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Updated Tuesday, May 7, 2013

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Archive & Links
Overview
Archived significant pages are listed (sometimes in more than one category), with a category for maps. Pages with images are marked.
Links to other websites, with comments (on the lower part of this page)
updated May 22, 20122: The Ocean River Institute provides opportunities to make a difference and go the distance for savvy stewardship of a greener and bluer planet Earth. www.oceanriver.org.

Archive sections on this page

New indicates pages added within approximately the last 60 days

(To read the Adobe Acrobat files, you can use the Adobe Acrobat reader, available free at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)


About Friends of Alewife Reservation (FAR)

History of the Alewife area, including maps
(includes material listed under other headings)

Events & activities in and for the Alewife Reservation Forests / Silver Maple Forest
See more on the Silver Maple Forest under Government, below Government
In addition to the information in the two sections below, see more on the Silver Maple Forest under Forests / Silver Maple Forest, above.

Government - information from and actions by government agencies Government - communications to (and commentary on actions by) government agencies Image Collections - Alewife Reservation slide shows
(some images, listed on this page, are not in the slide show)
  • Alewife-area aerial views (2002 and 2003) - added January 25, 2007
    • Showing Alewife Reservation and Little Pond subwatershed.
    • Public and private ownership in Belmont and Cambridge.
    • Topography.
    • Vegetation, woodlands, wetlands, pond, river, streams, and vernal pool.
    • Belmont, Arlington areas under preservation laws near Little Pond.
  • Silver Maples In the Urban Wild - 4 paintings by Sarah Leon - and reception photo
  • North Trail Maintenance Improvement Project Improved Pathway for conservationists, hikers, birders and class rooms, fishermen.
    Partners: Student Conservation Americorps, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Friends of Alewife Reservation
    67 photos/slides, taken March 2006
  • Walk, January 7, 2006
    15 photos/slides by Janet Malenfant
  • Urban Wilds Past-Present-Future
    The Alewife Reservation's wildlife, wetlands, meadows, and woodlands. A Friends of Alewife Reservation presentation by Michael Arnott.
  • Friends of Alewife Reservation images — more than 250 images of maps, plans, photos (Silver Maple Forest, fauna, flora, water, and people — many categorized by season).
  • Summer 2004 Alewife Reservation Photos
    Unseen and Unknown Areas and Wildlife
    Spectacular photos by Michael Arnott, FAR Steering Board, AMC naturalist.

Maps (includes maps listed under other headings) Media coverage Monitoring
(most documents are also listed under other headings) Proposals Vernal pools (includes documents listed under other headings)
  • Vernal pool map - including potential pools near Little Pond
  • Interested in information related to vernal pools? See information on lack of anurans in the Bird Survey.
  • Vernal pools - Minuteman Regional High School
Water (see also: Vernal Pools, above) Wildlife / biodiversity inventories and observations Other

Links to other websites

Links updated May 22, 2012

Commercial websites
  • David Brown's Wildlife Services - David Brown, lead author of the comprehensive 2002 “Biodiversity Study of Alewife Reservation Area: Species, Habitat, and Ecosystems” offers wildlife tracking and birding programs throughout New England. David Brown is an interpretive naturalist, animal tracker, author, and environmental educator. - www.dbwildlife.com

  • The Bioengineering Group, Inc. - "consulting services in the field of bioengineering for erosion control, water quality, habitat restoration, and stormwater management." In Salem, MA. - www.bioengineering.com
Environmental websites (see also: Government websites, below on this page)
  • Alewife Study Group - "works to preserve and enhance the quality of life in the Alewife area of North Cambridge, Massachusetts, especially on and near the W. R. Grace site" - www.alewife.org

  • Appalachian Mountain Club Conservation Action Network (AMC-CAN) - "dedicated to providing opportunities to increase public influence on critical conservation issues" - "Sign up to receive monthly updates and periodic action alerts when it's time to take action" - ga0.org/amc/home.html

  • Arlington Birds - "an email discussion group for people interested in local birds in the area of Arlington, Massachusetts." - mrines.com/Birds/Arlington/ - includes information on Bird Species seen in Arlington - mrines.com/Birds/Arlington/ArlSpecies.htm

  • Arlington Land Trust - "Protecting land for Arlington's future" - www.arlingtonlandtrust.org

  • Belmont Coalition - "Coalition to Preserve the Belmont Uplands" - includes Summary of Legal Proceedings - www.belmontcoalition.org

  • Belmont Citizens Forum - "The Belmont Citizens Forum is a community organization that strives to maintain the small-town atmosphere of Belmont, Massachusetts, by preserving its natural and historical resources, limiting traffic growth, and enhancing pedestrian safety." - www.belmontcitizensforum.org

  • Center For Watershed Protection: Manual and How To Manage A Watershed materials
    "The Stormwater Manager's Resource Center is designed specifically for stormwater practitioners, local government officials and others that need technical assistance on stormwater management issues. Created and maintained by the Center for Watershed Protection, the SMRC has everything you need to know about stormwater in a single site" - http://www.stormwatercenter.net/

