Become a Lead Steward

Become a Lead Steward of one of Lexington’s Conservation Areas

Lead Stewards play an integral role in the preservation and maintenance of Lexington's conservation land. Each Lead Steward is connected to one of the Town's 26 main conservation areas; Lead Stewards act as the Town's "Eyes and Ears on the Ground" by monitoring each property, communicating issues and concerns to the Town's Conservation Division, and helping to organize trail work and other maintenance activities.

Lead Stewards don't need to have any special skills or experience - they just need to enjoy the outdoors, be willing to walk and observe their assigned property on a semi-regular basis, and work with the Conservation Division and the larger Lexington Conservation Stewards volunteer group to help maintain the property.

Lead Stewards are responsible for the following:

• Walking the property on a monthly basis. The purpose of this walk should be to assess the following:
  • Property usage - general sense of number of visitors and for what purpose; any issues on use (e.g., vandalism, dog waste, trash, motorized use, etc.)
  • Trail condition (overgrown, bike usage creating ruts, etc.)
  • Downed trees, broken boardwalks, flooding, etc.
  • Invasive species
  • Edges of the property abutting roads (maintaining view of property from road)
  • Providing information to the Conservation Division as requested or as issues arise on how the property is doing, what issues there are, what work might be done, and recommendations for improving use and upkeep of the property.
• Lead Stewards will be encouraged to submit photos and highlights for our social media postings. Examples might include flora and fauna of interest or visitors enjoying the property.
• Helping to organize workdays with other Conservation Stewards (the town will provide a list of other volunteers interested in working on a specific property).

Finally, Lead stewards are invited to attend monthly evening meetings with Conservation staff. While this is not a required part of the of the Lead Stewards role, it is a great opportunity to meet other Stewards, learn about work happening on other properties around Town, and get help organizing work days.

Please email Amber Carr, Conservation Coordinator if you are interested in becoming a Lead Steward or if you would like more information about the Lead Steward program.