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BBC Annual Report 2020 BROAD BROOK COALITION ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION: 2020 Broad Brook Coalition completed its 32nd year of stewardship of the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area with numerous achievements even though many activities were curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, the number of people visiting the FLCA for hiking, dog walking and other recreational activities increased substantially. Trail maintenance and invasive plant control continued under covid restrictions, but our scheduled Walks & Talks were canceled except for one that slipped under the wire in January. Our campaign to control invasive plants at the Beaver Brook Greenway, conducted together with the Leeds Civic Association, also progressed well despite the pandemic. In addition, the BBC web site was reorganized and updated. BBC also contributed to the city's purchase of two properties adjoining the FLCA off Boggy Meadow Road and to the acquisition of land for the expansion of the Beaver Brook Conservation Area. November's annual meeting, conducted virtually, was treated to a fine presentation by Paul Barten, Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass, on Adding Two Terms to the IPAT Equation: Effective Individual and Community Efforts to Mitigate Climate Change which traced the history of climate change over the past 200 years and provided insights into measures that could slow, stop, and, ultimately, repair damage attributable to the earth's warming. At the meeting, naturalist Laura Beltran and neoroscientist Beth Powell were elected to the Board of Directors, replacing Alan Marvelli and Bill Williams both of whom retired after many years of dedicated service. The North Farms Road parking lot and part of the path to the dam where a new culvert was installed were repaved by the city in the fall, but replacement of two rough sections of the path with flexible paving material was postponed until spring 2021. Invasive Plant Control Two of our regular activities--maintenance of the shrub islands in Cooke's Pasture and the removal of invasive plants in and around the North Farms Road entrance--were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our effiorts to rid Fitzgerald Lake of water chestnut continued apace, however, with masks required on the dock but not on the water where participants were well spread out. Now in the fourth year of our "pull early, pull often" approach, we launched crews onto the lake at three- to four-week intervals from mid-June to mid-September. This past summer, the volunteer crew size averaged nine individuals who spent a total of 94 hours on the lake and harvested 178 lbs. of water chestnut, slightly more than the 141 lbs. harvested in 2019. We do not have a smple answer for the increase although better conditions for germination of residual seeds may have played a role. We will continue our surveillance and pulling regime in summer 2021 and will note any changes in water chestnut abundance. The removal of invasive plants along Boggy Meadow Road, originally scheduled for June, was rained out and reschduled for the fall. Early in October, eight volunteers spent the morning pulling and digging multiflora rose, bittersweet, winged euonymous and Japanese barberry between the beaver pond and the trail to the blind, enough to completely fill the back of a pickup truck that was used to haul the plants to a dumping ground off site. After three years of effort, the amount of invasive plants between the Cooke Ave. parking lot and the trail to the blind has been greatly reduced. In the future, we will continue to clean up this portion of the road and extend our work to the dam. Over the summer, crews from Land Stewardship, Inc. (LSI) treated various invasive plants in Cooke's Pasture with herbicide. A search for black swallowwort in June failed to turn up any plants in the previously treated area, but roughly a dozen were found under nearby trees and spot-sprayed with the Vastlan and Escort XP, and a small new patch was found in the pasture later in the summer. In August, LSI made three visits to Cooke's Pasture, targeting common and glossy buckthorns, exotic honeysuckle, multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet and spotted knapweed for treatment by foliar application with Vastlan. The LSI crew reported that the density of invasives was low in the field interior, with