Volunteers needed to help weed the gardens at Roberts Field Pollinator Park, Skate Shack and Trailhead gardens, Mostly hand pulling and trimming. Free mint plants too!! (You dig)
We need a few volunteers Monday and Wednesday, September 17th & 19th at 10:30am.
Volunteers should park behind Engine 3 Fire Station and meet at Skate Shack. Come for an hour or more. We’ll bring some waters and get some bags from the DPW. If you can help, please join us for an hour or two. Many hands make lighter work.
For more information please contact Sandie Rainey at 978-833-4601 or send an email to info@friendsofrobertsfield.org.
Please join us Saturday, April 21st and help cleanup Roberts Field in Chelmsford. The Earth Day Cleanup event is from 10am -2pm, and individuals and groups wishing to help cleanup the Park are encouraged to attend.
ROBERTS FIELD
260 Old Westford Road, Chelmsford
Earth Day Cleanup: Saturday, April 21st, 10am – 2pm
Volunteers can participate in a number of cleanup activities including:
– Park Litter (parking lot, roadside, interior park, trails)
– Trail Maintenance (trimming, lining trails & trail markers)
– Rock Graffiti Cleanup (Jonathan Lane trail head)
– Gardening (Skate Shack & Pollinator Park gardens & Pond side invasive plant pull)
For more information please email info@friendsofrobertsfield.org.
CHELMSFORD — When most people think of Roberts Field, they think of Little League baseball diamonds and the Friendship Park playground.
The Friends of Roberts Field are changing that.
The group has rolled out a habitat and trail maintenance plan, recently approved by the town, that puts an emphasis on protecting and enjoying the natural beauty the field has to offer, according to Friends founder Bill Askenburg.
As one of the last open spaces in the area around Old Westford Road, he said Roberts Field is a prime location to strengthen the habitats and populations of pollinators like native bees and birds.
“Our goal here is to help educate people about the importance of pollinators, but also primarily to connect people to nature, to give them safe access to nature but at the same time help protect and also improve the habitat,” Askenburg said.
The plan calls for a number of improvements, including the removal of invasive species, responsible use by residents and their pets and increasing the diversity of native plants and wildlife. It was created in partnership with the Conservation Commission and Board of Selectmen, Askenburg said. He said the town has been very supportive of the group’s efforts.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, pollinator species carry pollen from plant to plant as they collect nectar.
They play a crucial role in the reproduction of 75 percent of flowering plants and fruit and vegetable crops.
Last fall, the Friends called upon member Cori Rose, a professional wetland scientist and ecological gardener, for guidance in creating a pollinator park.
They took a forgotten patch of land, to the left of the fire station, that was overrun with invasive plants like poison ivy and bittersweet and turned it into a series of gardens that can be enjoyed by people, animals and insects alike.
The main garden has over 50 varieties of flowering and berry-producing plants, selected so that there is always something blooming throughout the year, Askenburg said.
There’s also a wildlife and seed foraging garden with a mix of plants grown to benefit birds and small mammals, and a natural flowering meadow full of native species like goldenrod and milkweed that attract pollinators, he said.
In the three short years since the Friends was established, there have been many small projects around the field and the adjacent forested area, from expanded trails to man made habitat boxes for bats and barred owls.
Much of the work has been accomplished by volunteers and donations, said Friends member Wolf Bartz, who lives in the adjacent neighborhood.
Most of the wooden trail bridges were constructed by local Boy Scouts and the skate shack, a small structure mainly used in the winter when the lake is iced over, was created by local Girl Scouts, Askenburg said.
Last Friday, Kronos employees took a community service day to help create a new garden of pollinator-friendly perennials by the skate shack and constructed a foot bridge over a muddy area on the trail.
“It has made a huge difference to how people use the park,” Bartz said. “They find out about the trails and their kids are excited about catching frogs or birding, or what have you. It was almost immediate.”
Askenburg also serves on the town’s Roberts Field Improvement Committee, a group tasked with creating a master plan for the redevelopment of the playground and other field amenities.
When the committee recently sought input from residents, more than 400 people responded to the survey, he said.
The committee hired consultant Howard Stein Hudson to create a concept plan in April, and is in the process of reviewing that document, Askenburg said.
