FOLQ was founded in 1991 by a group of like-minded citizens who recognized how important Lake Quannapowitt was to Wakefield. They sought to mobilize the growing public sentiment that the lake needed to be protected for future generations. The Friends of Lake Quannapowitt is a registered 501C3 non-profit organization.
Notable achievements
Recent
- Provided funding for the Town of Wakefield to install a bioretention rain garden at the north end of the lake for stormwater filtration to improve water quality
- Organized and carried out a multi-year restoration of the walkway and lakeshore garden space in Gertrude Spaulding Park
- Install and maintain a native plant pollinator garden and stair railings at Gertrude Spaulding Park
- Remove approximately 40 trash-bags of litter per year by sponsoring multiple lake cleanup events annually
- Monitor and remove multiple invasive species in Colonel Connelly Park annually, including Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), Crownvetch (Securigera varia), Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Orange Common Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva).
- Restarted FOLQ’s water quality program and partnered with the Town of Wakefield to bring in SOLitude Lake Management for a summer-long water quality study in 2024
Historic
- Expanded public access to walkway along privately held property at the head of the lake (formerly American Mutual)
- Created Gertrude Spaulding Park at the head of the lake
- Conducted water testing since 1992, measuring among other things, salt and fertilizer runoff
- Sponsored a renovation of Colonel Connelly Park
- Initiated a goose control program now maintained by the town; continue to monitor monthly goose traffic
- Stopped a crematorium from being installed only feet from the lake
- Initiated a town-sponsored “Lake Committee” to study in depth the threats to water quality in the lake and possible solutions
- Established doggie bag dispensaries at three stations around the lake to minimize animal waste along the shore