  • Charles River Conservancy - "a nonprofit advocacy group founded in 1999 dedicated to the renovation, maintenance and enrichment of the Charles River Basin and its surroundings, particularly its parks, parkways, and bridges" - www.charlesriverconservancy.org

  • Eagle photos - taken by Joe Sutherland Jan. 11, 2003 on lower basin (the one closest to the ocean) of Mystic Lakes - mrines.com/Birds/eagles.htm

  • Earth Day
  • Edible Wild Plant/Mushroom Walks and Course - "Leader/Instructor: Russ Cohen . . . we usually encounter 25-45 different species of edible wild plants (and, in season, mushrooms), some in collectible quantity and condition." - users.rcn.com/eatwild/sched.htm

  • Environmental Defense - "a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than 300,000 members. Since 1967, we have linked science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems." - www.environmentaldefense.org (and, on FAR's website, a summary)

  • Fish Collection Database (includes images) of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ichthyology Department - http://collections.oeb.harvard.edu/Fish/FishSearch.htm (the department's website is http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/Departments/Fish/)

  • Friends of Belle Isle Marsh - "a volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation of this marsh" - www.friendsofbelleislemarsh.org

  • Friends of the Community Path - "The Friends are a citizen group with a mission of fostering the creation of a connected network of safe, accessible, and useful pedestrian & bicycle paths through our communities." - www.pathfriends.org

  • GeesePeace - "GeesePeace is dedicated to building better communities though innovative, effective, and humane solutions to wildlife conflicts." - www.geesepeace.org

  • Green Decade Cambridge - "A group of Cambridge residents concerned about global warming and taking action locally." - www.greencambridge.org/

  • Herring Run - festival photos - members.cox.net/jimtheump/festival/

  • Massachusetts Watershed Coalition - "building a network of watershed partners" - www.commonwaters.org

  • Mystic River Watershed Association - "a grass roots membership organization with a watershed-wide focus" - www.mysticriver.org/
    (aerial photos of ponds and streams - www.mysticriver.org/ponds.shtml)

  • New England Chapter of the Society of Conservation Biology - "goal is to: promote environmental planning, assure that communities are adequately informed, and focus on the conservation of species, habitats and vital ecosystem services by targeting specific issues from local to global scales for our concerted intervention" - www.nescb.org

  • Ocean River Institute provides opportunities to make a difference and go the distance for savvy stewardship of a greener and bluer planet Earth. www.oceanriver.org

  • Reform40B: Coalition for 40B Reform - "Reform 40B to stop abuses and increase availability of affordable housing via inclusionary zoning." - Affordable housing in sensible ways, without attacking the local environment - groups.yahoo.com/group/Reform40B/

  • Sudbury Valley Trustees - "a voluntary association of individuals, families, and businesses committed to protecting wildlife habitat and the ecological integrity of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers for the benefit of present and future generations." - www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org
    Silver maple / green ash - in the Biodiversity Protection and Stewardship Plan -
    - "Small river floodplain forest" section; page 46 of the Acrobat file; page 41 of the plan - www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org/Biodiversity_Plan/BIODIV_PLAN.pdf
    (To read this Adobe Acrobat file, you need the Adobe Acrobat reader, available free at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)

  • University of Massachusetts, Department of Natural Resources Conservation - links to information on forests, wildlife, and more on UMass and other websites - www.umass.edu/forwild

  • Uplands Alternative Group - "The Group's goal is to protect the Uplands' irreplaceable forested habitat while providing needed revenue and affordable housing for the Town. The Alternative Plan proposes a land swap between the Department of Conservation and Recreation's (formerly MDC) Skating Rink Site with the O'Neill Properties' Uplands site, which would then become part of the adjacent Alewife Reservation. - www.uplandsalternative.info/

Government websites
  • Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee ". . . appointed by the Board of Selectmen in 1996 to advise the town on local bicycling conditions. ABAC promotes all forms of safe bicycling in town — from recreational riding on the popular Minuteman Bikeway to using the bicycle for transportation and errands on town roadways." - http://www.abac.arlington.ma.us/index.htm (including their Get Involved page http://www.abac.arlington.ma.us/Pages/get_involved.html)

  • Cambridge Conservation Commission - "enhances the City's natural resources through regulatory review, planning, advocacy, and education . . . administers the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act Regulations . . ." - www.cambridgema.gov/~CCC/

  • EviroMapper for Water (from EPA Office of Water) - "a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that dynamically displays information about bodies of water in the United States . . . can be used to view environmental information from the national level down to community level (within one mile), and provides the ability to pan, zoom, label and print maps. You can also link to text reports after identifying a specific waterbody of interest."
    Home page: www.epa.gov/waters/enviromapper/       Sample map: Map of Alewife area

  • Top 10 Watershed Lessons Learned - Lessons: Clear Vision, Good Leaders, Coordinators, Compatible Needs, Implement Plan, Partnerships, Good Tools, Measure Progress, Involvement, Small Successes - from 1997, but the lessons learned are still quite valuable - www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/lessons/index.html

Government websites' link pages Neighborhood groups' websites
  • Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods - "ACN brings together representatives from the neighborhoods throughout the city [to] improve the quality of life in all neighborhoods . . ." - www.acncambridge.org
Other