Winter is here, which means it’s time for adaptive outdoor adventures like cross-country skiing, sit-skiing, snowshoeing, kicksledding and ice skating! Check out the DCR's winter newsletter for more information.

A Combined Sewer Overflow (when stormwater runoff and untreated sewage flow into a waterbody) occurred in Alewife Brook on November 25. These events contribute to the high bacterial load and generally poor water quality of Alewife Brook and Little River. You can read more here.

Photo by Stephanie Liu

Regular visitor Stephanie Liu recently captured some images of a family of bald eagles feeding at Little Pond. You can check out her pictures and read her observations here.

A Wildlife Walk is scheduled for Alewife Reservation on Saturday, November 10 from 1-3pm. The walk will be led by lifelong naturalist and wildlife tracker David Brown. Meet at the Acorn Park Drive parking lot. More details are in the flyer.

The November 2018 issue of The Citizen Forester is here! The Citizen Forester is the monthly newsletter of the Massachusetts DCR Urban and Community Forestry Program.

Photo by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

Natural ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, peatlands and oceans sequester billions of tons of carbon. Harming such ecosystems releases that stored carbon into the atmosphere. You can learn more about how these ecosystems help us, and how we can help them, here.

Photo by Hillary Sallick

The Fall FAR newsletter went out a couple weeks ago and has a lot of information regarding recent and upcoming events. You can check it out here.

Construction of new bioretention basins at the intersection of Egerton Road and Herbert Road in Arlington is almost complete. This green infrastructure project will help collect stormwater runoff and reduce pollutants discharged into Alewife Brook, thereby improving water quality. Full Story.

Photo by Larry Childs

Twenty students from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Sailing and Crew teams arrived at Alewife for a cleanup on Sunday, September 23rd. They removed over 500lbs of trash, including a broken toilet. Full Story.

Poets Barbara Thomas and Elizabeth Quinlan led a beautiful “Poetry Stroll” at the Alewife Reservation on Saturday, sponsored by Friends of Alewife Reservation, paying tribute to the variety of habitats available there for local wildlife. Full Press Release.

Tree Steward Training is an annual program designed for community Tree Board members, Tree Wardens and other municipal staff, tree activists, planners, interested citizens, and green professionals interested in the topics and issues of urban and community trees and forests. You can learn more and register here.

Photo by George McLean

Photo shows hope for Alewife River and pond conditions. Picture.

The August 2018 issue of The Citizen Forester is here! The Citizen Forester is the monthly newsletter of the Massachusetts DCR Urban and Community Forestry Program.

The New York Times Magazine's recent Sunday edition contained a comprehensive review of what was known about climate change during the 1980s and about the people and politics that brought the world's great economic powers agonizingly close to taking positive action. You can read the story here.

On July 30 the Cambridge City Council killed a 'Green Factor' zoning amendment filed by residents to improve open space, infrastructure and stormwater management. You can read more here and watch video of the proceedings here.

Data measured by Professor Mertl show abundance of plants in biochar and compost plots are comparable. It was anticipated that biochar soils would indicate superior plant growth. More seeds will be added to the experiment in the spring to continue observing changes and more biochar and compost mixes will also be added. Students may experiment with additional meadow ecology factors in Spring 2019. Data Summary.

Anne Marie Lambert, Barbara Thomas and Elizabeth Quinlan will share nature poetry while they walk along the old DCR North Trail in Cambridge to the Belmont border on August 18 from 10am to noon. This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Reservation as well as the evocative words of local poets. More details are in the event flyer.

Chinese folk music includes several spectacular pieces, including Wang Jianzhong's 1973 "A Hundred Birds Paying Respect to the Phoenix". A performance at the 2013 Zhuqi National Music Festival is particularly enchanting. You can watch it here.

Earlier this year the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, City and Cambridge and City of Sommerville published an update on efforts to reduce combined sewer overflow events, which harm water quality, in Alewife Brook. You can read the report here.

On June 13 the Natural Science and Mathematics Division at Lesley University hosted a forum of conservation groups and experts in a diverse range of fields to discuss the challenges that climate change will cause for residents and governments in places like Cambridge. More information, and a link to videos of some of the speakers, is here.

