Community Gardens on DCR Property

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) stewards nearly a half million acres of public land. Across this diverse system are recreational spaces such as ball fields, pools, rinks, and playgrounds. Within these spaces there are many areas that present opportunities to create habitat, strengthen biodiversity, and enhance community green space. 

Through partnerships with local organizations and communities, DCR explores new ways to activate these spaces beyond recreation to create native plant habitat that supports pollinators and broader ecological goals. 

Join Patrick Lindquist, who leads the Growing Wild Massachusetts program for DCR, and Renée Scott who runs the Massachusetts Pollinator Network for Grow Native Massachusetts, as they discuss their collaboration at Foss Park in Somerville, to establish a native plant garden in an under-utilized space as a joint DCR/Grow Native MA/Community project. They will share how the idea developed, the process of bringing the garden to life, lessons learned along the way, and how this partnership model could be replicated in other communities across Massachusetts. 

Patrick Lindquist has coordinated the Growing Wild Massachusetts program for the last three years, after coming from the Greening the Gateway Cities Program.