Fells Lecture Series – Upcoming Events

Tuesday, March 16 7:30pm to 9:00pm                                      Vernal Pools: Natural History and Fells Inventory

Matt Burne  of the Vernal Pool Association, will tell us about vernal pools, and their critical role in woodland ecology. Matt will discuss vernal pool abundance in the Middlesex Fells Reservation and how volunteers can help locate and certify these important Fells natural resources.  See http://www.vernalpool.org/ for more details on the Vernal Pool Association.

Tuesday, March 23 7:30pm to 9:00pm
A Year in the Life of a Beehive and its Beekeeper

Birgit deWeerd will give a slide show presentation depicting activities in and around a beehive from January to the fall’s honey harvest with special emphasis on flowers and blossoms attractive to bees.       (http://web.me.com/deweerdbeeproducts/)
  All lectures take place at Breakheart Reservation.

With thanks to the staff of the Department of Conservation and Recreation for their help and support for the Fells Lecture Series!

Babes in the Woods stroll at Bellevue Pond

         

Craig Jackson Fells Pinnacle Rock Hawk Watch Report

Late October is when Red-tailed hawks begin migrating past Pinnacle Rock and there may still be some Sharp-shinned hawks coming through.

We're only up to 160 birds this year, after several weekends of disappointing flight conditions when we generally get our biggest numbers.

To find Pinnacle Rock: Park at the Fellsway East parking area near gate 53 and cross the road.  The quickest access is via the first fire road on the right to the Rock Circuit Trail cut-off to Pinnacle Rock.  If you are not familiar with the area, there's a trail map in the bulletin board at the parking area.


Red Tailed Hawk                          Keith Wedoe photo




   Photos: Mike Ryan

Babes in the Woods

Are you home on mornings with young children? Come for a walk in the woods with Friends of the Middlesex Fells hike leader Terry Murray. The walks are from 10:00am to 11:30am. Rain cancels.

Drop-in format, no pre-registration, free. Scroll down for schedule.

Babes in the Woods is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Middlesex Fells, Medford Family Network, the North Suburban Family Network, the Malden/Evertt Family Network, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. 

For information call Friends of the Fells at 781.662.2340       

The Middlesex Fells is more than 2,500 acres of beautiful protected woods full of hiking trails, ponds, and wildlife. -

Traditional Babes in the Woods - Tuesday walks - are accessible to children in backpacks, jogging strollers, and on foot - if they like to walk for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Adventure Babes take place every other Thursday and are tailored for preschoolers, so look forward to more adventure and exploration than Tuesday walks. Accordingly, strollers are not recommended on Adventure Thursdays.

Aerobic Babes take place on alternate Thursdays to Terry’s Adventure program. These fast-paced walks are meant as a chance for caregivers to get exercise while spending some quality-time with their children and adult companions. All routes will be chosen to accommodate jogging strollers and backpacks. Young walkers are not recommended.

Infants and toddlers, preschoolers, kids of all ages are welcome at all Babes in the Woods events! Bring snacks and drinks, and dress for the weather — some trails may be muddy in spots. Our walks are cancelled only if it is raining or snowing. No dogs, please.

Babes in the Woods schedule

Policy Statement - Mountain Biking in the Fells Reservation

The Middlesex Fells Reservation was created in 1894 and since that time has served as conservation land with its unique natural features, while also offering recreational opportunities to the area’s residents that are in synch with this commitment to conservation. Mountain bikers were first permitted access to the Fells in the early 1990’s, almost 100 years after the creation of the Fells Reservation, and are among the many groups that now enjoy using the Middlesex Fells for recreation. Currently bikers have approximately 35 miles of legally permitted access in the Fells, which allows for biking throughout all parts of the reservation. In order to balance the needs of all users of the Fells, as well as the critical need to ensure the preservation of the Fells irreplaceable natural environment, it is essential that mountain bikers abide by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) regulations for biking, including regulations that permit riding only on fire roads and the designated mountain bike loop (see full list of DCR biking regulations below).

When bike use was authorized by the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC - the predecessor agency to the DCR) in the early 1990’s, it was based on two conditions: effective Fells Ranger enforcement of regulations to restrict bike riding to the thirty five miles of Fells trails and fire roads, and compliance with the rules by bikers. (This authorization was to be reviewed after one year, a review that has never been performed.)

Many members of the Friends of the Fells are mountain bikers, and the Friends recognizes that many mountain bikers abide by the rules for bike use. At the same time an ongoing challenge within the Fells has been mountain biking outside of the permitted areas, including biking on existing hiking trails, as well as use of  “off road” illegal trails by bikers that are not authorized for any use, causing major damage to the environment.  Biking at night and during the off-season are also significant problems.

Over the years, biking advocates have asked for modifications of existing biking regulations. Several years ago MDC/DCR put in place a process to ensure such requests undergo proper review, whereby DCR facilitates an open and full review of these requests, that includes biking advocates and the Friends of the Fells as representative of all users of the Fells. This process ensures openness and transparency of any efforts to make changes in the trail configuration and use of the Fells, and when necessary, input by technical experts. The Friends and bike advocates act strictly in an advisory capacity, with DCR making the ultimate decision regarding trail modifications. An example of the success of such an effort occurred a few years ago when the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) requested rerouting of an existing trail. Input of the Friends assured that the rerouting of the trail did not impact any rare forms of plant life, and the rerouting of the trail moved forward.

The ongoing position of the Friends of the Fells has been that it endorses use of the Fells Reservation by mountain bikers in the currently permitted areas, but that before any expansion of use can be considered, the original conditions set forth when bikes were allowed into the Fells in the early 1990’s must be met – enforcement and compliance with the regulations for bike use in the Fells. Additionally, any significant change in current trail use and configuration in the Fells should not be undertaken, until completion of a comprehensive Resource Management Plan for the Fells as required by M.G.L. Chapter 21: Section 2F

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/rmp/index.htm

While biking groups request in their publicity materials that bikers abide by all regulations, this clearly is insufficient. The Friends of the Fells would welcome the opportunity to discuss with DCR and bike advocates mechanisms for ensuring that all mountain bikers abide by the regulations established to protect the natural, cultural and recreational resources of the Fells Reservation. 

DCR Middlesex Fells Biking Regulations

1) All fire roads are open to biking
2) All single track marked hiking trails are closed to biking, unless designated as the Mountain Bike Loop  

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/maps/fellsmtb.gif                                                      

3) Off –trail riding is prohibited
4) Bicyclists MUST yield to hikers and equestrians
5) Night biking is prohibited
6) No Biking from January 1st to April 15th
7) Groups of more than six riders require a permit
8) Competitive or reckless riding is prohibited

Enjoy nature, don't destroy it.

For over one hundred years the Fells had been a protected conservation area enjoyed by lovers of nature. Today its varied terrain, flora and fauna are being damaged and in some cases destroyed by some irresponsible mountain bikers who ride without regard for DCR regulations.

        
             Illegal trail riding on Rock Circuit trail 

You can help solve this problem by setting an example for other mountain bikers. Respect signs, and remember that regulations permit riding on shared hiking/biking trails in the mountain bike loop and miles of fire roads, but mountain biking is not allowed on single track hiking trails in any other section in the Fells. And absolutely no off-trail riding.

Don't become part of the problem; be part of the solution!