Thank you Dick for creating the Mt. Misery website. My wife and I are a regular dog-walkers at Mt. Misery, having moved to Waltham after retirement.  In addition to the many good points you make about the importance of dogs themselves, Iwe'd like to emphasize the fact that most of the dog-walkers at Mt. Misery, including myself and my wife, are extraordinarily good stewards of the conservation area itself.  We obey all rules and we encourage others to obey them as well.  For example, upon seeing people picking flowers, we have pleasantly but firmly told them not to disturb the wildlife.  Upon encountering cyclists on non-cycling paths, we have pleasantly admonished them (in most cases such encounters have concluded quite constructively).  The list could be extended (e.g. urging hikers to stay and get out of specially protected areas--as indicated by signs, etc. etc.).

So, my point is to emphasize the responsibility of most dog-walkers in the Mt. Misery area who are true caretakers of the land and who are conscientious in their wishes to preserve the land and water as they find it.   Most of us pick up after our dogs on trail. (Of course, most dogs off lead prefer to defecate off trail.)  If the trustees wish us to pick up our dog's droppings off trail, I believe that most of us will do just that quite willingly (although a trash barrel or two placed strategically would help us).

Thank you for your good work.  (We couldn't sign the petition from your website and would do so on hard copy (as circulated by Hope), but we've been ill and unable to get to the conservation area in recent days.

Sincerely,