As a Watershed Protection Ranger and Outreach Coordinator at Fresh Pond Reservation, Tim Puopolo wears many hats.
Some days, he leads groups of volunteers in removing invasive species or taps maple trees with elementary school students. Other times, he patrols the reservation for potential hazards or updates signage to protect the watershed. For Puopolo, no two days at Fresh Pond are the same, and that is part of what he loves most about his job.
“It’s never boring because some days my Monday and my Thursday look drastically different. And I do enjoy that,” Puopolo said. “And every year sort of rhymes, even though each day is different, because everything follows sort of these natural cycles.”
Puopolo uses an “education before enforcement” approach to help raise awareness among the many communities who use Fresh Pond on how to safely and enjoyably use this shared resource. This includes coordinating field trips and activities with local elementary schools and libraries, but his outreach extends to Cambridge residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
“The more people care, the more actively they’ll be a steward,” he said.
He described Fresh Pond as “Cambridge’s Central Park,” noting that it is a shared-use property that invites everyone from bicyclists and dog walkers to families and picnickers. Additionally, Fresh Pond is home to unique biodiversity, and Puopolo strives to help interactions between human visitors and the reservation’s natural inhabitants be as positive and safe as possible.
“This is also the most biodiverse part of Cambridge. So, a lot of wildlife,” Puopolo said. “We have deer, muskrat, owls, turtles, and I’m out here to keep people safe from nature and keep nature safe from people.”
One of the most critical parts of Puopolo’s work involves protecting the city’s water supply, which is located at Fresh Pond, from potential contaminants. Compared to many other towns, this reservoir is uniquely visible to Cambridge residents, and Puopolo says many are shocked to learn how vital it is to their lives.
“This is the drinking water supply that when they turn on their tap Fresh Pond goes right through this big building, the Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility, and we make 10 to 14 million gallons of tap water a day,” Puopolo said. “That can sort of blow some people's minds.”
In addition, he coordinates a wide array of volunteer opportunities for community members of all ages, from recurring programs to special events, like the Earth Day clean-up.
“If you’re ready to plant for nature or do science for nature, those are all weekly, plus we offer these volunteer days of services,” Puopolo said.
Puopolo emphasized that if someone is interested in volunteering, he can help find—or create—an opportunity that excites them and deepens their connection with the natural environment.
“When people come and volunteer, then they care even more about this property. And then it becomes a part of them. And slowly, if I can get everybody that visits Fresh Pond to feel like they have a sense of ownership and belonging here, that's how we can all get along and how we can see steady improvement there,” he said. “So, volunteering not only helps the property, but the community, and I am more than happy to work to be that connective tissue between community and environment.”
Before coming to Fresh Pond, Puopolo worked as a National Park Service Ranger and State DCR Ranger. He says working for Cambridge is a unique experience due in part to the deep history of the Fresh Pond watershed.
“The City of Cambridge protects the water with this unbroken ring of nature, which also attracts people and multiple uses. So, the fact that we've had this for almost 200 years as this ring of nature insulating the drinking water supply has really been a real lure for people,” Puopolo said.
Additionally, Puopolo says working for a municipality helps foster closer connections with other city departments that may be involved with the reservation, from the Department of Public Works to the Fire Department.
“Because it's a lot smaller, the collaboration has been easier and I enjoy the fact that I can grow with the property and sort of see long-term projects through,” he said.
Outside of his time spent at Fresh Pond Reservation, Puopolo volunteers on his local conservation commission, grows bonsai trees at home, practices martial arts, and loves to play and host trivia nights. Above all, he is a nature enthusiast, and this shines through no matter where he is.
“Anybody that's ever walked with me has noticed you can take the Ranger out of the park, but you can't take the park out of the Ranger,” Puopolo said.
