Earth Day Essay: Sustainable Living in Westborough and Beyond

Growing up in Westborough I have seen many changes in the town. I live on Glen Street, just past Glenrock Farms which is owned and operated by my dear grandparents. I can remember as a child, my parents or grandparents would take me out on a bicycle ride through the neighborhood. We would pedal, pedal, pedal, and no matter which way we travelled we would always come across a new house. A few weeks later, we would pedal, pedal, pedal again and find that that one new house now had a few new houses behind it, and a new street! I can remember asking, “How did they pave such a wide street, and build so many houses? Where are all the trees?”

At the time, I did not understand that these trees had been cut down and sent to mills throughout the state to be processed and turned into lumber and other useful products. I also didn’t understand why my parents or grandparents always had a solemn look on their faces when they’d see all these new housing developments. Now that I am older, I understand it. They grew up in Westborough when the town was much bigger and spread out. People’s yards actually had trees between them. Now driving through the old neighborhoods, you can still feel that “old town” feel. Then you’ll come up on a couple of housing developments. They don’t even blend in. The houses’ shape and sizes all match, all you have to do is pick your color.

The amount of land that is wasted for these houses is not thought of. Yes, a new house is a great thing for a new family in town and I am not against that. But when you go down the street and notice more “For Sale” signs than you do flowers and bushes in front yards, you ask yourself how come a new housing development is going in on the other side of town? Rather than cut down trees and use more land, can we not recycle these houses that are for sale? I would imagine it’s cheaper to buy a house that is built than it is to construct a new road and build another neighborhood.

Many people are concerned with fossil fuel and green house gasses. Those are legitimate concerns. But at the same time, these are the people that drive by all the “For Sale” signs and ignore them. Houses need to be resold to new people and families rather than having them sit vacant, on land, whilst another house is built next door, on more land. People have always told me to set up investments for myself to help me sustain my life in the future. The first thing they say to invest in is land. The value of land itself will always continue to rise because there is less and less available land in this town. However they are thinking about it backwards. The only way investing in land can help me financially in the future, would be to sell it. What happens to unused land that is for sale? Well, it is bought and built on. More houses, for more people, next to more houses that are still for sale and sitting on land of their own.

The concept of conservation is a wonderful idea. In fact, my grandparents plan to retire soon. As I mentioned they own a very nice farm with acres and acres of land that is spread out throughout our end of Westborough. Yes, the farm is for sale. With all of that available land, many people planned on building houses and housing developments. The proudest thing I have ever experienced is when my grandparents explained the laws and official town documents they have acquired. All this paperwork will protect that land for all the years into the future. It can be farmed, turned into a park, or anything like that, but my grandparents’ land will never be built on. It makes me proud to say that they are conserving their land. They are helping to save Westborough from becoming filled with vacant houses. Most importantly, they are providing an example for the generations to come. Someday, a child will be out pedaling, pedaling, pedaling his bicycle with his parents, and they’ll come upon a great open field with thriving trees and wildlife surrounding it. The child will ask, “Where are the houses?” And I hope that the parent will proudly say, “Never here.”