Charlie Breitrose
Conservation Commissioner Patrick Fairbairn, left, has teamed up with Watertown High School biology teacher Erik Hiltunen to do survey the trees and plants on Whitney Hill.
The annual report on Watertown’s last piece of wooded land, Whitney Hill Park, recommends continuing to study the trees and animals on the land.
The report will be discussed by the Conservation Commission on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 7 p.m. at the Lower Hearing Room in Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown.
Activities in 2017
Several studies of Whitney Hill took place last year, looking at the plants, animals and more.
Data about the lower woody vegetation (which includes saplings and shrubs) on Whitney Hill have been digitized by ConCom member Patrick Fairbairn. This will be used as a baseline to track future changes of the hill.
A survey of the Red-backed Salamander, was performed with the help of the herpetological expertise of Brooks Mathewson. Six Watertown High School students also looked for the salamanders by putting boards out over the summer and seeing if salamanders get underneath. They found four Red-backed Salamanders of two different colors.
Also, a survey of fungus populations was done by Fairbairn and resident and mycologist Ron Trial. WHS science teacher Erik Hiltunen’s class accompanied the group on the survey.
Plans for 2018
The Whitney Hill Report calls for continuing the lower woody vegetation by the WHS class.
More studies of the area are planned to look at: human impact, studies of invasive plants, analyzing the impact of removing invasive plants, and tree core samplings of certain trees.
See more details and recommendations in the Whitney Hill Park Annual Report by clicking here: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/24217