Boston Flora

Tag: Muddy River

  • Muddy River WATERGOAT

    Flowing through the heart of Boston, the Muddy River is one of the top two most polluted tributaries of the Charles River and a critical link in urban Boston’s flood control system. With the approval of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and the active engagement of water quality experts, water scientists, trash boom providers, engineers, and a host of eco-activist volunteers, The Muddy River Water Initiative is embarking on a pilot project to rid the Muddy River of the trash—old bottles, clothing, shoes, balls, scrap plastic and fencing, and other toxic and unsightly debris—that currently pollutes the ecosystem.

    The WATERGOAT Pilot Project will install a safe, heavily tested, and effective raw trash barrier and clean-up device at the critical Charlesgate East and Ipswich Streets juncture of the Muddy and Charles Rivers. This will be the 92nd WATERGOAT system implementation in the US and a model for ongoing river clean-up efforts in Boston and beyond.

    Thanks to New England Grassroots Environmental Fund for its fiscal sponsorship. For more information on the Muddy Water Initiative, an advocacy and educational clearinghouse for Boston’s Muddy River, visit http://muddyriverinitiative.org

    Photo by Mark Maksimowicz

  • Volunteer Opportunity – The Charlesgate Alliance

    The Charlesgate Alliance is a new neighborhood organization dedicated to improving Charlesgate Park and to knitting together the Charlesgate district. It promises to become an effective new force to defend and serve a diverse and dynamic neighborhood, connecting Kenmore, Back Bay and the Fenway. The group is actively soliciting new members. A short term goal is to develop the notion of Charlesgate as a neighborhood while creating safe, pedestrian friendly public “parklets” and to improve the Muddy River water quality. Ultimately, a long term goal is to restore Charlesgate Park.  For more information visit https://charlesgatealliance.org/

  • Saturday, June 3, 8:00 am – Lace ’em Up: No Ordinary Tour

    Saturday, June 3, 8:00 am – Lace ’em Up: No Ordinary Tour

    Lace ’em Up: No Ordinary Tour:  On Saturday, June 3 beginning at 8 am, walk the entire Olmsted Emerald Necklace. Enjoy a seven-mile walk on a spring day through Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace—from the Fens to Franklin Park— with Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek and some very special guests. Brief stops along the way will allow participants see recent park improvements and hear about the exciting things to come for the Emerald Necklace, considered by many to be one of the greatest park systems ever designed.

    Starting at the Shattuck Visitor Center, the walk will traverse the Back Bay Fens to Charlesgate and continue along to the restored Muddy River, where the brand new Justine Mee Liff Park takes center stage overlooking the recently day-lighted river. From there, walkers will stroll the banks of the river along the Riverway, glimpsing, perhaps, the turtles and herons that are frequent visitors. Iconic structures loom large in this park—the picturesque Round House, bridle path and granite bridges.

    Next up is Olmsted Park with its scenic waterways and ponds and on to Jamaica Pond where we’ll stop for a lunch break at Pinebank Promontory before heading to the Arnold Arboretum for some floral sights and scents. The walk continues on to Franklin Park, which Olmsted himself considered to be one of his greatest achievements. Participants will enjoy vistas that transport the viewer back in time — Schoolmaster Hill, the 99 Steps and Ellicott Arch, to name a few. This event has reached its capacity, but people’s plan change, so contact Jeanie Knox at jknox@emeraldnecklace.org or call 617-522-2700 to join the waiting list.

  • Tuesdays, beginning September 6, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – New England Farms & Food Lecture Series

    Come to the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate in Canton, Massachusetts and hear about sustainability, farms, food, and natural products. Let’s walk through the fields and forests. A different topic each session: wild foraging, beekeeping, and herbal medicines are among the areas we will cover with experts such as author Russ Cohen and Muddy River Herbalist Jenny Hauf (pictured – we’ll assume she’s from Wisconsin). Sponsored by the Trustees of Reservations, TTR member price $9, nonmembers $15.

  • Saturday, April 26, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon – Muddy River Clean-Up

    This is the big one! Hundreds of volunteers make a difference in the parks and have fun, too. Register for the clean-up and select “Muddy River” as region: http://crwa.org/crcleanup/signup.html.  Representative photo from www.gazettenet.com.

