|
Fresh Pond Reservation Newsletter | Cambridge's Fresh Pond Reservation is buzzing with exciting happenings as Spring arrives! Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming events, activities, and changes you won't want to miss! From outdoor adventures to community gatherings, there's something for everyone to enjoy. This newsletter is brought to you by the Cambridge Water Department's Rangers Amanda and Omar (above) in collaboration with the Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation. |
| The meeting location for this walk will be at the Fresh Pond Ranger Station at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway. Registration is required for this event. | |
Fresh Pond Nature Walk
Collins Branch Library
March 9th
10:15 to 11:30 am
Meets at the Ranger Station
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy
Join us for a short walk of Fresh Pond Reservation with Ranger Amanda Garms and Library Associate Michael Roberson.
We will observe seasonal changes in our environment, enjoy the fresh air, and get some exercise in nature. This walk is not on a paved path. We will walk on uneven terrain, down hills, and over roots.
| | | |
Fascinating Fungi of Fresh Pond
Sponsored by the Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation
Meets at the Ranger Station
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy, Cambridge
Sunday, March 15
2:00-4:00pm
| | |
Join expert Mycologist Lawrence Millman in a walk around Fresh Pond to find and identify mushrooms. This walk is not on a paved path. We will walk on uneven terrain, down hills, and over roots.
Lawrence Millman is a writer-mycologist who’s written several books on his fungal findings, including Fungipedia, Fascinating Fungi of New England, and Foraging With Jeeves. In the last 20 years, he’s documented 399 fungal species at Fresh Pond. Perhaps you will be the lucky one to find #400!
Please dress for the weather. Registration caps at 15. Don’t miss this fascinating event! Please contact agarms@cambrdigema.gov or 617-680-2418 to register. This program may be rescheduled due to snow.
Remember, foraging and harvesting is not allowed at Fresh Pond! This program is for educational purposes only.
| |
Programs like these are brought to you by the Friends of Fresh Pond
Although Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation is an all-volunteer organization, they do rely on contributions for some of their activities. These include paying professionals to lead special nature programs, maintaining websites, buying supplies for conservation work on the Reservation, and covering small program expenses for the Fresh Pond Rangers. If you would like to find out more about how you can best support this work, please visit friendsoffreshpond.org.
| |
Leprechaun Orienteering
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy
Kingsley Lawn
March 19, 5:30-7:30pm
Join Navigation Games this spring at Fresh Pond
| | Sponsored by the City of Cambridge. Wear your green, bring your friends, and have FUN learning to use a map and compass! All participants must pre-register by noon on 3/19. Use a special map to find checkpoints around the park in teams or pairs - but stay on your toes, some tricky leprechauns will be moving checkpoints as you go! Check in between 4:45pm and 5:15pm. Find out more information by visiting www.navigationgames.org or contacting Admin@navigationgames.org. |
Watertown-Cambridge Greenway Cleanup
Saturday, March 21st
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Rain date: Sun, March 29
490 Arsenal Way, Watertown, MA 02472
Get outdoors, meet your neighbors and help care for our beautiful Greenway! Coffee and bagels donated by Wicked Bagels will be available for volunteers. Disposable gloves and trash bags will also be provided. Close-toed shoes and long pants are strongly recommended. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver upon arrival. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by their parent/guardian. You can find out more information and register here.
| | Are you a Cambridge resident with a degree in environmental management or landscape design? Join the Maser Plan advisory board to support goals of restoring and managing native plant communities and wildlife habitat. Apply here! | |
Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board Meeting
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy
March 19, 6:00-8:00pm
Meet at the Water Treatment Plant Upstairs Conference Room
OR Remote Via Microsoft Teams
This meeting will discuss execution of the Master Plan at Fresh Pond Reservation. For full agenda and Microsoft Teams meeting link, visit cambridgema.gov
| | |
Take Back the Spring!
Walk with Stefanie Haug
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy
Wednesday, March 25
10:30 am -12:00 noon
Please join the Cambridge rangers and Stefanie Haug for a mindfulness oriented nature walk at Fresh Pond Reservation. Step into the quiet magic of the winter woods for a gentle guided walk with sensory and meditation practices. Together we’ll breathe deeply, slow down, and observe as we interweave quiet walking with shared reflections and a tea ceremony outdoors. Wear warm, comfortable clothes for a gentle walk with elevation. Bring a portable seat, if desired.
| | Learn more about Stefanie at stefaniehaug.com. Please contact agarms@cambrdigema.gov or 617-680-2418 to register. | | |
Cambridge City Run
Sunday, April 12
Begins at 9:00am
Please join the Friends of Cambridge Athletics at the 38th annual Cambridge City Run, a 5k honoring Paul Rider. The first 400 registrants get free t-shirts, so register now while supplies last! Donate, participate virtually, or register as a family! Please be aware that both lots will be closed for the duration of the race.
|
|
Save the Date: Fresh Pond Day
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy
Kingsley Lawn
Saturday, June 13th
11:00am-3:00pm
Saturday, June 13th from 11am to 3pm is officially set as Fresh Pond Day 2026. This is the Cambridge Water Department’s annual festival celebration of water, sustainability, and community. Stop by for live music, tours, live animals, exhibits, snacks, touch-a-truck, and more!
|
|
News from the Reservation
Get the latest updates on changes and improvements at Fresh Pond Reservation.
| |
Maple Sugaring
During a very special time of year when the temperatures are below freezing at night and above freezing during the day, sap runs from the roots where it was stored all winter to the tops of deciduous trees to fuel leaf-out. Seven maples have been tapped throughout the reservation as a part of an educational program in collaboration with local schools.
| | | | | |
Please respect the signage and buckets attached to taps you'll see on the upper Kingsley Knoll and on the perimeter road near Black's Nook. The kids will boil down the sap to make maple sugar and have a pancake breakfast!
| |
What are those trucks doing out there?
