Playground Safened

A thick layer of Rec Mix (thrice-ground wood fiber) purchased from Thompson Native Lumber was applied to the playground on Saturday, April 30th to restore safe play conditions. 

A hard-working group of FoSG members and volunteers spread 40 cubic yards of fiber in three hours.

From left to right and front to back: Jason Major, Matt LaMountain, Mark Weiss; Matt Dickinson, Pat (Milo’s mother) Stark, Marina Wong, Billie McGovern, Andy Lohmeier, and Carolyn Hardie. 
OK, we took a few breaks!

Not pictured in the group photo, but still contributing mightily were FoSG member Rep. Joe McNamara, and a visiting family that volunteered on the spot: Sean, Ben, and Maggie Rogan. (Sean P. Rogan is a member of the local Salter’s Groove band.)

The Rogan family pitched in to help. It’s great when parents involve their children in community work from an early age!

When the playground was first constructed in 2019, too little wood fiber, especially in the swing area, and exuberant use led to exposure of the underlying geotextile and gravel.

This was both unsafe and unsustainable. 

Two City administrations failed to address these hazardous play conditions despite FoSG’s repeated requests, so we acted to fill the breach.

Rubber swing mats have also been ordered to prevent excessive wear under the swings and slide for a total cost of $4,061.

We thank the Vivian J. Palmieri Charitable Trust for a generous grant that enabled this project. 

The ADA swing is not meant for adults so the sticker should not be tampered with. 
Gravel left in the play area could hurt a child. 

The playground and its plantings have cost more than $134,000, which took three years and considerable effort to raise. We need to make this last!

As guardians, let’s be sure that equipment is used responsibly and children are kept safe. Dogs must be leashed and under their owner’s control. Children should be coached on how to behave in a shared space. 

Added May 20, 2022: Neighborly volunteers Jay (L) and Jared (R) Reminder and FoSG volunteer Matt Dickinson (not pictured) installed the new swing mats.

From Beat to Shnazy

Spring cleaning brought a signage upgrade. Totem fabricator Don Nguyen celebrates installation. 

Thanks to a generous grant from the Vivian J. Palmieri Charitable Trust, we have beautiful signage to greet park visitors and direct them to the nature trails, funded by the same Trust.

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April 30th Temporary Playground Closure 

FoSG volunteers spreading wood fiber on swing area.

The circular play area at Salter Grove will be closed on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. so that wood fiber can be spread to provide a safe play surface. FoSG members and volunteers will do the deed.

The two swing areas have already been renewed and will remain open. For the safety of your children, please keep them out of the work and travel areas.

Filling In the Gaps

Volunteers plant more prostrate conifers to take advantage of upcoming rain. 

All the plants in the parking area survived the winter, but there was still a lot of open space. So two dozen conifers (Blue Rug, Bar Harbor, Blue Pacific, and Nana) were added to more quickly cover the ground, which is expected to take 3-5 years.

Meanwhile, a barricade reminds visitors not to walk through the planted area until it is well established. A foot path has been provided at the northern end.

A thick layer of large wood chips has done a great job of retaining soil moisture where no water standpipe is available. Let’s keep this area clean and attractive! 

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Soil Speed Bumps

Warwick Tree Warden Carlos Pineirho plans remediation 

A section of the wooded hillside above the vernal pond has lost all vegetative cover due to wind storms, leaving extensive patches of bare soil. This area is vulnerable to severe erosion which will silt the pond and eventually make its way into the Bay.

To forestall this, plans are afoot to drag some dead trees into the area to check downhill water flow. Once these main structural components are in place, brush will be piled between to provide additional erosion protection.

The brush piles will also serve as habitat for rodents that will hopefully serve as ‘meals on wheels’ to encourage an American Mink spotted in the area to stick around. 

Mink photographed on the rocks just offshore from Audubon Field

Not Just One Bald Eagle, But Five!

A second-year Bald Eagle (left) and a third-year bird (right) overlooking North Cove on December 15, 2021 

Previously, Bald Eagles seen at Salter Grove have been rare and solitary. It was therefore a great surprise to see five of them around North Cove the morning of December 15, 2021. 

During 90 minutes of observations from the causeway the eagles were mostly at rest, enjoying the sunshine on the large rocks and breakwater near Marsh Island, or roosting in two very tall tree crowns above houses on the western shore. They must have dined well recently because none of the eagles bothered to steal fish from gulls busily feeding nearby. Despite their majestic bearing, Bald Eagles are well-known kleptoparasites!

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