Citizens for Lexington Conservation promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of our natural environment through education and advocacy.
CLC is a non-profit organization in the town of Lexington, Massachusetts.

>> Read more about CLC 

>> Join CLC (or renew your membership)

>> Recent Newsletter The September Newsletter is Here!

>> Calendar of Events

Check out this delightful video made by some folks with a real appreciation for the natural world.

There will be a public meeting occurring on October 23rd at 7:00 pm in in the Cafetorium at Estabrook Elementary. This meeting is the second of multiple, focused, small-group, discussion meetings Lexington is holding about the Comprehensive Plan update. 

Are you aware the Town is undertaking an update to its Comprehensive Plan? Multiple outreach methods to inform the public have been attempted, including a survey and the establishment of a website. This meeting, a World Café meeting, is for promoting public involvement in the Lexington Town Comprehensive Plan update. The Town has set up a website to provide citizens with more information about what the comprehensive plan update entails, as well as how the process is coming along. On the website is a list of upcoming events, the general survey for the public regarding the update, and notes from previous events and discussions.

If you would like to explore the website on your own, or share it with others, the web address is www.lexingtonma.gov/CompPlan. Attached is also an example flyer for the meetings, and other Comprehensive Plan update information. The last scheduled World Café meeting is happening Tuesday, November 27th at 7:00 pm at the Lexington Community Center.

To learn more and rsvp for the public meeting

https://www.lexingtonma.gov/planning-office/pages/comprehensive-plan

 Saturday, Sep 8, 10:30 am - 12 noon - Bugs & More at Willard’s Woods


On this walk we’ll look for invertebrates of all kinds, particularly dragonflies, spiders, and butterflies.  We’ll look under logs, whack tree branches to see what falls out, and sweep-net the grass.  Children with adults are welcome.  Meet at the parking lot off of North St.  Rain or lightning will cancel the walk.
Walk leader:  Ned Eisner (781-454-8023, edward.eisner@verizon.net)

Saturday, Sep 29, 8-10 am – Fall Birding at Dunback Meadow

Dunback Meadows during the end of September can offer surprises as the end of the return migration of vireos and warblers approaches; and the sparrow migration is increasing in numbers.  Meet at the Allen St. entrance.  

Walk Leader: Bobbie Hodson (781-861-9421, robertahodson@comcast.net)

Tuesday, Oct 2, 2-4 pm – Fall Senior Sneaker Walk on DCR’s Beaver Brook North

Join Kate Fricker and Marie Roberts for a casual 2 hour walk around the trail system on the portion of DCR’s Beaver Brook North property that lies behind Brookhaven at Lexington located at 1010 Waltham Street. Kate and Marie will point out natural features as well as historical sites located on the property. The trails are well-graded making for easy walking. Don’t forget your water bottle. Meet at the entrance to the Brookhaven Nature Path adjacent to the employee parking lot where parking of guests is allowed. Or take the #3 Lexpress bus which stops at Brookhaven at 1:40 pm. 

Walk Leader: Kate Fricker (kfricker@alum.swarthmore.edu)

Sunday, Oct 7, 2-4 pm – Lower Vine Brook Exploration

If you have found the trail system in the Lower Vine Brook Conservation property confusing in the past and have not discovered the new colored arrow trail markers, this is your chance to reacquaint yourself with this property. Meet your guide at the trail entrance on the Fairfield Drive cul-de-sac between 9 and 15 Fairfield Drive.

Walk Leader: Keith Ohmart (kohmart@verizon.net)

Sunday, Oct 14, 2-4 pm – New ACROSS Lexington Route J Introductory Walk

Be the first to walk ACROSS Lexington’s newest route. Route J links the Minuteman Bikeway with one of Lexington’s lesser-known Conservation properties, Liberty Heights. The route is steep in parts but the footing underneath is either on paved surfaces or level, smooth walking trails. Meet at the Waldorf School parking lot.

