Alewife Reservation

Alewife Reservation and District advocacy and restoration work became a core part of Green Cambridge’s mission after absorbing the Friends of Alewife Reservation (FAR) in 2019. Through our programming, we protect and restore this wild area and the surrounding District.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Help us steward the Alewife Reservation!

The Alewife Reservation is Cambridge’s only urban wild. It is overrun with invasive plant species that harm its ecological health. We depend on volunteers to help us take care of this important green space and help its native flora and fauna thrive. 

We offer volunteer opportunities to:

  • Identify and map invasive species using Earthwise Aware’s participatory science app Anecdata

  • Remove invasives and plant native species

  • Participate in community advocacy in the Alewife District

If you are a school or corporate group click here!


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The Alewife District Community
Health Action Plan

The Alewife District is a unique and complex place. At the heart of the District is the Reservation, a park which stretches across the boundaries of five cities and towns (Belmont, Cambridge, Arlington, Somerville, and Medford). It is a rich socio-ecological system providing habitat for wildlife and places for diverse communities of people. Within the Reservation lies the Alewife Brook, a tributary to the Mystic River and part of the larger Mystic River Watershed. 

This Alewife District Community Action Plan builds off decades of advocacy and attempts to create a strategic path forward, outlining what steps Green Cambridge and others can take to restore the ecological health of these 136 acres, make it more climate resilient, and ensure that it is an accessible resource. We hope that this document serves as a launching point for collaborative advocacy, and look forward to the continual improvements and enrichment of the Alewife District.

Announcing Restore Corps, launching in 2026!

Using the Alewife Reservation as an outdoor classroom and workforce training ground, our paid ecological restoration program will connect youth aged 16-18 to this 136 acre shared landscape owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Across 8 months, seasonal cohorts will focus on removing invasive species, planting natives, working across municipal lines, stakeholder development, mapping and design, and implementation of aspects of projects previously identified in master plans.

Our guiding documents are the Alewife Master Plan and the Alewife District Community Health Action Plan we’ve developed over three years in partnership with the National Park Service, along with local, state, and national partners.

A Comprehensive and Integrated Curriculum:

  • Define and contextualize ecosystem restoration: Understand its processes, principles, importance, and integrate Alewife Brook Reservation wetland restoration within local and broader initiatives and agreements.

  • Analyze ecosystems and human impacts: Explore the historical context of the Alewife District, the dynamics of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the effects of human activities, including climate change.

  • Identify and address degradation causes: Learn to pinpoint and eliminate the root causes of degradation for long-term sustainability of restored ecosystems.

  • Reestablish natural processes and native biodiversity: Understand strategies for restoring ecological functions and native species while managing invasives and supporting wildlife.

  • Develop comprehensive restoration plans: Learn the steps involved in site assessment, data collection and analysis, and planning for ecosystem restoration based on community needs and stakeholder participation.

  • Implement adaptive management: Grasp the principles of adaptive management for ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of restoration efforts to ensure long-term success.

  • Integrate ecosystems into the broader landscape: Understand how to connect restored ecosystems, like the Alewife Brook Reservation, with the larger surrounding environment.

  • Engage communities through diverse methods: Learn about stakeholder development, community engagement, citizen science, and the use of art, design, and storytelling to foster participation and advocacy in restoration.

River Restore

Restoring a Landscape through Education

The banks of Little River are serving as an outdoor classroom for Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program participants and other volunteers.

In Summer 2021, we kicked off a long term project to restore the riverbank between the Alewife Stormwater Wetland and the Little River. Partnering with Parterre Ecological to provide expertise in the field and working in collaboration with Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Cambridge Conservation Commission, we're creating new native habitat by removing invasives and planting native shrubs and trees, an effort that Restore Corps will build off of.

Initiated in 2015 by the Friends of Alewife Reservation, and funded in part through Ellen Mass, this 28,000 square foot site prone to flooding and dogged by pollution will be ameliorated via biodiversity plantings that builds on the native plantings of the Stormwater Wetland area.