Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary®
Music in the Woods
PRESENTS
The Julius Quartet with Lila Brown, viola
The Julius Quartet
Hyun Jeong Helen Lee, violin
David Do, violin
John Batchelder, viola
Sabastian Kozub, cello
Sunday. April 23 | 2:00 PM
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary
Tree Room at Trailhead House
690 Linden Street, Boylston MA 01505
The Julius Quartet concert has reached capacity
Please check back for future events
Worcester Magazine Offers new winter walking series and chose Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary as the first winter walk
Winter Walks: Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary in Boylston (worcestermag.com)
Winter Walks: Boylston’s short and sweet Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary
Editor’s note: This is part of a series on winter walking places in and
near Worcester. Let us know your favorite walking places at
wmeditor@gatehousemedia.com.
On an unseasonably warm December afternoon, the sunlit trails at Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary in Boylston were somehow empty. The main loop, about 1.75 miles, were populated mostly by the wind in the trees, chipmunks running across the carpet of leaves, and birds up above, settling in for the winter.
The hills, valleys, and streams within the sanctuary were at one point slated to be cleared completely and developed into homes. But in 2014, as reported in the Telegram & Gazette, the Sudbury Valley Trustees,
Mass Audubon, and philanthropist Shalin Liu came together to preserve the 45 acres of forest that would become Summer Star. The main entrance is off Linden Street, with a small parking lot and a
large trailhead building that often hosts art exhibitions and small musical groups. For example, this year, multiple string quartets and classical pianist Gilles Vonsattel performed there. The Linden Street
Gallery, within the building, displayed two exhibits showcasing artists’ and photographers’ perspectives on the natural world. The Trailhead House is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through Tuesdays, and visitors can stop in to learn about the area’s wildlife and ecosystem before experiencing it on the trails. Currently, the Linden Street Gallery is featuring an exhibit by Toronto-based painter Ming Lee, who mixes traditional Chinese poetry and art styles to capture the beauty she sees in nature. The exhibit is on view through April 10.
Facebook group admin reflects on Worcester County wildlife: The sanctuary’s website offers details about cultural and educational activities, as well as its conservation mission. Summer Star is a next-door neighbor to a number of other protected nature areas, including the Sudbury Valley Trustees’ Wrack Meadow Brook and Mile Hill Woods reservations. The area along the Boylston and Berlin town line has long been a mostly undisturbed forest. To keep it that way, Summer Star maintains not only the reservation on Linden Street but also another area of land nearby, which contains a meadow. That area can be seen from Mile Hill Road, where Summer Star has an entrance marked with a large sign.
When a Worcester Magazine reporter visited Summer Star, there was no snow on the ground, but some spots on the trail were covered up by patches of ice that had formerly been puddles. To stay safe on those patches, as well as some of the trails’ steeper hills, visitors during the colder months may want to wear shoes or boots with good traction while they wander.
Summer Star is located at 690 Linden St. in Boylston. The sanctuary’s official hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays through Tuesdays, and trails are open from dawn until dusk on those days. Summer Star is free to enter for all visitors. To learn more, visit summerstarwildlifesanctuary.com
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary Presents New Art Exhibit
“Painting For The Colorful Life” by Ms. Ming Lee
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary Presents Music in the Woods
The Balourdet Quartet
Sunday October 2, 2022 at 2PM
Summer Star, 690 Linden Street, Boylston MA 01505
To register email info@summerstarwildlife.org – Seats are limited
The Jasper String Quartet – Thursday August 18, 2022 4PM
Thursday August 18, 2022 4PM
Summer Star, 690 Linden Street, Boylston MA 01505
This event is currently at capacity
Mission
This forty-five acres of natural land is home to plants, streams, glacial boulders, and wild animals large and small. It is our mission to protect and care for wildlife habitats, trails, forests, streams, and wetlands.
The sanctuary is a place of tranquility and self-reflection. It loves rocks, trees, and birds. In that loving, we find nourishment for our spirits and our souls.
