• Saturday, November 21, 2009 - Recycle Old Appliances for SCI
• 2nd Annnual Photo and Art Contest - Mary Cummings Park
• A vision for Mary Cummings Park including Whispering Hill Woods
• Woburn looks to save Northeastern property (Whispering Hill Woods)
• Whispering Hill Woods in Woburn (Northeastern University owned property)
• Tue, Oct 21, 2009 - Sustainability Workshop - In Reading
• Saturday, Sep 26 - Bird Walk - HORN POND Conservation Area
• Muscovy Ducks rescued - not missing - from Horn Pond
• Sat & Sun, August 1st & 2nd - Native American Pow Wow - Altavesta School
• Horn Pond Bird Walk - Sunday, July 12th at 5:00 pm
• Saturday, June 20th - WREN Appliance Recycling at St. Barbara's
• Saturday, June 13th - WREN Parent-Child Nature Walk - Horn Pond
• 2009 Summer Concert Series @ Jack Marlowe Park
• Tue, June 9th, from 7:30PM to 9PM Green Awards at Woburn High
• Saturday, May 30th - Senior Center Clean-up
• Sunday, May 24 - 4th Annual Horn Pond Lantern Walk
• 2009 Garden Season - Need a Garden Plot?
• Friday, May 15, 2009 - Horn Pond - Early Evening Bird Walk
• WREN supports the Woburn Loop Bikeway/Greenway.
• Sat, May 2, 2009 - Conservation Day - Woburn
• April 18, 2009 - WREN Education Series @ McCue's Garden Center
• Earth Day 2009 - Woburn Mall
• April 23, 2009 - Mike Harriman receives $1,000 WREN Scholarship
• Sat, April 18, 2009 - APPLIANCE RECYCLING - Kennedy Middle School PTO 
• Sunday, April 5, 2009 - Bird Walk at Horn Pond
• Edible Gardens - Learn How! Coming Soon!
• Sun, Mar 22, 2009 - Ted Elliman speaks about Invasive Plants at Horn Pond
• Sat, Mar 21, 2009 - Green Community Fair & High School Green Fest
• WREN's Education Series - 2009 - Ted Elliman - New England Wild Flower Society

Are you wondering what to do with that old television, computer monitor or appliance that is broken, unwanted or unused and just taking up space? So clean out those basements, attics, garages and warehouses and bring your items down!

This collection will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the Woburn Daily Times, 1 Arrow Drive in Woburn from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M benefitting Woburn Social Capital Inc. and their many projects and programs. A portion of the proceeds from these collections are also used for a scholarship fund for a Woburn High School graduating senior that will be continuing their education in the field of environmental education.

Click HERE for more information. .

Click HERE to see Contest Flyer for details. .

Very seldom is a metropolitan city provided with an opportunity to set aside a great space for all posterity. A place for her citizens to take pause in the solace of nature. Such is the opportunity presented to Woburn when Archstone Apartments withdrew from its development plans and the 75 acres of the Whispering Hill Woods were again placed on the market by Northeastern University.

These woods have been designated as priority habitat for rare species by the State, yet are again threatened with a large-scale development. Whispering Hill Woods lies in the heart of Mary Cummings Park. Looking at the map of the park, one can see that a development of Whispering Hill Woods would effectively divide the 210 acres of Mary Cummings Park and diminish the nature of this great public resource. If the woods are sold into development, this opportunity will never return. Conserving the woods provides great benefits to Woburn, simultaneously:

• creating a great public open space
• satisfying the requirements of Chapter 40B
• conserving the essential heart of one of the region's great public park
• providing a place for a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities
• protecting the quality of life in Woburn
• safeguarding the city's water supply
• securing habitat for migratory birds and rare species
• avoiding the impacts of an additional large-scale development to traffic and property values.

I am full of hope that the people of Woburn will work together to conserve the last open spaces of this wonderful city. A vision for Mary Cummings Park including Whispering Hill Woods can be found at http://www.cummingspark.org/documents/MaryCummingsParkVision2009.pdf

Best regards,

Steven Keleti
President, Friends of Mary Cummings Park

Click HERE to read Mary Cummings Park Vision 2009. .

Click HERE to read entire article. .

On April 28, 2009, at a regular meeting of the Woburn City Council, all 9 members of the City Council adopted a resolution ( a formal expression of opinion or intention ) for the City of Woburn to:

“Work collectively to develop a comprehensive plan to allow the City to competitively bid for the so-called Northeastern property consisting of a 74.46 acre parcel of land located at 35 Cambridge Road, Woburn, formally referred to as the Archstone 40B site on Cambridge Road. The plan should outline potential municipal use of the site and an acquisition cost analysis for the potential purchase of the land by the City of Woburn;”

The resolve further stated:

" ... the City of Woburn should work towards a strategy that would allow the City to best plan for the use of the site to benefit the residents and protect the community from overdevelopment." ... "The City should actively be looking for grant money, stimulus money, or revenue that would allow the City to develop the land in a way that would benefit the community and not the developers."

