Working to enhancethe quality of life andrural character ofthe Highlands region of Massachusetts.

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

P A I DHAYDENVILLE, MA

PERMIT NO. 24

THE HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE (HCI)

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THE HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVEA program of The Trustees of Reservations

132 Main Street, PO Box 253

Haydenville, MA 01039

Notchview, Windsor

WHEN FACED WITH CHALLENGES, RURALcommunities have a remarkable ability to bend, not break

– and then rebound. Last December’s devastating fire that

destroyed shops and apartments

in downtown Shelburne could

have been crushing to the

community. Instead, a hopeful,

familiar story emerged as neigh-

bors began to pull together. From

the heroic efforts of volunteer

first-responders, to the flood of donations, fundraisers, and

simple acts of kindness, Shelburne has worked to heal itself.

The events in Shelburne reveal the good that comes from

having a strong web of relationships within a community,

a phenomenon known as “social capital.” Harvard scholar

Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, defines it as “the

collective value of all ‘social networks’ and the inclinations

that arise from these networks to do things for each other.”

For Putnam, social capital is the glue that builds trust,

involvement, and stability within a community.

In small towns, social capital acts as a safety net, as well

as a source of empowerment for accomplishing positive

things. Anyone who lives or works in the rural stretches of

the Highlands knows the comfort

of having family, friends, and

neighbors nearby – and how

precious little gets done without

their support. Often, that support

is structured in traditional insti-

tutions such as churches, Granges,

and civic associations. But Highlands residents are also

building communities in new places and in creative ways.

Since there is no shortage of things that need “doing”

where we live, this issue of Highland Happenings is devoted

to the people and organizations that create and maintain

social capital in their communities in order to accomplish

goals, big and small.

HighlandHAPPENINGSHCI IS A PROGRAM OF THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS WINTER 2008 VOL.7 NO.1

ALL TOGETHER NOW:

The Power of Community in the Highlands

HIGHLAND COMMUNITIESINITIATIVE

“Anyone who lives or works in

the rural stretches of the Highlands

knows the comfort of having family,

friends, and neighbors nearby.”

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ABOVE: Chesterfield’s Gorge Après Gorge is one of many community events that bring people together.

NEIGHBORSIN ACTION:Leon Ripley,Granville

IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO DESCRIBE WHAT LEON

Ripley doesn’t do for his community and his land, but that

wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. Leon, a sixth-generation

farmer and landowner in Granville, shares his expertise, time,

and sense of commitment with numerous town and regional

boards – he’s chair of the Board of Assessors and Conservation

Commission, president of the Hampden County Farm Bureau,

vice president of the Blandford Fair, vice chair of the Hampden

Conservation District, and a member of the Open Space

Committee and the Agricultural Commission. Whew!

One of Leon’s most gratifying moments was the completion

of the Granville Open Space Plan, which was 25 years in the

making. In the process of writing the plan the committee

explored many of the natural places in town by canoe and

by foot, which Leon greatly enjoyed. He and other members

are currently working on trails at Sodom Mountain and at

the 70-acre town forest.

In addition to his extensive volunteer work, Leon runs a

diverse farm that keeps him busy year-round with: a maple

syrup and pancake house, cross-country skiing, hay mowing,

and blueberries. Leon and his family also manage their forests

for timber and wildlife habitat, which has earned him the

honor of being named Massachusetts Tree Farmer of the Year.

Leon is motivated in all these efforts by his strong belief

in preserving land, a value instilled in him as a young man

during long walks in the woods with his father. Leon clearly

loves his land, which has been in his family since 1812. His

favorite place is his home farm, he says, where he’d rather

be “out in the woods more than anywhere else.”

HCI salutes all of the region’s volunteers.

To nominate someone for our volunteer spotlight,

call HCI at 413.268.8219 or email highlands@ttor.org.

