Chelsea Vanderlinde | August 8, 2014

Twelve Cambridge youth from Friends of Alewife Reservation Ecology Camp decided among themselves to talk about their summer program experience to state house decision makers, and how they became stewards of the natural DCR parkland area. “I had no idea this place existed, so rich in wilderness before I worked for the FAR summer camp” said Max Lyman, a sophomore at Rindge and Latin High School, while speaking to Belmont, Cambridge and Arlington Representative Dave Rodger’s Aide, Michael Allen “Now that I know of it, and its amazing wild landscape, I’ll bring my friends because of our interest in the river, woods and wildlife.” Leonardo Escobar, High School Junior, expressed his appreciation that the Reservation taught him ecology science of water quality and macro-invertebrate testing. “We humans are well connected to the environment if we could only open our eyes to see that we can benefit from nature as tree canopy cooler, or an air purifier and as a wildlife preserve.” said the camper to Rep. Sean Garballey during the meeting in his office. Youth also expressed their concerns about the Alewife Reservation’s forest future conservation as important to the entire ecology at Alewife.

Other offices visited were legislators Will Brownsberger, Paul Donoto, and Pat Jehlen, sharing more of the lessons and experiences of bird identification and behavior, and wind power from making and flying kites by Don McCausland of Blue Hills Reservation, and from a steady stream of professional consultants in addition to working in a vegetable and native New England wildflower garden. In another conservation, one of the campers said, “We saw first hand how the Silver Maple Forest in Belmont and Cambridge makes a complete ecosystem with the surrounding marshes and Little Pond, and takes up flood water from heavy rains or a storm. Said Julian Cohen, I did not know Cambridge had a silver maple forest connected to Belmont, which has most of the woods, but now we all love its beauty and mystery, and understand its ecology importance for this area!” said another enthusiastic camper.

FAR scheduled these meetings so youth would share their natural resources knowledge on the Reservation with the legislators who have an important role and ‘say so’ in the future of the regional floodplain and forest, but also to support improvements to the 76 square miles of the Mystic River watershed which empties into the Boston Harbor and the Atlantic ocean. As of now, the forest is in limbo between staying a forest and becoming a large upscale residential building with some affordable units.

“We saw beautiful deer and it made a difference in understanding the area as a wildlife refuge”, said Atseda Assayehegn, a college freshman, to Paul Donoto’s Aide, Susan Crowley. “We want to educate you about our deep learning experience this summer. The more we spread our knowledge, the more people will connect with nature and with the reservation, and the more they will care about its future.”

Legislators seemed eager to share with the Ecology campers their present conservation Bills in House and Senate discussed in spring and fall for passage. Some were in support of a ban on hydro-fracking in Mass.; others, for cleaning up the Mystic River Watershed. Representative Garballey urged the FAR campers to continue their mission and to call even more local legislators, set up a time to have coffee, and talk further about these issues they are so passionate about.

Youth learned much about state house protocol and were very pleased that they were well received by state officials who seemed interested in their purpose and experience with Friends of Alewife Reservation.