In the 1990s the Alewife Study Group was formed to assess plans to develop the former W. R. Grace site, which includes Jerry's Pond and surrounding areas. Many of its recommendations are still relevant today. The recommendations, and a link to the full report, are here.

An amendment has been proposed to the Cambridge Tree Ordinance that would improve transparency and accountability of tree removals by requiring permits and thorough records of each occurrence. You can read the proposed amendment here and the existing ordinance here.

Photo by Kathy Johnson

All of the young herons seen in nests at Jerry's Pond have fledged. The incredible success of the rookery this year is likely due to the pond's clean water and fence-protected habitat. Check out some pictures here!

Photo by Jake Osborne

The long-awaited Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit has gone into effect following a lawsuit filed by nine Massachusetts watershed associations. The permit requires municipalities to take additional steps to protect rivers, lakes, streams and ponds from polluted stormwater runoff. Little River could benefit from this new Federal requirement. More information is here.

Photo by Jake Stout

This spring was a busy time at Alewife Reservation. Volunteers helped with many cleanups, an Alewife resilience symposium was held at Tufts University and local experts provided valuable knowledge that will help monitor the area's rich biological resoures. A summary is available here.

A new "Green Factor" has been proposed for addition to the Cambridge zoning ordinance. A detailed yet approachable Q&A examining the need for and details of the proposal is available here.

On June 27 the Cambridge Ordinance Committee held a hearing to discuss a petition to amend the zoning in Section 20.70 Flood Overlay district and the creation of a new Section 22.80 – Green Factor. Video of that hearing, including public comments can be viewed here.

One of our neighbors in North Cambridge has penned a letter to the Cambridge City Council requesting the council close loopholes in the Tree Protection Ordinance that have allowed corporations to cut large numbers of trees on private property as well as several public trees, often without public hearings or necessary permits (e.g. wetland permit for work at Jerry's Pit).

On June 13 Lesley University hosted a forum of conservation groups and experts in a diverse range of fields to discuss the challenges that climate change will cause for residents and governments in places like Cambridge. Possible solutions were also discussed. You can check out the event flyer here and the press release here.

The Quadrangle area has a rare urban green space that is a paradise for wildlife and a living laboratory that allows us to see the effects of both climate change and excessive development, such as the 2000 plus units planned for the area. Learn more and see pictures of this urban oasis here

Employess from Alnylam Pharmaceutical helped clean up a major pathway through Alewife Reservation on June 12. FAR would like to especially thank Jeff Cehelsky and Daniel Sum from Alnylam for coordinating their volunteers.

Finding Alewife Reservation is easier than ever with the addition of a Discovery Park location in Google Maps. This highlights the walking path from the Alewife T-station to the Reservation on the north side of Alewife Brook.

Cambridge will experience more severe weather, including heat waves and flooding, as a result of climate change. You can learn about the Cambridge Climate Safety Proposal, developed by Cambridge residents on the Climate Safety Committee, at a discussion on June 19. More information is here.

The Baker-Polito administration has proposed $1.4 billion for "investments in safeguarding residents, municipalities and businesses from the impacts of climate change, protecting environmental resources, and investing in communities." More information is here.

Photo by George Mclean

Local photographer George Mclean knows not only the animals of Alewife Reservation, but also some of the history of the area. You can see a recent picture he took of great blue herons nesting at Jerry's Pond and read about the complicated history of the pond here!

Climate change and rapid development in the Boston Area (including Alewife) threaten our environment and strain the already limited budgets of Mass DCR and organizations like Friends of Alewife. You can help by advocating for an increased budget for DCR. FAR would use additional funding for invasive species removal, flood and drought prevention and staffing.You can learn more here.

Students from the International School of Boston cleaned up trash at Alewife Reservation. Bilingual chatting gave inspiration for 'listen up' sessions. Turtles, frogs, fish and fowl were everywhere to be seen.

