70-year-old retiree leads team of volunteers keeping Massachusetts reservation trails safe
MEDFIELD - A year-round destination for hikers, Rocky Woods Reservation in Medfield, Massachusetts is close to 500 acres, and the nine miles of trails continues to grow.
To keep the grounds in top shape, the Trustees of Reservations, which owns the land, relies heavily on the help of volunteers.
No experience needed
"I think all these folks are in pretty good athletic shape from carrying stuff in and out and then doing the work," said volunteer Dan Ott.
Ott, 70 and retired, co-leads a volunteer trail crew at Rocky Woods. For five years, he's chosen to spend his free time volunteering at the reservation once a week. The volunteers cut down tree limbs, prune weeds and clear brush overgrowing the trails.
"People walking and hiking and stuff, they don't want to feel like they're getting covered in ticks," Ott told WBZ-TV.
Like the many who walk these woods, Ott has always loved the outdoors. He previously worked in aerospace engineering, which, he said, didn't quite prepare him for the physical work of maintaining the miles of trails.
"Next to no application for doing this kind of work," he laughed.
The work from volunteers is necessary, so the Trustees of Reservations can carry out its mission. The organization protects and shares nearly 500 acres of land in Medfield alone, but it's one of several properties.
The need for volunteers
"The volunteers are like the lifeblood of this organization. They really keep everything running. They help us out. We have a lot of land to cover," stewardship lead Nick Mullin told WBZ.
Mullin helps manage the volunteers across The Trustees' 18 sites. He said keeping the grounds pristine wouldn't be possible without volunteers like Ott working, rain or shine.
"You're under the canopy of the trees, and with the breeze blowing like this here, it's not so bad," said Ott.
Since the pandemic, volunteerism has seen a decline across the country as people spend more time at home and less time in their own communities.
"It's a lot of work even to get out to a lot of these remote locations, where that trail work is needed," Mullin said.
Despite volunteer numbers declining at many organizations, the volunteer trail crew that Ott co-leads has expanded the past couple of years. The Trustees attribute that to the post-pandemic realization of the importance of getting outside.
Visiting Rocky Woods
Rocky Woods is a prized habitat for wildlife like songbirds, bullfrogs, beavers and painted turtles. It's all open to the public, thanks to the volunteers. For Ott, that makes the hard work worth it.
"It's great to see people out on the trail with their kids, or the dogs, or their families," he said.
Besides the natural beauty, visitors can also enjoy catch-and-release fishing for a family outing. Rocky Woods closes at sunset, except during ticketed programs.