I got caught in a sudden rainstorm with other folks as the sunset roiled, and then morphed into a mostly blue sky at the end…
Archives: Blog
A One Minute Visit
Here is an actual one minute video that takes you to two meadows of Mary Cummings Park on a perfect spring day with clouds dappling the grass. The birdhouses were meant for bluebirds, but so far only tree swallows have moved in. They are native species, eat insects, and just want to be left alone and for that guy to stop opening the door and ogling the babies. The mother was enormously brave to stay right on the nest when I looked in. (I only go there every 3-4 days, peek in and leave.)
Crawling the Boardwalk
These adorable kids decided that the boardwalk that The Trustees put in to get us over the large puddle zone was too good a chance to try some crawling. So even though she was plenty old enough to walk it, this little girl decided that crawling it was too much fun to miss out on…
Contract Awarded
The Trustees have awarded the contract for the work to be done at Mary Cummings Park. Here is the press release from the Trustees:
May 1, 2020
Re: Construction to Begin at Mary Cummings Park, Burlington, MA
Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you and your families safe and well during these difficult times. I wanted to reach out and update you on Mary Cummings Park.
Construction work to restore Mary Cummings Park will begin on Friday, May 8, 2020. The park consists of 209 acres of land in Burlington and Woburn, which is held in trust by the City of Boston and includes a variety of natural habitats, including wetlands, fields, forests, and thickets. The Trustees has an MOU with the City of Boston to manage the park.
Arborists have completed the pre-construction work, clearing a mix of invasive species in order to open views of new landscapes and make space for new areas including parking, a park entrance, a pollinator meadow, and a picnic lawn. The park’s benefactor, Mary Cummings, wanted to ensure the park was “forever open as a public pleasure ground.”
Haven Construction Corporation of Westwood, MA was awarded the construction contract through the public bidding process. Their work will include a new parking lot off Blanchard Road, which will offer access to the park, with 20 parking spaces and a bike rack. They will construct a boardwalk to the marsh, thanks to a generous donation from MilliporeSigma.
The Trustees stewardship staff will enhance existing trails, and build some new trails to improve circulation, correct drainage issues, and reduce the impact on wetland resources. In addition, new wayfinding signage and trailhead kiosks will be installed to orient visitors.
The improvements to Mary Cummings Park will make the park more accessible to all and bring this natural resource back to life, enhancing the visitor experience and helping to increase awareness and appreciation of the park as a public resource.
The restoration work is being undertaken in compliance with state guidelines during the COVID-19 Stay at Home advisory. According to the state’s essential service FAQ distributed on March 25, 2020, landscapers and other businesses not operating out of a bricks-and-mortar location may continue to function with social distancing.
For any additional questions, please contact Kathy Macdonald: [email protected] or Jeremy Dick: [email protected]
Stay safe and well.
Sincerely,
Katherine K. Macdonald, Director
The Big Transformation Begins
People driving along Blanchard Road are amazed to see the scale of work going on in Mary Cummings Park. The Trustees (of Reservations), the new park managers, are starting on an ambitious project to transform large areas from masses of invasive species into new, wide open meadows.
While is it scary to see construction equipment loose in the park, be assured that when the work is done the park will much more inviting, with more wildflower meadows and a new boardwalk that will allow visitors to birdwatch in the wetlands.
The scene along Blanchard Road is remarkable: a wall of mostly weedy trees has been cleared and the new meadow vistas are starting to open up.
At the entrance to Flyer's Filed, lumber to aid in construction is piled, and crushed stone has been placed to allow construction vehicles to enter.
Machines are dealing with some pretty large rocks, but think how the Cummings workers were able to handle these in the early 1800s without power tools!
You can see here that the construction starts right below the water tower on Blanchard.
The wood chipper is quiet over the weekend, but will have a lot to work on soon.
Construction equpment along Blanchard Road is turning a massive tangle of invasive weed species into wildflower meadows.
Great volumes of weed trees will be turned into wood chips.
Another new view opened up, from the edge of the thicket out towards where the new entrance and parking will be.
A view from the top of Flyer's Field: this has not been an open field for 50 years.
The Flyer's Field meadow is now visible from a new vantage point.
Just a week ago, this view was simply not there: it was nothing but tangled vines and thorn bushes.
The (closed) entrance at Flyer's Field is totally changed, with only the old kiosk still standing.
When you walk down the trail from the soccer field, you will find the trail to Flyer's Field blocked off to allow construction.
The trail from Flyer's Field up to the soccer field is closed for now.
The intersection of the trail to the new boardwalk where it crosses the Pipeline Trail.
Big machines have been here on the way to build the boardwalk into the wetland.
