Supported by grants from the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, New England Wild Flower Society entered a partnership with three western Massachusetts land trusts to do botanical surveys and invasive plant management on land trust properties in the towns of Hampden, Sheffield, and Sturbridge, and Wilbraham. The land trusts are the Opacum, Minnechaug, and Sheffield Land Trusts. 

From May to September 2008, New England Wild Flower Society Conservation staff will first train land trust volunteers in plant identification, invasive plant management, and botanical survey techniques and then lead these volunteers in conducting complete botanical inventories and invasive species surveys of their properties. Recruiting additional Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCV's) is part of the project. We have scheduled 14 botanical inventory and invasive management workdays with the land trusts. Results of this project will include:

• Comprehensive plant inventories for the properties
• Classification of the plant communities on the properties
• Documentation of rare flora and habitats
• Identification of all invasive plant species on the properties
• Management strategies for controlling the invasives
• Initiation of on-the-ground removal of invasive species
• Conservation Report and Management Plan for each of the properties