Get to Know Your Backyard: Reading’s Conservation and Open Lands

I will work will the Conservation and Trails Committee and the Reading Open Land Trust (ROLT). Together we will clear and blaze a more visible entrance trail to the Town Forest. This trail will allow the public to access another section of Town Forest. In addition, I will publish a guide about the lands in Reading called the Reading Open Lands Guide. This guide will allow the public to easily access information and trails maps of Reading conservation lands and open lands. In addition, I will hold workshops for groups (Boy/ Girl Scout troops, Church members, High School Community Service clubs) to promote the Trail Adopter program. My target audience will be the general public, especially nature lovers and families with children. The first part of my project is to clear an entry trail into the Town Forest in the northeastern section of the conservation land. This trail will hopefully provide a more noticeable and accessible entrance to the conservation land. The Trails Committee supports my project and will help me execute it since they specialize in managing trails. I still need permission from the Conservation Committee and the Town. The volunteers to clear and blaze will come from the Environmental Club at school, Reading Memorial High School students, members from both Committees and ROLT, and the public. The Department of Public Works will also help in leveling the ground before the entrance to make it accessible to all. The actual trail clearing and blazing will take approximately two days. We will start in late November and/or early June. To thank the volunteers I will have bagels, munchkins, and pizza. Furthermore, I will approach REI to ask them about donating a little thank you gift to all the volunteers. Finally, I will make a sign for the entrance into the Town Forest. The second part of my project is to design, print and distribute the Reading Open Lands Guide. The guide will cover both Conservation lands and Open lands, owned by the Town of Reading. My Mom will guide me in designing the guide since she has experience in this area. The Trails Committee will also help with the design. Furthermore, the Trails and Conservation Committees, ROLT and Trail Adopters will help write the trail descriptions for each land. The book will include a table of contents, map of Reading, land information including a map of each open land in Reading. Once I have printed the guide, I will distribute it at popular fairs in my town, Friends and Family Day and the Reading Town Fair. I'm planning to give out the book at several fairs and ask for a donation towards Open Lands in Reading. Additionally, I would make a PDF of the Reading Open Lands Guide and put it on the town website for all to access. Finally, I will donate several guides to the Reading Public Library and School Libraries across town. The last part of my project is to promote and educate the people of Reading about their Conservation and Open Lands and the Trail Adopter Program through workshops. These workshops will be held at Camp Rice Moody, the Girl Scout Camp in Reading. At the presentations a guest speaker from the Trails or Conservation Committee will give insight about the history of Reading's lands and will discuss the trail adopter program.