For more information, or to receive this newsletter regularly, contact us at:

Wendy SweetserDirectorwsweetser@ttor.org

Mark WamsleyProgram and OutreachAssistantmwamsley@ttor.org

HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE (HCI)

132 Main StreetPO Box 253Haydenville, MA 01039tel 413.268.8219fax 413.268.7363email highlands@ttor.orgwww.highlandcommunities.org

Please recycle this newsletter by passing it on to a friend or

donating it to a school, library, business, or wherever it might be read.

THE HIGHLANDCOMMUNITIES INITIATIVE REGION

Ashfield

Becket

Blandford

Buckland

Charlemont

Chester

Chesterfield

Colrain

Conway

Cummington

Florida

Goshen

Granville

Hawley

Heath

Hinsdale

Huntington

Leyden

Middlefield

Monroe

Monterey

Montgomery

New Marlborough

Otis

Peru

Plainfield

©2008 The Trustees of Reservations 3100K - 02/08

Rowe

Russell

Sandisfield

Savoy

Shelburne

Tolland

Tyringham

Washington

Westhampton

Williamsburg

Windsor

Worthington

A program of The Trustees of Reservations, the HighlandCommunities Initiative is a group of neighbors and volun-teers working to enhance the quality of life and ruralcharacter of our communities. HCI connects people andprovides them with the information and support they needto preserve the special natural and cultural landscapes ofthe Highlands region.

The Trustees of Reservations are more than 100,000people like you who want to protect the places we love,or simply like to be outdoors.Together with our neighbors,we protect the distinct character of our communities andinspire a commitment to special places.

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2 HIGHLAND HAPPENINGS | WINTER 2008

of local alternative energy projects, and a series “101 Classes,”

where participants visit one another’s houses to learn skills

such as canning, raising chickens, and cheese making.

The group’s most visible project may be the Bag Share

Project, spearheaded by local artist Leni Fried. In an effort

to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags throughout the

region, Fried organized sewing circles to produce cloth bags

from donated and recycled fabric. The bags are then placed

in stores, such as Cooper’s Corners and Florence Hardware

in Florence and Cornucopia in Northampton. Amy Pulley

of The Creamery estimates that her store alone has already

reduced use of plastic and paper bags by 49,000. The project

may soon branch out to the Hampshire County Community

Corrections Center, where inmates have expressed interest in

helping to create bags for the effort, greatly increasing its scope.

Less obvious are the small ways that group members are

increasing their personal ties and preparing for a world where

they may have no choice but to depend on one another.

Friends share seeds from their gardens. Others search for old,

THE REMAINING TRADITIONS OF RURAL LIFE CAN

seem like quaint relics in the face of globalization. Luckily,

participants in the Hilltown Sustainability Group don’t care

how things seem to the rest of the world. In fact, given the

prospects of climate change and diminishing oil supplies,

they are more willing to place their faith in the tried-and-

true rural values of self-reliance, ingenuity, and community

than they are in most bureaucratic policies or regulations.

Any stereotype you could envision about the Hilltown

Sustainability Group would probably be wrong. At the group’s

monthly meetings in Cummington, you’ll find a mix of old

and young, with different complexions, professions – and

opinions. Most of the roughly 60 participants live in the con-

tiguous towns of Cummington, Plainfield, and Hawley, which

fits with the importance the group places on self-reliance

and interdependence. “Ideally, we’d all be able to walk to

one another’s houses,” explains one participant. And such

visits are likely. Although weighty issues sparked the group’s

formation, its members share a remarkably positive attitude,

matched with genuine concern for one another, and a

no-nonsense air of practicality and capability.

It all started in 2006 with three movies shown at The

Creamery in Cummington. When the store’s proprietors,

Amy Pulley and Alice Cozzolino, agreed to host viewings of

An Inconvenient Truth, The End of Suburbia, and The Power

of Community, they had no idea of the crowds the movies

would draw or the passions they would stir. It was clear that

the attendees did not want to wait for others to make things

happen. They wanted to act now.

