Sawmill Park Pollinator Pathway

The Town of Dedham has been selected as one of 12 recipients of the Massachusetts Community Biodiversity Grant Program through the Department of Fish & Game. The $30,395 award will fund the transformation of a one-acre parcel at 21 Sawmill Lane into a neighborhood park and pollinator habitat adjacent to the historic Mother Brook.

The grant will fund the following improvements at 21 Sawmill Lane: An Aerial Image Showing the Location of 21 Sawmill Lane, Dedham, MA 21 Sawmill Lane (Shown in Red Outline)

Construction of a stone-dust pathway to connect to Condon Park
Planting of 11 native tree saplings and 117 shrubs and wildflowers to revegetate the parcel and provide habitat for pollinators
Construction of a rain garden to treat stormwater runoff before it enters Mother Brook
Bench for passive wildlife viewing and educational signage
A community seed sharing library
A temporary, walkable, art exhibit along Sawmill Lane Bridge consisting of 40 vinyl, weatherproof stickers featuring nature-themed art from local artists of all ages.

All work will be completed by June 30, and updates will be posted to this project page as work progresses!

The grant will fund the following improvements at 21 Sawmill Lane: An Aerial Image Showing the Location of 21 Sawmill Lane, Dedham, MA 21 Sawmill Lane (Shown in Red Outline)

Construction of a stone-dust pathway to connect to Condon Park
Planting of 11 native tree saplings and 117 shrubs and wildflowers to revegetate the parcel and provide habitat for pollinators
Construction of a rain garden to treat stormwater runoff before it enters Mother Brook
Bench for passive wildlife viewing and educational signage
A community seed sharing library
A temporary, walkable, art exhibit along Sawmill Lane Bridge consisting of 40 vinyl, weatherproof stickers featuring nature-themed art from local artists of all ages.

All work will be completed by June 30, and updates will be posted to this project page as work progresses!

News feed

Wooden Footbridge Closed for Repairs July 16

Please be advised, the small wooden bridge next to the seed library will be closed on Thursday, July 16 for repairs. There will be no access across this bridge during the repairs.
Please be advised, the small wooden bridge next to the seed library will be closed on Thursday, July 16 for repairs. There will be no access across this bridge during the repairs.
Native Seed Library Completed By Local Eagle Scout

Over the last few months, local Eagle Scout Candidate Malachi Reed (Troop 3, Dedham) has been hard at work designing, constructing, and installing a community native seed library as part of the Sawmill Lane Pollinator Pathway. The seed library, which was inspired by the "Little Free Libraries" seen around town, will be place for residents to access native seeds to plant in their own backyards. The motto of the library is "take a seed, leave a seed", and we hope this is a community resource that will enhance biodiversity across our town.
Members of Troop 3 in Dedham during the construction of the Seed Library.

Many native seeds require some preparation and/or germination before they can be planted in the ground. All of the seeds stocked in the library come from Prairie Moon Nursery, and each seed packet is labeled with the specific species. Using the Prairie Moon plant finder, you can look up specific instructions on how to make sure your little seed turns into a thriving native plant! The plant search is available on the top right corner of the main page, located at https://www.prairiemoon.com/.
Don't have seeds to share? Don't worry! Still feel free to take a few seed packets! Once the native plants are established, you can follow guidelines for seed saving to collect your own and eventually restock the library. The Dedham Conservation Commission plans to host a seminar on seed saving this coming Fall. This presentation from Virginia Tech also offers comprehensive guidelines on saving seeds.
The fully-stocked seed library - filled with native seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery.

Malachi Reed, Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 3 Dedham, with the newly-installed library.

Over the last few months, local Eagle Scout Candidate Malachi Reed (Troop 3, Dedham) has been hard at work designing, constructing, and installing a community native seed library as part of the Sawmill Lane Pollinator Pathway. The seed library, which was inspired by the "Little Free Libraries" seen around town, will be place for residents to access native seeds to plant in their own backyards. The motto of the library is "take a seed, leave a seed", and we hope this is a community resource that will enhance biodiversity across our town.
Members of Troop 3 in Dedham during the construction of the Seed Library.

Many native seeds require some preparation and/or germination before they can be planted in the ground. All of the seeds stocked in the library come from Prairie Moon Nursery, and each seed packet is labeled with the specific species. Using the Prairie Moon plant finder, you can look up specific instructions on how to make sure your little seed turns into a thriving native plant! The plant search is available on the top right corner of the main page, located at https://www.prairiemoon.com/.
Don't have seeds to share? Don't worry! Still feel free to take a few seed packets! Once the native plants are established, you can follow guidelines for seed saving to collect your own and eventually restock the library. The Dedham Conservation Commission plans to host a seminar on seed saving this coming Fall. This presentation from Virginia Tech also offers comprehensive guidelines on saving seeds.
The fully-stocked seed library - filled with native seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery.

