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Sawmill Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

State and local partners joined Town staff and community members to celebrate the long-awaited opening
Post Date:08/27/2026 8:30 am

Under sunny skies on August 19, community members joined town and state officials to celebrate the grand opening of the Sawmill Lane Pollinator Pathway with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Group cuts red ribbon

The project, located at 21 Sawmill Lane on a town-owned parcel adjacent to Mother Brook, was funded through the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game's Community Biodiversity Grant. Improvements included the removal of invasive species, construction of a new stone-dust pathway, and the planting of hundreds of native perennials, shrubs, and trees to create valuable habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. The grant also supported a biodiversity-themed public art installation along the bridge and the construction of a community seed-sharing library. Dedham was one of just 12 communities selected from more than 200 applicants during the inaugural year of the Community Biodiversity Grant program.

During the ceremony, Conservation Agent Meredith Confrey recognized key partners, including the Department of Fish & Game; the Department of Public Works under Director Joe Flanagan; Eagle Scout Malachi Reed and Dedham Troop 3; Mother Brook Arts & Community Center; and neighborhood volunteers.

Conservation Agent Meredith Confrey

State Representative Paul McMurtry applauded the project’s collaborative spirit and highlighted the value of creating welcoming natural spaces for East Dedham residents. Select Board Chair Jim MacDonald, joined by members Michelle Perrson Reilly and Stephen Acosta, praised the community effort and noted that selecting only 40 pieces of public art from more than 100 submissions was a welcome challenge.

State Representative McMurtry addresses crowd Select Board members stand at podium

Attendees also heard from Erin Becker, Executive Director of the Mother Brook Arts & Community Center, who spoke about the important role public art plays in fostering environmental awareness and celebrating biodiversity. Conservation Commission Chair Erik DeAvila, who grew up in East Dedham, reflected on how meaningful it was to see the once-overlooked property transformed into a welcoming public space for the neighborhood.

The ceremony concluded with remarks from Colleen Scully, Chief Biodiversity Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game. She emphasized that every effort to support biodiversity helps protect Massachusetts' natural resources. As this was the first year of the Community Biodiversity Grant program, she expressed her excitement at seeing one of its first projects successfully completed.

Conservation Agent Meredith Confrey

The Sawmill Lane Pollinator Pathway is open to the public and visitors are encouraged to stroll the pathway, enjoy the native plantings, browse the biodiversity-inspired artwork along the Sawmill Lane Bridge, and visit the community seed library to take home seeds for their own gardens. Educational signage will be installed in the coming weeks, and additional native seed planting along the riverbank is planned for the Fall.

 To learn more about this project, please visit https://beheard.dedham-ma.gov/sawmill-park

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