The second of several free guided “Focus on Nature” walks in the woods, by the river, or in other pockets of nature in or bordering Malden. Bring your camera or phone. Free and open to all.

This particular walk will be to Rivergreen Park, a park that sits on the Malden River and includes a football field, basketball park and splash pad, boat launch area, and natural wetland habitat that is continuously being restored and revitalized. The park also connects to the nine-mile trail that bicyclists often use to travel across the North Shore.

This walk will take place, Saturday, February 18th from 10:30-12pm, with guide Karen Buck, an award-winning local catalyst for cleanup of the Malden River (and other sites). A film about her Malden River work is below.

RSVP TO ATTEND (Scroll to the end)

• Name of site visiting: Rivergreen Park, Everett
• Date: February 18th
• Time/Duration: 10:30 to Noon
• Description of walk: We will walk the unpaved river bank trails, mostly flat but can be muddy (or hopefully snowy) despite woodchips that were layed down. There is a paved walkway option
  Address: 1 Rivergreen Drive, Everett
• Guide: Karen Buck, Friends of the Malden River,
• Focus: We will explore the banks of the Malden River: We will talk of wetland restorations, importance of native plants and removal of invasive plants; importance of biodiversity.
  Ideal for: Everyone. There is an ADA compliant walkway above the riverbanks. We will be on both: paved walks and walks that are not accessible by wheelchair.
• Directions/Parking: Rivergreen Park, 1 Rivergreen Drive, Everett, has plenty of parking and is accessible by the Northern Strand Trail (1.4 miles from Malden Center – 30 minute walk) or by car. If walking, take a right on to the Malden River Walk (opposite the school parking lot) and follow to the pavilion. If driving, turn on to Rivergreen drive and follow to the end at the parking circle. We will meet at the pavilion.

https://www.turnaround-films.com/1-2-karenbuck

A film that captures a bit about Karen Buck’s journey of cleaning up the Malden River. “Often working alone or with her children, Karen began removing the trash. She cleaned on foot and from boats. Out on the river, she discovered the city had installed a trash boom — a floating barrier — to stop the trash, but it had long been abandoned. Karen added the arduous task of cleaning the boom to her list and started building a coalition to clean the river.

Now, years later, Karen takes hundreds of volunteers out onto the river and the community has begun to adopt the Malden River as their own.”

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Overview of the series of walks

From January 21, 2023 through and including March 18, UMA will be offering the public free guided “focus on nature” walks in the woods, by the river, or in other pockets of nature in or bordering Malden. The purpose of these walks is to invite the local community to discover, experience, and share the nature we have close by with others. It is also intended as an opportunity to connect with others and possibly generate and curate crowdsourced media of our natural treasures over time. 

What to bring 

• Camera or phone to take photos or videos
• Sketch pad – if you are so inclined 
• Weather appropriate clothing 
• Binoculars for certain sites 

Who are these walks ideal for 

• During winter, those who do not mind a bit of cold. 
• Anyone who feels able to maneuver a walk in the woods for one to 1 ½ hour with consideration for temperature.  The pace will be slow as a group, however, there will be no restrictions on folks moving ahead more quickly. 
• Some walks will be specified as wheel chair accessible.
• Children with caregivers are absolutely welcome! 

Logistics of meetup 

• To sign up, please RSVP as indicated on the UMA event listing. 
• We will always provide a parking location and exact meetup location. 
• We will always provide a bit of history about the site. 
• If inclement weather, we will post cancellation on the UMA event page, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by 9am that same day.  

Future walks (not exhaustive or conclusive)

• Forest Dale Cemetary trail
• Flagg Acroes
• Knox Memorial Woods
• River’s Edge (Medford)
• Middlesex Fells: a variety of starting points forthcoming including: Woodland Ave, East Border Road, etc.