Summer Star is open to the public free of charge. Please enjoy the beauty of nature, and in return kindly pay respect to all wildlife who have been keeping this land safe and peaceful for generations. Our goal is to bring new experiences and discoveries of the wonders of local wildlife and the joyful spirit of nurturing forestland to underprivileged children, senior citizens, and to all families in the community.
The sanctuary organizes a variety of events and projects to promote public awareness of science, nature, wildlife, and the environment, and aids in animal rescue and release in collaboration with Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine. Throughout the year, the sanctuary also hosts various courses, lectures, conferences, and artistic and cultural events.
See our latest blog
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary
PRESENTS
Music in the Woods series
With Gilles Vonsattel
A “wanderer between worlds” (Lucerne Festival), “immensely talented” and “quietly powerful pianist” (New York Times)
Sunday May 22nd at 2 PM
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary
Tree Room at Trailhead House
690 Linden Street, Boylston MA 01505
Please email info@summerstarwildlife.org to register
Seats are limited and the concert is for people aged sixteen and older
Program
Heinz Holliger: Elis: Drei Nachstücke für Klavier
Claude Debussy: Images, Books I and II
Johann Sebastian Bach: Overture in the French Style BWV 831
https://dispeker.com/artists/gilles-vonsattel/
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary®
PRESENTS
THE SANCTUARY OF NATURE
BY
Rockport Art Association and Museum
On View from April 22 – September 11, 2022
During Summer Star’s regular hours
(April 22nd 2:00-4:30 PM only)
Linden Street Gallery: 690 Linden Street, Boylston MA 01505
EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
The Sanctuary of Nature exhibition showcases the beautiful landscapes and seascapes of Cape Ann in every season. These pieces were selected to offer a brief glimpse into the past through the rich tradition of Cape Ann artists and show how they have evolved over the years. Featuring artwork from the Rockport Art Association & Museum’s Permanent Collection, as well as some pieces from its current members, the exhibit gives an impression of what the Cape Ann area looked like one hundred years ago and how it looks now. The exhibition highlights the interconnection of art and nature, and the many ways that the natural world provides a sanctuary in our lives and serves as a continual source of artistic inspiration.
A sister exhibition of The Sanctuary of Nature featuring artwork inspired by the natural world will be on view at the Rockport Art Association & Museum in the Hibbard & Maddocks Galleries from June 4 – July 3, 2022.
New Blog Post: TWO BARRED OWLS RETURNED BACK TO THE WILD
Blog Post: Quiet and Splendid Spring
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary
Presents
Wilderness Solitude
By
Zac Durant
March 6th, 2021 – September 7th, 2021
Linden Street Gallery, Linden Street, Boylston MA
Zac Durant is an outstanding and passionate wilderness photographer. He has a career in the bio-tech industry. Each year he ventures off on a week-long solo canoe wilderness trip.
He went on the seventy mile long solo canoe trip up in Northern Maine four months ago. He traveled down the West Branch of the Penobscot River. The year before that, he went on the solo canoe trip traveled down on the Allagash River in Northern Maine.
Zac’s new art show “Wilderness Solitude” will be on view on Saturday, March 6th, 2021, at Linden Street Gallery
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary at 690 Linden Street, Boylston, Massachusetts. Gallery opens Saturday to Tuesday, 11am to 3pm. The sanctuary opens year round, four days a week. The trails open four days a week, dawn to dusk. Free to the public. (www.summerstarwildlife.org / info@summerstarwildlife.org / 508-869-3434)
Dear friends,
Entering the month of December while it is near the end of the year, I celebrate holidays and count blessings of staying healthy and appreciating my friends, my wildlife family and the natural land which is providing everything for our earth. But for me not even one day goes by without thinking about the 280,000 our fellow citizens who left this world (the fact is that these lives could have been saved), and their families who had to bid farewell to their loved ones. We keep hanging on to cherished sweet memories. Nobody could ever take away these sweet memories.