Next, the Friends will work with another Boy Scout to add garden bee and bluebird houses, he said. They also plan to add placards around the field that describe the different habitats, the types of animals that use them and why they’re important, Askenburg said.
For more information and to get involved, visit robertsfield.org and friendsofrobertsfield.org.
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Monarch butterflies cannot survive without milkweed; their caterpillars only eat milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.), and monarch butterflies need milkweed to lay their eggs.
Help save the monarch butterfly and improve the park’s pollinator habitat by collecting and donating milkweed and wildflower seeds to the “Roberts Field Seed Drive” this fall. The Seed Drive benefits Roberts Field in Chelmsford, MA, and is being organized by the volunteer organization Friends of Roberts Field.
Improving the diversity of flowering plants is a habitat goal for Roberts Field. Milkweed is essential to the survival of monarch butterflies (the only plant they eat), and wildflowers such as Black-Eyed Susans, Asters, Turtlehead and Coneflower provide food and habitat to pollinators like bees, moths and butterflies. All of these native flowering plants (and more) produce seeds that can be collected locally or purchased, donated and then planted by volunteers at Roberts Field this fall.
Now through October 16 please drop your seeds at the Roberts Field box behind the Fire Station on Old Westford Road
Now through October 16, 2016, please drop your labeled and bagged milkweed or wildflower seeds in the seed collection box at the Roberts Field Trail Head Map Kiosk (behind the Old Westford Road Fire Station). Please mark your collection bag with your name, the date, plant name, and the location of the collection. The seeds will be planted in the flowering meadow at Pollinator Park and near the pond shore at Roberts Field. A list of suggested wildflower seeds to collect and donate can be found here. Any questions about the Seed Drive and planting can be directed to Bill Askenburg at (978) 455-1405.
Purchasing and Donating Seeds
Seeds will be planted along the pond shore and in the flowering meadow in Pollinator Park.
Regionally appropriate milkweed and wildflower seeds are also available commercially, and can be purchased online and donated to the Seed Drive. The Vermont Wildflower Farm offers a variety of New England grown milkweed seeds and a Save the Monarch Butterfly Combo seed mix that fit Roberts Field’s growing conditions and habitat goals. Purchased seeds can be dropped at the Roberts Field collection box, or shipped to Friends of Roberts Field to the attention of Bill Askenburg, 185 Westford Street, Chelmsford, MA 01824.
Collecting Milkweed Seeds
Seeds can be found in the “wild” on private lands, public right of ways and roadsides – but always remember safety first! Always ask permission and explain politely what you are doing and why. Positively identify the plant before collecting the pods. Milkweed seeds look alike in most species and are very difficult to identify by the seed alone.
Please collect only regional seedpods, leaving some pods to insure the plants continue to propagate and thrive in the found area. A good rule of thumb is to take 1/3 and leave 2/3. To collect the seedpods from a milkweed plant it is best to pick them when the seed inside is brown. Do not collect pods when seeds are white or cream colored. If the center seam of the pods pop with gentle pressure, they can be picked.
It is best to collect pods in paper bags, avoiding using plastic bags because they attract moisture and foster mold. Store seeds in a cool, dry area until they can be dropped off at the Roberts Field collection box.
Collecting Other Wildflower Seeds
If collecting and donating wildflowers (see list) outside of your garden, please ask permission and take no more than 1/3 of the available seed. Please strip the seed from the flower head and store the loose seed in paper bag. Please put each type of plant seed in its own unique, labeled bag.
The Friends of Roberts Field is a non-profit volunteer group founded in 2013 to encourage greater appreciation and public use of the Chelmsford, Massachusetts park located at 260 Old Westford Road. The volunteer organization is comprised of neighbors and residents committed to enhancing and protecting Roberts Field Park for the enjoyment of everyone, and with the cooperation of the Town of Chelmsford and Conservation Commission, recently enacted a Habitat and Trail Plan to preserve, protect and improve the natural areas of the neighborhood park.
A new seed garden was established Pollinator Park at Roberts Field using a special Wildlife Habitat Seed Mix. The seed mix is designed to attract wildlife to the garden, and contains 50% wildflowers and 50% premier forage and cover. It has a mix of annual and perennial plants, and will attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and small animals for a full season of nature at its best.
