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Pollinator Garden Brings new Life to Forgotten Space

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.

Follow Alana Melanson at facebook.com/alana.lowellsun or on Twitter and Tout @alanamelanson.

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Enjoying and Protecting Nature is the Plan for Roberts Field

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Known mainly for its little-league baseball fields and Friendship Park playground, Roberts Field is now a Chelmsford park designated to the protection and enjoyment of nature.

The newly adopted Roberts Field Habitat and Trail Maintenance Plan is designed to preserve, restore and enhance the natural areas of the park. These areas include its pond, wetland and forested areas, and most recently, Pollinator Park, a certified-wildlife habitat.
The guiding principle of the Plan is to provide people with safe access to experience the natural areas of the park, while conserving the habitat of the resident wildlife. Roberts Field features a one-mile nature walking trail and is home to a healthy diversity of wildlife including many species of birds, insects, frogs, fish, snakes, turtles, birds, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, bats and more.

The Plan sets out to enhance wildlife habitats by creating “snags” (standing dead or dying trees that pose no threat to person or property), building small brush piles, adding species-appropriate nesting boxes, and increasing the variety of native grasses, and flowering and fruiting plants in the park. To improve the park’s ecosystem, the Plan calls for the removal of noxious invasive plants like bittersweet, autumn olive and poison ivy, while increasing the variety of beneficial native plants like goldenrod and milkweed. The Plan also calls for regular upkeep of the walking trails to guard against erosion and to ensure they are safe and enjoyable.

Cori Rose, a Wetland Scientist and wildlife garden designer, believes that it is important to provide a variety of nesting places and food sources for pollinators (animals that assist plants in reproduction such as bats, bees, beetles, birds and butterflies) and points out that pollinators are in decline. “With habitat loss from suburban development, exotic invasive plant competition, overuse of pesticides, and the shifting climate, native plants that many of these animals rely upon are being wiped out. Loss of these populations could be catastrophic to agricultural food production and the health of our environment.” However, Rose notes that recent research, including a 2006 report from the National Academy of Sciences provides evidence of the value that suburban greenways, community gardens and park conservation programs can have for wild pollinators. “By shifting our land management practices to take into consideration protection and enhancement of naturalized areas and supplementing suitable sites with an enhanced diversity of pollinator-friendly native plants, pollinator populations may have an opportunity to grow. The management practices in this Plan will help Roberts Field work towards this goal, and make the Park a nice place to enjoy and learn about nature.”

The Habitat and Trail Plan was created in cooperation of Town officials and the Friends of Roberts Field, a volunteer group founded in 2013 to encourage greater appreciation and public use of the Chelmsford neighborhood park located at 260 Old Westford Road. The volunteer organization is comprised of neighbors and residents committed to enhancing and protecting Roberts Field for the enjoyment of everyone.

The group’s founder Bill Askenburg, sees the Habitat and Trail Plan as a way to support the park’s natural areas and wildlife, and to engage other users in volunteer activities. Askenburg said, “Since we started work in 2013, there’s been a lot more interest in Roberts Field and especially in the natural areas of the park. This plan uses best practices for habitat management, maintains safe access for users to enjoy nature, and identifies park improvement projects for volunteers to take on.”

Volunteers have contributed greatly to the park recently, and none more than Chelmsford Scouts. The pond-side skate shack was built as a Silver Award Girl Scout project, and the walking trail boardwalks and bridges were built by Boy Scouts as Eagle Scout projects. Other park supporters have also stepped up to make improvements. Last fall, dozens of volunteers planted hundreds of plants to establish Pollinator Park on the corner of Westford Street and Old Westford Road, turning a neglected open space overwrought with invasive plants into a sunny, welcoming public park with a picnic table, flowering meadow and butterfly gardens. Pollinator Park now has over 50 varieties of native flowering and fruiting plants and shrubs, butterfly gardens, a wildlife and forager garden, a shade garden, a natural flowering meadow, and a grassy area.

The Habitat and Trail Plan outlines available volunteer-improvement projects at the park, such as removing invasive vines, building stairs on a segment of the trail, and adding bird and bee houses. An improvement project planned for later this month will have employees of a local business volunteering to plant two new pollinator gardens near the park’s skate shack and building a new boardwalk in a wet area on the pond trail.

Alice Johannen, park neighbor and frequent visitor, appreciates the work being done and the focus on nature at Roberts Field. “What comes to mind for me is how many young children I’ve seen recently exploring the trails with their parents,” said Johannen. “I can always hear them before I see them, because they’re usually so excited. But while there are definitely more people now getting into the woods and enjoying a little bit of nature, it’s not crowded by any means. My dog and I still find solitude and peace there.”

The Friends of Roberts Field will be responsible for implementing the Habitat and Trail Plan with the cooperation and support of the Town of Chelmsford. “The Friends of Roberts Field have done a fantastic job in improving the natural area and wildlife habitat at Roberts Field,” notes Chelmsford Town Manager Paul Cohen. “This has been a cooperative effort with the Town of Chelmsford Conservation Commission and Department of Public Works. We welcome everyone to enjoy the area and to contribute to its care.”

For more information about the Plan and volunteer efforts at Roberts Field, please email Bill Askenburg or join their Facebook group page.

A copy of the Roberts Field Habitat and Trail Maintenance Plan follows.

Roberts-Field-Habitat-and-Trail-Management-Plan-2016