Green Circle Podcast Ep. 3
How did the local focus on open space in Massachusetts get started in the first place?
Massachusetts towns and cities started getting involved in protecting open space back in the 1950s. Our guest, Dedham open space advocate Stephanie Radner, combed through Dedham’s town archives and found that in the early 1960s, the Conservation Commission was decidedly activist. In meeting notes, members express excitement about stopping polluters and chew over strategies to protect more town land from development. Today, much of its work focuses on enforcing vital protections for wetlands and stormwater — essential responsibilities, but ones that leave less room for the proactive land-protection efforts that once defined the Commission’s agenda.
Guest: Stephanie Radner — Dedham Conservation Commission and Former Open Space Committee Member
In this third episode of The Green Circle, Stephanie explains how Massachusetts communities first came to focus on protecting open space. And she offers an interesting tidbit: how the back-to-back hurricanes Connie and Diane in 1955 helped convince the federal government to preserve land along the Charles River, recognizing its sponge-like ability to absorb floodwaters during heavy rains.
Today, much of its work focuses on enforcing vital protections for wetlands and stormwater — essential responsibilities, but ones that leave less room for the proactive land-protection efforts that once defined the Commission’s agenda.
