Current Projects
Future Projects (planning stages)
Visitor's Center Vestibule
Vestibule Project, Full Plan
Friends of Wachusett Mountain (FWM) has worked with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Residential Design, Inc. to design a vestibule to be constructed at the John Hitchcock Visitor's Center.
For more information, check out the Visitor's Center Vestibule page.
Weather Station
FWM has facilitated an agreement with the UMass Lowell Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences to install a weather station at the summit (on existing towers) and the data will be available to the general public. We hope all the meetings and decisions will be made soon so that it can be online this Summer (2007).
Universal Access Trail
FWM is working with DCR in a feasibility study to determine where a new handicap accessible trail could be constructed so everyone could enjoy experiencing the woods of Wachusett. Sure, there is an automobile road, but experiencing Wachusett without any cars around is a different experience.
Wachusett Mountain Environmental Education & Research Center
Superintendent’s Building
Program Room
Eventually, we hope to facilitate long-term biological monitoring and all aspects of it's sub-disciplines here at Wachusett Mountain State Reservation (WMSR). Ideally, FWM will help the DCR to rehabilitate the old "Superintendent's Building" to serve as the headquarters for education and research. Parts of this project have already been completed before the project was abandoned due to state budget concerns. Obviously, someone else thought it was a good idea a few years ago -- its a shame that the tax money already spent on a new septic system, (water) well, utilities, and garage renovation (into a environmental Program Room) has gone to waste so far. FWM will do our best to see this project through.
For more photos of the Superintendent's Building and Program Room check out the Photo Gallery.
Biological Monitoring (Biomonitoring) and Research
Even without the Education and Research Center (see above), FWM is going to continue to support both environmental education and research. Our short-term goals are focused on gathering data on as many species that inhabit the WMSR, including plants, fungi, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. Due to limited resources and availability of committed volunteers, many of our initial studies will be on invertebrates because they are easier to observe in large numbers with limited search time in comparison to large mammals, for example. If you are interested in participating, especially if you are a college student in a related field, please Contact Us.
Scheduled Projects (ongoing)
Trail Maintenance at Wachusett
The AMC Worcester Chapter Trails Committee and the DCR will be partnering again at WMSR with trail maintaining opportunities. This year, people will have the opportunity to get involved with workdays scheduled at Wachusett Mountain. For more information, check out the Trail Maintenance page.
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