A Bridge Too Far? (Gone) I have been working with Scouts for about 20 years, helping with around 90 Eagle projects along the way. That’s a lot of projects! In my experience, the average outdoor Scout project lasts about 10 years. I have always tried to stretch that by teaching Scouts building methods that can […]

I have seen this before, and it was not pretty. As you saw in my other post, I was checking out a few things at Crooked Spring. Leaves are starting to fall and the weeds are dying back, so I can see a lot more. What I saw is something I have seen over the […]

An apple tree on Chelmsford’s open space can tell us a story about the land, the people who worked it, and the wildlife still using it today. Koulas Farm has two huge apple trees. At Red Wing Farm, an orchard was planted on the site of the original orchard. That orchard is now in trouble, […]

Recording Trails and Points of Interest An Android and iPhone guide to adding your observations to OpenStreetMap Use your phone to record a trail and mark features along the way. Then use a computer to upload the recording and add the trail and features to OpenStreetMap. Start with one short trail and a few points […]

History or trash? Looking at these pictures, I see a piece of Sunny Meadow’s story that we still have a chance to keep. Today, the long concrete structure is filled with flowers and garden plants. Before it became a raised garden, though, it served the animals on a working farm. The town’s history confirms that […]

I have been watching posts from people who have received notices about National Grid removing trees. I saw an excellent response from our tree warden explaining the process and figured I would share the pertinent information so you understand what is happening and what to do if you feel a particular tree should stay. According […]

I was working in the warehouse this morning, listening to NPR as I love to do while I work, when a story came on called “Is homegrown food safer?” It made me think about a conversation I had at Sunny Meadow Farm about five years ago, and a concern that has stayed with me ever […]

The apple orchard at Red Wing Farm is more than a collection of fruit trees. It restored a historic part of the property, provides food for the animals that live there, and holds memories for the families who helped bring it back. I, personally, paid $300 to have a tree planted, remembering a family member […]

Is fear restricting our access to our open space and recreation opportunities? Over the last 12 months, a lot has been changing. Some of it is good, and some deserves a closer look. Times are hard; we know that, and with hard times comes unrest. With unrest comes fear. But how much are we allowing […]

Good evening. My name is Phil Stanway, of 6 Lantern Lane, a resident and Precinct Five representative. For over 20 years, I have worked across Chelmsford’s open spaces, including 90 Eagle Scout projects and hundreds of volunteer events and work parties. I am asking you to protect the public uses that made Sunny Meadow a […]