Blog
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Mugar Update
The Land Trust’s legal team filed an appeal of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Superseding Order of Conditions approving the Thorndike Place project last April. Further information and testimonies from our hydrology and engineering consultants have been submitted recently to DEP’s Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution (OADR). Our consultants have testified that the Thorndike Place project does not comply with DEP Stormwater Standards 2 and 3, and that there are critical errors in the design of the project’s stormwater system.
The next step is for the project proponent to file their response by October 30th. Then DEP is to respond by November 16th. We appreciate your continued support of the Land Trust’s advocacy on this project, and we will provide further updates as more information becomes available. -
2027 Land Trust Scholarship
The Arlington Land Trust is welcoming applications for its Land Trust Conservation Scholarship. The deadline is April 16, 2027. Download Application Form.
To be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship, you must be a high school senior and a resident of Arlington. You may be attending Arlington High School, Arlington Catholic, Minuteman, or another public or private high school. The Land Trust seeks to support seniors who will be pursuing education, volunteer service or work in conservation, environmental protection or a related field after graduation. The award will be given to one or more Arlington residents at a time decided by their high school. View past recipients.
Send your completed application to norafrank@comcast.net by April 16, 2027. All applications will be acknowledged. When submitting your application, please name it: ALTScholarship[YOURLASTNAME] (e.g., ALTScholarshipSMITH).
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2026 Scholarship Winners
We are pleased to recognize these three winners of the ALT scholarship program:
Conard Anderson followed his curiosity for nature from childhood to the doors of Minuteman High School, where he “waded through streams and vernal pools, judged water quality with chemical tests and macroinvertebrate indices, examined tide pools and learned about careers from forestry to water treatment.” He is attending University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources to pursue these and other interests in ecology and local wildlife.
Phoebe Klein Taylor has been a camper since preschool and later trained as a counselor at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm. Through the Youth Climate Leadership Program, she organized and attended workshops on the environment and advocacy at Camp Wildwood in New Hampshire. “My personal favorite workshop on Eco-anxiety/Eco-hope explored dark and scary topics while participating in fun activities to build a better community.” Phoebe graduated from Arlington High School and is attending Mount Holyoke to study Environmental Science.
Liam Shadrick was inspired by his childhood hero, David Attenborough, to play in the natural world around Arlington, install and manage a backyard beehive, and explore wilder ecosystems by climbing 16 of the 48 White Mountain peaks over 4,000 feet. An AP Environmental Science class at Arlington High School further expanded his passion for studying and working with natural systems. Liam is attending the University of San Diego to pursue environmental conservation and advocacy.
We congratulate these students on their significant contributions to environmental issues in Arlington and wish them well in their future educational and career endeavors.
We are grateful for the generosity of our members who make these awards possible. Thank you.
