Lone Tree Hill Earth Day Clean Up, Rain or Shine!

Did you know that there are 88 acres of public open space on Belmont Hill? Called Lone Tree Hill:Belmont Conservation Land, this land is open to all and is stewarded through a public/private partnership by the Town of Belmont and the Land Management Committee, and the nonprofit Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund.

On Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Belmont Citizens Forum is sponsoring an Earth Day Clean-Up in the Lone Tree Hill area and you are invited to participate, come rain or shine!

We'll enjoy the land and learn more about it while doing much-needed trash pickup, trail maintenance, pruning, and invasive species removal.

Bring gloves, bug spray, loppers, clippers, and a water bottle. We suggest wearing gloves, long sleeves, and long pants to protect against potential sensitivities to plants and insects.

The Forum will provide trash bags and bins, and arrange for the Town of Belmont to haul away both trash and plant waste. 

Meet at the green-and-white "Belmont Bikes" canopy on South Pleasant Street at the Coal Road, across from Valley Crest Landscaping Company. We suggest you park at Shaw's, cross Pleasant Street at the Trapelo Road crosswalk; walk east on Pleasant Street (toward Belmont Center) until you can see our canopy. The Coal Road is not far. We will give you a flier to put on your car dashboard.

Visit belmontcitizensforum.org for directions, a map, and complete details, or contact Karen Parmett at bcfprogramdirector@gmail.com. 

Everyone who likes the outdoors and would like to contribute to keeping the Lone Tree Hill area beautiful is welcome. We suggest that children under the age of 13 be accompanied by an adult. High school and middle school students can earn community service credits, and we look forward to seeing you!  

This clean up event is cosponsored by these nonprofit organizations: Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund, Mass Audubon Habitat Sanctuary, the

Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill, Partners in Play, and Sustainable Belmont.

Our corporate sponsors are: at the Gold level, Cityside Subaru, Leader Bank, and Watertown Savings Bank. At the Silver level, our sponsors are: Alchemy 9-2-5, Artefact, Coldwell Banker, East Cambridge Savings Bank, Lawndale Realty, Real Estate 109, ReMax Real Estate, Vintages, and Wheelworks. A great big thanks to all of our sponsors for helping in this clean up effort. 

Originally part of the McLean Hospital land, which spanned 240 acres and was originally designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the Lone Tree Hill land was deeded to the town by the hospital after it downsized its campus. This land has wonderful and diverse habitats that support a variety of wild life, ranging from hardwood forest and the Pine Allee, to meadows and vernal pools.  

In addition to the 88 acres owned by the Town, McLean Hospital holds title to 30 acres of connected publicly accessible land. These combined 120 acres of public open space are protected under two conservation restrictions (CR) held by The Trustees of Reservations.