Saving Newton's Last Farm  

"Saving Newton's Last Farm" describes the history and background of Angino Farm and the efforts to acquire the property to operate under the Community Supported Agriculture model.  The show interviews those who knew Jerry Angino, who last farmed the land, as well as those involved in the effort to save the farm.  The show includes a visit to a CSA farm in Framingham and discussion with the farmers there about the workings of a CSA.  (A later program in the series shows Newton Angino Community Farm in operation.)  

Angino Farm 
October 2004

Recreational Opportunities in Cold Spring Park  

"Recreational Opportunities in Cold Spring Park" explores one of Newton's most attractive open areas, with its combination of playing fields, exercise trail, walking paths, wetlands, woodsy spots, and scenic views. It is also home, in the summer, for the weekly Farmers' Market which draws hundreds of Newton shoppers in search of fresh, locally grown produce.  The show features interviews and action shots of people enjoying all that the park has to offer, from the "Three Explorers," a group of youngsters who take their nature study seriously, to joggers and exercise buffs who count on the park facilities for physical fitness. You will also be treated to an intimate view of Cold Spring Park, given a bit of its history, and offered a chance to join in a walk around its trails.   

Cold Spring Park 
December 2004    

A Naturalist's View of Cold Spring Park  

"A Naturalist's View of Cold Spring Park" features colorful birds, plants and amphibians found in this 67-acre public preserve.  Dan Perlman, Biology Professor and Director of Environmental Studies at Brandeis University, shows how plants grow and change in the park during the four seasons, and also how non-native plants have moved into the park. Jon Regosin, of the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Division, joins him to take a look at the vernal pools at Cold Spring and the various salamanders, toads, frogs and insects that breed and live in and around the pools at different depths.  Cris Criscitiello, a retired physician, serves both as host of the show and guide to the beautiful warblers, woodpeckers, hawks, ducks, and other birds that visit and live in the park.   

Cold Spring Park 
February 2005  

Flora and Fauna of the Charles River

"Flora and Fauna of the Charles" celebrates the Charles River with a virtual walk along the one-mile stretch of the river from Watertown Square to Bridge Street. Photographer and naturalist Carole Smith Berney presents a colorful and entertaining look at the river and pathway, featuring the wildflowers, birds, herons, ducks, turtles, and furry creatures found there. See the riverscape along with the people who walk, run, skate, bike, fish, and birdwatch along the path. 

One portion of the show focuses on the efforts of Massachusetts DCR planner Dan Driscoll, with before and after shots of the Charles River Pathway. Berney is a Watertown naturalist, wildlife photographer, and nature educator. Inspired by her many walks on the Charles River Path in Watertown and Newton, she has documented life along the river in all seasons and weather over several years. Her "portraits" of animals help to enhance the community's appreciation of the biodiversity and natural beauty found close to urban settings. She exhibits her work locally and presents slideshows for libraries, community groups, assisted-living facilities, senior centers, and schools. 

Newton Conservators Lecture - Fall 2004  
April 2005

Appreciating the Charles River  

The Charles River is Newton's great waterway.  "Appreciating the Charles River" takes a look at the history, recreational opportunities, and efforts to keep the river clean and accessible for the many citizens who enjoy it.  Guests  on the program include Dan Driscoll, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) visionary responsible for the Charles River Pathway; Thelma Fleishman, Newton historian; Bob Zimmerman, head of the Charles River Watershed Association; and Norm Sieman, director of the Charles River Stream Team.  Enjoy the varied moods of the Charles from the quiet of the Lakes district to the excitement of the annual "Run of the Charles" canoe race.  Learn about the recently built Blue Heron Bridge and the iconic Echo Bridge.  