Meet at the intersection of Sturgis St, Water St & the Woburn Parkway at 7:30 AM on Saturday 9/26. (the same spot WREN starts our Saturday morning trash walks at 9 am)

The details:
We will take a 1/2 day walk, exploring the varied habitats of the Horn Pond Conservation Area. The first half of the walk will focus on the main pond, accompanying lagoons and marsh areas in search of migrating fall warblers and sparrows. The second half will focus on Horn Pond Mountain (~254 ft) in search of Eastern Bluebird, Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting and Eastern Towhee. The second half has terrain that may be uneven with muddy areas possible.
Bring your cameras, binoculars and maybe a Bird Field Guide. Bug spray is also advised and take a drink along with you.
This trip is co-sponsored with the Brookline Bird Club, Menotomy Bird Club and WREN.

CLICK HERE

http://www.homenewshere.com/articles/2009/08/13/daily_times_chronicle/news/woburn/doc4a82cd9e75b62084039791.txt

Catered towards Beginner Birders. Join Diana Frugugliette and Paul Ippolito as they explore the varied habitats of the Horn Pond Conservation Area.  In search of local breeding birds including the Prairie Warbler, Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Brown Thrasher and Eastern Towhee.  This walk has terrain that may be uneven with muddy areas possible. 

Be sure to bring your binoculars, cameras and a Bird Field Guide if you have one....and don't forget the bug spray.

This walk is co-sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club, Menotomy Bird Club and WREN.

Meeting Place: Parking Lot Entrance, at Lake Ave (South end of the Pond). 
Date & Time: Sunday, July 12th from 5:00 to about 7:00 pm 
For more info contact: Diana Fruguglietti, Woburn 781-933-9063 diana@dnptravel.com and Paul Ippolito 

Wondering what to do with that old television, computer monitor or appliance that is broken, unwanted or unused and just taking up space?  If you want to get rid of items before the summer at reduced cost from curbside collection prices don't miss this one as it is the last collection until September.

Paul Medeiros has found and is working with a Massachusetts company that will collect these items at drop off sites set up throughout Woburn at various times throughout the year. This is an excellent opportunity to recycle these items at a minimal cost compared to the high cost associated with curbside appliance recycling programs and will also be a fundraiser for local organizations that will sponsor these events. Another good thing and possibly the best part of this program is that it is open to residents from any and all communities, not just Woburn, as well as any and all business entities. With your help these collections have raised over $42,000 dollars for local organizations in two plus years!

So clean out those basements, attics, garages and warehouses and bring your items down!

This collection will be on Saturday, June 20, 2009 from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. at Saint Barbara's Church located on 138 Cambridge Road (RT 3) in Woburn benefiting WREN (Woburn Residents' Environmental Network).and their many projects and programs. A portion of the proceeds from these collections is used for a scholarship fund for a Woburn High School graduating senior that will be continuing their education in the field of environmental education.

If you miss or cannot attend this collection the next one will be on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at the Woburn Daily Times, 1 Arrow Drive in Woburn from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M benefiting Woburn Council of Social Concern 

Want to recycle for reuse or salvage and don't like to throw away old, usable or even unusable equipment? Bring it to the event: For $1.00 each we will take the following: computers, electronic office equipment such as calculators, typewriters, fax/copy machines, printers, telephones, all consumer electronics (excluding televisions) such as cameras, video/audio/DVD/VCR, microwaves and sink disposal units.

Additionally, we will take and recycle or salvage the following in any quantity for a voluntary donation: computer parts and accessories, plugs, wires, drives, parts of computers, cell phones, video games as well as parts and accessories or plugs and wires, DVD’s, CD’s and VHS tapes.

If you would like further information or have any questions about this recycling program designed to save you money and benefit local organizations, please call Paul or Lori Medeiros at (781) 938-0297 or via e-mail at: paulderman@verizon.net

And an added note.....

Batteries Plus has expanded their battery recycling program to include virtually any type of battery. They will recycle every and any battery from the tiny button batteries out of a hearing aid to the large auto batteries out of your car or truck. And this service is done completely "free of charge" and also every day of the week. So help out the environment, add the convenience of being able to do this any day and save yourself some money on the disposal of those old car batteries. Stop by the Batteries Plus store at the "Four Corners" Batteries Plus, 173A Cambridge Rd., Woburn, MA 01801 Tel. 781-933-9093

Free Summer Concert Series in Jack Marlowe Park

June Mackenzie, a South End neighborhood resident, is WREN's representative on the Woburn Loop Advisory Committee. WREN sees the Woburn Loop Bikeway/Greenway as an exciting alternative transportation connection from the South End to Woburn Square and also an important open space project. Once completed, the Woburn Loop will provide an enjoyable recreational opportunity for neighborhood residents, which will help pull the neighborhood closer together. The Woburn Loop's return to active public use will have a significant positive neighborhood impact.