The curtain of year 2020 will be drawn closed soon. I would like to put together and present Music in the Woods memory—-the only concert we had for this year—with pictures and paragraphs that were written by our own guests.
The final music note. I would like to introduce a new music piece “Over the Rainbow” recently recorded at Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport by Yo-Yo MA.
-Shalin Liu, Founder and Manager with Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary team
SEASON UPDATE:
Dear All Visitors,
As of recent, the public health department has announced that COVID cases are on the rise here in Massachusetts. Along with this, the winter season is quickly approaching. To protect our visitors & their families health and safety, we have decided to make the following decisions:
- Starting Oct. 13th the Trailhead House will be closed
- Our parking area and trails will continue to be open during regular hours (Dawn until Dusk)
We are hoping that even with these changes and current world events, the Summer Star forest and nature trails will continue to bring joy to anyone who visits.
Thank you everyone!
-Summer Star
 | A TRAIL MAP The trails are quiet With some uphill and downhill fun footpath winding through woodland, wetland, and beaver pond diverse forest scenery The nature sounds of the brooks, winds, blue bird and wildlife They will come to you when you find a nice spot for yourself |
Visitor Appreciation
Shalin,
We visited the Wildlife Sanctuary last Saturday and you graciously gave us a tour of the Trailhead House and an introduction to the marvelous paintings of Teri Malo. We are most appreciative of the time you took to share your thoughts on nature and the habitat as well as the inspiration for the building. It was all inspiring and uplifting to hear of the care being taken to protect there and the environment. We enjoyed hearing of the owl in the Healing Cage at Tufts and the rehabilitative care that is being done there.
It was all most encouraging and we are greatly in support of your efforts and goals. Thank you again for making our visit and hike a delightful experience.
Warm regards,
P. O’Brien & P. Paglia
A Poem About the Linden Tree
Shalin,
This past Tuesday my friends and I had the good fortune to be greeted by you at the Summer Star Sanctuary. During this time of so much uncertainty, being in your presence and experiencing the natural space beyond the Trailhead House was truly a balm for the soul. Our experience was enhanced by the exquisite exhibit of Teri Malo, the background story of the Centerpiece Rock, and the berm landscape on the Earth Roof.
“Come to me, friend, here you will find rest”—- this line from the Linden Tree Poem (in the Boulder Room) rings so true. Every time I visit your Sanctuary my mind finds rest from the cacophony of the world beyond your refuge.
With deep gratitude
B.
A northern saw-whet owl is recovering at the Wildlife Clinic of Cummings School of Vet Medicine at TUFTS University in North Grafton
A northern saw-whet owl was admitted to TUFTS Wildlife Clinic on October 20th 2020 after being found on a sidewalk, not flying. On examination, veterinarians determined that the owl had signs of head trauma and an injury to one eye, likely due to being hit by a car. The owl is being treated with pain medicine and a topical medication for the eye
Photo Credit: Dr. Maureen Murray. To learn more about these rare species, click here
Trailhead House of Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary Re-opens on Saturday August 1st, 2020
Dear visitors and friends,
Summer Star will partially re-open our Trailhead House —carefully following the Public Health Safety Measures— on Saturday, August 1st, starting at 11am, and will be closed at 3pm, Saturday through Tuesday.
It has been four months passed by.
We seemed never ready to recognize, to experience the sorrow, the despair, the disappointment, the pain, the loss, and the loneliness from the attack by the coronavirus—in such unthinkable way. We were expected to digest, to fight back, to protect, and to accept. We felt the emotions and we learned our lessons.
We tried our best.
Let us meet again at the Gallery and on the trails, to find back those moments of beauty, tranquility, and intimacy that nature has shared with all of us.
Shalin Liu, The Founder and Manager, and the Summer Star team
July 28, 2020
Artist Bio: Teri Malo
Teri Malo grew up around dairy farms and woodlands in Central Massachusetts. Her interest in nature reflects her childhood playing outside both in the woods and on the farms, and helping with the family’s part-time business raising chrysanthemums and lettuce. A sense of wonder and delight permeates all her responses to nature, as seen in her paintings.
