FAR Annual Meeting

January 31, 2008

• Slideshow of Highlights of 2007

• Community Involvement and Activities– Ecology Camps, Science Classroom– Stewardship and Community Service– Spiritual Practice/Gatherings– Art– Nature Inventory and Appreciation– Local History

• Current and Future of the Reservation– Silver Maple Forest– Muskrat Marsh– Storm water basin Constructed Wetland– DCR Master Plan implementation– Stewardship Challenges: Fire, Trash

• FAR Regrouping– October 25, 2007 Community representatives meet to discus

future stewarding and educational activities

Ecology Camp, Summer 2007

• 10 youth, ages 16-19• 5 days a week, 7 weeks• Youth Opportunities Boston, FAR partnered• Skills learned water quality monitoring, trail maintenance, wetland restoration, environmental issues…

Ecology Camp, Summer 2007

Brownsberger visits award picnic at camp

Supervisor Chernika Corbitt oversees YOB behavior at Camp

Cambridge Middle School Students Study Nature Curriculum at Alewife

Cambridge Public Schools third graders studying Habitats last June at Alewife Reservation. Three

Cambridge schools were recipients of a grant funded program between CPS and Habitat Audubon.

Bird Blind Project by Advanced Science Class at Cambridge Ridge and Latin High School

Julia J. Berg and Sumbul Siddiqui • We observed 8 of the 20 most common bird species

over a two week period. Our goal was to determine "How human presence (represented by a loud radio and surrounding urban area) affects the bird species population at Alewife Reservation?" We then asked, How does this compare to bird population with minimal human activity in the area, represented by a bird blind?

Youth Opportunites Boston Surveys Communters for the Uses of Alewife Reservation

These surveys were taken around the Alewife Transportation Redline stop by Youth Opportunities Boston: Alandra Sheffield,

Junior Polanco, Lillian Dias, Indira Tate, Alex Gaudette. Surveyed >200 people

Montgomery and Watson at FAR Community Service Day

Excel Academy cleans Alewife Reservation — October 30, 2007 Stephanie Lee, Shannon Coyle, Teachers

Excel cleans Blair Pond with Ellen Mass

City Year event

Former Mayor Michael Sullivan, Ellen Mass FAR, and Leroy Heard YOB

Scouts, Arlington Troop 302

Bill Ackerly, Stewart Sanders, Ellen Mass, Mark Kirk put up boxes with DCR built boxes throughout Reservation

City of Cambridge/FAR partner on Drain Project with Eagle Scouts on

Drain Stencil Project. City Brochure made.

Annual Solstice and Vernal Equinox Ritual Service, 1st Parish UU Cambridge

Redwood Forest Advocate, Andy Barnet. Concert and Festival to

benefit Silver Maple Forest

NEW Poster of the Alewife Arts Mural for $10. The gorgeous 18x24

inch high resolution color mural poster is primarily of the western end of the Reservation, spotlighting the ecosystems of the Reservation.

Sara Leon presents art show at Habitat Audubon Society in Belmont.

Alewife Reservation paintings. Proceeds to benefit forest campaign.

FAR Biodiversity Book, Biodiversity in th Alewife Reservation Area, includes maps.

FAR sponsors annual Edible Wild Plant Walks. Annual Mushroom walk by Boston Mushroom Club.

Dave Brown Wildlife Walk

One of many Peter Alden walks, Author of Audubon Guidebooks of New England

Fauna and Flora• Dave Brown 2008, New Survey findings

#Species Coordinates Evidence Behavior

1 Red fox 0322604E/4696074N

Tracks Undetermined

2 E. coyote 0322499E/4696120N

Scent mark Marking

3 River otter

0322420E/4696208N

Haul out, scat

Eliminating

4 River otter

0322437E/4696209N

Haul out, scat

Eliminating

5 River otter

0322450E/4696222N

Haul out, scat

Eliminating

6 River otter

0322458E/4696241N

Haul out, scat

Eliminating

7 Red fox 0322492E/4696228N

Tracks Undetermined

8 E. coyote 0322562E/4696190N

Tracks Hunting

9 E. coyote 0322615E/4696172N

Tracks Hunting

10 Gray fox 0322586E/4696160N

Tracks Hunting

11 Fisher 0322591E/4696200N

Tracks Hunting

12 Bird of prey

0322629E/4694204N

Pluck site Feeding on bird kill

Redwood Forest Advocate, Andy Barnet. Concert and Festival to

benefit Silver Maple Forest

NEW Poster of the Alewife Arts Mural for $10. The gorgeous 18x24

inch high resolution color mural poster is primarily of the western end of the Reservation, spotlighting the ecosystems of the Reservation.

Sara Leon presents art show at Habitat Audubon Society in Belmont.

Alewife Reservation paintings. Proceeds to benefit forest campaign.

FAR Biodiversity Book, Biodiversity in th Alewife Reservation Area, includes maps.

Deer photos at Alewife by Monotomy birder

Deer photos at Alewife by Monotomy birder

Otter Tracks

Huestis-Hill Farm at Uplands: Oldest farm

in Belmont

Silver Maple Preservation

Current View

Planned Development

Rare Woodland

Habitat

Silver Map Forest Key

Advancements in 2007

1. Legislative action in behalf of forest, HB212. Civil Action Suit against zoning board decision3. Regional postcard acquisition request to Govenor

Patrick (1500)4. State House Hearing (above), testimony by

legislators, FAR, and others5. Tidelands status of uplands challenged at DEP6. Lawn signs distributed in Belmont

View of Alewife Reservation and Woodlands

Muskrat Marsh Improvement

• Lesley University• Bulfinch Company• U.S. Dept. Agriculture• Reginal Conservation Commissions• Neighbors groups• Massachusets Wetlands Restoration

Program• Horsley and Whitten, Environmental Services• Volunteer Engineer

FAR receives MA Wetlands restoration program Priority list

FAR organizes Five agency and group partners work 2005 on Muskrat Marsh Studies

City of Cambridge Stormwater Wetland at Alewife Reservation. Constuction Planned 2009

DCR Master Plan, waiting for design plan and implementation

DCR’s Alewife Brook West Bank Greenway Plan, 2007

Meeting with FAR, DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan, others. Called by Rep.

Brownsberger.

Pictures from Charles River Reservation in Watertown.

Our dream of boardwalks, observation platforms, signs, and benches.

West Cambridge

Highlands area Blair Pond on

Belmont Border neglected.

Turning to Mud Flats

Fire Size of baseball field south of Little River, April 2006

Dumping at Silver Maple Forest

Taskforce Restructuring

• 14 interesting groups respond to FAR call for expanding and restructuring

• Schools/Education• Art• Wetlands Restoration• Forest Preservation• Recreational Access• Wildlife Projects• Research• Stewardship

FAR raises $12,000 at Summer Shack for Mural Project

You are needed to help with

FAR and the Reservation’s path into the future