Fresh Pond Reservation

Fresh Pond was created over 15,000 years ago by retreating glacial ice which left a 155 acre kettle hole lake. In 1856, the Pond became drinking water supply for the city of Cambridge and soon afterwards the 162 acres of land surrounding the pond was preserved to protect the purity of the water. In 1961, the Cambridge Plant and Garden Club became involved with the reservation and created a horticultural review of the site which was published in 1978 and accepted by the city as the master planning guide.

The 1980 Founders Fund Award went to the renovation of a 30 acre wetland meadow which provides bird nesting sites and wildlife habitats in the reservation. Specimen trees as well as native and naturalized shrubs were planted to ensure proper nesting sites for a variety of bird species which in turn has allowed students of all kinds to study the ecology of a wetland meadow at Fresh Pond.

The reservation is a unique open green space in the midst of one of our country’s most densely populated cities. The plantings done with the Founders Fund Award -- amelanchier, cedars and ilex -- have matured and continue to protect the wild habitat of the meadow