"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
CURRENT PROJECTS
Cleaning up our streets & parks
Obviously litter and trash are big problems in Eagle Hill. There are several contributing factors ranging from improper trash storage and disposal, to messy trash workers, to people tossing their cigarette butts, lotto tickets, etc. on the ground. In our efforts to improve the situation, we are organizing clean ups, working with the city to get more trash barrels on the streets, and using the 311 app to request clean up of problem areas. We are also reaching out to area businesses to ensure that they are keeping their sidewalks clean and working with the EHCA to require developers seeking variances to provide sufficient trash storage areas for their buildings. We are also trying to model good behavior by picking up trash (and dog poop!) when we see it.
Increasing trees & plantings
Eagle Hill is a very dense neighborhood and becoming denser by the day, so most of us don't have yards. But that doesn't mean we can't make our neighborhood a little greener. Right now we are working on a pilot project with the residents of one block of Princeton Street to get the entire block planted with trees. We are also "adopting" street trees near our homes to make sure they're cared for and collaborating with the NOAH Youth workers to help them get the resources they need to water neighborhood trees in the hot summer months. Another collaboration is in the works with the Speak for the Trees organization, to hold a free tree giveaway for Eagle Hill residents this coming fall. We are also working with the EHCA to require developers to request street trees for any new projects and whenever possible, actually include plantings in front of their buildings.
Encouraging more thoughtful planning & development
Rather than just dealing with problems piecemeal as they arise, we would like to be involved in helping make things right in the first place, as our neighborhood undergoes the inevitable changes that come with rapid development. To this end, we are drafting a "cheat sheet" for developers wishing to build or renovate in Eagle Hill, that will include guidelines for including plantings and green spaces, respecting the unique architectural character or our historic neighborhood, and providing for proper storage of residents' trash and recycling. We will also be collaborating with the team from Plan: East Boston as they gather community input on future development, to come up with ways to build a more beautiful Eagle Hill moving forward.