Around Town

Resilient Watertown Eco Fest Will Have Info on Making Life Greener, Fun for the Whole Family

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Residents can learn more about ways to make their homes more sustainable and also enjoy activities for all ages at the City of Watertown’s first Resilient Watertown Eco Fest. Eco Fest will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Commander’s Mansion, 440 Talcott Ave., Watertown, said Laurel Schwab, Watertown’s Sustainability Manager. “We wanted this to be a really family-friendly event, so things for people of all ages to learn about the City’s sustainability programs and learn about things that they can do in their own lives, all while also having fun,” Schwab said. The event is part of the City’s efforts to meet the goals of the Resilient Watertown Climate and Energy Plan. The plan covers a range of areas including energy, waste, transportation, natural resources such as plants and trees, social resilience, and emergency preparedness, Schwab said.

Environment

Learn About Bees Native to the Area with Watertown Friends of Bees

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The following information was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment:

Our June Monthly Meeting will be hosted by our Friends of Bees working group. Pollinator Week begins on June 20. To get you ready, the head of Friends of Bees, Pam Phillips, will introduce you to our local native bee populations. June Monthly Meeting: Meet your local bees! Wednesday, June 15th at 7 p.m. on Zoom

There are roughly 20,000 species of bees in the world, about 4,000 in North America, and about 400 in Massachusetts.

Charity

Watertown Company Cleans Up Section Along Charles River

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WiTricityEmployees from Watertown-based WiTricity cleaned up the area along the Charles River near the Watertown Bridge. Volunteers from Watertown-based WiTricity spent an afternoon cleaning up a section of the Charles River near Watertown Square. A team of 25 employees from the company located on Water Street in Watertown cleaned the river bank near the bridge over Galen Street on May 5. The clean-up was done under the guidance of the Charles River Conservancy. WiTricityTwenty-five employees from WiTricity picked up trash along the Charles River in Watertown.

Environment

Watertown Group to Hear About City’s Climate Action Plan at Annual Meeting & Potluck

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Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice & the Environment will host its annual meeting in person for the first time in two years. The group sent out the following information:

WHEN: Sunday, May 15th, 2022

WHERE: Belmont/Watertown United Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn St. WHAT Potluck Dinner 5:30 p.m. and Meeting & Program 6:15 p.m.

Special Presentation:

Watertown’s Climate Action Plan: Addressing the Climate Emergency

Ed Lewis, Watertown’s Energy/Project Manager

Laurel Schwab, Watertown’s Senior Environmental Planner

Come learn about the Plan’s creation, its importance, potential impact, and what we can do to get it adopted and implemented 

This will be our first in-person gathering in two years! Please bring a main dish, salad, side or dessert!

Environment

Watertown Receives Grant to do Inventory of Trees on Public Land

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These trees along the Community Path between Whites Avenue and Waverley Avenue are some that would be counted in the Urban Tree Inventory to be conducted by the City of Watertown. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The City of Watertown was recently awarded a $38,500 grant with a 50/50 match by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Grant Program to support the City’s Tree and Potential Planting Location Inventory project. The grant is awarded annually to municipalities and nonprofits looking to improve and protect urban forests in an effort to help communities inventory, plant and maintain public trees. The City of Watertown will be contracting with PlanIT Geo, Inc. to conduct an Urban Tree Inventory. This project will provide a public tree inventory on streets, parks, and public property throughout the City.

Around Town

Watertown Group Joins Other Tree Advocates to Stop Loss of Urban Tree Canopies

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Tree advocacy groups from across the region met together for the first time on March 31st. Such groups
support planting of hundreds of trees each year such as this one recently planted at the Lowell School in Watertown. The following piece was provided by Trees for Watertown:

On March 31st, tree advocacy organizations from nine cities and towns throughout Eastern Massachusetts came together for the first time to discuss ways to reverse the concerning loss of protective urban tree canopy in our region. Organizations joined the conversation from larger cities such as Newton, Medford and Arlington, mid- sized cities such as Watertown, Lexington and Wellesley, and the smaller towns including Bedford, Weston, Maynard, and Groton. A representative from Boston’s tree advocacy organization Speaks for the Trees Boston was also present.

Environment

Filmmaker Appearing at Watertown Group’s Meeting to Speak About Climate Feedback Loops

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The following information was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment:

Climate Feedback Loops — What they are and what we can do about them

In the award winning film Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, climate scientists explain how warming caused by human activity is setting in motion Earth’s own natural warming mechanisms, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and further warming the planet in dangerous, amplifying cycles. These feedback loops are not generally understood by the public – or many policymakers. After watching a short film section on melting permafrost, we’ll speak with the film’s creator, Bonnie Waltch, Brian Hebeisan (a WE3C member) and Representative Steve Owens, focusing on the urgent question: what can we do at the local, state, and national level to ensure we stop these cycles and let natural systems do their job of removing carbon, preserving the delicate balance necessary to maintain Earth’s temperature. WCPJE Meeting, Wednesday, March 16th at 7 pm. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89579464101?pwd=NXB3S2d6bldidVVjVFlYVmpwallBZz09#success

Climate & Energy Plan

Resident Comments Wanted on Watertown Draft Climate & Energy Plan

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A draft of the Watertown Climate and Energy Plan has been released and City officials seek input from the public about the document. The plan has been titled “Resilient Watertown,” and it details the City’s strategies to address climate change. The plan is the product of meetings, workshops and surveys, according to the introduction by Acting City Manager Tom Tracy. The City Council’s statement reads, in part: “The Plan identifies opportunities for lasting improvements here in Watertown, by reducing climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants and improving quality of life for all residents in the face of extreme events and prolonged stressors.” The plan seeks to help the City prepare for the impact of severe weather events.