Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Mount Auburn as a Natural Habitat

Mount Auburn: A Natural Habitat Ecologically sensitive horticultural practices at Mount Auburn The Cemetery is taking a leadership role in recogniz- ing the ecological costs of air pollution, global warming, overuse of water, groundwater contamination, toxicity to humans and wildlife, and invasive plant introductions. As articulated in the Master Plan of 1993, the horticulture program is committed to ﬁ nding landscaping practices that do not have a negative impact on the environment and is working to improve the overall quality of wildlife habitat throughout the grounds. Some recent changes: Leaf Mulching/Composting. The traditional practice of large-scale leaf pick-up in the Fall has been largely aban- doned. Since 1998, we have only removed enough leaves to produce the compost that is used in planting projects. We are now using mulching mowers to chop leaves in place and facilitate the recycling of organic matter and nutrients back into the soil. This has allowed signiﬁ cant reductions in fertilizer use for trees/shrubs/turf and has provided greater drought resistance by increasing the wa- ter-holding capacity of the soils. Irrigation Practices. Watering is now based on minimal needs (1”/week is adequate). Special lawn-turf areas and new plantings are watered using more efﬁ cient systems for delivery. We are now recycling (harvesting) rainwater for irrigation use. More drought tolerant plants and turf spe- cies are being planted. For turf, less frequent mowings and a higher mowing height are maintained. Dwarf Fescues Program. Using grass species that grow to a reasonably low height without mowing, we are planting to enhance rural-naturalistic landscape charac- ter in some areas (solving two problems at the same time: aesthetics and labor). The remaining challenge is broadleaf weed control (now managed by monthly mowing). Mowing Practices. Turf management equipment ad- vances, such as “zero-radius turn mowers” have allowed us to dramatically reduce the number of mowers and staff needed to cut grass. Turf Removal. Grass has been removed from difﬁ cult access areas such as slopes and also from beneath drought intolerant trees like European Beech, where we replace the grass with mulches or compatible groundcovers. Chemical Control of Turf Weeds. This program was mostly abandoned 15 years ago (annual Dandelion and Nutsedge sprays). Disease Control. We have selectively removed infected or highly susceptible plants for sanitation and prevention measures, and to avoid regular use of toxic pesticides. We now emphasize improving growing conditions to reduce plant stress and increase disease resistance. 175 th Anniversary Celebration! Breakfast Brieﬁ ng Over 75 cultural and civic leaders came to Mount Auburn’s Story Chapel on September 22, 2005, for breakfast and to hear about our plans for celebrating our 175th anniversary (2006-2007). We were delighted to welcome ofﬁ cials from the govern- ments of Cambridge and Watertown and representatives of Harvard Square businesses and over 35 art, historical, and educational institutions in the Greater Boston area. Photo captions l-r: Susan Flannery, Director, Cam- bridge Public Library; Cambridge City Councilor Denise Simmons; and Rich Rossi, Deputy City Manager, Cambridge, MA; David Barnett (l.), Mount Auburn’s Vice President of Operations and Horticulture, and Michael J. Driscoll, Town Man- ager, Watertown, MA; President Bill Clendaniel outside Story Chapel with Trustee Ann Roosevelt (Cambridge); Barbara Cox, Senior Vice President, Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation; Susan Wilson, representative for Boston History Collabora- tive and author; and Cicely Miller, Executive Direc- tor, Forest Hills Cemetery Educational Trust; Staff members Linda Fisher and Amanda Yost. PHOTOS BY MEG WINSLOW, STAFF Winter 2006 | 3

Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Mount Auburn as a Natural Habitat | Page 5