Arlington Land Trust

Protecting Open Spaces in Arlington

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Spy Pond Trails Day

Pruning along the Spy Pond trail

On Saturday, May 13, 9am – 1pm, volunteers are invited to the 17th annual gathering to improve the Spy Pond trail along Route 2 between Lake St. and Pleasant St.  Activities will include maintaining access trails to the pond, pruning for vistas, planting dogwoods, bagging litter, and controlling invasive plants. The rain date is Sunday, May 14, same time.

This event is hosted by the Spy Pond Environment Task Group (volunteers working in partnership with the Town of Arlington), the Appalachian Mountain Club, and other civic groups, including the Land Trust.

Guidelines: Trails Day qualifies as a community service project for students. Participants should bring sturdy footwear, work clothes, a hat, sunscreen, and rain gear. Pruning tools are also helpful. Liability waivers will be available and must be signed by all participants (under 18 need approval from—and are preferably accompanied by—a parent or guardian). Equipment and snacks will be provided, but please pack your own lunch.

Recommended parking: Take exit 60 off Rt. 2, head towards Mass. Ave. on Lake St., first left onto Colonial Drive, left onto Roanoke, left and park along Spy Pond Parkway.  The street address for Google Maps is 15 Spy Pond Parkway, Arlington, MA 02474.

For more information: www.facebook.com/spypondcomm or www.arlingtonma.gov/spypond
Email Brad Barber at bradb@shore.net

EcoFest: Earth Day (April 22) into May

Arlington EcoFest is a time of learning, reflection, and action. Community and student groups and Town departments and committees are offering presentations, tours, and interactive events to inspire connection to and celebration of our natural world.

Some events are listed here, but check the EcoFest website for many more activities and programs. Email Charlotte Milan, DPW Recycling Coordinator at cmilan@town.arlington.ma.us

Garlic Mustard is an invasive plant found throughout Arlington.
Help remove it at Arlington Reservoir on April 22.

Public Land Management Plan

The Town of Arlington, through the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), issued the Public Land Management Plan (PLMP) in January 2023. The project goal was to create a management plan for Town-owned open space, recreational land, and other natural resources in line with other Town plans. The plan was funded through a Community Preservation Act grant. The landscape architecture firm KZLA produced the plan in collaboration with the Public Land Management Working Group made up of representatives of Town departments and committees.

The PLMP details a structure for maintaining and managing relevant lands, provides analysis of the policies that govern the lands in question, and advises on the treatment of such lands, including recommendations of best practices. This first edition of the plan includes large public lands, small conservation parcels, parks and fields, and monuments, open spaces, and gardens. Future editions will add concerns like playgrounds, courts, and specific sports fields concerns. The PLMP will be revisited in 2025 and other updates and additions will be scheduled every three years.

Open Space and Recreation Plan, 2022-2029

The Arlington Open Space Committee and the Department of Planning and Community Development are pleased to announce that the recently updated Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is now available on the Town website. The OSRP is a foundational document for all Town-wide planning and programs relating to parks, playgrounds, playing fields, natural resources, conservation land, sustainable development, climate resiliency, and other open space issues.

The planning process for developing for this most recent OSRP began in 2020, when the Open Space Committee received a grant from the Community Preservation Act Committee to hire a consultant, Horsley Witten Group, to help update the prior 2015 plan. The committee and consultants partnered with many Town departments, commissions, and organizations to obtain community input on open space and recreation goals and objectives. Two public forums were held, in June and December 2021, and an online public survey solicited responses from more than 1,000 residents. Information from all these sources, combined other research on the Town’s open space and recreation resources, contributed to the final plan. The OSRP received final approval from the Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services in November 2022 and is in effect until July 2029.

Urban Ecology Framework

David Morgan, Arlington’s Environmental Planner and Conservation Agent, was the guest speaker at the 2022 Annual Meeting, held via Zoom on January 23, 2023. He described the Urban Ecology Framework he is coordinating with Tufts graduate students to chart the Town’s progress on identified goals for ecological land management and set a timeline for accomplishing them. He has provided a summary of the project, including maps and contact information.

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