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Accomplishments of the Newton Conservators
The Conservators are involved from the early stages of land use planning and monitor city commissions controlling open space including those on: Land Use, Parks and Recreation, Land Use, Conservation and Zoning.

Click here to see a list of parks and open space acquired with Conservators' assistance.

In addition to open space preservation, some highlights of its work are:

1961 Newton Conservators, Inc., plants trees in Edmands Park and causes Newton to alter zoning laws concerning construction sites

1966 City of Newton forms Conservation Commission at the urging of the Conservators

1967 Initiated the summer Environmental Science Program for junior high and high school students as a joint project with the Newton School Department. Supported the program fully between 1975 - 1981 and now continue financial support.

1969 Helped arrange conference of community and planning groups at Boston College to outline open space conservation for decades ahead.

1971 Advocated Newton's Floodplain/Watershed Protection Ordinance to restrict the development of wetlands so that they are preserved for wildlife and flood control.

1973 Made an independent survey and the close agreement between their findings served to strengthen the arguments for an outstanding program of land acquisition by the city in subsequent years.

1981 Published Visit Your Parks , a map locating the city's public open spaces with detail maps of the individual parks and conservation areas depicting the walking trails.

1991 Participation in Commonwealth Ave. Task Force; helped replace "highway" plan with the "green space" plan.

1992 Second edition of Visit Your Parks

1992 Grants program to foster open space conservation and study in Newton schools

1993 Helped the Parks & Recreation Commission develop procedures for accepting improvements on public land donated by private organizations

1994 Together with the Newton League of Women Voters persuaded the Board of Aldermen to affirm the Parks & Recreation Commission's responsibility toward parks and the preservation of open space and to add four alternate members, who might serve as open space advocates

1995 Helped the Parks & Recreation Commission develop guidelines for considering the declarion of Commission land surplus or transferring land to other City Departments. Development of Parks & Recreation WWW site began by Conservators volunteers.

1996 Advised the Parks & Recreation Commission to redevelop Weeks Field as both a park and playing fields. Sponsored an influential Open Space Forum to discuss current issues.

1997 Successfully advocated for a full-time Environmental Planner in Newton, the purchase of parcels adjacent to the Flowed-Meadow conservation lands and the reconstruction of Kennard Conservation Area bog bridge. (See Annual Report.)

1998 Assisted in the passage of the Telecommunications Ordinance. Were instrumental in transferring the 30 acre South Charles River Reservation along Wells Ave. to the Conservation Commission. Assisted in passage of zoning amendment to provide for clustering campus's of religious or educational institutions. Focused on preserving the 20 acres of woodlands to be sold by Andover-Newton Theological Seminary and the 40 acre Kesseler Woods, which is to be divested by Boston Edison. (See Annual Report.)

1999 (See Annual Report.)

2000 (See Annual Report.)

2001 Formed the Newton Community Preservation Alliance, which was successful in getting a Community Preservation referendum on the ballot and orchestrating a successful campaign for passage.

2002 Began our successful advocacy of city use of Community Preservation Act funds to preserve 30 acres of Kesseler Woods.

2003 Received a gift of land for conservation at the end of Elgin Street in Newton Centre. Published our Map Guide, showing trails and features at the city's various conservation areas. Arranged the acquisition of conservation land adjacent to Doan Pond, with the city taking ownership and the Conservators holding a conservation restriction.

2004 Arranged the acquisition of the Angino Farm, a 2.5-acre farm with a farmhouse, barn, and field, for use as a community farm, to be owned by the city. Received a gift of land for conservation on Dexter Road, near Laundry Brook. Produced our first TV show, on the Angino Farm, for NewTV.