Annual Report FY 2018 | Page 11

Special Projects WILDLIFE HABITAT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Our Wildlife Action Plan, completed in 2015 in collaboration with wildlife and conservation experts, has guided improvements to existing plantings and the implementation of new ones with the goal of improving wildlife habitats. As part of this effort, Mount Auburn modified the shoreline of Halcyon Lake this year with new aquatic plantings that increase its resiliency following major rain events. During the fiscal year, a new series of pollinator gardens were planted in the Cemetery’s southwestern- most corner, at the location of Mount Auburn’s apiary, to provide habitat for the bees that ensure the health of Mount Auburn’s horticultural collections. Both projects were entirely funded using contributed support raised by the Friends of Mount Auburn. The Cemetery is also expanding its role as a living laboratory with programs that encourage visitors of all ages to take an active role in protecting this important natural resource. As part of Mount Auburn’s Citizen Science Program, a group of sixty trained volunteers are now collecting data for the environmental scientists and wildlife experts studying the Cemetery’s biodiversity. Funding from individual and institutional donors allowed the Cemetery to develop and train this corps of volunteers for its Phenology Study, Microclimate Study, and Naturalist Program, the three discreet monitoring projects under the umbrella of the Citizen Science Program. During the 2018 Fiscal Year, the Cemetery also completed the first year of a two-year collaboration with Lesley University which aims to increase Mount Auburn’s use as an educational resource for environmental studies. Funded with support from the A.J. & M.D. Ruggiero Memorial Trust, the collaboration resulted in a series of visits by urban youth to participate in STEM-based programming under the direction of Lesley University educators. 9