So, -8 degrees this morning, with the wind making it feel closer to -20. Crazy cold. The gathering this morning is still on, but they’re adding a solo fire and a couple of heaters, so hopefully it will be ok. If it’s just too cold, we’ll wrap it up early. New England...

Community is people showing up for the greater good. It is helping one another. It is working toward a shared goal, even when there is no spotlight and no obligation. COSS works with many groups, and sometimes that means working directly with residents. Sometimes it...

Some of that tapping you hear in the woods right now is not woodpeckers, but the hardy Chelmsford tree sapper. Maple season is waking up, and all signs point to the coming days being the first real opportunity to begin gathering sap. Local backyard maple syrup makers...

COSS TLDR Newsletter February 2026 About this newsletter This summary was generated using AI due to the volume of town material. Items were reviewed against publicly available town agendas, calendars, and meeting packets. Residents should confirm details by reviewing...

People might ask why I am posting this now, and the honest answer is that a few separate threads all landed on the same issue at the same time. The first nudge was a complaint I received about the bat box at Sunny Meadow. The concern was not about bats at all. The...

COSS has made a commitment to accessibility from our founding. Public open space is for everyone, and information about public open space should be for everyone too. A major accessibility change is coming for government. In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice...

The bulk of the storm has passed, and as the sun comes up, cleanup will start. It is a snow day, so sledding is on everyone’s mind. We already have a popular “go-to” guide on the COSS website with thousands of views and numerous shares: Chelmsford Sledding 101: What...

When we say we are “windowing” bittersweet, we mean something simple. We cut out a section of vine so there is a clear gap, like a window, and the vine is no longer a continuous rope pulling on the tree. That is it. We are not ripping the whole vine off the trunk, and...

We can still support them; we just do it without storing anything on-site and without equipment staged there. Not being able to clear the roads adds a level of difficulty, but it does not stop us. After each main storm, for years now, someone has walked the site and...

Hemlock trees in town have been ravaged by disease, and they are still some of the most beautiful trees we have. The old, large stand we used to have at Wright is now almost entirely gone. Hemlocks hold a special place in my heart. Even when they are struggling, they...

It’s a holiday, we have fresh snow, and the question shows up every single time. Where can I sled today in Chelmsford, and what hill is best for my crew. One thing I love about COSS is we do not have blinders on. Open space is open space no matter who owns it. Town...

The Gathering Rocks is one of those little Koulas Farm mysteries that makes you stop and say, “Ok, someone did this on purpose.” Right at the junction of several trails, there is a man-made circle of rocks. It is not a natural boulder ring, and it does not match the...

When people look at Koulas Farm for the first time, they often ask the same question. How was this ever a farm. If you stand out in the main left field and really look at the ground, it is ledge, boulders, and more boulders. If you tried to plow that, your plow would...

I keep seeing the same questions pop up. Where is Koulas? What can you do there? Where is the sledding hill? How are the trails right now? COSS has a one stop starting point for Koulas Farm with the basics all in one place. Maps, history, photos, and related blog...

Geocaches are one of those things that run hot and cold. Right now we are somewhere in the middle, and that is actually a great time to jump in. In the old days, you had to buy a handheld GPS for about $100. Now your phone can do it. So what is geocaching It is a...

The Lime Quarry page on the COSS website is now up and ready for review. This is a preview build, so if you spot anything that is missing, unclear, or needs to be adjusted, please let me know. Photos, trail notes, and small history details are all welcome. Lime Quarry...

Whatever is decided for the Koulas Farm entrance garden, the Town will be the one to decide, as it should be. There are volunteers ready to help when the time comes. The more I look at native plantings, the more I like the look, and they are better for bees and other...

Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship Inc. (COSS) is committed to making our website accessible to the widest possible audience, including people with disabilities. We want everyone to be able to access information about Chelmsford’s open spaces, trails, volunteer...

Koulas Farm has had a few buildings on the site at 185 Pine Hill Road. When we worked on clearing along Pine Hill Road last winter, we pulled out a lot of dead brush and junk and cleaned up the area around a large boulder that feels like a perfect point of interest...

Bartlett Park is one of those places that plenty of people use, but not everyone really knows. Most of us drive by it a hundred times a year. It is right in the center of town near the library, surrounded by busy roads and downtown life. But the second you step onto...

As some know, we are adding information items for each site around town. The information presented is fair and balanced and gives a snapshot of what you will find. Here is the one for Heart that will go live today. Give it a read and let me know if I missed something...

This is a great question, and I am glad it was asked when I shared the prototype page. From day one, our webmaster has insisted that as we roll out the full ChelmsfordOSS website, it must be ADA compliant. That was not an afterthought. It was a requirement from the...

I review a lot of Eagle Scout projects, and I honestly find something interesting in almost every one of them. Even after all these years, I still learn new things. This particular project made me stop, think, and go back to look up a few items to make sure the advice...

Long before the town of Chelmsford existed on a map, the forests, wetlands, and river corridors of this area were home to Native peoples whose lives followed the seasons with great care and attention. Among them were the Pennacook and the Nipmuc, whose homelands...

Quietly, COSS Inc. has been creating what we hope will be the premier open space information source in town. It has an extensive blog section covering our continuing posts about people, sites, history, and events from around Chelmsford. The site can be searched by any...

With great excitement, we are thrilled to share that the maple tree plantation at Sunny Meadow Farm is now active. Posts and sap lines are being installed this weekend so that, as soon as the sap starts to run, it can be collected and processed into maple syrup by...

Last night’s COSS board meeting was a great one. We welcomed a new board member who brings strong ties to town scouting. That connection matters. COSS discussed continued support for scouting programs and working to ensure scouts of all ages can continue to use Sunny...

Last Saturday kicked off our first work party of 2026. I have been spending a lot of time speaking with John and Dave about plans for the year ahead, and Koulas Farm is a major focus. One of the big needs going forward is a good-quality lawn mower and a reliable way...