It’s that time of year again to celebrate our good fortune and growth by giving back to the community… and having a bit of fun while we are at it! In our most recent day of service for the Boston Community, we were excited to work with the Parks & Recreation Department to aid in land conservation at Allandale Woods.
As Boston’s second largest un-fragmented woodland, Allandale Woods is a crucial component of the city’s natural areas inventory. Composed primarily of oaks, maples, and pines, Allandale Woods is one of the few relatively pristine secondary growth oak-hickory forests in the city of Boston. Trails, which were rehabilitated in 2009 in partnership with summer youth conservation crews from Boston Natural Areas Network and Student Conservation Association, run throughout the site leading to various areas of interest including scenic Rock Pond, an extensive Depression-era stone boundary wall, a cattail marsh, intertwining streams that form the Bussey Brook headwaters, underground springs, an historic spring house, and a certified vernal pool.
Many of the Building Engines team were on hand to assist with trail maintenance, litter collection, weeding, plant identification, and collection of construction debris for removal and recycling. We had a great time and look forward to returning to Allandale Woods in the future – a special thank you to Paul Sutton, Director of Urban Wilds for the City of Boston, who served as our fearless leader!
Our day of service was coordinated through our partnership with the non-profit organization Building Impact, whose mission is to strengthen communities by providing companies and individuals with the knowledge and opportunities to volunteer, donate, and connect in the buildings where they work and live. Building Impact was co-founded by long-time Building Engines client Kevin McCall of Paradigm Properties, and services more than 50 buildings, helping 590 companies and 20,000 people volunteer, donate, and connect to their local communities.
Check out the pics below of Building Engines colleagues hard at work this past Wednesday… and cheering on the Red Sox later that evening at Fenway!