Malachi Reed, Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 3 Dedham, with the newly-installed library.
40 Artists Selected for Biodiversity Art Walk

We are pleased to announce that 40 pieces of original, local artwork have been selected by the Select Board at its June 18 meeting to be placed along Sawmill Lane Bridge as part of the Biodiversity Art Walk! The response to the call for artwork was wonderful, as we received applications from more than 60 local artists of all ages, totaling over 100 individual artworks! These images will be printed as 2 ft. x 2 ft. waterproof vinyl stickers, spaced out along the bridge, and will be on view beginning this summer. To view the full list of accepted artists and artworks, please visit https://www.motherbrook.org/features/2026-artwalk-selections.
Thank you to all who participated in the call for artwork and thank you to the Mother Brook Arts & Community Center for partnering with us to collect this local art!
We are pleased to announce that 40 pieces of original, local artwork have been selected by the Select Board at its June 18 meeting to be placed along Sawmill Lane Bridge as part of the Biodiversity Art Walk! The response to the call for artwork was wonderful, as we received applications from more than 60 local artists of all ages, totaling over 100 individual artworks! These images will be printed as 2 ft. x 2 ft. waterproof vinyl stickers, spaced out along the bridge, and will be on view beginning this summer. To view the full list of accepted artists and artworks, please visit https://www.motherbrook.org/features/2026-artwalk-selections.
Thank you to all who participated in the call for artwork and thank you to the Mother Brook Arts & Community Center for partnering with us to collect this local art!
Sawmill Park Pollinator Pathway Project is Underway!
It's been a busy spring season over in the Conservation Division! We were very grateful to receive the Fish & Wildlife Community Biodiversity Grant, which was announced in late March. With a deadline of June 30 to complete our project, we will be accelerating our original timeline to construct the park. Time to get to work!
Here's what we have accomplished so far:

Survey of Property

Engineered Site Plans

Select Board Acceptance of Grant (at April 16 public meeting)

Conservation Commission issuance of Order of Conditions for work on Riverfront Area (at April 16 public meeting)

The DPW plans to begin work the week of May 11, and expects the project to take approximately 5 weeks to construct. This work will include:
This will consist of removing invasive vegetation, mulching removed brush and vegetation, removing hazardous & dead trees, installing a sediment and erosion control barrier, grading and excavating for the rain garden installation, installing stone-dust pathway, and planting native shrubs, plants, and wildflowers. We will continue to post updates to this page as work gets underway!
To subscribe to project updates, please use this link and sign up for "General News".
It's been a busy spring season over in the Conservation Division! We were very grateful to receive the Fish & Wildlife Community Biodiversity Grant, which was announced in late March. With a deadline of June 30 to complete our project, we will be accelerating our original timeline to construct the park. Time to get to work!
Here's what we have accomplished so far:

Survey of Property

Engineered Site Plans

Select Board Acceptance of Grant (at April 16 public meeting)

Conservation Commission issuance of Order of Conditions for work on Riverfront Area (at April 16 public meeting)

The DPW plans to begin work the week of May 11, and expects the project to take approximately 5 weeks to construct. This work will include:
This will consist of removing invasive vegetation, mulching removed brush and vegetation, removing hazardous & dead trees, installing a sediment and erosion control barrier, grading and excavating for the rain garden installation, installing stone-dust pathway, and planting native shrubs, plants, and wildflowers. We will continue to post updates to this page as work gets underway!
To subscribe to project updates, please use this link and sign up for "General News".
Call for Art! Deadline extended to May 14

Calling all artists!
Part of the grant funds for the Pollinator Pathway Project will be used to install a nature-themed art walk along the Sawmill Lane Bridge. Mother Brook Arts & Community Center (MBACC) is currently facilitating a Call for Art, where people of all ages can submit up to 3 of their favorite nature-themed artworks. Any medium is accepted, such as photograph, painting, collage, quilt, sculpture, or drawing, and all you need to do is upload a high quality photo of your work.
The call for artwork has been extended by a week, and the deadline is now May 14 at 5 pm!
For the final art walk, 40 art pieces will be selected and reproduced on high-quality weather-proof vinyl stickers to be installed along the pedestrian sidewalk over Mother Brook on the Sawmill Lane Bridge. The end result will be a walkable art exhibit showcasing a diverse array of artwork from members of the Dedham community. (The art walk was inspired by the West Concord Art Loop.)
Final selections will be made in coordination with MBACC and the Select Board. Selected artists will receive a $125 gift card to Mother Brook Arts. We can't wait to see your submissions!
To learn more about the Call for Art, visit the Mother Brook Arts & Community Center website at this link.

Calling all artists!
Part of the grant funds for the Pollinator Pathway Project will be used to install a nature-themed art walk along the Sawmill Lane Bridge. Mother Brook Arts & Community Center (MBACC) is currently facilitating a Call for Art, where people of all ages can submit up to 3 of their favorite nature-themed artworks. Any medium is accepted, such as photograph, painting, collage, quilt, sculpture, or drawing, and all you need to do is upload a high quality photo of your work.
The call for artwork has been extended by a week, and the deadline is now May 14 at 5 pm!
For the final art walk, 40 art pieces will be selected and reproduced on high-quality weather-proof vinyl stickers to be installed along the pedestrian sidewalk over Mother Brook on the Sawmill Lane Bridge. The end result will be a walkable art exhibit showcasing a diverse array of artwork from members of the Dedham community. (The art walk was inspired by the West Concord Art Loop.)
Final selections will be made in coordination with MBACC and the Select Board. Selected artists will receive a $125 gift card to Mother Brook Arts. We can't wait to see your submissions!
To learn more about the Call for Art, visit the Mother Brook Arts & Community Center website at this link.