Ms. Malo graduated from Emmanuel College and received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts, where her passions centered on printmaking.
Ms. Malo’s works are in a number of collections, including the DeCordova Museum, Newport Art Museum, The Blackstone Group, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Baystate Medical Center, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Parmenter Hospice, Bryant College, Otis Elevator, and numerous private collections.
Linden Street Gallery at Summer Star Wildlife Presents:
Into The Woods
An Art Show by Teri Malo
August 1st, 2020 – January 31st, 2021
Boylston, MA— The Linden Street Gallery at Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary announces the opening of its latest art exhibit—Into the Woods, a collection of paintings by Teri Malo. The exhibit opens on August 1, 2020 and will be on view until January 31, 2021.
Teri Malo thinks of painting as discovery and summary. All of her impressions from time spent in the woods – the sounds, the scents, the air and temperature, the patterns of light, the shapes of leaves and gestures of trees are reassembled two-dimensionally to form multiple perspectives on a sense of place across time.
Ms. Malo graduated from Emmanuel College and received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts, where her passions centered on printmaking. Ms. Malo’s most recent work focuses on elemental themes from nature – water, air, granite, and forests. Using photography to record her daily walks, Malo pieces together composite views of her favorite places, capturing the essence of each location. Sometimes the result is a “view” in its entirety, while at other times the paintings are more like a pieced quilt of close-up details recomposed into a more abstract memory painting. The paintings utilize techniques borrowed from her studies in printmaking, watercolor and oil painting. Ms. Malo’s works are in a number of collections, including the DeCordova Museum, Newport Art Museum, The Blackstone Group, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Baystate Medical Center, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Parmenter Hospice, Bryant College, Otis Elevator, and numerous private collections.
The mission of the Linden Street Gallery is to instill an appreciation for the reflective and contemplative experiences of nature by engaging its visitors through gallery exhibits. The Gallery nourishes the spirit by celebrating the interdependencies between humans and the natural environment. Nestled in forty-five acres of forest, the Linden Street Gallery is located within the LEED Gold Trailhead House of Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary at 690 Linden Street, Boylston, Massachusetts. The wildlife sanctuary protects wetland and woodland habitats that provide homes for all wildlife, and there is a 1.5-mile trail loop for outdoor exploration. The sanctuary honors nature through wildlife protection, art exhibitions focusing on nature, outdoor tours, educational programs, and wildlife releases in collaboration with the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The Linden Street Gallery within the Trailhead House is open Saturday through Tuesday 11:00 am–3:00 pm. The sanctuary’s trails are open Saturday through Tuesday from dawn to 3:00 pm during the winter and from dawn to dusk the rest of the year for human guests. Limited parking is available at Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary during the hours trails are open. Admission to Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary is free.
A Great Horned Owl Admitted to Tufts Wildlife Clinic
Summer Star‘s 1.75 Miles Trails are Open and Available for Your Enjoyment
Photos taken by Nate Cooper
The trails will be open on Saturday, April 11th, from dawn to dusk, weekly Saturday through Tuesday.
The Trailhead House remains closed. We will still keep one staff member working inside the building.
To our visitors & friends, please follow these additional Public Health Guidelines:
- Please stay home and rest when you are sick.
- Avoid close contact with people, using elbow to cover when you sneeze or cough.
- Please wear a mask and practice 6-feet social distancing on the trail to protect everyone’s safety.
- Keep some of your books nearby, because books are always our good friends.
The health and well-being of all our visitors are of the utmost importance to us.
We can stand strong and get through this difficult time together.
— Shalin Liu, Founder and Manager, and the Summer Star Team,.