The heavy vehicles had to cross Flyer's Field to get to work on the boardwalk, but all will be repaired soon.
Heavy wood planks along the Pipeline Trail allow the machinery to stay out of the mud.
Trustees staff clearing the way where the new boardwalk will allow park visitor access to the large and lovely wetland.
The green machine is carrying heavy planks to build it's own roadway to lead to the new boardwalk.
The Trustees Press Release 3-27-20
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Katherine K. Macdonald, Director, The Stevens-Coolidge Place Portfolio | 781-248-4586 |
Pre-Development Land Clearing to begin at Mary Cummings Park
BURLINGTON, MA – MARCH 27, 2020 – Pre-development work to restore Mary P.C. Cummings Park in Burlington, MA will begin on Monday, March 30, 2020. The park consists of 209 acres of land in Burlington and Woburn, which is held in trust by the City of Boston and includes a variety of natural habitats, including wetlands, fields, forests, and thickets.
Arborists will clear a mix of invasive species in order to open views of new landscapes and make space for new areas including parking, a park entrance, a pollinator meadow, and a picnic lawn. The park’s benefactor, Mary Cummings, wanted to ensure the park was “forever open as a public pleasure ground.”
The full restoration plan calls for removal of invasive plants, such as Buckthorn and Bittersweet, as well as dead trees from the overgrown park. Mayer Tree Service, Inc. will do the initial clearing of invasive plants across five acres of land off Blanchard Road.
A new parking lot off Blanchard Road will offer access to the park, with 20 parking spaces and a bike rack. Additionally, a new pollinator meadow will be planted and a picnic lawn installed for people to enjoy. A boardwalk to the marsh, thanks to a generous donation from MilliporeSigma, will provide an opportunity for visitors and school groups to enjoy the ecology of this critical habitat. New trail additions and the restoration of existing trails will begin in April.
“We are very excited to provide a new accessible trail from the parking lot, which will connect to the soccer field area,” says Katherine Macdonald, Trustees Director of The Stevens-Coolidge Place Portfolio.
The restoration work is being undertaken in compliance with state guidelines during the COVID-19 Stay at Home advisory. According to the state’s essential service FAQ distributed on March 25, 2020, landscapers and other businesses not operating out of a bricks-and-mortar location may continue to function with social distancing.
For any additional questions, please contact Kathy Macdonald at: [email protected].
Welcoming the Era of The Trustees at Mary Cummings Park
This photo is a good example of the transition the park is going through from being looked after by The Friends of Mary Cummings Park to being one of the major parks under the protective wings of The Trustees.
The graphic board from Trustees is temporarily placed on our existing kiosk. In order to allow you to read their graphic we present it below, in sections.
You can learn more about The Trustees plans for the park at their website.
Boot Walk for November 16, 2019
In spite of cold and wind, we had an enthusiastic group of walkers, eager to be educated and entertained by Boot Boutwell.
A good crowd showed up on a cold, windy day. Boot started us with a quiz: what is this?
The right answer? It is the dried stalk of a sensitive fern, with large spores.
A walker holds Boot's collection of selected winter weeds.
The flower from a Queen Anne's lace in winter.
Boot shows us the berries of the invasive common buckthorn, berries that are not wise to eat.
Examining the buckthorn.
Another invasive: the pretty but troublesome oriental bittersweet.
One of Boot's favorite winter weeds books.
Examining a detail with Boot's magnifying glass.
The upright berry clusters of staghorn sumac.
Oriental bittersweet, the invasive, climbing over the native staghorn sumac.
Another invasive much hated: the multiflora rose.
Boot shows us a different form of sumac: smooth sumac.
Smooth sumac berries hang down, rather than standing up like staghorn.
A gall on an aspen leaf.
A gall on a goldenrod stalk.
Boot cuts open the goldenrod gall and reveals the insect livng within.
A walker take notes along the way.
A hairy poison ivy vine detached from a dying tree.
A giant burdock leaf has survived the frost. Boot shows us the leaf miner that has tunneled inside the leaf.
Boot discovers an insect that lives right through the winter: a daytime lightning bug, that has no glowing apparatus.
A brave dandilion blooms in the sub freezing weather.
New England Mountain Biking Association: Kids Day at Mary Cumming Park
Kids of all ages gathered for rides, fun and food on Sunday, October 20th. A great time WAS had by all, with the most perfect weather anyone could as for. Learn more about NEMBA here. Below are 74 photos by photographer Jon Sachs.
Rainy Saturday
Fall is a rich time of year for color and texture, and a moody, heavy sky just adds to the fun. All of the still photos were taken while the timelapse camera was working, taking over 3,000 images. Near the end, the wacky photograher guy appears for a moment.