Upper Charles Reservation 
June 2005    

Kesseler Woods - Community Preservation in Action  

This program focuses on the acquisition of Kesseler Woods via a public/private partnership.  This was one of the last large, privately owned pieces of open space in Newton. By connecting the existing 20-acre Saw Mill Brook Conservation Area with the 5-acre Bald Pate Meadow Conservation Area, this new property will create a 50-plus-acre swath of green. In addition to recreational opportunities, this area will preserve much-needed wildlife habitat, enhance groundwater recharge, and provide other environmental benefits. The Newton Conservators played an important role in identifying the value of this open space, which runs between Brookline Street and Lagrange Street.  The Conservators advocated for the purchase of Kesseler Woods, using Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to leverage a unique public-private partnership with Cornerstone Corporation developers. Under the plan, about half of the land will be developed for homes and condominiums, while the remaining 28 acres will remain protected open space and wetlands. Without this partnership, a developer could have built on most of the property, except for the wetland. The Conservators will also hold a conservation restriction on the preserved area and monitor the development of walking trails through the property. In this video, current and past presidents of the Conservators--Bill Hagar, Eric Reenstierna, and Doug Dickson--tell the story of this unique partnership, along with Mayor David Cohen, Alderman Rick Lipof, and developer Tom Southworth.    

Kesseler Woods 
October 2005    

Newton's Envi Sci Program for Teens  

In our busy suburban world, kids don't get to experience nature much unless it's planned into their schedules. That's why Newton's Environmental Science Program for teens is special.  This episode of The Environmental Show travels along with teens as they go hiking, biking, canoeing, and climbing. They visit woods and ponds, the Charles River, parks, a salt marsh, and mountains, winding up with a stay at the highest peak in the northeast (Mount Washington). They also participate in a hands-on environmental cleanup project each year. As several of the teens point out, they make friends and have fun while they're out there. The summer program was started by Newton teachers in the 1960's with a Ford Foundation grant designed to get kids out into the environment instead of learning about it only through books and labs. The program now operates under the Newton Conservation Commission. Many of the students eventually become leaders in the program, trained to teach their younger peers what they have learned about plants and animals, geology, and ecology. In fact, many of the participants go on to careers in science. All carry with them a lifetime appreciation for our natural environment. 

Newton Environmental Science Program  
December 2005    

Living With Wildlife in Newton - Part 1  

"Living With Wildlife in Newton - Part 1" provides background perspective on the phenomenon of why we see more wildlife in Newton these days. Animals find the suburban habitat and available food sources well suited to their needs. The proximity of wildlife sometimes leads to conflict. 
 
Reasons for this change were presented by Colleen Olfenbuttel, staff member of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, in her 2005 lecture at the Newton Free Library, sponsored by the Conservators. She noted that all of these animals were living in the forests of New England when European settlers arrived in the 17th century. They disappeared after the trees were cut for timber and the land cleared for farming. By 1840, much of the soil was exhausted, farming became more difficult, and people moved to richer lands of the Midwest or sought their fortunes in large cities with the coming of the industrial revolution.  Since that time, our forests have returned, and now an estimated 70% of Massachusetts is covered with second growth. This has led to restoration of wild animal populations, with the exception of wolves and mountain lions, entirely extirpated from the Northeast through bounty hunting. As housing has exploded into rural areas, with developments rising in forested landscapes, human encounters with wildlife have increased. Suburban gardens, shrubs, fruit trees, and bird feeders provide tempting food for many wild creatures, and garbage added to mulch piles or left outside in trash bags spells "dinner" for raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. Crawl spaces under porches and garages attract these same animals, and also foxes, as dens for rearing young. With hunting prohibited, large predators absent, food supplies handy, and living space provided, why should they forego such comforts?  

Living with wildlife in our surroundings is a source of pleasure for most Newton residents, but we find some challenges in our attempt to maintain a healthy and happy coexistence with these new species as they return to their rightful domain. In order that they may be protected and continue normal patterns of behavior in the wild, it is important that they not become dependent on humans for food and living space.
 
This episode covers in detail the return to the suburban environment of deer, fox, moose, bobcat, raccoon, coyote, and fishers. 

Newton Conservators Fall Lecture 2005  
February 2006  

Living With Wildlife in Newton - Part 2

"Living With Wildlife in Newton - Part 2" shows practical steps that can be taken to help residents coexist peacefully with their wildlife neighbors and to minimize conflicts with coyotes, turkeys, geese and other wild Newton creatures.  The show is based on a Newton Conservators Lecture given by Colleen Olfenbuttel, a staff Biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, at the Newton Free Library.