knapweed found mainly along the field edges. However, dense growth of glossy buckthorn and bittersweet was found in some forest areas adjoining the pasture. The invasives work was funded by the second year of a three-year contract awarded by the Community Preservation Committee. In September, Jon O'Gara of O'Gara Landcare did a follow-up herbicide treatment of residual Phragmites in the Broad Brook marsh, including the new stand discovered last year. He reported that the marsh was generally in good shape, with less Phrag than in the previous year. In the Marian Street lot, O'Gara pulled a small amount of bittersweet by hand and treated stunted Japanese knotweed with herbicide. His impression was that the knotweed, which had at one time filled this lot, was on its last legs. This work was funded by the BBC. Walks & Talks Although a program of naturalist talks had been planned for 2021 and a number of leaders lined up, most were cancelled when the Covid-19 pandemic surged in the spring and summer. Our sole event was a well-attended Winter Woods Walk led by Molly Hale in February which focused on animal signs and the adaptation of plants to winter cold. We hope to re-schedule many of the other planned Walks & Talks in 2021 assuming that the pandemic winds down. Trail Management The Trails Committee accomplished their usual roster of routine activities which includes repairing bog bridges, cleaning the wildlife blind, filling Mutt Mitt dispensers, removing trash from the parking areas, maintaining trail drainage, and clearing the boardwalk and dock of overgrowth and debris. In addition, several posts and rails were replaced on the Halfway Brook Trail, a number of trails were re-blazed, and a couple of dozen fallen trees were removed from the trails. Periodic monitoring of the trails was carried out by a crew of seven volunteer stewards who checked different trail sections for required maintenance. The Trails Committee was also responsible for the placement of the BBC wildlife camera and uploading interesting videos to the BBC web site. Mowing In 2019, we found that the shrubs and small trees in the north lobe of Cooke's Pasture were too dense to mow with a rotary mower. Consequently, mowing was delayed till February 2020 when the entire north lobe was cleared with a skidsteer equipped with a brush-cutting head. Since the access road to Cooke's Pasture was difficult to navigate even by a rotary mower owing to the presence of a number of boulders in the path, the boulders were removed from the section between the Telephone Line Trail and the pasture with a backhoe. South Pasture was mowed in October and the north lobe of Cooke's Pasture mowed again with a rotary mower in November to keep it under better control. This work was carried out by Richard Jaescke at a total cost of $1,700 which was covered by the BBC. Land Acquisition In July, the city closed on a 5.8-acre parcel off Boggy Meadow Road that adjoins the conservation area and provides additional wetland habitat for plants and animals. BBC contributed $3,000 toward the purchase of this tract. The city also made progress on the acquisition of a 53-acre property owned by the Wilbur family, also known as the Pine Brook section. This parcel, bounded by Boggy Meadow Road, the Lathrop Community, St. Mary's Cemetery, and the conservation area, is mostly forested but also contains several attractive wetland features and a diversity of plant species. The purchase, to which BBC contributed $3,000, is expected to close in early 2021. BBC also contributed $1,000 to the city's purchase of 45 acres of land in Leeds to expand the Beaver Brook Conservation Area. Water Quality Assessment Water samples from the Broad Brook, Fitzgerald Lake, and the marsh downstream from the dam were monitored for pH and alkalinity, and for the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate in November. All parameters were within acceptable limits though high nitrate levels at the western end of the lake persist. Detailed results are attached. Beaver Brook Greenway The completion of improvements at the Beaver Brook Greenway, which included a wildlife blind, an entry kiosk, picnic tables and interpretive signs, was celebrated in 2019. By contrast, 2020 was a relatively calm year with maintenance as the main goal. Eight volunteers spent an afternoon in May removing an abundance of garlic mustard from the site and a crew from Bay State Forestry carried out a round of invasive plant