Sixteen volunteers, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Freetown State Forest Supervisor Glenn Williams and one seasonal employee met on August 8, 2015 in the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve (SMB) in Fall River to work on removing an illegal off-highway-vehicle (OHV) trail that is not part of DCR's official trail system . Organized by Everett Castro of Green Futures, the work party over-sprayed illegal trail blaze marks with neutral "bark" colors, raked out sections of the illegal trail, and rebuilt three sections of historic stone walls that vandals had breached. On leaving the forest after completing the task, the group was treated to the wind whispering through the pines. "I don't know if everyone heard it, but I heard a large white pine whisper 'Thank you!'", stated Castro. The mission of the SMB is to protect, restore and enhance the biological diversity and ecological integrity of a large-scale ecosystem with diverse natural communities representative of the region. The SMB now extends from Lakeville and Freetown to Dartmouth and Fall River. Click here for photos of a 2011 walk. For more information, contact info@greenfutures.org (Photos courtesy of Barry French) 

(Top row) Volunteers arrive in the SMB location where the damage to the forest caused by the illegal trail occurred, and are directed by Everett Castro, center, to the area where the trail need to be raked. (Middle row, left) Volunteers Rick McNally and Dawn Woods discuss the project while Brad Gonyer gets ready to rake. (Middle row, right)  Department of Conservation and Recreation Freetown State Forest Supervisor Glenn Williams installs a new sign while Everett Castro holds the ladder. (Bottom row, left) completes the work on raking out the trail. (Bottom row, center) Fran Gomez follows Roger Garant as he replaces one of the stones in the damaged wall. (Bottom row, right) Roger Garant rests on the wall while Fran Gomez and Rick McNally finish the work.