Boston Flora

Tag: Public Open Space

  • Saturday, November 21, 9:30 am – Arlington Great Meadows Nature Walk

    The Friends of Arlington Great Meadows’ next “3rd Saturday Nature Walk” at, naturally,  Arlington’s Great Meadows will be on November 21.  Meet them at 9:30am ,  in the nursing home parking lot, directions below . The walk is scheduled to end at approximately 11:30. Adults and teens are welcome, as are older children accompanied by at least one of their parents. Please bring: hat; insect repellent; binoculars and a hand lens (if you have one); wear long pants and appropriate footwear. You may encounter just a bit of mud along some trails, so bring appropriate shoes. No dogs, please. (Note: These events are sponsored by FoAGM and are free.)

    Arlington’s Great Meadows is a 183-acre parcel of land located in east Lexington.   It is the largest piece of undeveloped land in the Arlington/Lexington area.  It is part of the Mystic River watershed.  Once a glacial lake, it is now a wet meadow surrounded by uplands created by glacial outwash.  Great Meadows was purchased by Arlington in 1871 to serve as a supplementary water storage area, but was only briefly used for that purpose.   However, it remains a valuable buffer against flooding in the area.

    Arlington’s Great Meadows has long served as public open space and is a popular recreational spot, particularly since the opening of the Minuteman Bikeway on its southern border.  It also provides a home for local wildlife.  To date, 56 species of birds have been found nesting in Great Meadows, 12 species of amphibians and reptiles live there, and 251 species of plants grow in the wet meadow and uplands.  Last summer’s Biodiversity Days survey of the area recorded nearly 400 species of plants and animals in the Great Meadows area.

    Because it is situated between two schools, the Waldorf School of Lexington and Lexington Christian Academy, Arlington’s Great Meadows is a valuable resource for teaching children about nature and the environment.  The Citizens for Lexington Conservation organizes annual bird watching and geology walks in the Meadows.

    Meet at the far end of the parking lot on the right side of Golden Living Center – Lexington.   If you need more information, contact Don Miller at donaldbmiller@comcast.net, preferably, or 781-646-4965.  The web site for the Friends group is www.foagm.org.

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  • Thursday, October 22, 7:00 – 9:30 pm – Land’s Sake Supper Club

    Join Land’s Sake and Slow Food, Boston on Thursday, October 22, beginning at 7 pm at the Josiah Smith Tavern Barn, 358 Boston Post Road in Weston, for a gourmet dinner prepared by chef Sam Hunt. From our farm to this table, Land’s Sake’s Supper Club dinners feature produce from Land’s Sake and other area farms. A portion of the proceeds support the educational programs of Land’s Sake, so please come for a great meal and support the farm! They look forward to sharing a meal with you.  Sam Hunt, a Weston native, is the Executive Chef and Co-Manager at Indigo Bistro in Hamilton, MA. Prior to joining Indigo, Sam was the Executive Chef and General Manager at the West Side Lounge in Cambridge. After switching careers from graphic design and moving back to Massachusetts, Sam spent two years cooking with Barbara Lynch at No. 9 Park in Boston, MA. Cost (includes tax, tip and corkage): $40 for Land’s Sake Members, $50 for non-members (cash or check only) RSVP (required): Please email supper@landssake.org. Kindly include the number of people in your party, their first names and any dietary restrictions (if applicable). Cancellations: Because seating is limited and food is purchased in advance, full payment is required for cancellations made within 48 hours of the event date. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this policy. Special thanks to the Women’s Community League of Weston, the stewards of the Barn, for letting Land’s Sake host this event at this historic landmark.

    Land’s Sake (www.landssake.org) combines ecologically-sound land management practices with hands-on environmental education to model how public open space can be used and enjoyed by the community.

    A 501c(3) nonprofit corporation, Land’s Sake runs a public farm, hosts educational programming for all ages, maintains the town forest for recreational and production uses, and cares for both public conservation and private land.

    Their efforts are centered on three themes:

    • Environmental Education
    • Sustainable Land Management and Open Space Preservation
    • Community-Building and Caretaking

    Bringing people onto the land as visitors to the farm, as volunteers or youth workers, and through active educational programs, they directly connect people to their local ecology. Their work uncovers the intrinsic value of the land around us and the importance of treating the land with respect.

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