On Monday, November 25 at 7pm at the Newton Free Library (330 Homer St., Newton), GN’s speaker series program ‘Cold Spring Park: A Green Oasis in the Heart of Newton’ will feature two experts discussing Cold Spring Park. Alan Nogee will talk about the many faces of the park— a 67-acre green oasis in the heart of Newton, with a great diversity of habitats and ecosystems. He willl discuss its history and problems, and describe how the Friends of Cold Spring Park is addressing them. Eric Olson will talk about the ecology of one of the most fascinating habitats in Cold Spring Park, the red maple swamp. Few people in Newton are aware of the extent of this habitat, and fewer still of the efforts underway to rescue it from an aggressive invader, the glossy buckthorn shrub.
Alan is a career environmental advocate, having worked for 40 years to clean up our energy systems. He spent 17 years with the Union of Concerned Scientists, most recently as Director of Climate and Energy Strategy and Policy. He established the Friends of Cold Spring Park to help preserve, protect, and improve it.
Eric is an ecologist at Brandeis University where he teaches field biology among other environmental courses. His habitat restoration successes include the conversion of a mowed campus hillside into a wildflower meadow that is in regular use by Brandeis biology classes. He has been a frequent leader and participant with Newton Conservators’ invasive plant pulls.
The event is co-sponsored by the Newton Conservators.
Headline photo by Ken and Margaret Mallory
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