Friends of Lake Quannapowitt

👩‍🌾 Spring Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Cleanup
2026-06-11 17:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!
Thursday, June 11
5:00pm – 7:30pm
Location: Gertrude Spaulding Park (near Col. Connelly Park at the north end of the lake by Gingerbread Construction Company)
DETAILS

Two volunteer options during each session: invasive plant removals or litter cleanup. You can choose one or both.
Stay as long as you’d like: These are usually 2-hour work sessions, but people stay for as long or short as they can, and you’re welcome to sign up for any that you’d like to do! No previous experience is necessary, but enjoying hands-on gardening is important for invasive plant removals.

OVERVIEW OF THE WORK

Invasive plant removals:

Bring garden gloves and any tools you have: Please bring garden gloves and any tools you might have like garden shears, a hand trowel, clippers, and other pruning tools. We’ll also have some available.
A lot like weeding a garden
Pulling, cutting, and digging out invasive species along the shoreline to help the native plant species thrive
Plants include bittersweet (a vine), bindweed (a vine), purple loosestrife (a flower), multiflora rose (a flower), and others
Family-friendly: The work is probably a good fit for kids 10 and up. BUT we love having families with young kids come to enjoy the lake and help out even in small ways, so we welcome families with kids of all ages – even if it means you’re just there for 20 minutes checking out the plants!

Litter cleanups:

We provide gloves (including children’s sizes), pickers, trash bags, and hand sanitizers
Pick up any garbage you see along the lakeshore (bottles, bags, fishing lures, etc.)

🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!

🎪 Festival by the Lake
2026-06-14 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Friends of Lake Quannapowitt is happy to once again participate at the Festival by the Lake, an annual event hosted by the Wakefield Center Neighborhood Association (WCNA). Come for the many crafters, artists, local organizations, live music, and great food. Visit with the many local nonprofit organizations, including FOLQ, to learn about community services and opportunities to get involved.
FOLQ will share information about the Lake, including updates on construction around the lake, native and invasive plant work being done along the shores, water quality updates, and more.
⭐⭐⭐ NEW THIS YEAR: FOLQ will have Interactive Watershed Demonstrations running from 10:00am to 12:00pm. This is a fun, interactive way for kids and people of all ages to learn how watersheds work, and how water and pollutants travel from miles away to wind up in Lake Quannapowitt. Stop by the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt booth for a hands-on look at our watershed! Visitors will be environmental scientists using our 3D watershed model to see exactly how rain and daily habits impact the health of our local lake. Come learn how we can all work together to keep our water clean. Anyone who stops by can enter a giveaway to win some great prizes!

We hope to see you on the Lower Common for this community event!

👩‍🌾 Spring Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Cleanup
2026-06-27 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!
Thursday, June 27
10:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Gertrude Spaulding Park (near Col. Connelly Park at the north end of the lake by Gingerbread Construction Company)
DETAILS

Two volunteer options during each session: invasive plant removals or litter cleanup. You can choose one or both.
Stay as long as you’d like: These are usually 2-hour work sessions, but people stay for as long or short as they can, and you’re welcome to sign up for any that you’d like to do! No previous experience is necessary, but enjoying hands-on gardening is important for invasive plant removals.

OVERVIEW OF THE WORK

Invasive plant removals:

Bring garden gloves and any tools you have: Please bring garden gloves and any tools you might have like garden shears, a hand trowel, clippers, and other pruning tools. We’ll also have some available.
A lot like weeding a garden
Pulling, cutting, and digging out invasive species along the shoreline to help the native plant species thrive
Plants include bittersweet (a vine), bindweed (a vine), purple loosestrife (a flower), multiflora rose (a flower), and others
Family-friendly: The work is probably a good fit for kids 10 and up. BUT we love having families with young kids come to enjoy the lake and help out even in small ways, so we welcome families with kids of all ages – even if it means you’re just there for 20 minutes checking out the plants!

Litter cleanups:

We provide gloves (including children’s sizes), pickers, trash bags, and hand sanitizers
Pick up any garbage you see along the lakeshore (bottles, bags, fishing lures, etc.)

🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!