control that focused on major infestations of Japanese knotweed and Asiatic bittersweet as well as smaller amounts of other non-native plants. The cost of the latter work, $800, was paid from a CPA small grant awarded jointly to the BBC and the Leeds Civic Association. Trails were mowed as needed. Plans for 2021 Although the future course of the Covid-19 pandemic is unclear at this time, we are hoping to be able to schedule a series of Walks & Talks, postponed from 2020, over the spring and summer months and to initiate activities planned for local schools by our Education Committee. Trail maintenance will continue as in the past and we plan to resume a full complment of workdays to care for the shrub islands and American chestnuts in Cooke's Pasture, clean up and remove invasive plants from the North Farms Road entrance and the margins of Boggy Meadow Road, and continue our efforts to rid Fitzgerald Lake of water chestnut. Brush-hogging and invasive plant control are also planned at the Beaver Brook Greenway. February 22, 2021 Robert A. Zimmermann President Broad Brook Coalition BBC STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE YEAR-END REPORT: 2020 EVENT ACCOMPLISHED Clearing Cooke's Pasture 02/28/20: North lobe cleared and mowed with a skidsteer equipped with a brush-cutting head. Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 7 hrs. Improving Access to Cooke's Pasture 02/28/2020: Rocks removed from path between Telephone LineTrail and pasture with a backhoe. Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 3 hrs. Beaver Brook Working Group: Garlic Mustard Pull 05/14/20: Workday on site; cleared garlic mustard from entrance, south end, picnic area, north end and along Rte. 9. Peter Flinker, Bruce Hart, Deb Jacobs, Jason Johnson, Dave Pritchard, Heidi Stevens, Matt Verson, Bob Zimmermann; total effort: ~16 hrs Volunteer Day: Shrub Island Maintenance 05/19/20: Cancelled due to Covid-19. Cleanup and Invasive Plant Control at North Farms Road Entrance 05/30/120: Cancelled due to Covid-19. Water Pump Set Up in Cooke's Pasture 06/10/20. Honda water pump set up in Broad Brook marsh; water pumped to 2 x 50-gal barrels for watering blight-resistant American chestnuts and shrubs in Cooke's Pasture (3 hrs); watering continued throughout summer. Dave Pritchard, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 06/15/20: Water chestnut growth in full swing; most rosettes small and easy to pull with nut attached. Bob Adams, Susan Carmichael, Hilary Caws-Elwit, Steve Harding, Bruce Hart, Jason Johnson, Erin Johnson, Norma Roche, Dave Pritchard, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann Harvested ~800 rosettes weighing ~106 lbs 11 people; total effort: ~29 hrs. Control of Black Swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture 06/18/20: Black Swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture treated with foliar spray containing Vastlan (triclopyr) and Escort (metsulfuron methyl); very few plants found in original site, but 20 or so plants found on adjacent forest floor. Chris Polatin (Land Stewardship, Inc.) Note: small new patch discovered in SW corner later in summer. Volunteer Day: Removal of Invasives on Boggy Meadow Road 06/28/20: Postponed due to rain. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 07/18/20: WC rosettes exhibited range of size from small to very large; very few came up with nuts; no mature nuts were observed. Susan Carmichael, Hilary Caws-Elwit, Steve Harding, Bruce Hart, Leana Hart, George Kohout, Dave Pritchard, Norma Roche, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Harvested ~228 rosettes weighing ~45 lbs, total effort ~25 hrs. Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 08/08/20: No mature nuts were observed. Bob Adams, Steve Harding, Bruce Hart, Patricia Jung, George Kohout, Dave Pritchard, Jim Reis, Norma Roche, Bob Zimmermann. Harvested ~82 rosettes weighing ~22 lbs, total effort ~22 hrs. Control of Invasive Plants in Cooke's Pasture and on Dam 08/17+18+20/20): Glossy buckthorn, common buckthorn, exotic honeysuckle, multiflora rose, Oriental bittersweet, spotted knapweed treated with foliar spray of Vastlan. Invasive plant density low in Interior of fields, higher along edges with some dense patches of buckthorn and bittersweet on forest floor; also treated knapweed on dam. Crew from Landscape Stewardship, Inc. (Chris Polatin). Beaver Brook Working Group 09/03/20: Crew from Bay State Forestry treated various invasive