Photo by Stanley Rullman

April 28 was a busy day! In addition to Mass DCR's Park Serve Day, Earthwatch showed people the iNaturalist mobile app to help collect wildlife sightings and compete in the global City Nature Challenge. Read more here.

April is an important month for spring cleaning and celebrating life forms and natural resources at Alewife. Friends groups of Alewife Reservation, Jerry's Pond and Fresh Pond all celebrated the coming of spring with cleanups and youth activities, leaving most of the Alewife area devoid of familiar trash, with the exception of the Route 16 rotary area. Read more about the day's activities here.

Photo by Jorge Royan

Friends of Alewife Reservation has signed onto a letter encouraging EPA administrator Scott Pruitt to abandon his reckless effort to repeal the Clean Power Plan. You can read the letter, and see the other 93 citizen groups that signed on, here.

Students from an ecology class at Lesley University worked with Friends of Alewife Reservation to set up planting experiments using biochar. Biochar is a carbon-rich soil additive that provides nutrients for plants as well as habitat for beneficial fungus that grow in association with plant roots ('mycorrhizae'). Thanks to Sierra Club and Green Cambridge for providing the Biochar. Pictures.

Affordable housing and environmental protection are sometimes portrayed as being mutually exclusive, but it doesn't have to be that way. A recent local media article describes how smart planning can encourage affordable housing while maintaining livable communities, and a healthy environment (including intact floodplains) makes West Cambridge livable.

Friends of Jerry's Pond invites you to join them for the second annual Earth Day Cleanup on Sunday, April 22 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Refreshments will be served. For more information, see their recent newsletter.

Friends of Alewife Reservation invites you to join fellow supporters of urban wildlands on Park Serve Day on Saturday, April 28 from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Volunteers will work together to remove trash from Alewife Reservation, maintain trails and improve the health of the ecosystem in this floodplain region. See the flyer for more information.

Sixty eager nature enthusiasts joined the 'Walk on the Wild Side' led by Boston widlife specialist David Brown. Thank you to all who came out to celebrate our precious urban wildlands!

The Mystic River Watershed Association is one of FAR's most valued partners in the effort to conserve our vital wetlands and waterways. Their 2018 Stewardship Opportunities calendar, which shows upcoming volunteer and learning events, is now available and can be viewed here.

Friends of Alewife Reservation invites you to join fellow supporters of urban wildlands on Park Serve Day on Saturday, April 28 from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Volunteers will work together to remove trash from Alewife Reservation, maintain trails and improve the health of the ecosystem in this floodplain region. You can also help with a cleanup at McDonald's Park in Medford, MA on Earth Day (Saturday, April 21). See the flyer for more information on both events.

A Wildlife Tour is scheduled for Alewife Reservation on Sunday, April 8 from noon - 2pm. The walk will be led by Alewife naturalist and photographer Jake Stout. Meet at the entry bridge near the Alewife T Station. See you there! You can checko out the complete flyer here.

The Sierra Club's Greater Boston Group and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate are sponsoring a 1-day conference on how each of us can revitalize the local ecosystems that will help us weather the impacts of climate change. The conference will be held at Harvard University's Geological Lecture Hall and registration is $10. More information is available here. See you there!

David Brown, a noted Boston-area wildlife specialist familiar with the area, will lead a Wildlife Tracking Walk at Alewife Reservation on April 14 from 10am - noon. This event is part of the 2018 Cambridge Science Festival and attendance is free! The Science Festival runs from April 14 - April 21. See you there!

The Lesley University Ecology Class of Dr. Amy Mertl has begun spring preparation for Friends of Alewife Reservation by mixing one part biochar to 3 parts compost to allow microbial action to begin to enrich the soil for this season's vegetation experiments at Blair meadow in Cambridge on the Belmont border. You can read more about the students' efforts and 'biochar' here.

The 32nd annual Cambridge City 5k run and Andrea Harvey Fund Walk will be held on Sunday, April 8th. Both routes start and end at the track at Danehy Park. This event is sponsored by Friends of Cambridge Athletics and proceeds will benefit Cambridge Rindge Latin School students and the Andrea Harvey Fund. You can find out more about the event and register here .

