DCR Releases 2013 Update of Terra Firma No. 2—Caring For Mature Trees
BOSTON – The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is pleased to release the newly revised and updated Terra Firma #2—Caring for Mature Trees. This new edition replaces the 2006 original edition, which has been out of print and available only online since 2010.
“As the steward of many historic landscapes in the state parks, DCR understands the importance of protecting mature trees for shade, habitat and beauty,” said DCR Commissioner Edward M. Lambert. “By reissuing this bulletin, DCR affirms its commitment to helping communities protect their community’s character, including their street trees, urban forests and designed parklands.”
The publication provides information on caring for mature and historic trees including best management practices, regulatory tools and how to choose replacement species. The new, revised edition also includes an overview of threats to historic trees and priority pests in Massachusetts, such as the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB).
The 2013 edition of Terra Firma was funded through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service and written through a collaboration of DCR’s Office of Cultural Resources and DCR’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. The print bulletin is free upon request and available online.
The Terra Firma series is part of DCR’s commitment to providing technical assistance for cultural resource management and protection to cities and towns. The bulletin is one of 10 in the series, designed to provide pertinent, up-to-date information about the preservation, maintenance and management of historic public landscapes in Massachusetts.
The series has been awarded the Boston Society of Landscape Architect’s 2012 Merit Award and the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s 2012 Preservation Award for achievement in public education.
For more information about DCR’s historic landscape preservation programs, please click here. For more about DCR’s Urban and Community Forestry programs please visit our website.
DCR Announces “Stories in Stone” Program for Preservation Month 2013
BOSTON – May is National Preservation Month, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is showcasing its preservation efforts through a variety of programs at many unique historic properties in the Commonwealth’s state parks. Visitors can enjoy guided walks and programs at historic sites under the Stories in Stone theme, and special Opening Our Doors events will give the public access to properties usually limited from public view.
“DCR preserves the historic buildings, sites and landscapes in the state parks to provide people with a connection to the rich history of our Commonwealth,” said DCR Commissioner Ed Lambert. “Like tangible snapshots in time, DCR’s parks remind us of our heritage and connect us to those who came before us, enriching our lives and fostering a new generation of environmental stewards.”
From Native American sites and cellar holes to country estates and massive engineering landmarks, DCR’s historic properties exhibit centuries of human ingenuity in adapting the land for everyday life. Preservation Month is a time to celebrate our cultural heritage and DCR’s work to preserving the past. DCR directly preserves historic buildings, landscapes and structures through programs, projects, partnerships and management.
DCR’s 2013 Preservation Month program features DCR’s work to preserve and convey the history of the state’s stone industry, notable works of architecture made from local stone, archaeological sites and DCR’s collection of monuments. The state’s most famous stone – Plymouth Rock – earned DCR a Preservation Award from the Massachusetts Historical Commission for the restoration of the 1920 granite portico. The portico was designed by McKim, Mead and White to showcase the legendary rock.
During the month long program, visitors can learn about quarrying at Halibut Point in Rockport, the restoration of the stone mansion and Rock Garden at Borderland State Park and walk through remains of a mountain house in Holyoke and a “ghost village” in Hawley. DCR is proud to tell the story of the adaptive reuse of DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program properties across the state. Many of the Curatorship properties will be open during Opening Our Doors events.
Each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation promotes May as Preservation Month to raise awareness about the enormous impact historic preservation has in protecting and enhancing our neighborhoods and communities.
For more information on DCR’s Preservation Month program, including locations and programs, visit www.mass.gov/dcr.
