Life in Cheesecake Brook

Earlier this month, we hosted a “BioBlitz” biological survey at Cheesecake Brook in Newton. Participants logged 257 observations of 74 different species, including both native species, like American Asters (Symphyotrichum), and many that are characteristic of altered urban environments (Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella).

Later, CRWA’s Max Rome and Alfredo Con joined the Native Fish Coalition (NFC) on a “fishing trip” at Cheesecake after discovering that fish from the Charles River were finding their way into the stream, despite a large cement slab that blocks most fish passage. Together, NFC and CRWA were excited to confirm that the brook can sustain aquatic life! We fully expect that biodiversity in the brook will only improve as the restoration project there is constructed.