April 8, 2020
| A TRAIL MAP The trails are quiet With some uphill and downhill fun footpath winding through woodland, wetland, and beaver pond diverse forest scenery The nature sounds of the brooks, winds, blue bird and wildlife They will come to you when you find a nice spot for yourself |
A Place Like Summer Star
Wrack Meadow Brook flowing through Summer Star Forest (Photos by Dan Stimson 2020)
Letter from Cyndi – March 23, 2020
I just want you to know that I work at the Memorial Hospital, and Summer Star has been my haven over the last few weekends. I work with a vulnerable population, and I need to keep myself healthy so that I can continue to serve them and not spread disease. After a long week in a stressful environment, I have gone out to Summer Star on weekends and enjoyed the peace and nature sounds.
These last two weekends it has been especially appreciated. On Saturday I was doing yoga and deep breathing on the trail! Now the animals will be able to truly enjoy it, and that is a good thing too.
This place is truly a treasure, and I will miss it in the next weeks. Please stay safe, and I hope that perhaps some yoga or meditation sessions could be scheduled at the Trailhead House after we get through this thing, as we will all need healing.
Thank you for your wonderful grounds and facility,
Cyndi R.
Boylston, MA
Dear Cyndi,
Thank you very much for sending such a heartfelt letter.
I appreciate your letting me know how you are doing. I care so much for our visitors especially someone like you who has been giving so much under such unthinkable circumstances.
I am so grateful to learn that a place like Summer Star indeed touched individuals and comforted us with its quietness and generosity—so that we know we are not alone.
Would it be possible for me to get your permission to post this nice letter on our website?—you spoke for so many others! You are a thoughtful and brave beautiful human being and your letter touched my heart. Thank you for the encouragement you gave us. Stay strong and be well—-your letter helps us to continue to do our work.
Shalin Liu
March 25th, 2020
Red-Tailed Hawk Release
Winter – Spring Wildlife Tracking at Summer Star
3/29 Wildlife Tracking by David Brown will be scheduled to a different date. Please stay posted for updates!
The brief snow cover that easily reveals the passage of animals is gone, but the thaw has softened the earth and created mud, both of which record tracks. In addition animal droppings hidden beneath the snow are now revealed along with other ‘sign’ such as scrapes, chews, scent marks and burrows that can tell us not only that certain species were present but also what they were doing. This is ‘eco-tracking,’ relating the animal sign that is found and identified with its habitat: why was it here and what was it doing?
An indoor slide and cast presentation of about an hour will acquaint you with some of this sign. Following a lunch break, we will walk the trails of Summer Star for another hour or so looking for, identifying and interpreting wildlife sign while discussing the ecology of the Summer Star landscape.
Tracker-naturalist David Brown has been studying wildlife evidence for 30 years and is the author of two books on animal tracking as well as a set of portable identification cards.
March 29, 2020 Sunday, 11am to 1:30pm
Trailhead House, Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary
690 Linden Street, Boylston MA 01505
Phone Number: 508-869-3434
Register by emailing to info@summerstarwildlife.org
New Blog Post
Linden Street Gallery Art Show: Tom Murphy Brings Yellowstone to Summer Star
Deer Track —
The Deer are Making use of the New Boardwalk in Summer Star Forest
Credit: Dan Stimson, Sudbury Valley Trustees
Below are comments from guests who have attended events at Summer Star recently:
Lancaster Garden Club visit on Sunday, August 11, 2019
Shalin, I cannot tell you how much I appreciated our tour at Summer Star.
Mr. Brown was a walking encyclopedia of information on trees and nature, and the balance of things. Loved his style and approach. Never walked through the woods with that kind of appreciation before, but then I love a lot of information and history to understand things.
And your love and care for the center and the sanctuary shows in all that do and the way you do it.
Thank you so so much for a perfect morning. Everyone I talked to was very impressed and appreciative. Thank you again.
-Sue Billings
Music from Summer Star Forest Series on Sunday, September 15, 2019
Please pass on my Congratulations and a warm “Thank you” to Shalin Liu and Stephanie Woolf for, yet again, another great musical experience at yesterday’s concert!
