Olmsted Park Woodlands

In 1886, Olmsted wrote that "mainly the value of a park depends on the disposition and quality of its woods, and the relations of its woods to other natural features."

Our work preserving the woodlands for future generations moved forward last year in a 3-acre acre demonstration project just south of Leverett Pond where volunteers are removing invasive plants and rejuvenating the soil. In 2008, we began planting to regenerate the forest canopy and to enrich the understory. Lessons learned in this area will guide future work throughout the woodlands of the Emerald Necklace.

Olmsted Center Volunteers 2009 Photos | Garlic Mustard Fest 2009 Photos
Woodlands 2009 Photos

The Legacy of Olmsted's Trees

A sampling of the Woodlands Tree Species gathered by volunteers

400+ volunteers, 1,250 hours to date to save woodlands

Now in its 3rd year, the woodlands demonstration project at Hawthorn Hill will continue in 2010 with invasives removal; additional plantings, with a particular focus on groundcovers near primary paths; and the fourth and final round of soil rejuvenation, which, when completed, will bring the total amount of soil amendments spread by volunteers to nearly 11 tons!

In 2007, a Yale-trained forester completed an assessment of the roughly 30 acres of woodlands in Olmsted Park and helped us develop a comprehensive maintenance strategy to save the woodlands from almost certain destruction. The assessment concluded that, without intervention, these woodlands, the second largest tract in the Emerald Necklace, would be overrun by invasive plants and the canopy lost, as older trees die off and too few native trees grow to take their place.

Hawthorn Hill, a 3-acre site near Daisy Field, was selected for a demonstration project and work began with volunteers removing invasive plants and spreading soil amendments. In 2009, the Conservancy launched its most ambitious planting efforts to date as volunteers put in hundreds of plants, ranging in size and species from ferns and low-bush blueberries to pagoda dogwood and red maple. The emphasis is on increasing species diversity so that the woodlands are less vulnerable to disease, as well as selecting tree species that show tolerance to changing climate conditions.

Volunteers have been, and will continue to be, a major part of the efforts to save the woodlands and we are enormously grateful for their help. Thank you also to the Arnold Arboretum and Weir Meadow Nursery for donating plants for the project.

We hope you will join us for some of the volunteer events we are planning for 2010. Woodlands volunteer days will now take place on the SECOND Saturday of each month from now till next autumn. Rain dates for all events are the following Saturday, unless otherwise noted. We will be kicking off our Woodlands volunteer SECOND Saturdays with a Garlic Mustard "Pull" on Saturday, April 17th. The schedule for 2010 will be posted as soon as it is completed.

From all of us on the project team at the Conservancy, thank you for volunteering!

Do you know your invasive species? Click here to take our Invasive Species Quiz.