Extensive development in the Alewife area continues to move forward even as the Envision Cambridge Alewife Working Group (EC) and Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience Alewife Working Group (CCPR) prepare their reports. Mike Nakagawa from the Fresh Pond Residents Alliance has prepared a petition asking the City Council to pause the development process until the EC and CCPR reports are published. You can read and sign the petition here.

A Wildlife Walk is scheduled for Alewife Reservation on Sunday, March 18 from 2-4pm. The walk will be led by Alewife naturalist and photographer Jake Stout. Meet at the entry bridge near the Alewife T Station. See you there!

Heather Goldstone is the science editor at WCAI radio, the NPR station for Cape Cod and nearby islands, and has her finger on the pulse of develpoments in important environmental issues like Climate Change. You can follow her work by tuning into 90.1FM or by visiting the WCAI website.

Photo by Claire O'Neill

Seventeen volunteers from the New England Aquarium Live Blue Service Corps removed trash and invasive plants at Alewife Reservation. The event was sponsored by Friends of Alewife Reservation and will help keep the wetlands and watershed clean for the plants, animals and people who rely on it.

If you are looking for other opportunities to help keep Alewife Reservation and other parks clean, keep your eyes open for announcements of projects on Mass DCR's Park Serve Day (April 28, 2018).

Alewife Reservation and Fresh Pond Reservation are migratory flyways, and in the middle of the night serve as important wildlife corridors. Conservation measures in the area are required for preservation of rare natural resources. However, development of much of the outlying areas from these 2 Reservations will impact these resources.

We encourage Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont families and neighbors to participate in preserving this rare regional ecosystem from the Mystic River watershed for generational posterity. See a list of recreational opportunities sponsored by Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation here

The official public comment period for the draft Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience report prepared by the City of Cambridge ended on January 31, and the comments are now available for review. We need the existing responses publicized to make sure all Alewife stakeholders are involved. You can still have your say by posting in the 'Additional Feedback' section or supporting the feedback posted by FAR president Ellen Mass. You can read her feedback here.

In November of 2017, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate held a conference at Harvard University exploring how restoration of Earth's ecosystems might help mitigate (or even reverse) the impacts of Climate Change. You can read the conference program and watch videos from the many distinguished speakers here.

Almost a dozen projects are currently under development and have been permitted in or near the Alewife Quadrangle. Most are located in the 100-year flood zone. A complete list of projects can be viewed in the City of Cambridge development log. You can also explore interactive maps showing developments planned for flood zones and the assessed value of vulnerable parcels.

FAR president Ellen Mass has submitted a letter to the Cambridge Chronicle thanking the organizers of and participants in the recent Alewife Symposium Conference held at Tufts University. Sponsored by the Cambridge-based Earthos Institute, the conference brought together scientists, community advocates, city councilors and others to explore options for managing the Alewife area, with an emphasis on preserving its natural areas, in the face of a rapidly-changing climate. You can read the letter here.

Earthos Institute and Tufts University invite you to a symposium on Alewife corridor collaborative resilience. The symposium will bring together the Alewife corridor communities of Belmont, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and Winchester to look at the Alewife flood plain in its entirety, and explore collaborative scenarios for tackling issues of resiliency and climate adaptation. More information can be found here.

Proposed developments in the Quadrangle area of Belmont will raise flooding risk and further impair local water quality. FAR recommends construction of a stormwater wetland across the railroad tracks south of the wetland bordering Belmont to mitigate those risks. Parcels in the floodplain that could serve as the basis of a stormwater wetland should be purchased. You can learn about the successful stormwater wetland project near the Alewife T station here.

Photo by Jake Stout

FAR president Ellen Mass has drafted a report showing why remaining Alewife must remain open space. It contains links and references to many useful resources. FAR Response to City. The report includes a link to a history of Little River, including antique maps.

Details of the CCPR and instructions on how to submit comments are here.

Some birds migrate south for winter, but these great blue herons spotted at Little Pond decided to stick around. You can watch a short video of them here.

