Ayer Devens | Pocket Forests
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Project Story
Ayer-Devens Pocket Forest Project Pilot Site 1st Birthday Festival
​Save the date for the celebration of the 1st Birthday of the Ayer-Devens Pocket Forest on Saturday, April 27th from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm on East Main Street in Ayer, across the street from the Ayer Library. The event will feature food, tours of the site, musical performances, and readings.
​The Town of Ayer and the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone (Devens) are working together with residents and community members to take action on climate resilience and increase the quality of life by planning, designing, and installing pocket forests through the Ayer Devens Main Streets Regional Pocket Forests project. These forests will better connect people with nature and reduce impacts of climate change by reducing urban heat-island impacts, improving air quality, reducing flooding through increased rainfall capture and infiltration, and providing accessible greenspace.
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The Ayer Devens Pocket Forest project is funded through the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant program, and is now in its second year with a greater vision;
Taking Root: Expanding the Ayer-Devens Pocket Forest.
The projects implement recommendations from the Apple Country Natural Climate Solutions Project, a previous MVP Action Grant project, to support long-term resilience to the impacts of climate change in the region.
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Project Story
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The goal of the Pocket Forest project is to help improve climate resilience in Devens and Ayer and to better connect people with nature by reducing urban heat-island impacts, improving air quality, storing carbon, and reducing flooding. In the first project year, the Town of Ayer and the Devens Enterprise Commission, engaged with the community, selected pocket forest priority locations and installed a pilot pocket forest on East Main Street in Ayer.
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The Town of Ayer and the Devens Enterprise Commission (Devens) are again working together with residents and community members for years
2 and 3 to install four additional pocket forests (2 in each community) and increase environmental and climate literacy by developing a project-specific educational curriculum that will be used in local schools and serve as a model for climate science and education across the country.
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Below is a summary of the project timeline and activities to date.
Check back here regularly for updates.
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Project Timeline - Year 2
Progress at 2 New Pocket Forest Sites
Big plans are in store for the project in spring 2024. Thanks to all our supporters for helping with site preparations, especially the Devens and Shirley Departments of Public Works and staff and students of Ayer-Shirley Regional Middle School and Parker Charter School.
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March 11, 2024 Announcing the March 16, 2024 Foraging Day
We are excited to kick off the 2024 field season.
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Project Timeline - Year 1
September 10, 2023
Pilot Forest Monitoring and Citizen Science Training
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June 28, 2023
Pilot Forest Monitoring and Citizen Science Training
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May 4, 2023
Project Team submits an MVP Grant Application to support additional sites
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April 29, 2023
Pilot Pocket Forest Planting Party!
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April 7, 2023 News Article
March 25, 2023 Group Photo
Pilot Pocket Forest Planting Prep and Foraging Day
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January 25, 2023 EEA Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Webinar Presentation
Project Team Members participate in the "Heat Waves in a Changed Climate" webinar
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January 6, 2023 Site Visit to Ayer
The map above indicates the potential sites being evaluated for future pocket forests in Ayer
December 10, 2022 Site Visit to Devens
The map above indicates the potential sites being evaluated for future pocket forests in Devens
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November 16, 2022 Project Kick-off Meeting
November 2, 2022 Site Visit to Cambridge
October 2, 2022 News Article
Miyawaki Forest pilot project could offer pride of place with benefits for Ayer, Devens
Nashoba Valley Voice
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Devens and Ayer have both developed Community Resilient Building Workshop Summary of Findings Reports as part of the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program. Both plans identified nature-based solutions as a key strategy for climate change mitigation, as well as adaptation. The Main Streets Regional Pocket Forests project grew out of the Apple Country Natural Climate Solutions project between Bolton, Harvard, and Devens, as a potential nature-based solution strategy to target climate change.
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Project Supporters
This project is funded through the Commonwealth’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program and is being led by the Town of Ayer and the Devens Enterprise Commission, but would not be possible without the generous support and partnerships of the following organizations:
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Nashua River Watershed Association
United Native American Cultural Council
Francis W. Parker Charter School
Ayer-Shirley Regional School District
People of Ayer Concerned for the Environment
Appalachian Mountain Club
Devens Connect
Bio4Climate
City of Cambridge
MassDevelopment Devens
Grow Native Massachusetts
Ecotone Renewables
Berkley, CA Public Schools Green Schoolyards Project
The Great Exchange
And the list continues to grow as the project progresses. Thank you all!
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Project Outreach
The Pocket Forest project team has undertaken a significant amount of community outreach and engagement in both Ayer and Devens, and connected with many groups and organizations to raise awareness of the project, share information and resources, and most importantly, hear from the communities themselves to better understand the opportunities and challenges that pocket forests could present.
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Website:
About Pocket Forests and all project information
Data-Viewer and mapping showing Devens and Ayer land use cover – a valuable tool in identifying potential pocket forest locations.
Community Events:
In addition, the Ayer-Devens Pocket Forest team attended a number of community events and functions to promote the project and engage with community members:
Ayer Newton Street Folk and Art Festival – 10/1/22
Devens Farmers Market – 10/4/22
Devens Harvest Festival - 10/6/22
Devens Dog and Music Festival – 10/29/22
City of Cambridge Miyawaki Forest Planting – 11/2/22
Pocket Forest Community Kick off Meeting in Ayer - 11/16/22
Devens Pocket Forest Planning/Site Tours – 12/10/22
Ayer Pocket Forest Planning/Site Tours – 1/4/23
Pocket Forest Public Design Forum in Ayer - 3/4/23
Pocket Forest Foraging Day in Ayer - 3/25/23
Pilot Pocket Forest Planting Day in Ayer - 4/29/23
Pilot Pocket Forest Project 1st Birthday Festival 4/27/24
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Presentations:
Ayer Planning Board Presentation
Ayer-Shirley Regional School 8th grade class interactive discussion
Devens Enterprise Commission Presentation – 11/29/22
Devens Committee and Devens Connect presentation – 11/29/22
Ayer Rotary Meeting – 1/12/23
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And the list continues to grow!
Interested in learning more or participating in or hosting a pocket forest event?
Contact us at neilangus@devensec.com or amanoian@ayer.ma.us
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