The Walden Woods Project

PRESERVE LAND IN ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS.

CONSERVATION:THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT PRESERVES AND PROTECTS WALDEN WOODS AND THOREAU COUNTRY IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR WORLDWIDE LITERARY, HISTORICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THEIR CAPACITY TO MOTIVATE OTHERS TO IDENTIFY, STUDY, AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AREAS THAT EXIST IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.LAND MANAGEMENT:THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT OWNS LAND THAT PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC AS A HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER PASSIVE RECREATION RESOURCE. THE MAJORITY OF OUR LAND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC YEAR-ROUND, AND OUR INTERPRETIVE TRAILS ARE USED EXTENSIVELY BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND A WIDE VARIETY OF ORGANIZED GROUPS, INCLUDING SCHOOL GROUPS, ELDER SERVICES GROUPS, AND TOURISTS. MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING TRAILS, TRAIL DESIGN, INTERPRETATION AND CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE OF TRAIL HEAD PARKING FACILITIES, AND ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS INTENDED TO BENEFIT WILDLIFE AND THE NATURAL VALUE OF OUR LAND. INVASIVE EXOTIC PLANTS ARE A MAJOR THREAT TO THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF OUR LAND. THE PROJECT ACTIVELY MANAGES OUR PROPERTIES TO REDUCE THE PREVALENCE OF INVASIVE PLANTS AND TO MINIMIZE THE THREAT THEY REPRESENT. THE PROJECT'S LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS SUPPORT COLLABORATION BETWEEN A WIDE VARIETY OF CIVIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WHO REGULARLY PROVIDE VOLUNTEER INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT TO OUR ORGANIZATION.THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT MANAGES CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS ON 67.8 ACRES OF LAND, WHICH PREVENTS DEVELOPMENT OF SITES NOT OWNED IN FEE (TOTAL ACRES OWNED IN FEE: 115.1). ANNUAL CONSERVATION RESTRICTION MONITORING IS DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE PROTECTIONS PRESCRIBED IN THE CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT.

EDUCATION:THE EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT SERVE AN AUDIENCE OF STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND LIFE-LONG LEARNERS AROUND THE GLOBE. OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMS INCLUDE GUIDED TOURS FOR GROUPS VISITING WALDEN WOODS; THE GLOBAL LIVE DELIBERATELY ESSAY CONTEST FOR YOUTH AGES 14-19; APPROACHING WALDEN, A WEEK-LONG SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS; OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; SKYPE IN THE CLASSROOM SESSIONS AND THE STEWARDSHIP LECTURE SERIES ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE INSPIRED BY THE WRITINGS AND PHILOSOPHIES OF HENRY DAVID THOREAU AND ASK PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THEIR OWN SENSE OF PLACE-THEIR CONNECTION TO THEIR OWN COMMUNITY AND OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD-AND TO DEVELOP AN ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC. AS THOREAU HIMSELF IS A HIGHLY INTERDISCIPLINARY SUBJECT, WE ADDRESS THE TOPICS OF TRANSCENDENTALISM, SOCIAL REFORM, WRITING, NATURAL HISTORY AND 19-CENTURY HISTORY IN OUR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL YEARS OF RECORD-BREAKING NUMBERS FOR STUDENT GROUPS VISITING US HERE IN WALDEN WOODS. WE WORKED WITH 769 STUDENTS IN 2014-2015, 1101 STUDENTS IN 2015-2016, 1411 STUDENTS IN 2016-2017, 1439 IN 2017-2018 AND 1512 IN 2018-2019. IN 2019-2020 MANY OF OUR GROUP VISITS WERE CANCELED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC; HOWEVER, BEFORE POSTPONING IN-PERSON GROUP VISITS, WE WORKED WITH 526 STUDENTS. WHEN GROUPS COME FOR A VISIT, WE PUT TOGETHER A CUSTOMIZED EXPERIENCE, WHEREBY THEY EITHER PARTICIPATE IN A GUIDED EDUCATIONAL WALK THROUGH AREAS OF WALDEN WOODS, AN INTERACTIVE LESSON AT A VERNAL POOL, AND/OR A SESSION WITH OUR CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS IN THE THOREAU LIBRARY, WHICH HOUSES THE WORLD'S MOST EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF THOREAU-RELATED MATERIAL. ADDITIONALLY, WE CONTINUE TO SERVE SEVERAL HUNDRED STUDENTS EACH YEAR THROUGH OUR SKYPE IN THE CLASSROOM PROGRAM (FOR THOSE WHO ARE TOO FAR AWAY TO VISIT THE WOODS). OUR APPROACHING WALDEN SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM BRINGS IN TWO DOZEN EDUCATORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR A 6-DAY, IMMERSIVE STUDY OF THOREAU'S WRITINGS AND THE PLACE THAT INSPIRED HIM. ACCEPTANCE TO THIS PROGRAM IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE COMPETITIVE. IT RECEIVES CONSISTENTLY HIGH ACCLAIM EACH YEAR FROM PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS HAVE THE OPTION OF COMPLETING ADDITIONAL READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS TO RECEIVE 3 GRADUATE-LEVEL CREDITS FOR THE COURSE THROUGH FITCHBURG STATE UNIVERSITY. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUR 2020 PROGRAM WAS RESCHEDULED FOR 2021.OUR 2020 STEWARDSHIP LECTURE SERIES INCLUDED VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS FROM DAHR JAMAIL, BILL MCKIBBEN, DAVID GESSNER, NATHANIEL POPKIN, CAROLYN DENARD, MARLOW MILLER, AND JEFFREY CRAMER.

RESEARCH AND LIBRARY:THE THOREAU INSTITUTE LIBRARY/ARCHIVES, IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE WALDEN WOODS PROJECT AND IS LOCATED AT THE WWP'S CAMPUS IN LINCOLN, MASSACHUSETTS. THE LIBRARY HOUSES THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH COLLECTION BY AND ABOUT HENRY DAVID THOREAU, AS WELL AS OTHER COLLECTIONS BY AMERICAN WRITERS, INCLUDING RALPH WALDO EMERSON. STAFFED BY A FULL-TIME CURATOR & THOREAU SCHOLAR, THE LIBRARY IS THE PREMIERE RESOURCE ON A GLOBAL BASIS FOR RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ON THOREAU AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES. EACH YEAR, THE INSTITUTE WELCOMES A STEADY STREAM OF INTERNS INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CAREER IN LIBRARY SCIENCE, AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF THOREAU'S TIME. EVERY YEAR BRINGS NEW PEOPLE TO THE THOREAU INSTITUTE LIBRARY, WHETHER IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY. IN 2020, VIRTUAL VISITORS AND RESEARCHERS CAME FROM CANADA, SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA AND AUSTRALIA. TRANSLATORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE WORKED WITH THE CURATOR TO PROVIDE ACCURATE AND REPRESENTATIVE TRANSLATIONS. OUR VIRTUAL CLASSROOM SESSIONS BRING OUR CURATOR INTO SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD, REACHING HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS IN 2020. WE CONTINUE TO PUBLISH MANY WORKS ELECTRONICALLY. IN 2020 WE BECAME THE OFFICIAL REPOSITORY FOR THE MARGARET FULLER SOCIETY'S COLLECTIONS. IN 2021 THE THOREAU INSTITUTE LIBRARY PURCHASED THE ROBERT GALVIN COLLECTION, ADDING MANY RARE ITEMS TO ITS COLLECTIONS.