The Hilltown Sustainability Group sprouted with such ease

it seemed organic. The group has no formal structure, beyond

scheduled monthly meetings and an email list serve. It has no

mission statement to guide it beyond “actions of the month,”

spontaneously proposed by participants. And yet, the organi-

zation is building a strong community, with an admirable

record of accomplishments promoting local sustainability.These

include a popular Earth Day celebration in Cummington, a tour

Returning to the Roots of Rural LifeSMALL, LOCAL, AND RESILIENT:

> CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Is your local store using free, reusable bags from the BagShare project? If enough people ask them to, they will! 3

You Know What’s In StoreWITH ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF STORES AND

restaurants supporting the comings and goings of residents

in rural towns, these businesses can begin to take on the

personalities of the communities and their inhabitants – and

become colorful characters themselves. They also become

catalysts for social capital by facilitating the flow of informa-

tion, promoting social interaction, and very often, providing

resources in times of need.

Not long ago, Nan Parati gained her own unique perspective

on this phenomenon when she decided to renovate and re-open

Elmer’s Country Store in Ashfield. Although she was a resident

of New Orleans, Parati loved the area. “I had grown up reading

New England writers as a child. They were my people,” she

recalls. She also fell in love with the Elmer’s building, which

had been an important part of the community until it shut

its doors a few years before Parati arrived.

How do you resurrect a social hub in a small town? Bring

back the people as soon as possible – Parati held an open

house shortly after she purchased the property to elicit ideas.

“I wanted the community to be part of this,” she says. Nearly

100 people came, and the ideas flowed.

It’s been more than a year since Elmer’s reopened as a

restaurant that highlights locally-grown food (breakfasts and

Friday dinners), a country store, and an art gallery. It also

serves as an event space, a workshop venue, an impromptu

FROM PAGE 3SMALL, LOCAL,AND RESILIENT

hand-powered harvesting equipment to experiment with

growing and processing their own wheat. “We have really

smart, wicked committed people here,” says a founding

participant. “Though ego is not a problem,” claims Kathy

Harrison. “We know how to depend on each other like our

predecessors did. The group serves to check ego and act as

our collective conscience.”

The Hilltown Sustainability Group believes that its

model could be replicated for the benefit of other

towns.To learn more about the group, visit

www.ourworldbydesign.com.

and organized gathering spot (the knitting and French clubs

meet there weekly), a Wi-Fi hub, and Ashfield selectman Bill

Perlman’s unofficial office.

In true country style, Elmer’s doesn’t limit its scope to events

within the store. It reflects outward what the community of

Ashfield values. Parati now serves on the board of the Green

River Festival, and her business sponsors the fall Harvest Dance.

And with Elmer’s annual Mardi Gras celebration, Parati has

added a bit of herself to the complexion of the town.

One day this winter, Bill Perlman sat talking with Parati

amid Elmer’s customers, food, and art work. “Nan really read

the community perfectly.” he said. “Elmer’s is a place where

people gravitate. One person sits down, and three more join

them. It’s inviting to everyone. They come to share informa-

tion, comfort, and joy.”

You can visit Elmer’s Store at:396 Main Street | Ashfield, MA 01330 tel 413.628.4003 | www.elmersstore.com

The Creamery in Cummington is part general store, restaurant,and community gathering place.

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WHILE THE HIGHLANDS MAY ENJOY RELIABLE, HIGH-

speed Internet access in the near future, local parents cannot

wait to meet the needs of their growing children. For Sienna

Wildfield, the Internet’s potential for connecting families led

her to believe that it could become an invaluable resource

for parents in this region, and in the life of her own daughter,

Persephone. With that in mind, Wildfield decided to brave the

Highlands’ infamously slow Internet access to create the weblog,

Hilltown Families (www.hilltownfamilies.wordpress.com).

Judging by the site’s growth in one year, with more than

33,000 visitors and 150 families subscribing to its newsfeed

and email list serve, the need was real.