plants throughout the site with herbicide; included were major infestations of Japanese knotweed, bitterwseet. Lincoln Fish and crew (Bay tate Forestry). Control of Water Chestnut in Fitzgerald Lake 09/05/20: Some of the larger rosettes had already dropped nuts. Hilary Caws-Elwit, Steve Harding, Yamila Irizarry-Gerould, Diego Irizarry-Gerould, George Kohout, Dave Pritchard, Bob Zimmermann. Harvested 25 rosettes weighing ~5.2 lbs, total effort ~19 hours Control of Japanese Knotweed on Marian Street lot 09/23/20: Follow-up treatment of Japanese knotweed: a few stunted plants treated by hand-wiping with Rodeo (glyphosate) solution; some bittersweet pulled by hand; Jon O'Gara (O'Gara Landcare). Control of Phragmites in Broad Brook Marsh 09/23/20; Follow-up treatment of Phragmites: Stands 1-4 under good control; small new patch opposite stand 4 treated thoroughly by hand-wiping with Rodeo (glyphosate) solution; Jon O'Gara (O'Gara Landcare). Volunteer Day: Removal of Invasives on Boggy Meadow Road 10/04/20: Multiflora rose, bittersweet, winged euonymous, barberry pulled or dug between beaver pond and trail to blind; filled back of pickup truck with "harvest." David Arbeitman, Bruce Hart, Rachael Naismith, Dave Pritchard, Norma Roche, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann. Total effort: ~19 hrs. Mowing South Pasture 10/25/20: South Pasture brush-hogged; Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 3 hrs. Odd Jobs 11/09/20; (1) Shored up vandalized protective cages around American chestnuts in Cooke's Pasture; the two trees upslope were in good shape while the one downslope was battered but will probably survive; (2) Emptied water barrels and packed hoses in heavy-duty plastic bags for the winter; (3) Took water samples for analysis from Gessing Point, Broad Brook marsh and Fitz Lake off dam. Dave Herships, Dave Pritchard, Bill Williams, Dick Wynne, Bob Zimmermann.Total effort: ~15 hrs. Mowing Cooke's Pasture 11/09/19: North lobe of pasture brush-hogged;. Richard Jaescke (RCW Landscape Construction), 3 hrs. Water Quality Assessment 11/20/20: Water samples taken from Fitz Lake off dock, Broad Brook at North Farms Road; samples from all 5 stations processed; Bob Zimmermann Broad Brook Coalition 2020 Trails Committee Report (Feb. 2021) In 2020, the Broad Brook Coalition (BBC) Trails Committee activities consisted of several recurring maintenance projects and monitoring tasks at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA). These are summarized below, as well as noting other projects and activities performed by BBC Trail Committee volunteers. None of these projects could have been undertaken and completed without the very loyal support and hard work of the BBC volunteers who names are listed below. Projects in 2020 include: • Trail Signs – Installed springs on the back of approximately 25 signs to allow for tree growth and prevent damage. • Remove downed trees – Approximately 20 trees that fell across trails were removed. BBC volunteers Jim Reis, Michael Kesten, and Steve Harding completed this work supplying their own chainsaws, gas, and saws. • Re-blaze trails – several trails were re-blazed this year, and the rest will be completed in 2021. • Removed an illegally constructed structure – some unknown persons constructed a wooden structure of lumber and branches near the boardwalk. This was taken down and the lumber moved to BBC’s storage garage donated by Ivan Oransky and Cate Vojdik. • Trail Camera - The BBC trail camera was positioned in several locations throughout the year. The interesting videos were edited and uploaded to the BBC's YouTube channel. • Trail Stewards monitor trails - During 2020, there were seven BBC volunteer Trail Stewards (see list below) were recruited to walk the trails at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA), monitoring conditions. The stewards “adopt” a specific trail for a year and walk the trail at least every few weeks to trim branches, pick up trash, and observe conditions. When necessary, the Trail Stewards inform the Trails Committee of fallen trees or large branches blocking the trail or areas where trail improvements are needed. The Trails Committee is then responsible to clear any large trees or organize a work day to make trail improvements. • Maintain trail drainage – Several areas on the Marian Street, and Middle Path trails were worked on. This involved digging structures that channeled rainwater and snowmelt away from the