By Anita Roy Dobbs
Forests for Watertown – a working group of Trees for Watertown
“No more ants!” It was the sixth time a very large black ant had escaped its observation jar and was racing across the table of “Nature Detectives” equipment at the Watertown Arts Market (WAM) on Saturday, August 8th. How do they squeeze through those tiny air holes?
The table of Trees for Watertown’s working group Forests for Watertown (FFW) was surrounded by young park visitors (and their adults) who borrowed bug vacuums, binoculars, and magnifying glasses to range the park in search of close-up nature experiences with bug biodiversity. These young explorers discovered that Arsenal Park is lovely but is very low on insect diversity. The casual hunter can count on black ants. True sleuths can find centipedes, earthworms, and pill bugs.
You need luck and pluck to capture a bumblebee or a fly. The day’s cutest captures were a teensy
grasshopper and a lacey-winged fly (see pictures below).
Our Forests for Watertown table last August at WAM was all about kids making art to decorate the Watertown Miyawaki forest that was planted late October by 200 volunteers from Watertown and beyond. (See our Letter Giving Thanks to Watertown Forest Makers.) This year’s table at WAM was about nature encounters and heat island conversations (see the Watertown Heat Map, based on a 2021 City study).
We were able to supply paints and brushes and other kid-friendly art supplies last year, and this year we were able to loan out nature observation tools thanks to a 2024 Program Grant from Watertown Community Foundation.
This is our Letter Giving Thanks …
Thanks to the Watertown Community Foundation for funding art and naturalist tools that will serve Watertown youth for years to come.
Thanks to Watertown Arts Market for another fabulous celebration of our creative community!
Thanks to Watertown Business Coalition for supporting WAM and our local small businesses!
And especially thanks to The Bosch Community Fund for supporting Environmental and STEM Education in the Watertown Area – without the $25K BCF grant in 2024, Watertown could not have planted a forest last fall. They are advancing science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and environmental learning opportunities for more than 1,500 students, educators, and community members in the Watertown area. With three new grants in 2025, the Bosch Community Fund is investing in local efforts that promote biodiversity, environmental restoration, and hands-on STEM learning.
The Bosch Community Fund’s $15K grant to Trees for Watertown will support the continuing work of Forests for Watertown on Watertown’s Lowell School Miyawaki Forest. This second phase will focus on enhancing and protecting the new forest using drip irrigation and monitoring soil and plant health. FFW will also host community events to foster biodiversity awareness and introduce career paths in forestry. Additionally, the organization will work with Watertown Community Conversations to engage heat-island neighborhoods in “Kitchen Table Conversations” about the causes and effects of heat islands and to focus discussion on the chief concerns of these neighborhoods. – Is your neighborhood orange (hot) or magenta (hottest) in the Watertown Heat Map?
Two other organizations received Bosch Community Fund grants this year.
The Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) received a grant to support its Watertown Dam Herring Festival, a public education initiative that is part of CRWA’s River Restoration program. And a third grant was awarded to Northeastern University’s Young Scholars Program, a six-week summer STEM research experience for rising high school seniors to explore science and engineering careers through lab work, site visits to industry and government partners, and personalized college and career counseling.
Thank You All!
See us soon at these family-friendly events…
- Faire on the Square
Saltonstall Park, Sat Sept 13, noon–5pm
Nature Detective equipment loan out; Heat Island conversations; Forest pictures update - PLANTS Give-Away Day at the Lowell Schoolyard (corner of Orchard and George Streets)
Tentatively scheduled for Sat Sept 20, ~Noon-3pm – Everyone is invited - Baby Forest’s First Birthday Party at the Lowell Schoolyard Forest
October 18/19 or 25/26, ~ noon to 4pm – Community celebration
Also…
● You might like to become a member of FFW’s parent organization, Trees for Watertown. New
members are always welcome. Sign up here
● If you are considering planting a Micro-mini-tiny forest on your own property, investigate these
innovative tree kits: 1 acre of trees nursery, LLC
ForestsForWatertown.org • tinyurl.com/theforestsofar • WatertownMiyawaki@gmail.com
