Friends of Alewife Reservation (FAR)
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Alewife Reservation Meadow Improvement Project 2013 |
Goals:
Project for June, July August, September (Weekly activity)
Duration: Late spring through the fall until the end of the growing season.
This year, Quinton Zondervan and Lena Cavallo will take the lead and be able to give direct supervision to the youth. With Quinton's science skills in running a biology lab, and tackling pepper weed in Florida, we should be highly effective.
As you see, the grant calls for youth to receive minimum wage. We hope to do more than 40 hours of field work, because the 3 acres will give us many new spots to work on and we have added pruning to the project.
By modeling how this rare grassy meadow in the midst of our concrete jungle can thrive, we are teaching many lessons to visitors and employees coming to work through the meadow in the morning.
Ellen Mass, President of Friends of Alewife Reservation
186 Alewife Brook Parkway #304
Cambridge, MA. 02138
617 415-1884 Office
More details and how to apply
- Invasive species eradication in Discovery Park meadow of three plus acres, managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Pruning and upgrading DCR plants and allowing native shrubs, trees and grasses to dominate the 3 acre meadow, which are returning to natural conditions after asphalt was removed in 2007. However, a new problem has arisen. A controllable amount of invasive species are marching on the meadow. They must be eradicated. If thinned they grow back thicker. 700 linear feet of surrounding Bordering Vegetative Wetlands (BVW) will not be disturbed.
Project for June, July August, September (Weekly activity)
- Removal of phragmites from 3 swales which have water in them on occasion and have wetland plants in them planted by the DCR.
- Removal of Japanese knotweed throughout the area where found.
- Removal of purple loosestrife and multiflora rose and bittersweet vine
- Removal of poplars, roses and other nuisance plants near desired plants.
- Clearing of area around desired plants and mulching of area around them
Duration: Late spring through the fall until the end of the growing season.
This year, Quinton Zondervan and Lena Cavallo will take the lead and be able to give direct supervision to the youth. With Quinton's science skills in running a biology lab, and tackling pepper weed in Florida, we should be highly effective.
As you see, the grant calls for youth to receive minimum wage. We hope to do more than 40 hours of field work, because the 3 acres will give us many new spots to work on and we have added pruning to the project.
By modeling how this rare grassy meadow in the midst of our concrete jungle can thrive, we are teaching many lessons to visitors and employees coming to work through the meadow in the morning.
- Meadows produce great abundance of biodiversity.
- This is the site of the original "Great Swamp" noted in many books of Audubon and Harvard's Herbarium records.
- Grasses and wild flowers bring much wildlife diversity and pollination.
- A healthy meadow will give permeability to the ground and covering water will enrich the soils.
- With determination, invasives can be controlled if not eradicated.
- A healthy meadow ecology will improve Little River and downstream water flow and recharge.
- Students can learn from studying the meadow changes and functioning.
- These grasses give excellent habitat to deer, woodcock and many diminishing insects.
Ellen Mass, President of Friends of Alewife Reservation
186 Alewife Brook Parkway #304
Cambridge, MA. 02138
617 415-1884 Office
More details and how to apply