Board Meeting
2026-07-07 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-09-01 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-10-06 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-11-03 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-12-01 18:30 - 20:00, 2027-01-05 18:30 - 20:00, 2027-03-02 18:30 - 20:00, 2027-04-06 18:30 - 20:00 UTC and 12 more dates

👩‍🌾 Summer Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Cleanup
2026-07-09 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!
Thursday, July 9
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Gertrude Spaulding Park (near Col. Connelly Park at the north end of the lake by Gingerbread Construction Company)
DETAILS

Two volunteer options during each session: invasive plant removals or litter cleanup. You can choose one or both.
Stay as long as you’d like: These are usually 2-hour work sessions, but people stay for as long or short as they can, and you’re welcome to sign up for any that you’d like to do! No previous experience is necessary, but enjoying hands-on gardening is important for invasive plant removals.

OVERVIEW OF THE WORK

Invasive plant removals:

Bring garden gloves and any tools you have: Please bring garden gloves and any tools you might have like garden shears, a hand trowel, clippers, and other pruning tools. We’ll also have some available.
A lot like weeding a garden
Pulling, cutting, and digging out invasive species along the shoreline to help the native plant species thrive
Plants include bittersweet (a vine), bindweed (a vine), purple loosestrife (a flower), multiflora rose (a flower), and others
Family-friendly: The work is probably a good fit for kids 10 and up. BUT we love having families with young kids come to enjoy the lake and help out even in small ways, so we welcome families with kids of all ages – even if it means you’re just there for 20 minutes checking out the plants!

Litter cleanups:

We provide gloves (including children’s sizes), pickers, trash bags, and hand sanitizers
Pick up any garbage you see along the lakeshore (bottles, bags, fishing lures, etc.)

🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!

🎣 Free Learn to Fish Session at Lake Quannapowitt
2026-07-16 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
THIS REGISTRATION IS FULL. Please email mail@folq.org to be placed on the wait list.
If you registered but can no longer attend, email mail@folq.org to cancel your registration.
FOLQ is thrilled to once again partner with MassWildlife to host a “Learn to Fish” event for ages 5 and up. This free, family friendly fishing class at Lake Quannapowitt from 5:30 – 7:30 PM will occur before the beginning of that night’s Movie by the Lake.
All Ages Welcome
This is NOT exclusively a kid’s program. It is a program for people of all ages who want to learn how to fish. Children 15 or younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Details
🐟 Thursday, July 16th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
🐟 Ages 5 years and older
🐟 Lower Common, Lake Quannapowitt
🐟 Pre-registration Required
🐟 Cost: Free!
What to Expect
Have you ever wanted to learn how to fish? Now’s your chance! Let the MassWildlife Angler Education Program be your guide. We’ll have equipment on hand for use, as well as terminal tackle, and live bait. You’ll learn the basics, from casting out, to baiting up, and the best part – you’ll be able to fish. So come try your hand at this great pastime, guaranteed to catch some fun!
THIS REGISTRATION IS FULL. Please email mail@folq.org to be placed on the wait list.
If you registered but can no longer attend, email mail@folq.org to cancel your registration.
Did you know?
If you’re fishing at Lake Quannapowitt, FOLQ and the Town of Wakefield have installed fishing line recycling canisters around the lake. Please dispose of any fishing line, hooks, and bobbers in the green cane-shaped canisters located in 6 places. Details here.

👩‍🌾 Summer Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Cleanup
2026-07-18 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!
Saturday, July 18
9:00am – 11:00am
Location: TBD – sign up to receive updates on location
DETAILS

Two volunteer options during each session: invasive plant removals or litter cleanup. You can choose one or both.
Stay as long as you’d like: These are usually 2-hour work sessions, but people stay for as long or short as they can, and you’re welcome to sign up for any that you’d like to do! No previous experience is necessary, but enjoying hands-on gardening is important for invasive plant removals.

OVERVIEW OF THE WORK

Invasive plant removals:

Bring garden gloves and any tools you have: Please bring garden gloves and any tools you might have like garden shears, a hand trowel, clippers, and other pruning tools. We’ll also have some available.
A lot like weeding a garden
Pulling, cutting, and digging out invasive species along the shoreline to help the native plant species thrive
Plants include bittersweet (a vine), bindweed (a vine), purple loosestrife (a flower), multiflora rose (a flower), and others
Family-friendly: The work is probably a good fit for kids 10 and up. BUT we love having families with young kids come to enjoy the lake and help out even in small ways, so we welcome families with kids of all ages – even if it means you’re just there for 20 minutes checking out the plants!

