Dear friends of the Alewife Reservation,

I wanted you to have a few photos to voice our appreciation for your participation at the Sunday night fundraiser at Frances and Bill Ackerly’s home in Cambridge.

We really did not want to have the fund-raiser. We were tired, but it was required. Now that we carried through with our obligations, we are delighted with the wonderful things that happened sunday night with your involvement, reminding FAR that Cambridge people do care very much. Our gathering also became a holiday party, thanks to the generous hospitality of the Ackerlys.

New friends of the Reservation were made-Peter Alden put our work in geographic and wildlife context and in grand environmental vision-EK of the Mystic River Watershed Assoc. called for common work together and informed us of watershed-wide issues—Bill August shared our legal process and possible future gains—I was able to greet you and share our Stewart Sanders legacy and FAR’s recent accomplishments—Lydia Ogilby’s ancestors’ 100 year working farm on the Uplands was celebrated.

There is a new EPA Mystic Steering Committee that EK spoke about composed of other Friends groups which FAR hopes to be involved with in the coming year.

But above all, it was a rare moment for regional guests to celebrate the precious resources and hard work of our members that we are becoming more aware of in northwest Cambridge, Belmont and Arlington.

You will be receiving regular postings from FAR which you can easily block if overloaded, and we encourage you to view our Website which should improve in 2010.

Please see our plans for 2010 and 2011. www.friendsofalewifereservation.org.

I hope that each guest and new friend will be an active walker or explorer on the Reservation.

Help FAR grow and flourish during 2010 and beyond.

Ellen Mass