Friends of Arlington's Great Meadows - FoAGM

AGM Brochure

ACROSS Lexington

AGM Tour Guide

First Decade Report

About the Meadows

Access Points

Site Search

About FoAGM

Email List

JKW Project

Contact Info

Resources
Invasives
Woodcocks
Archives

Tax Deductible Contributions

Arlington Cub Scout Pack 313 at work

Spring Walks at AGM

The Citizens for Lexington Conservation (CLC) are sponsoring nature walks. There is a Butterfly walk at AGM on May 1. More information is available at: https://clclex.org/activities-2022/

Arlington Community Education (ACE) also has some events planned for AGM.

Spring Wildflowers on May 14. https://arlington.ce.eleyo.com/course/2630/spring-2022/spring-wildflowers-of-arlington-s-great-meadows

Annual Reports

In spite of the pandemic, activities continued throughout 2020 and 2021 at AGM. Many people continued to visit and enjoy the area. The recent reports are here for 2020 and 2021.

Boardwalk Repair

Thanks to everyone who has helped with the Great Meadows boardwalk repair projects.
Dozens of people participated - families, individuals and an Arlington scout pack.
These efforts will be repeated in the future as more treads need replacement.

If interested, please contact David White (dwhite@gilbertwhite.com) or Lorelle Yee (lorelleyee@yahoo.com) for more information and to schedule a time.

Repair video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zhRo6s9-iK4lQrN8oFRNNVv0hk1dtLZm/view?usp=sharing

Repair Instructions: Boardwalk Repair Instructions.pdf

Nursing Home Site Development

The nursing home at the end of Emerson Gardens Road has now been demolished and converted into a townhouse development. After the work is done public access will be restored to AGM - but will change. More information can be found here: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/planning/pages/840-emerson-gardens-balanced-housing-development

Access is now available from Emerson Gardens Road along the new path. There is parking near the entrance and on Emerson Gardens Road. We recently sent a letter to the Planning Board requesting improvements to the current path.

Upcoming Events

Planned events were cancelled during the COVID-19 Emergency.

To keep us all healthy, respect the rules of

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Stay at least 6 feet from others.

Keep dogs away from others as well.

Wear face masks when near others.

Self-Directed Explorations

Check out our AGM Map and take a walk at the Meadows. AGM is also part of the ACROSS trails system.

To join the FoAGM email list, all you need to do is click on this link to send an email to FoAGM-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You will then receive news and updates about our events, including weather-related cancellations and reschedulings. This is a very low volume moderated list, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

For information contact us at info@FoAGM.org or subscribe to our email list for updates.

2019 Annual Report Available

Find out about FoAGM's activities in 2019 FoAGM Annual Report 2019.pdf

Other annual reports (going back to 2002) can be found here: Annual Reports

Educational Mini-Grants

Friends of Arlington’s Great Meadows (FoAGM) is offering educational mini-grants to K-12 teachers and students in schools and non-profit organizations who want to do research, natural history study, or artistic projects in Arlington’s Great Meadows (AGM). If you need funds for a project that would increase your students’ understanding of and appreciation for the natural world, you are encouraged to apply for one of these mini-grants. More information here: Mini Grants

Stewardship Activities

We often need volunteers for trail maintenance and invasive plant control. If interested subscribe to our email list or contact us at: info@FoAGM.org

Also visit the Citizens for Lexington Conservation website for other events in the Lexington/Arlington/Winchester area.

Join our email list to receive up to the minute announcements.

Selected Events of Past Years

Upland Meadow Restoration 2010-11
     A proposal to restore upland meadow areas in Arlington’s Great Meadows was presented at a public meeting on the evening of July 14th of 2009.
        The Mass Audubon report about the proposed project was entitled “Recommendations for Restoration of Meadows Habitat at Arlington’s Great Meadows, Final Report, May 14, 2009”. Copies can be found here on the website.

The project then was implemented in 2010 and 2011 with the help of many volunteers. The open upland meadow you now see near the kiosk was once scrubby woodland.

Fire at AGM on Friday April 17, 2009
There was an extensive fire in AGM on the afternoon of April 17. Although the fire was mostly confined to the lower wetland areas, some upland areas especially in the northeast near Shelia Road were also damaged. Approximately 100 acres of a total of 183 acres were affected. Regrowth in the wetland areas is likely to be very rapid. Here is a map (2MB PDF) showing the general extent of the fire, although the burned areas were somewhat patchy even the the central meadow area, perhaps related to water levels. The fire was almost certainly of human origin, but there is no information about whether it was accidental or intentional. We also have a photo page of some after fire pictures. We welcome any photos of the fire that you might have to share. The wetland area is recovering quite rapidly after the fire although the situation is more mixed in the upland areas. More photos to come soon.

Fire at AGM on April 23 in 2008
Nine acres of upland forest near the nursing home were scorched by a fire on April 23. Read the Lexington Minuteman article: http://www.wickedlocal.com/lexington/news/x1041578027

FoAGM Contact Information:

To join the FoAGM email list, all you need to do is click on this link to send an email to FoAGM-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You will then receive news and updates about our events, including weather-related cancellations and reschedulings. This is a very low volume moderated list, and you can unsubscribe at any time. You can also visit our internet discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoAGM/

Email Contacts:
General information at info@FoAGM.org

General Resource Information

A Natural Resource Inventory and Stewardship Plan commissioned by Arlington's Conservation Commission, was completed in 2001 by Frances Clark of Carex Associates. Copies are available at the Arlington and Lexington Public libraries. It is available here on this web site.

About Arlington's Great Meadows (AGM)

About the Friends of AGM

Annual Reports (since 2003)

FoAGM By-Laws (6/21/14)

Boardwalk Project Background & Info (7/8/05)

Information about Invasive Plants (added 3/24/02)

All about Woodcocks (3/28/02)

More about Woodcocks by Marj Rines (9/17/03)

Photo Album (7/1/02)

Bugs Photo Album (7/3/03)

Site Search

Resource Links

Arlington Town Website

Arlington Reservoir Committee

Citizens for Lexington Conservation

Environmental League of Massachusetts

Lexington Town Website

Menotomy Bird Club

Mystic River Watershed Association

Puddle Stompers (for the kids)

(Page updated on: 04/09/2022 )

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