Finding the Story: Your Guide to the COSS Blog for 2026I write a lot. Anyone who follows this page already knows that. But somewhere between the work parties, local history, farming updates, and the occasional trip down a rabbit hole, it can become difficult to find that one story you remember reading. That is what […]

Free Recreation Starts With Places We Already Have During COVID, we saw just how much our open spaces and quiet places mattered. People were out walking, families were exploring, and Scouts were meeting at Sunny Meadow with proper distancing. We found ways to keep people connected, and I think there is a lot we can […]

Looking at this ad for movie night at MacKay, my mind wandered to the address. Newfield Street. Sometimes a name carries a history and a story we walk right past. Newfield was an early name for the part of town we now call North Chelmsford. It grew out of a common field north of Stony […]

Photographers alert! The big tree at Koulas Farm is starting to change color, making a fantastic backdrop for family photos, yearbook portraits, engagement photos, and more. Along with that massive tree, there are exposed stone walls, large white rocks to sit on, an old tractor, and tractor wheels, all surrounded by open meadow and plenty […]

So why are all those picnic tables down by the greenhouses at Sunny Meadow? We moved them for an event last week, and the remaining tables on the site will follow. There’s a little history behind why we gather them there. Before 2025, COSS would also bring tables from Heart Pond and other open spaces […]

Last night’s stargazing event was one for the books. We honestly expected maybe 12 to 20 people and ended up with 75! That required some creative parking reminiscent of a Tetris game, but everyone was patient, polite, and great about it. I think we had five main telescopes, plus people who brought their own to […]

Well, it’s time to gear up for the Scarecrow Festival on October 17 at Bartlett Park! This event is presented by CLCT, the Chelmsford Land Conservation Trust, which provides the hay, stands, and some of the crew. Participation is free, and so are the hay and stands! The festival has moved around town over the […]

I wish I had known about that.” We hear that a lot this time of year. Local groups put on some wonderful free events, yet some still seem to fly under the radar. Colonial Craft Day at the Old Chelmsford Garrison House caught my eye. Churning butter, dipping candles, making soap, and quilting. Demonstrations of […]

We also took a look back at our farming past. The new display case next to the kiosk now has pictures from when Koulas was a working farm. Slowly and carefully, we’re adding tasteful reminders of that history while keeping conservation and open space at the heart of the property. Today, the town planted two […]

Koulas Farm has become a magnet for Eagle Scout projects, with a bridge going in over the next few weeks, a proposed trail to follow once designed and approved, and an upgrade to the existing vernal pool trail in the works. Now an Eagle Scout candidate is taking a closer look at “Gathering Rocks,” a […]