Halls Pond Sanctuary Proposal - Business Plan Example

A Practical Proposal to the Friends of Hall’s Pond Sanctuary

BACKGROUND

Hall’s Pond Sanctuary has been rightfully described as a fragment of country in the city . The 3.5-acre sanctuary borders one of Brookline’s most populous neighborhoods. It is situated behind a large block of four-story apartments on Beacon Street (see map in the Appendix). It is part of the 14-acre North Brookline’s green space that includes the adjacent Amory Park and Amory Woods Sanctuary. The Town of Brookline acquired the pond in 1975, making it the first town-owned conservation land . The Brookline Conservation Commission manages the pond with the support of the Friends of Hall’s Pond.

The focus of this proposal is Hall’s Pond’s sanctuary status which, in recent years, has been threatened by, among other factors, inappropriate and intense uses. Unlike parks, sanctuaries protect fragile ecosystems – interdependent networks of living things – that cannot survive the harsher park environments . Nor can they survive the disruptions caused by intensive recreation. Consequently, besides wildlife conservation, sanctuaries are meant for passive recreational activities such as quiet walks, nature study, solitary contemplation, birding and painting. This proposal seeks to solve the practical problem of how, over the next two years, the Brookline and the wider Boston communities might continue to enjoy the sanctuary without compromising its peaceful sanctuary ambience. I propose that the Friends of Hall’s Pond should solve this problem by promoting more even use of Hall’s Pond and the adjacent Amory Park and Amory Woods, controlling inappropriate sanctuary uses, encouraging educational use of Hall’s Pond and restoring its degraded areas.

SITE ANALYSIS

Hall’s Pond Sanctuary is the only green space with a semblance of wilderness in a densely built North Brookline. Thus, it attracts a wide range of visitors – young children, school groups, Boston University students, birders, parents with strollers, garden enthusiasts, artists and photographers . Still, many users come to the sanctuary for solitude and to break away from the hectic city life.

As pointed out earlier, sanctuaries like Hall’s Pond are intended for passive recreation. However, recent patterns of use point toward intense and inappropriate uses in parts of the sanctuary. These uses threaten the conservation area’s sanctuary feeling. Regarding intense use, the most heavily used area of the sanctuary is the open lawn near the South Entrance. The lawn’s heavy use is due to several factors. The pond and its birds are best viewed from this area. The lawn is mowed regularly and has ornamental trees and sitting space enough for small groups . The Friends of Hall’s Pond gather here for their regular clean-ups. Also, permitted social and religious events such as weddings are held here.

Regarding inappropriate uses, the vigilance of the Conservation Commission and the Friends of Hall’s Pond have saved the sanctuary from extreme misuse . However, cases of people using the sanctuary for beer parties and the occasional homeless using it for shelter have been reported. Incidents of biking, which is prohibited, have also been reported. These misuses of the sanctuary are attributable to limited maintenance and capital improvement budgets. The Commission’s inability to maintain footpaths has resulted in a maze of trails with dead ends that lead to hidden areas where banned activities take place. These activities pose a security threat to legitimate sanctuary users. They also degrade sections of the sanctuary by inhibiting vegetation growth.

THE GOALS OF THE PLAN

To address the problems of overuse and misuse of sections of the sanctuary, the following main actions are recommended:

• Promote more even use of Hall’s Pond and the adjacent Amory Park and Amory Woods
• Control inappropriate sanctuary uses
• Encourage educational use of Hall’s Pond
• Restore degraded areas of the sanctuary

Promote More Even Use of Hall’s Pond and the Adjacent Amory Park and Amory Woods.

Objectives:

• Make Amory Woods accessible from Freeman Street
• Connect Amory Park and Hall’s Pond
• Create more meeting spaces in Amory Park and Amory Woods
• Connect pond’s Formal Garden and the neighboring block of apartments

Implementing these four objectives will ensure that activities are spread more evenly throughout North Brookline’s fourteen-acre greenbelt. By making Amory Woods accessible from Freeman St. and the Formal Garden directly accessible by the occupants of the adjacent flats on Beacon St., the number of users entering the pond through the South Entrance will be reduced. Hence, less pressure on the open lawn that currently serves as the reception area for the majority of sanctuary visitors . By connecting Amory Park and the pond and creating more meeting spaces in Amory Woods and Amory Park, many of the social gatherings presently happening at the lawn could be diverted to the park and the woods.

Control inappropriate sanctuary uses.

Objectives:

• Make the paths in the sanctuary difficult to discourage jogging and cycling
• Increase park surveillance by the Conservation Commission, the Friends of Hall’s Pond and sanctuary users
• Increase budgetary allocation for sanctuary maintenance

To curtail inappropriate sanctuary uses such as cycling, jogging, beer partying and shelter, the Conservation Commission should ensure the paths are well-maintained and suitable for walks but unsuitable for jogging and biking. The Commission and the Friends of Hall’s Pond should also increase patrols within the sanctuary while encouraging users to report unbecoming activities. For example, toll free numbers could be displayed to visitors throughout the conservation area for them to report suspicious behavior. To do all these, both the Commission and the charity should increase their budgetary allocations for sanctuary maintenance.