What’s in the Mix: (Contains 14 Wildflowers & Forage Premier)
Blue Cornflower, Blue Chrysanthemum, Shasta Daisy, White Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, Yellow/Red Cosmos, Wild Cosmos, Pink/White/Mauve Eschscholzia, Orange Poppy, Orange Helianthus, Wild Sunflower, Yellow Linum, Blue Flax, Blue Papaver, Multi Poppy, Red
Rudbeckia, Daisy, Red/Yellow Lotus, Bird’s Foot, Kale, Millet, Oats, Red Clover & White Clover
The seed mix will supplement the existing wildflowers such as Joe Pye Weed growing in the garden. Pollinator Park at Roberts Field has been designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation for its commitment to provide food, shelter and water to area wildlife.
Help build a new pollinator garden at Roberts Field by donating flowering, native and non-invasive plants to be planted in the new garden in the park located at 260 Old Westford Road. Donated plants can be split from existing gardens or can be purchased and donated.
Plants such as coneflower, heliopsis, sweetspire, liatris, bee balm and columbine are just a few examples of pollinator friendly plants that would thrive in the sunny garden area next to the pond at Roberts Field.
The new pollinator garden was approved by the Town as part of the plan to create a permanent foundation for the skate shack which was donated by Girl Scouts in 2012. The skate shack foundation was installed in the fall of 2015, and a donated red maple tree was planted nearby.
The new garden will be planted in mid June by volunteers, and plant donations are now being accepted. To date, collected plants include daylilies, bee balm, hosta, black eyed susans, lambs ear, irises and lavender.
Flowering, native and non-invasive plants are preferred and gladly accepted. Donated plants should be suitable for full-sun, windy conditions, and well drained rich farm soil. Plants can be dug and split from local gardens or purchased from the store, and arrangements made to be picked up. Split plants can be put into plastic grocery bags or boxes for pickup.
Tom Christiano takes a weed walk at with Chris LaRoche and Jocelyn Demuth at Roberts Field. During the walk, Chris and Jocelyn point out the native weeds found at the park and their homeopathic uses and tour the new Pollinator Park at Roberts Field. Filmed in September 2015.
Changes are coming to Roberts Field, at least a portion of it, according to Bill Askenburg, founder of the 2-year-old organization, Friends of Roberts Field.
As part of a plan to enhance the trail system in and around Friendship Park, Askenburg, husband of Selectman Janet Askenburg, said a so-called “pollinator park” will soon be planted with a specific list of blooming and fruiting shrubs. Askenburg made a presentation to the Board of Selectmen at the board’s meeting on June 15. “It’s part of an overall plan to improve the trails in the woods, build bridges and footpaths and add benches,” said Askenburg. The plan also includes planting shade trees at the ponds’ edges, and adding benches in a mowed grassy meadow and picnic tables.
He said two Eagle Scout projects have created the bridges; a volunteer has built a map kiosk. There will be bat and bee houses as well. “It’s a labor of love,” said Askenburg. “It’s taken a long time, but it’s also been a lot of fun. It will improve the neighborhood.” The new park will lie at the corner of Old Westford Road and Westford Street, adjacent to the fire station. Askenburg said the pollinator park will not interfere with the soccer and baseball fields that are now at Roberts Field.
But the two ponds and wetlands will be cleared of the invasive species and planted with an eye to creating a pastoral experience for hikers or outdoor lovers. He said wetlands scientist Cori Rose drew up a list of about 50 specific plants for the park. Askenburg said anyone from the community with a bush or shrub that is on the list can donate it to pollinator park. Selectman Askenburg was not in attendance at the meeting, according to Town Manager Paul Cohen.
“So far, day lilies are in, and we have cut back the nonnative invasives,” said Askenburg. “We are getting a handle on the poison ivy, and are about to start the garden beds.” “Everything we are doing is wildlife-friendly,” said Askenburg. He said there are owls, hawks, snakes, frogs and turtles in the ponds that he hopes will find a spiffed-up environment. “We want to get access to see all of that,” he said.
The board approved a memorial donation of $500 toward the effort. Next up for Askenburg is to ask for a Community Action Grant for about $1,500 to help pay for the field improvements. The total cost is estimated at $2,800, he said.
