LYNN — The newly formed Floating Bridge Pond Association hosted its first major clean-up of the pond near Victory Road and Western Ave on Saturday.
Ward 2 Councilor Obed Matul said keeping the pond and the entrance to Lynn from Salem clean was one of the points he emphasized while running for councilor, and he is happy to see the Floating Bridge Pond Association gaining momentum.
“I want to make sure that we maintain the pond, there’s so much life to it. There’s a lot of native plants. There’s a lot of wildlife that we need to maintain,” Matul said.
He added there is a lot of trash that prevents the pond’s native plants from growing.
Matul said they did a small-scale clean-up in April and found bike frames, car tires, car seats, and other manmade objects that do not belong in the pond.
“So we have been working with the neighbors making sure that we have more eyes on the pond,” he said.
He added there are a lot of invasive plants that are preventing young trees from growing. During the clean-up, community members removed a lot of the invasive weeds to allow the trees and native plants to grow.
“It’s going to bring more sunlight, it’s going to bring more space. It’s going to bring basically a clean ecosystem,” he said.
He said he hopes the clean up generates more interest among neighbors in joining the Floating Bridge Pond Association and helping keep the pond clean year-round.
Matul said the Association has so far met with the Conservation Commission and the City’s Urban Forestry Fellow Erica Holm to become more informed about how to maintain the plants surrounding the pond.
The Floating Bridge Pond Association is a newly formed nonprofit that anyone who is passionate about the maintenance of the Floating Bridge Pond can join, Matul said.
In June, the Association repainted the “Welcome to Lynn” sign and placed American flags on the lampposts on the bridge to welcome those entering from Salem into Lynn.
Matul said his hope is to continue with the mission of beautifying the area and welcoming people into the wonderful City.
