Project Details
Project Title
Future Resilient Field at Derby
Municipality
Bolton
MVP Region
Central
Award Year
FY2024
Grant Award
$22,300
Project Length
One Year
Community Overview
- Bolton has a population of 5,665 and is located in Central Massachusetts.
- Bolton has vulnerable communities including Seniors and youth populus.
- Bolton is characterized by its approximate12,800 acres, over 92% is zoned “Residential” and roughly 41.35% of the total is under watershed or wetlands protection, leaving a small amount of land zoned for commercial and industrial activity. This allocation is as intended, reflects past and currently expressed resident sentiment that Bolton does not actively seek commercial development or reduce lot size to increase density and concomitant tax base. Bolton’s low residential density is due in part to the absence of distributed water and sewer infrastructure, and the specific minimum lot size.
- Bolton is home to many small-scale owner-operated farms and commercial Farms; Bolton Spring Farm, Bolton Orchards, Schartner Farm and Nicewicz Farm. Produce is distributed throughout various farmers markets but mostly depend on pick your own practices which sell the produce while drawing individuals into the Bolton community for a period of time. These orchards produce a broad variety of apples and peaches, with adjunct farm operations producing grapes, pumpkins, feed corn and a rich spread of vegetable crops. Several farm stores, markets, and self-serve stands add much more to the local economy than just sales revenues, as residents can often “eat local” and sustain Bolton’s viability and health in multiple ways without the need for a trip out of town.
- Residential neighborhoods are interspersed in and in close proximity to the Town’s Forest and wetland areas, providing a wonderful natural setting for residents but representing major challenges during extreme weather events due to downed power lines, local flooding, and other climate-related risks.
Project Description and Goals
- Where was the project located?
- The Project was located within the territory of Nipmuc peoples within the Town of Bolton.
- What climate change impacts did the project address?
- Urban heat island effect, drought, extreme weather events, and loss of ecosystem carbon and capacity for future carbon accumulation.
- What were the specific goals and tasks of the project?
- Change land management practices for park area/fields through management strategies that help reduce carbon emissions, increase climate resilience, and strengthen our ecosystems.
- Engage community as a whole while creating climate solutions.
- Encourage incorporation of Native vegetation within actively landscaped areas and educate the public related to sustainable harvest of related species. Expand communities’ capacity to 1) protect, 2) restore, and 3) enhance: A. ecological climate resilience (including biodiversity); and B. ecosystem services (including carbon sequestration and long-term storage) using Nature-based Solutions.
- Develop and provide durable educational materials and opportunities for community members, leaders and organizations.
- Did your project meet the goals:
- Yes, Throughout our project our interdisciplinary team continuously looked for ways to reach out and incorporate input from Climate Vulnerable Populations. The community engagement and public involvement was ongoing and will continue beyond the life of this project. This project provided a site assessment, two workshops, and a design plan which incorporated Nature-based Solutions within the subject site.
Results and Deliverables
- Provide a brief summary of project deliverables with web links, if available.
- Deliverables associated with this project included draft signage, species choice for the garden area, design and engineered plans for the field area. Information regarding the project can be located at the Future Resilient Field at Derby project website.
Lessons Learned
- What lessons were learned as a result of the project?
- Leave space for feedback and input but realize not all feedback received is relevant to the project/task at hand: The feedback received was at times not particularly relevant to the project at hand. However, the feedback still provided insights for items of personal importance to these representatives. The direct feedback was valuable even after the scheduled events themselves.
- What is the best way for other communities to learn from your project/process?
- Individuals interested in learning more could contact the Bolton Conservation Office in Town hall or visit the project website available from the Town of Bolton website, Future Resilient Field at Derby project website.
Partners and Other Support
- Department of Public Works
- Bolton Sports Teams
- Parks and Recreation
- Council on Aging – Staff and representatives from council on aging provided feedback following meetings regarding needs, accessibility, and user interest.
- Spanish Demographic – representative provided feedback on signage, project usage expectation, and needs
- Nipmuc Tribe – provided materials to previous team member and continuing to try to review materials to see if the project further supports or uplifts their needs
- Ryan Associates – served as the Town’s landscape architect for this project. The architect discussed and received feedback then incorporated into their design plans. They considered existing site conditions, proximity to wetland resource area, and the nature-based solutions to be incorporated. They further developed template signage to be adjusted during the construction phase of the project by Town Staff.
- Hannigan Engineering Inc – served as the Town’s engineer for this project. They reviewed existing site conditions, designed the stormwater and drainage system, reviewed proposed design plans and engineered the needs expressed by the working group to accommodate supporting infrastructure for the nature-based solutions.