Wildlife encounters with coyotes, turkeys, deer, possum, fisher, fox, and geese are becoming increasingly common here in Newton.  What do you do when a wily coyote visits your backyard?  Tennis anyone?  Tennis balls thrown at a coyote can be an effective deterrent. Or how about discouraging wild turkeys by moving toward them with an open umbrella?  Keeping your cats inside, your bird feeders clean, and making sure your trash is in cans with lids are all some of the steps you will learn to make your yard less of a draw to some wild creatures.

Animals find the suburban habitat and available food sources well suited to their needs. The proximity of wildlife sometimes leads to conflict.  Part 2 shows how to deal with such wildlife in a practical sense.  Such wildlife encounters are becoming increasingly common in cities such as Newton.  In recent years in Newton, a bald eagle was spotted feasting on fresh Charles River fish,  an otter was found cavorting in a West Newton swimming pool, a turkey was harassing a postal worker in Newtonville, a wild moose chase occurred, and deer, coyote, fox, and even fisher sightings are more common than ever.

Lecturer Colleen Olfenbuttel joined the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) in September 2005 as a wildlife biologist and furbearer project leader. She has her undergraduate degree in wildlife biology from Ohio University, and her Master's degree in wildlife science from Virginia Tech, where she studied black bears in southwestern Virginia for 6 years. Besides black bears, she has performed research on brown bears in Alaska, island foxes in California, white-tailed deer in Minnesota, raptors in Michigan, and wolves in Montana and Wyoming. 

Newton Conservators Lecture - Fall 2005 
April 2006 

Newton's Aqueducts: Preserving Our Historic Green Pathways  

This program takes viewers on a tour of Newton's Aqueduct pathways, highlighting both their special joys and the need to preserve these beautiful greenways for future generations.  Beautiful footage shows where the paths begin along the Charles River and run through Waban and Newton Highlands to the Newton Center Playground. Host Cris Criscitiello points out the wildflowers, trees and birds along the way. Engineer Frank Steiger explains how the huge aqueduct pipes originally brought water into the city, dropping six inches a mile because they used only gravity, no pumps. Doug Dickson, a past president of the Newton Conservators and a member of the Newton Conservation Commission, explains efforts to maintain and preserve these pathways. Henry Finch, who has frequently given tours of these pathways for the Newton Conservators, explains the ins and outs of several areas along the way.

Cochituate and Sudbury Aqueducts 
June 2006  

Newton Angino Community Farm

Newton Angino Community Farm, Newton's last farm, is turning out crops again after many dormant years.  This program tours the farm, the greenhouse, and the various plantings with Farm Manager Greg Maslowe, farm educator Liz Gleason, and her students.  Angino Farm was once one of several small family farms on the south side of Newton, until land values and development rendered them extinct.  This farm, located at the corner of Winchester and Nahanton Streets was purchased in 2004 with Community Preservation Funds, a special fund voted by Newton residents to preserve open spaces and historic sites, provide passive recreation, and offer low income housing.  Matching funds are provided by the state. The Newton Conservators had advocated strongly to save Newton's last farm both as an historic agricultural vista and an opportunity for our children and grandchildren to see and experience firsthand the way our food grows. The farm is now open to families that have bought crop shares for the entire summer and to educational programs for children.  A farm stand is also open to anyone who wants to stop and buy some delicious organic vegetables.  The farm's produce has also been available at the Friday farmer's market at Post 440 in Nonantum. 

Angino Farm
August 2006

Newton's Nature: Survey of Open Spaces

People use their open spaces and parks in varied ways. Some go there for exercise, others to find a sunny spot for a picnic or a chat with friends, but many people, young and old, go to study nature. They're interested in identifying the various, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, mushrooms, etc. as well as any living creatures they encounter, and they enjoy following changes in the vegetation and wildlife through the seasons. In 1995, Conservation officials in the City of Newton, MA hired a professional naturalist to perform an extensive survey of all life-forms existing in its major open areas and public parks. Ten years later, members of one of the city's major environmental groups, the Newton Conservators, decided to undertake a similar study to find what changes had occurred in these same urban wild areas. This film shows how their group, with its members skilled in various fields of natural history, made the rounds each season of all the city's conservation areas and parks to find out how things stood after a decade had passed. Their search for what's new, what's missing, and what's crowding out the native species in these places might be of interest to environmentalists in other cities around the nation.

February 2007