Swans Build Nest at the Res
The local pair of swans were observed building a nest outside the beach berm during the bird walk on April 25. Photo by David White 4/25/26
celandine poppy
Stylophorum diphyllum commonly called the celandine poppy or wood poppy Patch of celandine poppy growing in the shady side garden - 4/23/26 (DEWhite) Its typical natural habitat is moist forests. It is occasionally cultivated for its bright yellow flowers. The common name is derived from greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), a closely related, but invasive, European plant with similar flowers and leaves. Stylophorum diphyllum is an herbaceous perennial. It grows to about 1.5 feet (0.46 m) tall, from underground rhizomes. Leaves are pinnately cut and lobed. They grow from the base of the plant, and in a pair at the top of the flowering stems. In spring, the deep yellow flowers of the celandine poppy appear as a brilliant display on the forest floor. The flowers have 4 yellow petals, two soon…
2025 Annual Report
The Reservoir annual report for 2025 is now available. Spring Invasive Plant Cleanup You can view it all here: 2025AnnualReportEnvisionArlingtonReservoir
New Environmental Lending Library Installed at the Res Habitat Garden
New Environmental Library Box with Scout Alex Rego and parents Jennifer and Dinesh. Alex Rego as part of his Eagle Scout project, with help from members of his Scout Troop 306, built and installed a Little Free Library in the Wildlife Habitat Garden at The Arlington Reservoir. It's seeded with books focused on gardening, native plants etc. Feel free to borrow from and or to add to the collection of books. New Reservoir Garden Storage Box with Alex Rego and Reservoir Committee Chairs Johanna Meyer and David White
Northern Lights At The Reservoir
Tips for catching the Northern Lights If you’re in Arlington and love The Res, you’ve got one of the best local spots for a potential northern lights sighting, especially if you walk down near the water with its clear view to the north. Chasing aurora right here in Arlington is a lot of fun, and half the adventure is learning to read space weather like a pro. To see the lights, you need dark nights, clear skies, a strong solar wind, and a little bit of luck! The northern lights are the result of geomagnetic forces in the upper atmosphere. The solar wind helps to create the northern lights. There is a score for how strong the solar wind is, called the KP index. The higher the solar wind…
Reservoir Bird Walk
Reservoir Bird Walk – Saturday November 9, 2024 American Black Duck (Photo by Chris Floyd) About a dozen bird watchers showed up at 8 AM on a cold blustery morning of November 9 to see what could be found at and around the Arlington Reservoir. The walk was led by local birding expert Chris Floyd. We saw quite a few land and shore birds as well as a hawk. One find was the American Black Duck who posed on a rock for us. Full details can be found in the following eBird links. Arlington Reservoir (15 species, 180 individuals): https://ebird.org/checklist/S201892011 LexFarm (6 species, 13 individuals): https://ebird.org/checklist/S201892032 After about two hours we finished up as a somewhat smaller group at LexFarm. Chris Floyd points out some birds of interest (Photo by…
American Community Gardening Association Visits
The American Community Gardening Association Visits Res Wildlife Habitat Garden On Saturday, September 28, after our gardening day, seven volunteers from the Reservoir Committee welcomed a busload of visitors from the American Community Gardening Association, who were in Boston for their national conference. The association supports local networks, provides resources, and engages in food security coalitions, school gardening, urban agriculture, and environmental stewardship. We walked through the Arlington Reservoir Habitat Garden, discussing native plants and sharing seeds. The visit continued to the nearby bioswale at Hurd Field before returning to participate in a "grounding" or "earthing" activity, where one stood barefoot on the soil to connect with the Earth's negative electrical charge allowing electrons to flow. Similar to forest bathing, grounding may enhance health through stress reduction and balancing. It…
Water Chestnut Harvesting
Water Chestnut Harvesting at the Res This Summer Volunteers on July 17 Our collective efforts have led to a huge success in water chestnut harvesting, thanks to volunteer events and mechanical harvesting. Power of Volunteer Events The Mystic River Watershed Association organized volunteers for our initiative. Here are the impressive outcomes: Events: 13 Volunteers: 282 dedicated individuals Baskets Filled: 1,820 Total Weight: 38,220 lbs (21 lbs per basket) These numbers highlight our volunteers' dedication. Each event strengthened community bonds and worked towards a sustainable future. Impact of Mechanical Harvesting Mechanical harvesting, supported by the Town’s Water Bodies Fund, also played a crucial role. Dates: June 17 – June 28 Harvester Loads: 145 Volume: 36,250 cubic feet Total Weight: 271,875 lbs The harvester allowed us to efficiently collect a significant volume of water chestnuts. Combined Effort Together, volunteer…
Garden Workday – Saturday July 20
The Habitat Garden is flourishing this summer as a small group on Saturday did some weeding, thinning and wood chip spreading. Come by and visit !
Water Chestnut Hand Harvesting at the Res – July 11
Had a great turnout for the water chestnut hand harvesting event on July 11. Over 40 volunteers showed up and set a new record. The grand total was 270 baskets — a record for the Arlington Reservoir ! And a special thanks to the Biodiversity Builders team that also stayed to work on the Habitat Garden.