trail. • Maintain bog bridges - Each year, BBC Trails Committee volunteers make needed repairs to the approximately 1,200 feet of bog bridges in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. This includes repositioning bog bridges that get moved inadvertently by hikers, re-securing nails and screws that have popped due to the consistent pressure from being walked on, and placing short sections of 2’x6’ under sleepers that have been submerged in the wetlands, again by the pressure from visitors walking on the bog bridges. A bog bridge on Middle path was also extended due to increased flooding. • Maintain Wildlife Blind - Each year, BBC Trails Committee volunteers maintain the Wildlife Blind, including removing graffiti, sweeping the floor of the Blind, removing trash, and placing new maps of the FLCA. In addition, the base of the structure supporting the Wildlife Blind is checked to determine if it is level. • Maintain split-rail fence on the Halfway Brook Trail - The maintenance of the split-rail fence is a condition of the easement that has been granted to the City Conservation Commission by the private landowner to gain access to the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area via the Halfway Brook Trail from the Coles Meadow Road entrance. Several posts and railings were replaced this year. • Maintain Mutt Mitt Dispensers - Each year BBC Trail Committee volunteers maintain and refill the Mutt Mitt dispensers located at 3 entrances to the FLCA (North Farms Road, the Moose Lodge, and Coles Meadow Road). The BBC has placed the Mutt Mitt dispensers at the FLCA pursuant to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Conservation Commission and the BBC. • Maintain parking lots - The two main parking lots at the FLCA--at North Farms Road and the Moose Lodge--both require regular maintenance by BBC volunteers. The tasks includes removal of trash (bottles, cans, candy wrappers, cigarette butts) from the parking areas, removal of invasive species (performed jointly with the Stewardship Committee), removal of graffiti, trimming of the grass on the berm at the North Farms Road parking lot. • Maintain boardwalk and dock – Several times a year tree branches, multiflora rose, and other plants are cut down to allow for unobstructed walking on the board walk for visitors and those with canoes and kayaks. In the fall the surface of the boardwalk and dock is blown free of natural debris to keep it walkable and improve drainage to preserve the wood. • North Farms Rd. paved path - Volunteers blow and sweep the leaves and pine needles on the path in the fall to keep it clear and to preserve it. • FLCA map dispensers - There are 5 map dispensers located at several of the entrances to the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area that need to be refilled regularly. Broad Brook Coalition 2020 Trail Stewards and Volunteers Trail Stewards Lake Trail – Brigid Glacken and Mike Murphy Dock, Narrows, and Fishing Place Trails – Chris Schmidt Hillside, Cooke’s Pasture, and Line Trails – Jeannette Pamaylaon Boggy Meadow Rd. (parking lot to dam) – Michael Kesten Marian Street Trail to North Middle Path – Beth Powell Pines Edge Trail to Middle Path to Marian Street to Boggy Meadow Rd. – Jon Steinberg Swamp Forest and Rocky Knoll Trails – Brian Pamaylaon WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS AT THE FLCA: 2020 November 9, 2020 (Wiliams, Zimmermann): dam, marsh, Gessing Point November 20, 2020 (Zimmermann), dock, Brd Brk E of NFR Location T (ºF) amb. Dissolved 02 (ppm) pH Alkalinity (ppm CaCO3) Phosphate (ppm P04-i) Nitrate (ppm N/NO3) T (ºF) H2O Desirable Range >6 6-7.5 100-200 <0.1 <0.1/<0.1 Brd Brk, E of NFR 58 11 7.0 20.5 0.06 0.20/0.88 46 Dock 58 13 6.8 27.4 0.12 0.30/1.32 48 Dam, lake side 55-65 10 6.8 27.4 0.0 0 57 Marsh, pump intake 55-65 5 6.0 27.4 0.10 0 55 Marsh, Gessing Pt. 55-65 9 6.5 13.7 0.10 0 53 Notes: 11/09/20 Weather: sunny, 55-65 ºF; no significant rain in past 24 h Dam, lake: sample taken from edge of lake north of dam Marsh (intake for pump, upstream from former beaver lodge): water level high, roughly equal to height of flow pipes in beaver "berm"; sample from edge of marsh Marsh (Gessing Pt.): water level higher than usual Notes: 11/20/20 Weather: partly sunny, 58 ºF; no significant rain in past 24 h Brd Brk at NFR: water level higher than normal (beaver dam downstream?); lots of debris in water Dock: lake water level normal; sample taken off new dock 2020-11-21