The Friends of Mary Cummings Park checks all of the birdhouses in the park each week during nesting season and we report our findings to the Cornell Nestwatch project via an app. It is remarkable to watch the weekly propress of nest-building, egg laying, and then watch the tiny babies grow into fully feathered young birds before they fledge.
Sometimes when you open the door of the birdhouse the mother stays in place, in a remarkable show of courage. She spreads her wings over her babies and dares you to come closer. In these cases we take one quick photo and shut the door, leaving the family in peace.
As of now, August 8, all the birdhouses are empty and we will clean them out for next year’s nesting season, which begins in May.
Join us and celebrate the lives of loved ones, friends, classmates, and family who have left this earth. Lanterns will be available for a donation. Suggested donation is anywhere from $5 to $20. All donations go to benefit the Friends of Mary Cummings Park. Please join us for the Lantern Walk, you are welcome to walk, sit on a bench and watch the lights around the pond or light a candle and be with us in spirit. Please forward an invitation along to others you think may appreciate this opportunity.
We meet at the pump station parking lot at the south end of Horn Pond. Lanterns will be available, dogs on leashes are welcome. The walk around the pond is a lovely walk, taking less than an hour. The glowing lanterns are wonderful to behold.
On Tuesday, July 18, 2023 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm a group of lucky people joined Boot for a great late afternoon nature walk. As it got dark we DID we fireflies in the woods!
While we can’t guarantee fireflies, but they might be seen when it gets dark. Here is a video of Mary Cummings Fireflies from a few years ago.
Once again a group of students from Woburnh High School has trashed an area within Whispering Hill Woods with bottles and cans and this year threw an American flag on the ground along with their trash. As always, The Friends of Mary Cummings Park goes out and picks up all the trash, filling multiple trash bags. As often happens, the kids look for things to vandalize: they went into Mary Cummings Park and yanked one of the Trustees signs from the ground and tossed it aside.
Each year we inform the Woburn Police and school system; every year they ignore the situation. If you live in Woburn please contact various departments and let them know if you dislike how this has become an annual ritual of vandalism.
We installed 8 birdhouses five years ago to encourage bluebirds to live at Central Field in Mary Cummings Park. And finally, five years later, we have our first pair of these lovely birds. In the meantime, tree swallows and other so-far-unidentified birds have been using the bird houses. But now… BLUEBIRDS!
This wonderful tradition is a great event where people walked all the way around lovely Horn Pond, with lanterns, to remember people who have been lost – and the proceeds benefited The Friends of Mary Cummings Park who worked hard to save both Mary Cummings Park and Whispering Hill Woods in Woburn.
The walk took place on Sunday, October 9th, and we thank the organizers for the event and the donation.
Mid July of 2022 has been a great one for black eyed susans in Central Field. In spite of the drought, many stands of these flowers are quite stunning. If you don’t want to walk a long way, park at Northeastern and look for the openable gate near the park (behind the main building).
May 7th, 2022, was a bit windy and cool, but Boot led us on a long, splendid walk with lots to see, including a guest appearance by a red salamander (see last two photos in the gallery.) In view of the annual appearance of the wonderful dandelions, I wrote a song to honor them.