Wildfield felt isolated when she moved to West Chesterfield

four years ago, and worried that her daughter might not have

easy access to the physical, social, educational, and creative

outlets that are available, but are spread across the sparsely

populated area. Luckily, it was all a matter of connecting

with those around her. She soon became coordinator of the

Cummington Family Center and organized regular play days

at the Community House. She also brought together families

to host information-sharing events. “I must have held 20

pancake breakfasts at my own home alone,” Wildfield recalls.

Within three years, 80 families were participating in Family

Center events.

When Persephone became school-aged, her mother found

few centralized resources available to meet the needs of grade-

school children. Sienna started her Hilltown Families blog to

fill that void, and it has flourished.

Currently, the Hilltown Families blog coordinates five

distinct services. The blog allows users to register for a list

serve where families can privately discuss any and all relevant

issues, ranging from school choice to health to fun activities.

Users can also subscribe to a newsfeed where they receive

information posted to the site. On the blog site itself, Sienna

and guest writers maintain an updated list of family-friendly

local events, as well as a links page of Internet resources.

Podcasts of the Hilltown Family Variety Show, hosted by

Sienna and Persephone on Valley Free Radio (every Tuesday

at 7PM on 103.3 FM), are also available for residents who

miss the show or can’t receive the station’s signal.

Hilltown Families aims to be inclusive, welcoming families

of all compositions and philosophies, and highlighting events

in both the Highlands as well as the Pioneer Valley. Families

without computers are encouraged to access the site at their

local libraries.

Wildfield feels strongly about connecting families with

local communities, economies, and landscapes. Every year,

the group’s craft bazaar introduces children to local artists

and businesses. Recently, Hilltown Families has partnered

with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

of Hampshire and Franklin Counties in the distribution of

hand-knitted hats to Hilltown children in need. It has also

begun an Outdoors Adventures for Kids program in

conjunction with Tekoa Mountain Outdoors.

“It’s been an amazing, enriching experience for myself

and, I hope, for the community,” says Wildfield. She is not

sure what she’ll do when Persephone moves on from grade

school. For now, there are plenty of things to keep her busy.

“We’re always looking for guest writers on the site,” she hints,

reminding everyone that while one person started Hilltown

Families, community is what makes it work.

INTERNET CONNECTIONS:

Strengthening Hilltown Families in the Land of Dial-Up

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Highlands families are using the Internet to connect withone another, and with local treasures like the Chapel BrookReservation in Ashfield.

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DOES IT REALLY MATTER IF YOU KNOW YOUR

neighbors? Can being part of a tight-knit neighborhood

make a difference in any tangible way? To the residents of

a neighborhood on Nash Hill Road in Williamsburg, the

answers to these questions are a resounding “yes”. The families

and individuals that live in the Nash Hill area enjoy some

traditional aspects of a small town community – they know

one another by name, watch over each other’s animals and

houses, and celebrate special occasions together. But what is

more unusual about this neighborhood is that when a key

piece of wooded land was threatened with development,

they banded together to ensure its permanent protection.

Since Donna Gibson moved to Nash Hill in the 1960s, she

and the nearby residents who followed have put down roots

and made an effort to nurture their neighborhood. They

created some annual traditions – a Halloween get-together,

solstice celebrations, a Christmas Eve open house – and enjoy

Conserving a Neighborhood Together

JOIN THE CONSERVATION COMMONWould you like to connect with other people working to preserve the quality of life of their communities, to share resources, advice, and support? The Trustees’Putnam Conservation Institute has created a new website to act as a “cyber village”for conservation and community preservation activists of all backgrounds and levelsof experience. Visit WWW.CONSERVATIONCOMMON.ORG to get up-to-date news,participate in discussions, and find the links you need.

feeling like they are “part of an old farm community, borrowing

ladders, and trading garden produce throughout the season,”

Donna says. The seeds of expanded collaboration were sown

at one particular gathering, where the neighbors lamented

how much time they spent mowing their lawns. As a solution,

they jointly purchased a commercial mower and have shared

it among their houses for years. “We help each other in a variety

of ways, and we appreciate each other,” Donna says.