Encourage educational use of Hall’s Pond.

Objectives:

• Boost sanctuary surveillance by visiting student groups
• Promote sanctuary stewardship by visiting learning institutions

As noted earlier, BU students and learners from Brookline schools are among the sanctuary users. They use the resource for their class projects . The Friends of Hall’s Pond and the Commission should encourage schools, colleges and universities in Brookline and the larger Boston area to frequent the sanctuary for educational purposes. This move will promote the dual goal of encouraging community use of Hall’s Pond while preserving its sanctuary status. More frequent student groups will enhance sanctuary surveillance and security. Also, by getting learning institutions to patronize the sanctuary, it will be easier to convince them to get involved in its conservation for the benefit of all users.

Restore degraded areas of the sanctuary.

Objectives:

• Plant natural vegetation
• Control exotic vegetation

Given Hall’s Pond’s small area, misuse or overuse of any of its areas presents a major threat to its vegetation cover. In a large natural ecosystem such as a forest or a park, any vegetation that gets destroyed by human action or nature has plenty of time to replenish itself . Not so for an ecosystem the size of Hall’s Pond. By replacing damaged plant cover with natural vegetation while controlling the growth of invasive plant species, the sanctuary management will be able to replicate its original natural habitat as closely as possible. This preservation of “wilderness” is key to the sustenance of Hall’s Pond’s sanctuary atmosphere .

IMPLEMENTATION

To implement this plan, the Friends of Hall’s Pond will take several steps over the next two years. This section describes those steps. It is worth noting that the successful implementation of this plans depends on several factors some of which are unknown and could impede success. For example, before it can be carried out, the plan will have to be approved by the Conservation Commission and other relevant government departments, including the Departments of Environmental Protection and Public Works . Also, to provide a direct access from the apartments on Beacon St. to the Formal Garden, it may be necessary to obtain property owners’ consent.

Project Components

The following are the steps to be taken to implement this plan.

• Establish a Community Engagement and Security Committee
• Fundraising and funds allocation
• Landscape design
• Design review
• Construction drawings
• Construction
• Management plan
• Monitoring and evaluation

Each step is described below briefly.

Establish a Community Engagement and Security Committee

This will be a committee of the charity responsible for mobilizing community participation for the purpose of raising resources and improving sanctuary security.

Fundraising and funds allocation

The Charity will need to raise sufficient money to implement this plan. The total cost may be determined only after detailed designs have been completed.

Landscape design

Detailed landscape design will be required. The design will be preceded by accurate topographical mapping of the entire area comprising Hall’s Pond Sanctuary, Amory Woods Sanctuary and Amory Park.

Design review

Once completed, the landscape architects’ schematic design will be reviewed by the Conservation Commission, residents and the project’s ecologist.

Construction drawings

Design review will pave the way for working drawings for the various facilities to be provided, including paths, sitting areas and lighting. Meanwhile, the charity will mobilize community resources.

Construction and planting

Next, work will commence under the charity’s supervision.

Management plan

A detailed plan, based on the final design, will need to be prepared and implemented.

Monitoring and evaluation

For the duration of the plan, the charity will monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments.

The table below shows the timeline when each step will occur.

Activity

Timeline

Establish Community Engagement and Security Committee

Within first month of adopting plan

Fundraising and fund allocation

First three months

Landscape design

At the same as funds are being raised

Design review

In the fourth month

Construction drawings

In the fifth month

Construction and planting

Sixth to eighth months

Management plan

In the fourth month (after detailed landscape designs)

Monitoring and evaluation

Throughout plan duration

While this is a two-year plan, it is expected that its successful implementation will go beyond the two years. For example, long after new paths have been created, existing ones have been modified and new gardens and lawns have been established, surveillance will need to continue to ensure users’ safety.

SUPPORT

Two types of support will be required if this plan is to succeed: financial and labor. Money will be needed to buy materials and hire equipment for sanctuary improvement and to patrol staff salaries. Both skilled and semi-skilled or unskilled labor will be needed. Skilled labor will be needed to map the project area, prepare landscape designs, develop management plan and supervise improvement works. Semi-skilled and unskilled will be needed to carry out the actual works. Money will be raised mainly from community sources that will include the Friends of Hall’s Pond, private trusts and foundations and local businesses, environmental organizations and institutions. Labor will be sourced from the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Friends of Hall’s Pond. The charity’s Community Engagement and Security Committee will be responsible for publicizing this plan and mobilizing support.