This page was updated March 2025.

The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is a government body that is responsible for the management of natural resources in town. Four staff members and five elected board members are responsible for the planning, preservation, and protection of parks, ponds, wetlands, and the town’s watershed area.

The Wellesley Annual Town Election took place on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. In a notable result: Tom Hammond, who served on the Natural Resources Commission from 1992-1996, won an uncontested seat on that town body nearly 30 years later!

NRC elected members, 2025-2028

Bea Bezmalinovic—term expires 2027
Steve Park, Secretary—term expires 2027
Michael D’Ortenzio, Chair—term expires 2026
Jay McHale, Vice Chair—term expires 2026
Tom Hammond—term expires 2028

NRC staff members

Brandon Schmitt, Director
Lisa Moore, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Stephanie Tunnera, NRC Clerk
Julie Meyer, Wetlands Protection Administrator

NRC elected members, 2024-2027

The Wellesley Annual Town Election took place on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Three candidates running for two open slots led to some shake-up on the NRC Board of elected members. Natural Resources Commission Chair Bea Bezmalinovic retained her seat. Steve Park, a veteran of the town’s Trails Committee, won the other vacant seat, with Kenneth Largess coming in third in a close finish. Park replaces Laura Robert, whose term ended.

Bea Bezmalinovic, Chair—term expires 2027
Steve Park—term expires 2027
Michael D’Ortenzio—term expires 2026
Jay McHale, Vice Chair—term expires 2026
Lisa Collins, Secretary—term expires 2025

Fuller Brook Park, Wellesley, State Street Pond — The NRC stewards the 23-acre Fuller Brook Park. In 2014 after nearly a decade of planning, the town broke ground on a $6 million restoration of the 100-plus-year-old Fuller Brook Park. One of 11 Wellesley areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the park was established in 1899 and designed by John Charles Olmsted (nephew of Frederick Law Olmsted and a noted landscape designer in his own right).

The NRC has a wide range of responsibilities related to the management of natural resources, serving as tree warden and setting policies for insect control and pesticide use. The NRC also appoints members to the the Wetlands Protection Committee and Trails Committee.

Natural Resources mission statement

It is the mission of the Natural Resources Commission to provide stewardship of, education about, and advocacy for the Town of Wellesley’s parks, conservation, recreation and open space areas so the full value of the Town’s natural assets can be passed on to future generations.

NRC staff members

Brandon Schmitt, Director
Lisa Moore, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Stephanie Tunnera, Clerk
Julie Meyer, Wetlands Protection Administrator

Past NRC Board members

2023-2024 NRC elected members

Bea Bezmalinovic, Chair, term expires 2024
Laura Robert, term expires 2024—Robert will not run for another term
Michael D’Ortenzio, term expires 2026
Jay McHale, Vice Chair, term expires 2026
Lisa Collins, Secretary, term expires 2025

2025 projects

Shade Trees and DCR Woodland and Watershed Regeneration Program

May 2025–The Woodland and Watershed Regeneration Program is a new initiative by DCR designed to support forest regeneration, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat across Massachusetts. The NRC received a planting packet of tree and shrub saplings including Hickory, Northern Red Oak, Swamp White Oak, Witch Hazel and Yellow Poplar trees; staff planted thirty sapling trees in the Town Forest and in the North 40 Vernal pool upland. Above NRC’s Steph Tunnera plants trees in Town Forest.

In addition, the Public Works Tree crew has nearly completed spring Public shade tree planting, adding over 100 new trees to support the Town’s Public Shade Tree replacement and Tree canopy expansion plans.

Wellesley Town Forest near Fiske Elementary School, 2020

2024 projects

The NRC in 2023 was awarded two grants—one from the Wellesley Education Foundation and one from the Community Fund for Wellesley.

These two grants will allow the NRC to redesign the pollinator garden at Sprague Elementary School. The garden at Sprague was installed many years ago and is in dire need of some love and attention. With the grant money the NRC will be able to remove invasive species like bittersweet and aggressive native species like stinging nettle and burdock, and plant native pollinator-friendly plants. The garden is used by the NRC’s Environmental Education Outreach and Compliance Coordinator as a “natural” space to explore with hundreds of Sprague students each year while studying plant and animal adaptations, seasonal changes, and ecosystems. The project is slated to begin in spring 2024 and be completed by fall 2024.

Ongoing projects that have NRC input

Track and Field lighting, summer 2024 update

The first Wellesley High School football game will take place under the lights on Sept. 28, 2024, vs. Walpole High, along with a handful of additional night games, all starting at 6pm. See the list on the Wellesley High Football team schedule.

Full story here.

Track and Field lighting

The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission‘s seemingly endless discussions over whether to allow lights to be installed at the Hunnewell Track & Field concluded when the five-member elected body in July 2022 voted 3-2 in favor of the School Committee’s proposal.

Under a best case scenario, the town would seek bids during fall 2023 and get building permits. It could be installing the light and sound system over the winter, along with foundations for the bathrooms/concession stand, with completion of the bathrooms over the summer. There were few questions about the update from the School Committee.