The Mystic River Watershed Association, a valuable partner in protecting the watershed that includes Alewife Brook and Little River, has sent the City of Cambridge a letter raising several concerns with the Envision Alewife Plan released on November 20. You can read the letter with MyRWA's concerns and recommendations here.

Photo by Jake Stout

From the walk report:Today was a very cold day so we only went on the north side of little river. We saw hooded mergansers along the river, mallards, starlings, three blue herons, a red tailed hawk, and a pair of white tailed deer. Despite the cold there were many wildlife sightings. Overall a very nice walk. Check out pictures from the walk!

On Nov 30, the City of Cambridge released a draft plan to minimize climate-related flood risks to Cambridge residents and businesses. Some local businesses and environmental advocacy groups, however, cited important concerns. Friends of Alewife Reservation President Ellen Mass suggested that restoration of porous marshland, which allows rainwater to filter into the ground, should be a priority. You can read local media coverage here.

Earthos Institute and Tufts University invite you to a symposium on Alewife corridor collaborative resilience. The symposium will bring together the Alewife corridor communities of Belmont, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and Winchester to look at the Alewife flood plain in its entirety, and explore collaborative scenarios for tackling issues of resiliency and climate adaptation. More information can be found here.

In 2016, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate held a conference at Harvard University exploring Earth's biodiversity and how it benefits humanity. You can watch videos from the presentation here. The director of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate, Adam Sacks, has also written an article illustrating that biodiversity, not geo-engineering, holds the key to addressing climate change. That article can be read here.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation has announced dates for the the 2018 'First Day Hikes.' Family-friendly hikes will be provided on January 1 at seven state parks across the Commonwealth, as part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative. Hikes at Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord (12pm) and at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus (10am) are the closest. You can read the full press release, including the complete list of times and locations, here.

Artwork by Stephanie Liu

Regular visitor Stephanie Liu has taken many great videos of bald eagles at Little Pond in Belmont. Now she has captured eagle behavior in another medium: watercolor! It really is an impressive work of art! You can see a larger image here.

Developments proposed for the West Cambridge Quadrangle will add thousands of units and increase stormwater discharge (some of it contaminated with harmful bacteria) to Little River, which received a 'D' grade in the last round of federal water quality assessment. A rigorous water quality testing program, like that used by the Charles River Watershed Association in the Charles River, is needed in the Alewife subwatershed of the Upper Mystic River Watershed.

Many of the consequences of Climate Change will be felt at the local level, and how we plan for the future will determine our ability to sustain our quality of life. Cambridge residents had an opportunity to hear what candidates for City Council knew and thought about this important topic on September 26. Video of the forum has been posted here. Discussion of Alewife floodplain protections occurs at ~1:49:00.

Climate change is here and it will dramatically affect the lives of Cambridge residents in the future. A recent article suggests that the lives and property of those residents will depend on the Coastal Resilience Solutions (including a sea wall) proposed by the City of Boston. Meanwhile, some meteorologists are saying our unusual weather is mostly related to an 'El Niño' effect. You can check out the Cambridge Climate Protection Action Committee's November Climate Bulletin here.

Picture taken by Christopher Addis

Friends of Alewife Reservation president Ellen Mass joined Gabby Queenlan from Massachusetts Rivers alliance and others to advocate at the state legislature for parks and clean water. They met with Cambridge representative Mike Connolly. One of the primary goals was to call for an increase to the DEP and DCR budgets. The 'Lobby Day' event was sponsored by the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Picture. TV station WWLP provided coverage of this important citizen effort.

November 2 is Lobby Day at the Massachusetts State House, and the Environmental League of Massachusetts wants to help you learn how to effectively advocate on behalf of parks and water. They have organized a free online training event on Oct 30 from noon - 1pm that will cover the Lobby Day agenda, materials to bring, a 'Budget 101' and other useful information. You can register here. FAR needs your advocacy!

Picture by Maria Smith

Volunteers from the New England Aquarium 'Live Blue Service Corps' came to Alewife Reservation to help remove wood pallets found in Little River.The volunteers also mapped invasive vegetation so FAR could apply to the Conservation Commission for permission to do further cuttings. Pictures.