Habitat Education Center & Wildlife Sanctuary
Judy Record Conservation Fund
The Judy Record Conservation Fund (the Fund) was established in 2001 by family, friends, and members of the McLean Open Space Alliance and the Belmont Land Trust, who wished to honor Judy’s contributions to land conservation. The Fund provides grants to support protecting, maintaining, restoring, and acquiring conservation lands in the Town of Belmont and the neighboring communities of Lexington, Cambridge, Waltham, Watertown and Arlington.
In addition, the Fund considers projects within conservation lands that further the development of multi-use paths, off road hiking/biking trails, and universally-accessible trails. The Fund will also provide support for internships and fellowships with recognized conservation organizations in order to foster the next generation of conservation leaders.
The Fund currently has an endowment of over $1,000,000 and aims to spend 5% of its funds each year in support of worthy projects.
Projects
The Judy Record Conservation Fund facilitates and monitors projects with long-lasting benefits for public enjoyment of open space, and to protect and serve the needs of the environment.
Since its inception, The Judy Record Conservation Fund has supported a variety of projects at Lone Tree Hill, 88 acres of Town of Belmont conservation land on Belmont Hill, including open space planning, ecological management, historic restoration and the installation of kiosks and signage.
As part of our ongoing work at Lone Tree Hill Conservation Area, we funded the transplanting of 60 white pine saplings into the 120-year-old cultural landscape feature known as the Pine Allee. On April 26, 2018, volunteers joined staff from Tree Specialists to plant 20 nursery-grown saplings and transplant 40 saplings dug from the neighboring Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary.
The saplings replaced some of the trees, planted over 100 years ago, that have died or been blown down by storms. This is the second year the Fund has supported the tree planting project in the Pine Allee.
In 2010, the Fund assisted Mass Audubon in purchasing 2.59 acres of meadow habitat from the Weeks family that was added to the Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary.
In 2006, the Fund assisted Mass Audubon in purchasing 1.25 acres of forest and meadow land from the Belmont Hill Club.
Biodiversity Builders Internship Program: In its third year, Biodiversity Builders expanded from 8 internships in 2022 to 15 in 2023 and now 18 internships in 2024. High School student interns are drawn from Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge to learn about: biodiversity; landscape restoration; native plant landscaping; invasive plant identification and removal and business and entrepreneurship.
In 2024 the JRFund paid the salaries of the 11 students as well as supported a field trip to the Belle Island Marsh, Boston’s last remaining salt marsh.
Interns work 20 hours per week for 6 weeks at locations such as Alewife Reservation, Mass Audubon Habitat, Mt Auburn Cemetery and Rock Meadow and Spy Pond. Activities include designing and planting native gardens, maintaining existing gardens, and removing invasive plants. They also research and present independent projects and organize a native plant sale.
The Western Greenway is a popular seven-mile off-road hiking and biking trail in Belmont, Lexington, and Waltham. The current terminus of the trail in Waltham is at Beaver and Lyman Streets adjacent to Bentley University and the Lyman Estate, owned by Historic New England. The Waltham Land Trust (WLT) has been working with Bentley and Historic New England to continue the Trail through those properties to connect with the Mass Central Rail Trail, a partly completed 104-mile multi-use trail from Boston to Northampton, MA. The JRFund grant adds to funds already raised by WLT through the Mass Trails Program for engineering work needed to determine the best location for a trail and pedestrian bridge crossing Chester Brook. Actual construction of the trail and bridge will be completed as the next phase of the project.
How to Apply
We award grants to public and private groups for projects that support protecting, maintaining, restoring, and acquiring conservation lands in the Town of Belmont and the neighboring communities of Lexington, Arlington, Watertown, Waltham, and Cambridge.
In addition, the Fund considers projects within conservation lands that further the development of multi-use paths, off road hiking/biking trails, and universally-accessible trails.
To begin the application process, submit a one-page description of your proposal to the Fund's Executive Director, Roger Wrubel, by email or mail it to: Judy Record Conservation Fund, 165 Slade Street, Belmont, MA 02478.
You may also call Roger at 617-963-6888 to discuss your proposal and determine if it fits within the Fund’s mission.
The Board of Directors meets regularly and will discuss proposals as they are received. Applicants will be notified promptly of the Board's evaluation. If the Board decides the proposal merits further consideration, you will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Trustees
Roger Wrubel, Executive Director
Eugene Record, Treasurer
David O'Neill, Mass Audubon
About Judy Record
Through her passionate commitment to conservation, Judy touched many people in Belmont, energizing and encouraging them to become engaged in the challenging process of protecting open space in the town. Her death—in a tragic bicycle accident in 2000—was keenly felt by many colleagues and friends, concerned citizens, and the members of Town committees and municipal agencies.
In recognition of Judy’s work, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association honored her posthumously in 2002 with its Citizen Planner Award, recognizing her as someone who made a distinguished contribution to planning.
Judy left the Town a legacy of work to protect open space—work begun, but unfinished, which many Belmont citizens and the Judy Record Conservation Fund are bringing to fruition
Support the Fund
Donations should be made payable to "Judy Record Conservation Fund" and mailed to:
Judy Record Conservation Fund
c/o Mass Audubon
208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 02173
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].