Walk Leader: Eileen Entin (eileenhome@gmail.com)

Sunday, Oct 21, 2-4:30 pm – Whipple Hill to Wright-Locke Farm

Perhaps you were unaware that Lexington’s Whipple Hill Conservation property directly abuts Winchester’s Wright-Locke Farm property. This walk will explore the trails connecting these two open space properties with the added bonus of enjoying some late fall foliage color. Meet at the entrance to the Whipple Hill property at the crest of Lexington’s Winchester Drive opposite Berkshire Street, which is on the left. Park on Berkshire Street due to limited parking at the trail entrance and walk across Winchester Drive to the entrance.

Walk Leader: Bob Hausslein (rhausslein@rcn.com, 781-862-9102)

Saturday, Nov 17, 9-11 am – Early Ducks and Late Season Summer Migrants

The Arlington Res and adjacent farm fields may be the best place in Lexington for bird variety. This walk will be looking for early arriving ducks and lingering fall migrants. Meet at the Arlington Res parking lot off of Lowell Street.

Walk Leader: John Andrews (jandrews166@gmail.com, 781-382-5658)

Monthly Trail Walks in Bedford

The Bedford Trails Committee conducts free monthly Trail Walks in Bedford the first Saturday of each month.  Trail walks vary monthly, from strolls on flat ground to hikes with hills. For detailed info on current and future hikes, please visit: https://groups.google.com/group/bedfordma-trails 

Location We rendezvous at 9:45 am at the parking lot behind the Bedford Free Public Library on 

Mudge Way, and leave 10:10 am from the Trailhead designated on the BedfordMA-trails website 

Contact:        To Join if you already have a Google account, go to: 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/bedfordma-trails  and click “Join Group to Post”

To Join if you don’t have a Google account, please send an email to: BedfordMA.trailwalks@gmail.com  and you’ll be added to the Group.

The Wright Farm Barn, future home of Lexington's environmental education center

Let us know if there is an upcoming event that should be listed here.

Citizens4LexingtonConservation@gmail.com

Joe-Pye-Weed in Dunback Meadow, August 2016 (photo courtesy John Andrews)

Are you looking for a new route to walk, run or bike?

ACROSS Lexington is waiting for you - try it!

You can find route information here on the Town website.

ACROSS Lexington stands for Accessing Conservation land, Recreation areas, Open space, Schools and Streets in Lexington.

Please let us know if you would be interested in working with CLC in any capacity. Could you write a piece for the Newsletter? Lead a walk? Work on the website? Take a leadership role on the Board? Help manage marketing/outreach? Drop us a line if you think you can help - we always welcome new faces!

Walks Publicity Coordinator: Each spring and fall CLC sponsors a series of walks in conservation and open space. We are looking for someone to focus initially on walks publicity, and eventually to organize and broaden the types of walks we conduct. 

Events Coordinator: Each year, CLC features a speaker on conservation, resource, or environmental issues. To deepen and enlarge our educational focus, we are seeking a new film/speaker coordinator to take on the tasks of identifying, scheduling, and publicizing videos and speakers. Our plans are to offer 3-4 events per year as an exciting new way for CLC to continue to raise public awareness regarding local, regional and national environmental issues.

Conservation Restriction Monitors: CLC is in the process of acquiring conservation restrictions (CRs) on five Town-owned properties that were acquired in whole or in part with Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. We are seeking individuals who are interested in helping to complete the remaining CR applications for three of the five parcels and/or participating in the annual monitoring of the properties. 

Recording Secretary. This position involves taking minutes at Board meetings and filing any forms required to maintain our status as a nonprofit organization. 

If you would like to know more about any of these positions, please contact Eileen Entin (eileenhome@gmail.com, 781-862-6418).

CLC is sponsoring a new program for children - the Junior Ranger Program - aimed at getting kids out into Lexington's Conservation properties with games and activities. In conjunction with Cary Memorial Library we have a booklet to guide children and their parents. The kids will visit several different Conservation areas, fill out some activity sheets that will guide nature observation, and can, upon completion, receive a Junior Ranger Certificate from the Library.

You can find the Junior Ranger booklet here.