This is our third concert at Summer Star. My only regret is that we have a commitment on October 27th and won’t be able to attend our fourth.
Now for a bit on music trivia. I thought I recognized the musical style from Mai Nguyen’s amazing performance of Ian Clarke’s “Zoom Tube”. Sure enough, there was a connection between Ian Clarke and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. They performed this piece together in 2009. Who knew?
Again, thank you for continuing this series and we look forward to enjoying more in the future.
Sincerely,
-G. Anderson
Boylston Garden Club visit on Sunday, September 29, 2019
Fourteen members of Boylston Garden Club visited Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary on a gorgeous day of September 29th. Dan Stimson, Assistant Director of Stewardship at SVT, was the guide leader taking the group for a whole 1.5 miles trail loop hike. We received a lovely card from Boylston Garden Club with a butterfly spreading wide its wings when opened.
Dear Shalin, Dan, and Craig,
Many thanks for a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Summer Star. Club members were thrilled to learn about the facility and enjoy the hike of the trail. Your generosity, time, and hospitality are most appreciated.
We are all very grateful. Warm regards
-Lynn Butler
Comment from Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Shalin,
It’s not often that we get to work on a roof garden! Thank you for everything. Summer Star is always a fun and rewarding place to work and you make us feel so welcome and appreciated.
–Julianne and Sandra Master Gardeners
Scenes from the New Year at Summer Star. Photo by Liam Hart
The sanctuary is a place of tranquility and self-reflection. It loves rocks, trees, and birds. In that loving, we find nourishment for our spirits and our souls.
Summer Star is open to the public free of charge. Please enjoy the beauty of nature, and in return kindly pay respect to all wildlife who have been keeping this land safe and peaceful for generations! Our goal is to bring new experiences and discoveries of the wonders of local wildlife and the joyful spirit of nurturing forestland to underprivileged children, senior citizens, and to all families in the community.
The sanctuary organizes a variety of events and projects to promote public awareness of science, nature, wildlife, and the environment, and aids in animal rescue and release in collaboration with the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Throughout the year, the sanctuary also hosts various courses, lectures, conferences, and artistic and cultural events.
Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary® 
THANK YOU for this sanctuary.
I believe his name was Dave that met us yesterday. I brought my three grandchildren to visit and we had a wonderful day. The art was fabulous, the trail was wonderful and Dave was very informative. Great place to teach my three grandchildren how important it is to preserve. They learned so much and I intend to visit again to see the roof garden as well as all the other wonderful things you are sharing with the public. Again I’m so grateful.
Thoroughly enjoyed the Julius Quartet concert on October 27. Beautiful music in a Beautiful venue. A perfect marriage and how lucky we all are to have this nearby!
Looking forward to their next concert at Summer Star.
Truly loved the Four Hands concert on May 5th. It was fantastic, so beautifully done. Looking forward to more music at Summer Star.
I am interested in going with group to c the wolves please let me know if there is room for me
Beautiful place to check out art, architecture and New England Woods!
Residents of the Briarwood Community in Worcester recently toured Summer Star and loved it! They had no idea it existed and all said they would return to explore, reflect and enjoy this gem located right down the street in Boylston.
The long, narrow 45 acre parcel that Summer Star is located on was slated for a 40 house 40b development. Not only would that have totally destroyed the ecological wonders of the 45 acre parcel, but, even worse, the long parcel intrudes into the heart of one of the last, largest undisturbed areas in this part of Massachusetts; a true wilderness area.
Summer Star not only rescued the 45 acres of wildlife habitat but also preserved the wilderness qualities of the large Wrack Meadow area. The frosting on the cake is Summer Star itself. All activities and events at Summer Star foster and strengthen an environmental ethic.
I have attended a number of events there and am in 20 minutes headed there for a tracking seminar.
Shalin Liu is one who had a vision of what needs to be done to preserve the past in order to educate the future. That tie-in to surrounding parcels is now as permanent or as permanent as a mere human can make it.