Pat Conaway dreams that one day we will all make small footprints. As founder of the nonprofit Big Heart, Little Feet (BHLF), Conaway inspires and organizes residents to clean, protect and beautify public spaces. Year after year, BHLF volunteers continue to transform Natick and surrounding Metrowest towns through waste removal, disposal and recycling installations and more.
Taking Education
Outdoors
“Some retired folks like golf, tennis or going to the gym. I prefer getting out in the woods, trails, rivers, ponds and roadways to see what I can do to improve and protect all of our common spaces,” Conaway said.
It is not uncommon to find the BHLF leader outdoors among a group of volunteers, directing the tasks at hand and working alongside them.
Though he retired from teaching Wayland Middle School students with special needs in 2008, Conaway still spends much of his time leading and instructing. He has lived in Natick with his wife and family for over 30 years, and it is the base for his transformative environmental work.
Conaway delivers speeches on the importance of environmentally sound practices and mobilizes willing hands to help with the work. Picking up trash, removing invasive plant species and rallying for less plastic usage are all a part of BHLF’s agenda. The group also engages in service projects, such as clearing snow and leaves for seniors.
The retiree remains involved at Wayland Middle School and still takes students on educational outdoor trips as he did when he was teaching there. “I wanted to keep some of the service and environmental initiatives going that I had already done as a teacher, and that mushroomed into all kinds of projects,” Conaway explained.
Ways to Participate
BHLF has coordinated many initiatives, including the Trash-Free Natick Project; BHLF Trail Buddies Program; the Center for Service, Simplicity, and Sustainability; and Ban the Bag Massachusetts. Each of the initiatives targets its own area of service, which means more ways for residents to get involved.
“We provide hands-on activities for people to do something important that heals the earth and gives back to the community,” Conaway said.
Conaway has coordinated over 50 community cleanups on roads, trails, waterways and woodlands, and has created over 100 outdoor recycling units called “Buddy Bins” that attach to trashcans.
The organization also resurrected the Natick Earth Day Festival after a hiatus of 15 years. It was a hit: in April 2012, numerous town committees, nonprofits, businesses, artists and performers participated in the event, and the festival has remained active every year since.
Refining Goals
In keeping with this momentum, Conaway’s focus is now on building the BHLF board. This will mark the end of BHLF’s five-year affiliation with the Lake Cochituate Watershed Council (LCWC), but Conaway sees this amicable separation as an important step in sharpening BHLF’s mission.
“LCWC does good work, and I’m still a member of their board, but their focus is more on Lake Cochituate. BHLF is more broadly environmental and service-oriented,” Conaway explained. BHLF still collaborates with many local groups, including Natick Grows, Strivers Running Club and the Natick Organic Community Farm.
Small Changes to
Better the Planet
Conaway is a supporter of simple adaptations. One of his biggest areas of conviction is reusable bags. He seeks to eliminate plastic entirely, cautions against using paper, and instead advocates for reusable bags. He believes that if enough citizens make a small change in their daily lives, they can come closer to achieving a zero-waste community.
Even if residents are not ready to make lifestyle changes, BHLF makes it easy to make a difference with just a couple of hours of commitment, and they are always looking for volunteers. “I love to recruit all kinds of people and groups to join me. I guess you could say it’s my passion,” Conaway said.
To learn more about BHLF, visit www.lcwcs.org/bhlf or contact Pat Conaway by calling 508-740-9949 or emailing [email protected].
Issue Date:
April, 2016
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