Litter cleanups:

We provide gloves (including children’s sizes), pickers, trash bags, and hand sanitizers
Pick up any garbage you see along the lakeshore (bottles, bags, fishing lures, etc.)

🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!

👩‍🌾 Summer Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Cleanup
2026-07-23 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!
Thursday, July 23
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: TBD – sign up to receive updates on location
DETAILS

Two volunteer options during each session: invasive plant removals or litter cleanup. You can choose one or both.
Stay as long as you’d like: These are usually 2-hour work sessions, but people stay for as long or short as they can, and you’re welcome to sign up for any that you’d like to do! No previous experience is necessary, but enjoying hands-on gardening is important for invasive plant removals.

OVERVIEW OF THE WORK

Invasive plant removals:

Bring garden gloves and any tools you have: Please bring garden gloves and any tools you might have like garden shears, a hand trowel, clippers, and other pruning tools. We’ll also have some available.
A lot like weeding a garden
Pulling, cutting, and digging out invasive species along the shoreline to help the native plant species thrive
Plants include bittersweet (a vine), bindweed (a vine), purple loosestrife (a flower), multiflora rose (a flower), and others
Family-friendly: The work is probably a good fit for kids 10 and up. BUT we love having families with young kids come to enjoy the lake and help out even in small ways, so we welcome families with kids of all ages – even if it means you’re just there for 20 minutes checking out the plants!

Litter cleanups:

We provide gloves (including children’s sizes), pickers, trash bags, and hand sanitizers
Pick up any garbage you see along the lakeshore (bottles, bags, fishing lures, etc.)

🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!

👩‍🌾 Summer Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Cleanup
2026-08-02 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!
Sunday, August 2
9:00am – 11:00am
Location: TBD – sign up to receive updates on location
DETAILS

Two volunteer options during each session: invasive plant removals or litter cleanup. You can choose one or both.
Stay as long as you’d like: These are usually 2-hour work sessions, but people stay for as long or short as they can, and you’re welcome to sign up for any that you’d like to do! No previous experience is necessary, but enjoying hands-on gardening is important for invasive plant removals.

OVERVIEW OF THE WORK

Invasive plant removals:

Bring garden gloves and any tools you have: Please bring garden gloves and any tools you might have like garden shears, a hand trowel, clippers, and other pruning tools. We’ll also have some available.
A lot like weeding a garden
Pulling, cutting, and digging out invasive species along the shoreline to help the native plant species thrive
Plants include bittersweet (a vine), bindweed (a vine), purple loosestrife (a flower), multiflora rose (a flower), and others
Family-friendly: The work is probably a good fit for kids 10 and up. BUT we love having families with young kids come to enjoy the lake and help out even in small ways, so we welcome families with kids of all ages – even if it means you’re just there for 20 minutes checking out the plants!

Litter cleanups:

We provide gloves (including children’s sizes), pickers, trash bags, and hand sanitizers
Pick up any garbage you see along the lakeshore (bottles, bags, fishing lures, etc.)

🌿🌱 Sign Up Here!

🎪 FOLQ at Town Day on the Common
2026-09-26 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Bandstand/Lower Common Lake Quannapowitt, Church Street, Wakefield, MA, 01880, United States
The Town of Wakefield and the Wakefield Area Chamber of Commerce will host Town Day on the Common. Stop by the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt table at Town Day on the Lower Common. See the work we do, learn about the latest happenings around the lake, check out volunteer opportunities, and take home some fresh merchandise! All proceeds benefit FOLQ’s efforts because we are a nonprofit, 100% volunteer organization.
From 1 to 4 p.m., all are invited to listen to live music, enjoy a variety of food and beverages, join live demos, and browse exhibitor tables.

Annual Breakfast 🥞
2026-11-15 08:00 - 11:00 UTC | Crystal Community Club, 77 Preston St, Wakefield, MA, 01880
