I so admire and celebrate the Trust, all the special people and places, the community it creates, and the parks and waterways you’ve preserved. Thank YOU for all you do.
- Christine Cole, former board member
We had a great time and were so happy to have shared the morning beautifying the Greenway with your team. Thank you for keeping these areas clean, accessible and enjoyable for all!
- Maria, corporate volunteer
Having access to public open spaces such as Hawk Valley Farm, where you can connect to nature and the wildlife that lives there, can make a difference in your daily life.
Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust leads local elementary school students on field trips, and for some of these students, it is their first trip into a conservation land where they can touch, smell, see, and hear nature all around them. Having been out in the farm during one of these field trips and listening to the student’s questions, and to see their faces when they get excited, is a rewarding feeling.
In the city of Lowell, Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust gives us all a chance to slow down and experience the natural world around us.
- Steve Nagle, member & land steward
I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for allowing us to participate in volunteering with the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust … the feedback we received [from our staff] indicated that they truly loved it.
I must commend you and your team on the exceptional organization and coordination of the volunteer event. Your dedication to creating a positive impact in the community is truly remarkable, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.
Once again, thank you for your incredible leadership and for providing us with the opportunity to give back.
- Sevi, corporate volunteer
You never stop making Lowell a better place to live and to learn how to live and recreate sustainably. I am ever impressed.
- Kate Hemenway, member
Thank you for including me in your board meetings as a Babson Fellow. It has been a pleasure observing and learning from you. I am so impressed by the thoughtful, collegial atmosphere of the group and the immense impact of a small and mighty organization! I appreciate and admire your patience, passion, and good cheer.
I look forward to following and supporting the Trust moving forward. From Rollie’s to youth programming to the 10th Anniversary Film series to the Talbot Mills Dam removal and more, it is an exciting time—many good things ahead, due to the hard work of your community!
- Lindsay Ewing, Babson Fellow
You and your organization and the people you have help you to connect to so many more and bring them into the outdoors is truly monumental and so significant for the greater Lowell region!
- Emily T., member
You enrich the experience of living in Lowell greatly.
- Mary Sky M., member
LPCT changed the course of the City of Lowell forever. It has been an extremely positive theme for adults, children…families. Nature, Education, History and Science… with a clear focus on our Future.
- Susan Nealon, member
I have worked with Jane Calvin for many years on graphic projects together — she is a hard working dedicated Director with an amazing team that really cares about Lowell. Working with all facets of the population, Jane and her team utilizes various methods of outreach and implementation to help with the stewardship of environment, science, nature and conservation for the city of Lowell. I second “Soumita” comment: “People should know more about them and their work”.
- Kim Becker, Becker Design
Thank you so much for allowing us to serve and for joining alongside us, simultaneously educating and pulling weeds! You really walk the walk. We sincerely hope to be able to work with you and LPCT on future service projects and/or environmental initiatives going forward.
- Teydin – Volunteer Church Group Leader
Very fortunate to know Jane and the organization and to get to work with them. They deserve all the support as the are resorting our broken environment and nature through education and teamwork. People should know more about them and their work.
- Soumita Acharya – LTC Director of Community Programming
Thanks so much for your help and work making after school so successful again this year … I really appreciate your patience with our students. They learn so many things with you that no one would be showing or doing with them. They are truly lucky for the experience.
- C. Wooster, McAvinnue School after-school program director
The experience I had with LP&CT last summer greatly impacted my desire to teach. I was inspired by the students you work with and want to continue advocating for under-resourced students. Working with Lowell students last summer has motivated me to demand more from the education system, and I am hopeful that I can pursue a long-term career in education reform.
- Gillian, former Hispanic Access Foundation intern
Being with the T.R.E.E.S, or the Environmental Adventures program, has been very important and helpful to me. I have been with them since my freshman and now I am a junior at Lowell high. I have gotten the opportunity of being a leader in my community and helping others through community service, like: working at the food pantry. Just getting me involved in my community, and teaching me about the environment in a way that I can also tell people like my family about climate change and how to decrease our carbon footprint. These programs have really inspired me to be more outgoing and knowledgeable about my environment. I have had a lot of amazing opportunities like building a rain garden at the lowell high freshman building, hosting he Environmental Youth Conference and so much more due this program
- Amina – Lowell High School student
I am still stunned by all you do. What a huge contribution the Trust makes to this community.
- Ginny, new downtown Lowell resident
Upon coming to Lowell, I was initially overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the city. In my more wooded hometown of Grafton, MA, my main activities were hiking and trail running. Thankfully, the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust’s properties allowed me to find pockets of solace and nature where I thought there were none, giving me a taste of home, a place to relax, and the opportunity to strengthen my bond with nature
- Sean Cloran, UML Student
The programming work, and partnership work, that LP&CT does is top notch. Investing in urban kids and schools – and using conservation as a tool to teach leadership, self-esteem, and educational success – is something that more nonprofits (and other conservation groups) should emulate. Conservation work that matters – that changes lives, and enriches the lives who live in Lowell – that’s what this nonprofit is about.
Submitted to Great Non-profits, 6/14/2016
- Judy A, conservation professional
Constellation, an Exelon company, is strongly committed to giving back to the community. In 2014, the Constellation-Lowell office decided to partner with a local non-profit as part of this effort. Through careful research, we identified the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) as a likely deserving organization. Our initial activities began with a Concord River Greenway clean-up on a section of the river within walking distance of our office. We now treat this section of land as “ours” and steward it carefully. Since 2014, we have completed 2 Greenway clean-ups, and one “make-over” day at Lowell’s Spalding House, an LP&CT property requiring garden clean-up and window-washing. Currently, Constellation plans to build a viewing platform adjacent to a vernal pool at LP&CT’s West Meadow conservation land. Volunteers will assist with everything from drawing up plans to building the platform on site. LP&CT’s breadth of positive impact upon Lowell, with a small and dedicated staff, continues to impress both experienced and new volunteers at their well-organized events.
Submitted to Great Non-profits, 10/28/2016
- Barbara K, corporate volunteer
Trees, wildlife, river, history, people, and important places. The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust strives to connect people to the place where they live. Through their evolving and innovative programming, the Trust builds a sense of place for the people of Lowell.
The dedication from staff and leadership is unmatched by any other organization. They always strive to connect people to the place in which they live, getting folks to understand that they don’t have to leave the city limits to find beauty, intrigue, and nature right in their backyard.
I am a proud donor to LPCT and continue to be impressed by their ability to innovate, create, and succeed in such an efficient way for such a small organization!
Submitted to Great Non-profits, 10/28/16
- Gwen Kozlowski, former staff member