Westborough Community Land Trust (WCLT)

11/02/2026

LAST CALL FOR CALENDAR PRE-ORDERS
https://www.wrightpixphotogifts.com/shopandorderprints...

Calendars are great gifts for nature and bird lovers. All original photos taken by Nancy Szostak Wright, many in Westborough.

Holiday gift.
Teacher gift.
Client gift.
Yankee Swap gift.
Thank you gift.
Hostess gift.

***I'm placing the order tomorrow 11/3 (VOTE FOR NATURE!) to ensure early December deliveries.***

There are four to choose from:
~birds desktop calendar
~flowers desktop calendar
~birds wall calendar
~owls wall calendar

I had made a wall calendar of only owls for myself last year and decided to offer it to everyone because I just LOVE it. 🦉

People love these calendars. Last year I sold the most ever. I'm hoping you'll share the link with all your nature-loving friends or family.

🎁This is one of those gifts that definitely won't be a duplicate or blah gift!

https://www.wrightpixphotogifts.com/shopandorderprints?category=CALENDARS

11/01/2026

In NOVEMBER, creatures disappear from our above-ground environment. Who’s missing? With colder temperatures, cold-blooded animals – amphibians & reptiles – start sheltering underground, deep underwater, or under leaf litter. Frogs, toads, & salamanders are gone. So are snakes & turtles, & many outdoor insects (but NOT ticks!) Warm-blooded chipmunks & black bears vanish. Yet we can watch for migrating birds & ducks, resident wild turkeys & hawks, beavers, foxes, coyotes, deer, & more. Check https://westboroughlandtrust.org/nn/nnindex?order=month

10/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19fGVTwzvV/

Three tick species are still active in October, and each one peaks in a different kind of weather.

The blacklegged tick is the one behind most tick-borne illness in the East, and its adults are busiest on cool days — the kind that feel too chilly for bugs. October and November are its peak months, not July.

The American dog tick keeps questing until the first hard, sustained freeze. In most of the East, that hasn't happened yet.

The lone star tick, the one linked to the red-meat allergy, has adults out through November across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

The reason most people stop checking for ticks in October is the same reason October is a bad month to stop: it feels too cold for bugs.

It isn't.

🍂 The tick check after yard work, leaf raking, and dog walks runs through Thanksgiving, not Labor Day.

10/20/2026

Depres Conservation Area is looking beautiful. You can access trails on Eli Whitney by the Fales School crosswalk or via a hard-to-find trail on Fay Mountain Rd.

10/15/2026

Read about ginkgo trees in the latest Nature Notes article:
https://westboroughlandtrust.org/nn/nn344

10/08/2026

It's hunting season. Wear blaze orange any time you go into the woods. Take notice of the fact that MA has extended the hunting season to start earlier and end later.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19cejAnaxb/

To protect forest understories and healthy habitats, the most effective tool is to reduce the female deer population. For this reason, we grant permits to a limited number of hunters on a few SVT properties. All SVT properties remain open to the public during hunting season, and we post warnings on all trails that access the hunting areas.

Remember to wear blaze orange if you walk the trails.

To learn more about our deer hunting policies, and for a list of SVT properties where we allow hunting, visit svtweb.org/deerhunting.

10/01/2026

OCTOBER is looking like a good month for spotting mushrooms in local woods and fields, thanks to recent soaking rains. Also note beautiful foliage, and birds – robins, bluebirds, starlings, yellow rumped warblers, mockingbirds & more – plucking wild berries from shrubs & trees. Green darner dragonflies are migrating, and bees & a few butterflies are still around.
https://westboroughlandtrust.org/nn/nnindex?order=month

09/24/2026

NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FOR DUE TO PREDICTED RAIN THIS WEEKEND:

Sunday, October 4, 2026, 1:30-3:00 pm
Gilmore Pond Sensory Trail Grand Opening
Join WCLT in celebrating the completion of the All-Persons Sensory Nature Trail at the Gilmore Pond Woodland Park. We have undertaken a multiyear project to make the trail around Gilmore Pond accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.

Come see the result of that effort: A trail that can be enjoyed by the visually impaired as well as those with limited mobility, which now includes multiple stations with audio content dedicated to the history and nature of the surroundings.

Local and State officials are expected for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by guided tours of the trail showcasing its features and discussing the local flora and fauna.

Meet at the Gilmore Pond Trail Entrance, GPS address approximately 19 Quick Farm Rd. Westborough. Please park on only one side of the road, and respect the neighbors.

Free and open to the public.

Trail map: https://westboroughlandtrust.org/maps/UJ

Before leaving check https://westboroughlandtrust.org/ for cancellations.

For questions contact: [email protected]

09/21/2026

EDITED: NOTE CHANGE OF DATE DUE TO PREDICTED RAIN

On Sunday, October 4, at 1:30, join the Westborough Community Land Trust in celebrating the completion of the All-Persons Sensory Nature Trail at the Gilmore Pond Woodland Park. We have undertaken a multiyear project to make the trail around Gilmore Pond accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. Come see the result of that effort: A trail that can be enjoyed by the visually impaired as well as those with limited mobility, which now includes multiple stations with audio content. Local and State officials are expected for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by guided tours of the trail showcasing its features and discussing the local flora, fauna and history. Meet at the Gilmore Pond Trail Entrance, GPS address approximately 19 Quick Farm Rd. Westborough. Please park on only one side of the road, and respect the neighbors. Free and open to the public.
Trail map: https://westboroughlandtrust.org/maps/UJ
Before leaving check https://westboroughlandtrust.org/ for cancellations.
For questions contact: [email protected]

09/16/2026

You might see blue vervain growing in sunny damp places. Read about blue vervain in the latest Nature Notes article:

Do you think of September as late summer or early fall? Either way, wildflower season is not yet over. It’s a good time to spot wildflowers that you might not have noticed recently, such as our native blue vervain (Verbena hastata), a wildflower of moist areas. Following a summer with regular rain...