone interested in understanding where their water comes from, the presentation will explain the science behind drought in clear, practical terms. Topics will include how Massachusetts defines the different stages of drought, why droughts have become more frequent in recent years, and what scientists expect as the climate continues to change.

Quabbin at 100% in better days and what it looks like today, over 10 feet down from full capacity.

CANCELLED due to weatherMonarch Monitoring Blitz Monday, August 3, 2026, 9 am – 11 am DCR Water Supply Protection will ...
07/14/2026

CANCELLED due to weather

Monarch Monitoring Blitz

Monday, August 3, 2026, 9 am – 11 am

DCR Water Supply Protection will once again be participating in the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz, and we need your help! Celebrating its 10th year, the blitz is a collaborated effort across North America to survey Monarch butterfly populations at all stages and in as many locations as possible, creating valuable data for scientists working on conservation.
Monarch Blitz celebrates its 10th year,… • Monarch Joint Venture
This simple citizen science project involves nothing more than standing in a field of milkweed and counting how many Monarch butterflies, larvae and eggs are found on each plant. No experience necessary! Be advised the blitz will be in full sun and tall grass/plants, so both heat and ticks are a concern. Participants will be emailed the exact location closer to the event depending on milkweed populations. If you would like to participate, please register at: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019f5c12ad73723980f8c0eaa76a7a90

Saturday, July 11, 11am-1pmHidden History: Webster Road Trail Meet at Hanks Meadow parking lot: Quabbin Park -Hanks M...
06/30/2026

Saturday, July 11, 11am-1pm
Hidden History: Webster Road Trail
Meet at Hanks Meadow parking lot: Quabbin Park -Hanks Meadow
Relatively flat terrain, approx. 2.5 miles round-trip
Quabbin’s ghost towns are hiding in plain sight – if you know where to look. This two-hour guided interpretive walk will teach you how to read the natural landscape as you uncover clues that reveal the hidden history of Webster Road. Explore old cellar holes and historic stone walls, get to know some native and invasive plants, and learn more about the families who lived in the town of Enfield a hundred years ago. Please bring water and Dress appropriately for the weather. Please wear appropriate footwear and protect yourself against ticks. All ages welcome. Dogs are not allowed. Register here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019ef565996571f49aed4ad0cb522f94

Address

485 Ware Road
Belchertown, MA
01007

Telephone

(413) 323-7221

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