Tom Peirce routing a trail sign post at the Westport Woods Conservation Park land stewardship workshop circa 2020

Tom Peirce has been a regular Tuesday Trail Team volunteer for almost a year and a half. Tom is currently working with our staff to add some finishing touches to the interpretive space at the George Kirby House–a space that will one day host public programs for the land trust. A Westport resident of many years, Tom and his family are passionate about land conservation and are involved with several other charitable pusuits in Town. Thank you Tom!

1) Why did you decide to volunteer for the Westport Land Conservation Trust (WLCT) Tuesday Trail Team? And how long have you been part of the Team?

 

“Most of my professional career took place indoors, in “closed” areas or buildings, where I was only infrequently aware, when passing a window, of what was going on outdoors.  It could have been midday in July or midnight in January, my surroundings were always the same.  When I retired I was determined to spend a lot of time outdoors working at something, preferably in a community volunteer setting, to try to recover a kid’s sense of the outside again, of the weather and the changing seasons.  I knew of the WLCT, but was only vaguely aware of the various properties and heard about the trail team through my wife, Tanja, after she ran into Brendan in 2019. It seemed like the perfect job.

Shortly after retiring I started with the team in the Fall of 2019, clearing brush in the small farm field on Main Road.  I could sense that the team was just right, seemingly much like me, wanting to work while maintaining a friendly atmosphere.”
 

2) What have you learned about WLCT that you didn’t know before volunteering?

 
“I suppose I didn’t realize that it was such a wide-spread organization, in terms of outreach and visibility and properties, with only a small staff.  I’m happy to be a part of the volunteer wing and feel like we really help to bolster the enthusiasm and give everyone in town a sense of the preciousness of these woods and open spaces.  It all does seem to work very well.” 

3) What’s been your favorite volunteer activity with the Trail Team so far?

I enjoy clearing the unwanted brush and invasives, pulling down choking vines, cleaning up stone walls.  Encouraging the growth, and seeing (and learning about) the successful introduction of native grasses at Westport Woods and the meadow at Herb Hadfield has been terrific. The energy of the group is wonderful. 

 

Tom using a jig he constructed for the 2020 sign post project

Volunteer

Special places don’t stay special on their own. Our dedicated volunteers make sure every one of our destination properties is ready for your next adventure.