Meet Baylor Bennett

Q: Can you tell us a little about the work you and other neighbors are doing to tackle invasive plants along the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway? What does it involve?

A: We remove invasive species by hand or prune back consistently to prevent the spread. It really depends on the species. In some cases, I’m pruning species like Knotweed or digging up Black Swallow Wort roots every week!

Q: Gratitude!!!  So how did you get involved? And who else is part of the effort?

A: My family and I joined a Spring Cleanup on the pathway that was organized and hosted by Watertown Community Gardens. They are a wonderful group that hosts frequent volunteer efforts. They also have a stewardship agreement with the DCR that permits teams of volunteers to carry out this type of work.

Now we volunteer as much as we can because we all take pride in the path and feel a responsibility for how it looks and enjoy seeing our results and meeting other people in our community.

By the way, WCG hosts regular volunteer events along the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway, and volunteers can sign up for future events anytime!

Q: Is it fun? What’s it like spending time out there with other neighbors?

A: It isn’t “fun” to clean up other people’s litter. It can be quite frustrating to be honest, but the sense of accomplishment and seeing the positive change in the path makes it all worth it. Joining the effort makes everyone feel like a team and you can meet some great people in your community that you may not meet otherwise. 

Q: Are you starting to see a difference? What progress have you made so far?

A: The change over the past few years has been incredible. I think it’s important for people who use the path to know that it’s only clean because of volunteers. The amount of trash we find is pretty sad. The path would look very different without the volunteers. We have also noticed a lot of birds and insects enjoying the native flowers that we plant which is wonderful to see!

Q: What can the rest of us do to help, whether that means joining the team or just doing a few things in our own yards and neighborhoods? 

A: There are organizations like Friends of the Community Path that do great work and are volunteer run. Just giving an hour or two of your time once a month can make a huge impact when many people do it. You don’t have to wait for a community organization date.

People can also pick up trash around their neighborhood and see an immediate improvement. It all makes a difference and the feeling of accomplishment and pride when you’re done is amazing. 

There is a real problem with invasive plant species in Watertown and they are choking out native plants that are the foundation to our eco-system. A little knowledge on what they are and how to remove them can go a long way. Our kids love finding Black Swallow Wort and pulling the pods and the roots, to put in our home trash bin. It’s a game to us and fun to remove!  

Nicole: Everyone, please google how to pull the pods especially when you are walking your neighborhood. One pod is thousands of seeds. ALL parts of the plant must be bagged and put in your black trash bin!

Q: For people who don't know you, what do you do for work?

A:  I’m a residential general contractor and I’ve been working in the area for over 10 years. I love making houses and neighborhoods beautiful!

Q: Tell us a little about your company. What kinds of projects do you specialize in?

A: My team specializes in high quality, residential work. We do some smaller hospitality work such as coffee shops and restaurants, but residential is our primary focus. Kitchens, bathrooms, additions, and full gut renovations for clients who want a high quality finish.

Q: How did you learn the trade? Was this something you always wanted to do?

A: I studied business at the Harvard Extension school for years before switching to MassArt for a degree in Industrial Design. I wanted to be a furniture designer, but there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to do that in the Boston area. 

I didn't want to be a GC. My father and uncle were builders and two other uncles are designers. I tried to avoid this trade for most of my life, but eventually I gave in when I got offered a job by a wonderful GC who became my mentor and friend. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Don’t ignore your calling! 

Q: Would you recommend the construction trades to someone starting out today? What do you like about the work?

A: If anyone is considering the trades I think this is the time. We are AI proof, you’re not stuck in an office, and you work with some amazing people. If you’re interested in a career change, call me and we’ll have a coffee. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs you can have and the pay is good too! 

Q: You’ve been in Watertown for a while, but you’re relatively new to the Cottage Street neighborhood. How are you liking it?

A: I can’t say enough good things about my neighborhood but I think the secret sauce is having a group chat with your neighbors. There was a group chat that we joined when we moved in and it’s something that is active daily. We exchange tools, information, post about BBQs, and share silly memes. It’s just a wonderful way to stay connected. We use WhatsApp but any group chat will do. It just takes someone to get it started! 

Q: What brought you to Watertown in the first place?

A: I have lived in almost every community in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, you name it. Watertown is the best! 

Q: What are three things you love about Watertown?

A: We have a diverse community of people, cultures, and food, and it’s still (relatively) affordable. We love the summer farmers’ market with live music, the library, boys and girls clubs, proximity to the river… it really has everything. Most importantly, it has great people who care about the town.

Q: Three things you’d love to see change?

A: I have 2 things.

#1 Infrastructure improvements. I know we are in the middle of some great improvements, but the amount of leaning power poles and potholes is just embarrassing. 

#2 Better traffic enforcement. We have a lot of traffic going through our community and I wish there was more enforcement of the traffic rules. There are so many crosswalks that rely on driver awareness I’ve seen some scary close encounters. Especially around our schools. 

Q: And finally: when you’re not working or pulling invasive plants, what do you do for fun?

A: I enjoy our path! I love jogging and biking along the path to Fresh Pond or Watertown Square. We use the path to walk to Arsenal Yards frequently. I can’t say enough about how something so simple has had such a profound impact on our lives.

I hope Watertown and the surrounding communities can embrace more bike and pedestrian friendly infrastructure. It connects us to playgrounds, restaurants, shopping, and our community in ways a car can’t.