Friends of Wachusett Mountain is a non-profit group dedicated to conservation,
environmental education and land stewardship at Wachusett Mountain.

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Accolades

The Department of Conservation and Recreation

October 25, 2008

Dear Friends of Wachusett Mountain,

Thank you for the opportunity to provide this letter of support. During the time that the Friends of Wachusett Mountain (FWM) has been forming, numerous cooperative actions that demonstrate the positive nature of the FWM have taken place.

The FWM has provided useful educational materials to the Reservation, as well as coordinated additional ecological research on the property. As a result of this assistance, we have been able to incorporate some of the results of the research conducted by FWM into our public education programs so that participants can learn about environmental issues and how they affect Wachusett Mountain State Reservation. In addition, through additional advertising of DCR's programs in the FWM website and email contacts, the public programs we co-sponsored have been successful in attracting participants of all ages.

FWM is to be commended and supported for their efforts and contribution to the community.

Sincerely,

Dwayne Ericson
Supervisor
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
345 Mountain Road, PO Box 248
Princeton, MA 01541

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Mount Wachusett Community College

September 19, 2008

Dear Friends of Wachusett Mountain,

The Friends of Wachusett Mountain (FWM) has provided opportunities for students at Mount Wachusett Community College in the Department of Natural Resources that were unique and rewarding for several of my students over the past 2 years. I have had 2 students in as many years fulfill our practicum experience working in conjunction with FWM. In our region there are not many opportunities for students to gain experience in field biology, data collection and analysis, and interpretation at the undergraduate level. There is also a lack of support for these types of programs for undergraduate students at many institutions. Through our partnership with FWM and their enthusiastic volunteers (some that are professional biologists), our students are able to gain meaningful and rewarding experiences. The current achievements include important quantified inventories of the local fauna and how their populations fluctuate over time. These data may be particularly important to monitor over the long term, especially as the climate fluctuates. Our students now have more experience to put on their resume, have made networking contacts through FWM, and have a sense of achievement. Pursuing additional funding to build upon the existing biological monitoring projects is a worthwhile endeavor that I will continue to support.

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Montagno, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Chair, Natural Resources Program
Mount Wachusett Community College
44 Green St.
Gardner, MA 01440

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Brandeis University

10 February, 2008

Dr. Robert H. Tamarin,
Dean of Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dear Dr. Tamarin,

I am writing to acknowledge the assistance provided to my students and me this past fall by the Friends of Wachusett Mountain. I had not visited the State Reservation before, only the ski slopes, but the Brandeis Mountain Club requested that I lead a hike through the Reservation and I agreed. I planned to scout the trails on my own a week or so ahead of time, but then I found the Friends website and was able to obtain an excellent trail map and directions. Even more importantly, when I wrote to the Friends group explaining the purpose of the outing, they promptly replied with detailed suggestions about logistics (parking, etc.), a manageable and interesting hiking route, and key natural history features to watch for on the way. This not only made it unnecessary for me to take an advance scouting trip, it certainly enhanced the educational value of our hike. We had a great time, and we are planning a return visit this spring.

On the subject of that return visit, Mr. Scott Smyers, a key volunteer with the Friends, has kindly offered to rendezvous with the group and to share his knowledge of the local herptofauna, especially the salamanders.

I understand from Mr. Smyers that UMASS Lowell has supported the Friends group with a grant for Public Outreach and Field Research Activities. Based on my (albeit brief) communications with the Friends group to date, but also on the useful website that they have created, it appears to me that these funds are being well spent. I hope the Friends of Wachusett can continue to find partners like you in their efforts to make that local gem of a mountain a vibrant classroom and laboratory for ecological education.

Sincerely,

Dr. Eric J. Olson, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Ecology
Program in Sustainable International Development
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA 02454-9110

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Special Thanks To

Please click the link above or check out our Friends of Friends page.

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Mailing address: Friends of Wachusett Mountain, P.O. Box 301, Princeton, MA 01541-0301.
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