George McLean is a frequent visitor at and much appreciated friend of the Alewife Reservation community. Over the years he has taken hundreds of pictures of wildlife at the Reservation. Check out several of his finest bird pictures here .

City councillors Craig Kelley and Jan Devereux proposed the policy order at the October 17 City Council meeting and it was approved by the full Council on October 31. You can read the full text of the order, and watch video of the City Council proceedings, here .

Last week the EPA and the Consensus Building Institute hosted an international webinar about free education programs in 2017. This program consists of a series of four 'learn and do' workshops that will help you work with your community to explore funding solutions tailered to your town's specific needs and fiscal realities. Workshops begin January 31, 2017. Contact Carrie Hulet for more information. You can watch the 15-minute webinar here .

The next steering committee meeting will be held on Thursday, January 26th from 9:30 am - noon at Watertown Town Hall. Dan Driscoll will discuss the MA DCR's Mystic Master Plan. You can prepare for the meeting by reading the summary of the October 2016 Steering Committee meeting here . FAR encourages all involved in Alewife work to attend and participate in shaping the future of our Upper Alewife Basin. Drop us a note if you attend!

From: Toxics Action Center

Toxics Action Center works with hundreds of remarkable local leaders each year, but few are more straight-talking and passionate than Andrea Morgante (pictured here in orange, and speaking fearlessly to a crowd). Click here to learn more about this brave public servant and to read a special message from her.

photo: Jake Osborne (cedar waxwing)

Birder Cliff Cook observed 28 different species of birds on a recent walk at Alewife Reservation, including a cedar waxwing like in the picture to the left, and reported his findings using the eBird smartphone app. Data collected by ordinary citizens can be valuable for conservation, restoration and monitoring projects, especially when government agencies lack the funds or political leaders lack the will to do the work.

Participation is fun and easy! You can see Cliff's entire list of birds, and learn about the eBird platform, here .

The City of Cambridge has released an updated presentation on climate change preparedness and resiliency under different climate change scenarios. It is a great resource for learning how climate change might affect the Cambridge area and also identifies steps to address negative impacts. You can view the presentation here .

The proceedings and findings of the 2016 Climate Congress are documented in the report "Building a Community of Response to Climate Change." The report also defines three "pathways of response" (adaptation, conservation and restoration) as well as the practices of climate citizenship. This report and video recordings of the congress sessions and discussions are available for viewing here .

Development is picking up speed in the Alewife/Quadrangle area of Cambridge. Check out the latest information on projects that are proposed, under construction or recently completed. Links to the City of Cambridge Property Database are provided for many projects. Citizens must be informed and watchful of these projects to make sure they follow all applicable environmental projection laws.

Five students and a teacher from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School participated in a wildlife walk at Alewife Reservation on Saturday, December 10. It was a chilly morning, but well worth braving the elements! During the 2 hour walk on the South side of Little River, we saw a Belted Kingfisher and four muskrat lodges. (Pictures).

Friends of Alewife Reservation has advocated for years for the protection of the Alewife floodplain and urban wild, especially as the water quality at Little River has continued to fail to meet Federal Standards. We hoped that greater protections would be forthcoming since the City Manager’s office and Community Development Agency recently created climate change and Alewife committees, but sadly, that is not the case...

Read the full message from FAR President Ellen Mass here .

Students from the Rindge and Latin High School Media Center have produced a phenomenal video about Alewife Reservation. Check it out here .

The USGS recently conducted an assessment of rivers in the Northeast. We hope to build a stronger water quality component into FAR’s small Perch Pond model to mirror the national policy employed by USGS this last summer.

There are streams that flow into our Little River area which should be monitored soon, as their water quality is failing

Join us from 10am to 1m on December 10 for a nature walk in Alewife Reservation led by Reservation Monitor Jake Stout. Meet at 10am at the Reservaton entry bridge behind Alewife T Station and dress warmly! Flyer.