‘Ecologically outstanding’: Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition visits Cold Brook Preserve

On a splendid September morning, Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) was delighted to host Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) Board Members and MLTC Conservation Advisory Council Members for a tour of the beautiful Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve.

It was a great way to thank MLTC for honoring HCT’s ambitious Cold Brook Eco-Restoration Project with their inaugural Conservation Excellence Award in March.

HCT’s eco-restoration effort, completed in 2025, transformed a retired cranberry bog into a wildlife oasis. The project included rewilding a mile of stream, native plantings, sculpting in four ponds and creating a half-mile wheelchair accessible All Persons Trail, allowing people of all abilities and ages to experience the beauty of nature.

Board members from the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) explored Harwich Conservation Trust’s (HCT) Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve. MLTC gave its first-ever Conservation Excellence Award to HCT for the Cold Brook Eco-Restoration success. Photo by Gerry Beetham

Cold Brook is now flowing freely through the 66-acre Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve for the first time in over a century.

HCT also collaborated with the nonprofit Harwich Fire Association (HFA) to bring the town’s first firehouse back to life as a gathering space for events. Led by HFA, the Old Bank Street Firehouse renovation project includes the creation of three one-bedroom affordable apartments on the second floor.

It all adds up to a wonderful collection of community benefits. “In one location, historic preservation, affordable housing, eco-restoration, land preservation and recreation for all,” said HCT Executive Director Mike Lach at the beginning of the tour.

Robb Johnson, MLTC’s Executive Director, then provided an overview of the organization’s efforts. “We are an association of 140-plus land trusts that work across the state,” he said. “We are working to train and build capacity for land trusts as well as advocating for them at the state level.”

Heading out on the trail

Tom Evans, President of HCT’s Board of Trustees, stepped into his familiar role as Cold Brook tour guide. Evans has led dozens of tours at the Preserve, and his deep knowledge and easygoing insight made a perfect pairing with the curious land trust professionals.

As the group moved along on the trail, crossing bridges and observing ponds, Evans provided a sense of how the eco-restoration project had transformed the Cold Brook Preserve.

“Almost all of the green that you see is Mother Nature’s seed bank,” said Evans. Many of the flourishing native plants at Cold Brook sprang to life after sand layers used in cranberry farming were removed, and the ground was roughened (a process called microtopography) to more closely resemble a wetland environment.

Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition (MLTC) Board Members and MLTC Conservation Advisory Council Members enjoy the view from a bridge at Harwich Conservation Trust’s Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve. Photo by Gerry Beetham

Highlights included a look at HCT’s human-made otter den at the edge of a pond. Hopefully, playful occupants will move in soon, as the den is equipped with a camera that will provide an up-close look at otter life. Participants were also intrigued by the recently-installed purple martin gourd rack, where a breeding pair of the beautiful birds has already moved in and raised babies.

Cormac Collier, President and CEO of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation called the Cold Brook effort “impressive.” His organization recently completed a similar eco-restoration project on the island.

“As these projects develop and evolve, we can learn from the different strategies that we put into place and share the knowledge with other organizations that are going to be doing these major restoration projects,” said Collier. “It is so critical for water quality and wildlife habitat.”

“It’s just fantastic to see the whole thing come together,” said Robb Johnson, MLTC’s Executive Director, as we arrived back at the Cold Brook trailhead. “It’s beautiful and it’s ecologically outstanding. For a relatively small land trust, what HCT is doing is phenomenal — it’s really a model for other land trusts.”

Gallery photos below by Gerry Beetham

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