The Monoosnoc Brook Greenway Project is a partnership between residents and businesses of Leominster formed to provide stewardship for the Monoosnoc Brook watershed.

Monoosnoc Brook
The flow of history for the City of Leominster has been vitally connected with the flow of the Monoosnoc Brook. As early as 1738, several mills harnessed the power of the brook's waters enabling the first settlers to establish themselves and prosper. You can still see the sites of the companies that once thrived such as F.A. Whitney Carriage Company, Wachusett Shirt Factory and others. The brook is part of a network that provides drinking water for Leominster, as well as a habitat for white tail deer, great blue heron, muskrats, fish and a variety of other wildlife and vegetation. Seriously neglected and abused until the late 1980s, the Monoosnoc Brook is now again a valuable asset to Leominster.

Monoosnoc Brook Greenway Project
In 1987, the Monoosnoc Brook Greenway Project (MBGP) was formed as part of the Nashua River Watershed Association. The project was in response to the concerns of local businesses and City officials who noted the neglect and deterioration of the brook which had become littered with garbage.

Through cleanups, site work, education and other events, the MBGP has been successful at restoring the beauty of the brook. Walking trails and small park areas have been established.

Monoosnoc Brook view from below Simonds Pond dam (John Gallagher photo)

Other MBGP activities include; educational programs with the Leominster schools featuring Scavenger Hunt Field trips, "Wild, Wild Monoosnoc Brook" slide show, Monoosnoc Brook Patrol Science Program and the Monoosnoc Brook Outdoor Classroom Curriculum. There is an annual cleanup (over 120 tons of trash have been removed), planting of daffodil and tulip bulbs along the Greenway Trail, and the Annual Winterfest featuring exhibitions and an art contest. The Greenway Project has become an ongoing community-based effort, ensuring that the Monoosnoc Brook remains a valuable asset to the City of Leominster.

If you would like to help with the project or would like more information, please contact the NRWA, at (978) 448-0299.

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