Medford's Torbert Macdonald Park to Receive Makeover

MEDFORD, MA – It's Extreme Makeover: Park Edition in Medford, as a major project to revitalize Torbert Macdonald Park kicked off Thursday.

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy, Senator Patricia Jehlen, Representative Christine Barber and Medford's Alicia Hunt joined more than 80 people at the launch event for a series of improvements to the park.

Revitalization projects include newly paved paths, phragmities removal, a volunteer stewardship program, invasive plant management and future beautification projects such as a river overlook and picnic area.

Through a grant funded by FedEx and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, the Mystic River Watershed Association is collaborating with local municipalities, community groups and the DCR to restore habitat in urban park spaces through invasive plant management control and revitalization projects.

The project area includes 4.7 miles of riverfront parkland, with a focus on Macdonald Park.

"Invasive plant management will improve habitat quality in Mystic River parklands and offer
meaningful community stewardship opportunities," said Mystic Greenways Director Amber
Christoffersen in a statement. "We hope to attract many more people to Macdonald Park and the Mystic River
through these park improvements."

In managing the park's flora, the Mystic River Watershed Association will have more than 400 volunteers map and remove invasive plants over the course of two years.

"Thanks to a very strong partnership between the Department of Conservation and Recreation and our friends at the Mystic River Watershed Association, visitors to Macdonald Park in the City of Medford will enjoy new amenities and a healthier ecosystem, which speaks to our shared commitment to caring for the larger Mystic River park system," Roy said in a statement.

Photo submitted by the Mystic River Watershed Association