The Cambridge Water Department’s (CWD) activated carbon PFAS filters need to be changed regularly, and you'll see the trucks in the parking lot to do so. PFAS are a group of 'forever chemicals' found in most products that are waterproof, like Teflon, stain-resistant fabrics, and even cosmetics and dental floss. The CWD tests for 6 types commonly found in drinking water using a highly specialized mass spectrophotometer. You can find the test results here.
| | | |
2025 Resident Parking Stickers and Dog Tags Expire on 3/31/26
Don’t fall behind and experience hardships!
| | | |
Starting April 1st the 2025 dog license tags expire, the Cambridge Animal Commission is now issuing dog paw-shaped 2026 tags— which are needed on your pup’s collar or harness to participate in the City’s off-leash recreational programs such as the one here at Fresh Pond Reservation.
Additionally, the 2025 Cambridge Resident Parking Permits are also expired on April 1st. Renew online here to continue parking on streets and lots posted “Resident Permit Only” such as the lots at the Cambridge Water Department.
| | What's that blue snow? This is the cruelest part of winter for wildlife when food is most scarce. You might notice blue patches of snow around the reservation - this is actually rabbit urine turned blue caused by a phytochemical in invasive Common Buckthorn bark and twigs that rabbits have resorted to eating at this time. It is harmless to the rabbit but indicates the presence of this invasive species, which is not a first choice food source for wildlife. | |  | Coyotes are very active. A confirmed total of 5 coyotes have been sighted on the reservation for breeding season. Please continue to haze the coyotes when you see them, and do not approach or feed them. | | |
Blood Worm Moon
March's full moon on the 3rd has many names indicating what's going on in the season. Besides maple sap running, invertebrates start to stir as the ground warms, crows begin seeking mates, earning this moon the names Crow Moon, Worm Moon, Sap Moon, and Sugar Moon, among others. The names Snow Crust Moon and Sore Eye Moon refer to the extended sunlight and remaining snow in March.
| | The moon coincides with a full lunar eclipse, where Earth's shadow will cover the moon, causing it to darken -AKA a Blood Moon! | | Happy Meteorological Spring (March 1)! | | It may not feel like Spring just yet, but the natural world mainly operates on photoperiod, and as days get longer, plants and animals are gearing up for springtime. Vernal Witch Hazel (above), named for the Vernal Equinox when it blooms (March 20, the astronomical start of Spring) is producing coppery red flowers! | | | The early bloomers are already at work. The Silver Maples are creating big red buds (above). The Fayerweather school is tapping the silver maples near Black's Nook, so take a look at the treetops for buds if you see a tapped tree! | | | |
Birds are nesting in both live and dead trees March-August. Even right now, great horned owls and bald eagle chicks are hatching and growing, while red-tailed hawks are actively building nests. Bluebirds and screech owls are claiming cavities.
Destroying an active nest can incur up to a $15,000 federal fine! Wait to cut that snag down until November-January.
| | | |
Birds are migrating March 1 - June 15! Did you know that 80% of migrating birds do so at night?
Artificial light attracts birds, disrupting their migrations and drawing them close to the hazards of buildings and glass.
Please make sure to turn off all unnecessary lights during nighttime, put lights on a timer, change bulbs, and consider adding decals to your windows to avoid collisions.
Find out more here.
| | | Hold off on that spring garden cleanup! | | Please hold off on your garden cleanup until temperatures are over 50°F. Our native pollinators use your winter garden to hibernate inside. 75% of our food is pollinated by bees - if you like eating fresh fruits and veg, promote your native ecosystem by not cleaning up! Easiest eco-hack ever! | | Many amphibians breed in the cooler temperatures of late winter and early spring, or are still in brumation. Cleaning up your yard too early can harm amphibian populations! Be lazy and support our local wildlife! | |
Leave No Trace
In order to conserve our natural spaces for future generations, please remember to follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace while visiting Fresh Pond Reservation.
Principle #3 - Dispose of Waste Properly
The waste humans create while enjoying outdoor spaces can have severe impacts if not disposed of properly. It is crucial to anticipate the types of waste you will need to dispose of and know the proper techniques for disposing of each type of waste in the area you are visiting.
Leave No Trace encourages outdoor enthusiasts to consider the impacts they leave behind, which will undoubtedly affect other people, water, and wildlife.
“Pack it in, Pack it out” is a familiar mantra. Trash items can take significant time to break down, are incredibly harmful to wildlife, and are unsightly to other visitors. Any user of natural spaces is responsible for cleaning up before they leave. Inspect your area for trash or spilled food. Pack out all trash and garbage.
Land Managers spend incredible amounts of time, resources, and money each year removing litter from the outdoors. Designate a trash pocket, and carry a trash bag and gloves with you on your next outing, and teach your companions, others, and especially kids the importance of pack it in, pack it out.
Find out more at lnt.org.
| | | |
The battle for conservation must go on endlessly. It is part of the universal warfare between right and wrong.
— John Muir, Son of the Wilderness
| | | | |