CLICK HERE for more about the Woburn Loop Bikeway/Greenway

The event begins at 9:00 AM. The sign-in table will be at the Cove Street entrance to the Horn Pond Conservation Area.

All are welcome to come, help out, enjoy and appreciate the area. It is a great day to meet your neighbors, old friends and make some new ones! You can make a difference. For students seeking community service credit hours - make sure that you let us know at the sign-in table that you will be needing certification that you participated so that you get credited.

This year's anticipated projects include:

Installing additional trail markers along trail junctions (Phase III)
Clean-up of winter debris along trails
Cutting of brush overhanging trails
General trash pick up
And more...

Please come join us for a day to get things done and have some fun!

CLICK HERE to see more PHOTOS

On Saturday April 25th Woburn celebrated Earth Day at the Woburn Mall. The event was sponsored by WREN (Woburn Residents Environmental Network) and The Woburn Mall. There were displays by local businesses, organizations and groups.

Photo: Terry Connolly, owner of TLCRecycles.com listens attentively as a visitor asks about her company. TLC Recycles is an education company that specializes in teaching students (K-12) and residents in eastern Massachusetts communities how to properly recycle at home and in their schools. Affordable recycling presentations and enrichment programs are delivered onsite at schools or special interest group locations.

Marie Coady is a columnist and freelance writer. Her columns appear weekly in the Daily Times Chronicle,located in Woburn, MA which publishes five dailies and five weeklies that serve ten communities. Before joining the Times she was a columnist for the Woburn Advocate and the Burlington Union, weekly newspapers among the 130 belonging to the Community Newspaper Company. As a freelance writer she has been published in hundreds of mainstream newspapers, magazines and children's magazines. During that time she has received awards for "Excellence in Column Writing" and "Editor's Choice Awards". Visit Marie Coady's website at www.MarieCoady.com

The Woburn Conservation Commission administers the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, the Woburn Wetlands Ordinance, and the state and local wetlands regulations. The Conservation Commission also supports the acquisition and preservation of open space, and is concerned with the protection of our natural resources; wetlands in particular. The Commission organizes Conservation Day, and runs the Community Gardens Program. The Commission participates in Earth Day activities, and has promoted the planting of trees in the City through a tree program.

Parts of the walk have uneven terrain; muddy areas are possible.

Meeting Place/Time: Sturgis St. entrance to Horn Pond 8:00 a.m.
Contact: Diana Fruguglietti & Paul Ippolito - 781-933-9063 diana@dnptravel.com

Co-sponsored with the Brookline Bird Club, Menotomy Bird Club and Woburn Residents Environmental Network (WREN).

Edible gardens made sense in the past, they also make sense now!
WREN is coordinating two, one hour classes on "Starting an Edible Garden", for April 2009. The classes will be held at two local Woburn garden centers.

Details, including dates and times will be announced shortly. Interested in participating? Email fel@woburnite.com>

Ted Elliman will speak about Invasive Plants at Horn Pond. Knowing what to discourage or eradicate is the first step in the process to protect our native plants from competition.

Date: Sunday, Mar 22, 2009
Time: 2:00PM to 4:00PM
Place: Woburn Police Station, 25 Harrison Ave. Woburn, MA
This is a FREE event. Everyone is Welcome!

Green Schools Community Fair Get ready for Earth Day this year and bring the family out to our Green Schools Community Fair. This event is jam-packed with environmental vendors and exhibits that really make The Green Difference. Join us for a special performance by Woburn's very own HURLD GREEN SINGERS [led by Principal Eileen Mills], DJ DUKE, MUSIC by Highlife in Suburbia...featuring their new Environmental Songs, GREEN CRAFTS, GREEN BUILDING, GREEN CLEANING, SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING, TOUR A GREEN SCHOOL [led by Woburn High School's Environmental Club], try GREEN EDIBLE EXPERIMENTS led by some of the finest students our state has to offer, travel through our TIME TUNNEL and meet Bag Monster [made of 500 wasted plastic bags]. Featuring:

*Admission is FREE [with the option to buy a $5 Craft Pass for Children] & you could win 4 FREE PASSES TO COCO KEY WATER RESORT!

Click HERE for information.

Ted Elliman from the New England Wild Flower Society was the guest speaker. His presentation on the identification, ecology and control of "Common Invasive Plants of Massachusetts" was well attended by a group of WREN members and friends. WREN hopes to bring more educational programs in the upcoming months.

Pictured left to right: Betty Wright, Ted Elliman and Barbara Emeneau

Ted Elliman, is New England Wild Flower Society's Vegetation Management Coordinator and Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE) Volunteer Coordinator. He has worked on botanical surveys for the U.S. Park Service and Forest Service, as well as in southwestern China. Click HERE for information about New England Wild Flower Society .