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  • Sundays, July 15 – August 26, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Walking Tours of the Emerald Necklace

    The Emerald Necklace Conservancy invites you to join them for free walking tours on Sundays, July 15  – August 26, from 1:00 – 2:30 pm, led by Emerald Necklace docents.  Tours will begin and end at the Shattuck Emerald Necklace Visitor Center.  The specific tours are as follows:

    Sunday, July 15
    The Changing Landscape of the Back Bay Fens
    Frederick Law Olmsted turned a foul-smelling tidal creek and swamp that periodically flooded into “scenery of a winding, brackish creek, within wooded banks; gaining interest from the meandering course of the water.” Much has changed to Olmsted’s landscape over the years. Hear the fascinating story of the Fens on this guided walk.

    Sunday, July 22
    19th Century Women Activists and Reformers and the Back Bay Fens
    Several 19th Century women played a part, though often overlooked, in Fens history. Join Emerald Necklace docents on a guided walking tour of the park and hear the stories of Marie Antoinette Evans, Mrs. Johnson, Ida Agassiz and others, while stopping at gardens and historic sites along the way.

    Sunday, July 29
    History and Landscape of the Back Bay Fens
    From foul muddy flats to the parkland of today– the Fens has undergone many transformations in the last 125 years. Join Emerald Necklace docents as they talk and walk the historic landscape. Includes stops at the Kelleher Rose Garden, with its 1,500+ roses, and the oldest World War II Victory Gardens in continuous operation in America.

    Sunday, August 5
    Along The Muddy River

    Where does it start and where does it go? Learn the answers and more on this guided walking tour of all things Muddy! Once tidal, the Muddy River has been reconfigured, widened, narrowed, dredged and filled. Hear the story of Olmsted’s plan for the Muddy and what the future holds for this waterway. Tour includes stops at two historic bridges that span the Muddy.

    Sunday, August 12
    The Plant Life of the Back Bay Fens
    Explore the plant life in the Back Bay Fens with Emerald Necklace docents. Stroll among cherry trees and crabapples, see (and smell!) 200 varieties of roses in the Kelleher Rose Garden; view recently planted native species such as oakleaf hydrangea, sweet and hay-scented fern, witch hazel, common snowberry, and mountain laurel on the slope at Mother’s Rest; and meander through the Victory Garden for an eye-popping array of blooms and veggies. You may want to bring along a camera and notebook!

    Sunday, August 19
    The Changing Landscape of the Back Bay Fens
    Frederick Law Olmsted turned a foul-smelling tidal creek and swamp that periodically flooded into “scenery of a winding, brackish creek, within wooded banks; gaining interest from the meandering course of the water.” Much has changed to Olmsted’s landscape over the years. Hear the fascinating story of the Fens on this guided walk.

    Sunday, August 26
    History and Landscape of the Back Bay Fens
    From foul muddy flats to the parkland of today– the Fens has undergone many transformations in the last 125 years. Join Emerald Necklace docents as they talk and walk the historic landscape. Includes stops at the Kelleher Rose Garden, with its 1,500+ roses, and the oldest World War II Victory Gardens in continuous operation in America.

  • Sunday, July 31, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – The History, Gardens & Changing Landscape of the Back Bay Fens

    Join Docents from The Emerald Necklace Conservancy on Sunday, July 31 for a free interpretive tour of the Back Bay Fens.  The tour traces the evolution of the area from what a city engineer in the 1870’s called “the foulest marsh and muddy flats to be found anywhere in Massachusetts” to the tranquil parkland of today. Starting at the Visitor Center located at 125 The Fenway, participants will embark on a leisurely excursion that will take them along the Muddy River, through the fragrant Kelleher Rose Garden (below) and the historic Fenway Victory Gardens. Along the way, they will learn how the park developed under the guiding philosophies of celebrated landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Highlights include stops at hidden treasures such as the Japanese Bell and the rustic Agassiz Bridge, made of Roxbury puddingstone.  For more information, visit www.emeraldnecklace.org.  Rain or shine, no reservations required.

  • Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 pm – Neighbors & Networks: The Olmsted Firm and the Development of Brookline, 1880 – 1936

    Professor Keith Morgan of Boston University will present an illustrated lecture on The Olmsted Firm and the Development of Brookline, 1880 – 1936, at the Wheelock College Auditorium, 43 Hawes Street in Brookline, on Wednesday, October 28.  A reception at 6:00 pm will be followed by the lecture at 7:00 pm.  Seating is limited.  Please rsvp to friendsoffairsted@gmail.com, or telephone 617-566-1689 x 235.  Cohosted by the Friends of Fairsted; Brookline Greenspace Alliance; Brookline Historical Society; Emerald Necklace Conservancy; Fenway Alliance; High Street Hill Association; Historic New England; Mount Auburn Cemetery; Muddy River Restoration Project Maintenance and Management Oversight Committee; NPS, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site; Society of Architectural Historians, New England Chapter; and the Friends of Stonehurst.

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