The Friends of Edgewood Park work year-round to steward an incredible 123 acres of parklands that provide wonderful recreational spaces for residents and vital habitat for wildlife. Rain, snow, and a heatwave can’t slow this group down and they will be at the Ranger Station each Tuesday morning ready to go. We started our summer focusing on the Urban Oasis garden by the Midbridge planting a mountain laurel and three new winterberries. The group as a whole worked throughout the park planting by the Sundial, continuing diligent work at the Gazebo garden, and always working to fight off invasive plants down by the river. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better team of volunteers to take care of the beautiful Edgewood Park!
It was a cool morning as we met at the ranger station, everyone excited to be there and give some love to the park. Per tradition, we introduced ourselves and welcomed back Rachel. We then headed towards the mid-bridge area, where we started planting the big and healthy swamp oak tree I brought for the day. Everyone was ecstatic to be planting another tree. As Jonathan, the sisters, and Rachel began digging the hole for the tree, Sandy and Clara helped Margaret water our young dogwoods and button bushes. While chatting about Jonathan's high school experience, the sisters' time in the greater Boston area, and Rachel's summer break away from teaching, we planted the tree before we knew it. We proudly named our tree Sven! Join us next Tuesday at the Ranger Station at 9 a.m. to take care of our Edgewood Park!
PlantingTree planted!
07/16/2024
It was a beautiful, bright morning when all the volunteers gathered by the road next to the ranger station. With our 4 Common Ground student workers back again, we reintroduced ourselves, sharing something that got us out of bed this morning! With lots of teamwork, our group planted a red celebration maple along the promenade, ensuring it received plenty of water to prepare for the heat. While Margaret and I (Yvonne) watered the young button bushes and dogwood plants along the riverbank on Park Road, Sandy led the rest of the group to help Muffy and Mike weed the bocce court in preparation for Semi's remembrance event. Join us next Tuesday morning at 9 am to plant two trees by the mid-bridge and continue stewarding our bocce court!
PlantingMargaret and Stephanie making announcements!
07/09/2024
Despite the heat creeping into us, the volunteers excitedly gathered under the shade of a tree at the start of the road leading to the ranger station, eager to give some love to the park. We all split up to work on different parts of the park. Some tackled the overgrowth near the fence area by the stairs from Chapel Street near the Duck Pond. At the Mid Bridge area, Clara, Jonathan, and I weeded and put mulch rings around all the young trees, trimmed a hanging branch from a black walnut tree, and pruned the pecan tree to prevent further mower damage, which had removed its protective wire cage and stake, scraping the bark and branches. Rebecca discovered that the elderberry she planted several years ago is thriving. Additionally, with the help of other volunteers, Stephanie and Muffy removed cut brush from near the bridge and cut down a box elder tree competing with a summersweet shrub in the Mid Bridge Garden. Jonathan and I transplanted a butterfly bush in the Eagle Scout garden. Frank and a group of volunteers also completed clearing the berm trail (Frank’s Trail) from Mid Bridge to Park Road, cleared the trail from Mid Bridge to Archery Field, and cleared the berm trail from Mid Bridge to the Skate Park. Finally, Margaret took on the challenge of watering ten small, young button bushes and dogwoods on Park Road. Thank you to Stephanie for recording the work of our volunteers each week. Join us next Tuesday morning at 9 am for some tree planting at the park with workers from Common Ground!
