Town Forest Committee Prepares for Summer
The Town Forest Committee met on Tuesday to discuss their progress and plans for the upcoming months. The committee co-leaders, Joanne Hulbert and John Goeller, share a wealth of knowledge and passion for the history and integrity of Holliston’s land and its preservation.
Hulbert and Goeller bring expertise from researching and writing about Holliston’s history, and leading the Blackstone Valley New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) respectively.
The agenda of the meeting was concise as the two penciled in ideas for a nature walk in the fall, small scale bridge and trail projects for the boy scouts and the constant need for new warnings and awareness as violations continue to occur along town forest trails and beyond.
“Our concern is making sure people realize what we have. Walkers, bikers and dogs all love it” Hulbert stated in regards to the Town Forest. With much concern over intrusion on Native American and other sacred ground, it is important to attract locals in an ethical way.
“We built two bridges and added eighteen feet to another” Goeller proudly shared in regards to his latest success with the Boy Scouts. He hopes to tackle more projects during the summer months to make trails more accessible and safe.
The two continue their attempts to draw people in to attractions such as “Thumper Rock”, Holliston’s own “Grand Canyon” as well as countless rock and earth formations that go largely unnoticed or are intruded upon without knowledge of the historical significance.
Both shared accounts of “No Hunting” signs being taken down and numerous deer hunting tree stands being spotted on town land. Issues like this as well as bike trails unknowingly crossing through alleged Native burial grounds or other sacred ground have become the responsibility of Hulbert and Goeller, and both share great pull and authority to right these wrongs.
With such an abundance of history filled land and lesser known trails, Hulbert and Goeller insist that everyone should make Holliston their first priority when it comes to a day of hiking and enjoying the scenery and are fantastic resources for anyone looking for anything from a casual bike ride to a scavenger hunt for ancient rock piles.
I completely appreciate the efforts and improvements being made to our beautiful town land and I know it is all being done with the best intentions. I will also say though that the huge increase in thick threaded tires has eroded soil around rocks and that the installation of the narrow bridges over muddy areas while making it more pleasant for hikers and bikers has made it dangerous and at times impossible to pass on horseback as there is not enough space between the bridge and trees and the bridge is to narrow. In other cases there are bridges that allow safe passage over a gully but again the bridge is not wide enough for a horse to safely cross over. Now, I have also taken note that horses and riders were not mentioned in this article as trail users and so it seems they were never considered. I do hope that they can be considered in the future. ??
Karen Bell | 2017-06-13 08:26:45