The relationships that they built over time came in handy

11 years ago, when 85 acres of prime woodland in the midst

of their neighborhood were put on the market for house lots.

Art Silver, a recent arrival to Nash Hill and direct abutter to

the land for sale, began negotiating with the landowner, while

other nearby households began meeting regularly to talk about

how to protect their neighborhood.

The process of negotiating with the landowner and one

another took more than a year, but in the end, each family

contributed to the purchase price according to their ability.

“It was a difficult and soul-searching process,” Donna recalls.

“Though it was long and complicated,” Art adds, “the desire

to conserve the land was strong enough to keep all of us

together.” To fulfill that desire, the group worked with The

Trustees and the Hilltown Land Trust to place a conservation

restriction on 65 acres to ensure it will remain in its natural

state forever. “The community spirit here largely led to the

whole thing happening,” Art claims. “We all got to protect our

quality of life and improve our property values by keeping the

neighborhood the same as it’s been. Our neighborhood is

very special. In my opinion, it has a sense of community that

we always hoped to find, and feel lucky to be part of.”

A stretch of Nash Hill Road will remain undeveloped foreverthanks to the actions of a group of neighbors.

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BE THE FACE OF HCI IN YOUR COMMUNITY:A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

DO YOU LOVE THE WORK THAT HCI DOES?

If so, we’d appreciate your help to spread the word! We are

looking for individuals to volunteer at fun events throughout

the Highlands as HCI Representatives. The job is simple:

Spend some time at an information table talking to people

about HCI’s work during a town fair or other event in your

community. We will provide training and materials.

Word of mouth is the most effective way of distributing

information and encouraging people to get involved in pro-

tecting the rural character and quality of life in the Highlands.

We can’t do it alone. Help us multiply our efforts! If you are

interested, contact Wendy Sweetser or Mark Wamsley at

413.268.8219.

UPCOMING EVENTSYour Land,Your Choices Woods ForumThursday, March 13 | 7PM | Stanton Hall, Huntington | FREE

MA Land Conservation ConferenceThursday, March 29 | 8AM – 4:30PM | Worcester Technical HighSchool | $38 before March 14; $58 after March 14Pre-registration required; call 978.840.4446 x1905 to register.

Private Land Conservation Consultations with an AttorneySaturday, April 5 | 25 minute appointments from 9AM – 3PM

Cummington | $15 per appointment. Open to landowners inFranklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and Berkshire Counties who ownat least 10 acres. Pre-registration required.

Stone by Stone: A History of New England’s Stone Walls Presentation by Author and Professor Robert ThorsonSaturday, April 12 | 1PM | Chesterfield Senior Center | FREE

Conservation by Design: A Practical Strategy forPreserving Town-wide Open Space NetworksPresentation by Randall ArendtMonday,April 28 | 7PM | Conway Town Hall | FREE

Restoring Old Growth Characteristics to Your WoodsPresentation by Paul CatanzaroThursday, May 22 | 7PM | Ashfield Town Hall | FREE

Call 413.268.8219 if inclement weather is forecasted, fordirections and more information, and to register for events.

A KeystoneOpportunityFORESTS ARE THE MOST DOMINANT NATURALfeatures in the Highlands, and if you’re interested in greatly

expanding your knowledge of forests and building relationships

with other people, then UMass Extension has an opportunity

for you. The Keystone Project, formerly called Coverts, is a

three-day training program at the Harvard Forest that provides

participants with a thorough understanding of forest ecology

and stewardship, wildlife management, and land conservation.

In exchange, participants agree to serve as local resources

for forest conservation in their communities with continued

support from UMass Extension. The goal of the Keystone

Project is to create a network of educated leaders who can

serve as a source of information for landowners, organizations,

and towns. For more information or to download an applica-

tion visit www.masskeystone.net or contact Paul Catanzaro at

413.545.4839 or by emailing cat@umext.umass.edu.

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The Keystone Project is an opportunity to get outside, learnmore about your woods, and get involved in your community.