Meet Me in Medford | Dan Bender, Wilderscaping

By 4Squares Residential Group with Judi 411

Here at 4Squares, we love Medford neighbors who put down roots, and care for our community place in tangible ways. Get to know one resident, Dan Bender, who does both - he makes a home here while also uprooting invasive plants and helping restore the ecosystems that make Medford such a green and livable city.

After bouncing around Metro Boston post-college, Dan moved to Medford more than fifteen years ago and stayed. What began in South Medford eventually led him just north of the Square, where he now lives a short walk from the Middlesex Fells—an access point that would end up reshaping not only how he spends his days, but the work he does in the world.

We spent some time with Dan to learn what he loves about Medford and why this city continues to shape the way he lives and works.

You discovered Medford and chose to stay. How did Medford become home?

I’ve been here a little over fifteen years. I moved into South Medford when my wife and I got serious—she was living there and working for Cambridge Health Alliance. It just stuck. We bought our house during the pandemic, and now we’re just north of the Square, up on Ashcroft. We really lucked out—it’s a super inspiring little slice of heaven, and we’re within a short walk of the Middlesex Fells.

What do you love most about your Medford neighborhood?

The access to the Fells. We really wanted a dog, and once we had a house, we could finally do that. Now I can get into the woods and walk five miles every morning, run the dog, and get that dose of nature every day. There are beautiful native ecologies in there—things that really charge my batteries. That connection to nature is huge for me.

That connection clearly runs deeper than recreation. How is the Fells tied to your work?

I wouldn’t have my business if I hadn’t started using the Fells that way. Spending time there made it clear that I could do conservation work locally. It’s not something I have to travel for—it’s something I can do and live.

You’ve become known in Medford for your work around invasive plants, especially black swallow-wort. How did that begin?

It started when I was living in Cambridge near Inman Square. A neighbor left a sign on a chain-link fence that said, “This is black swallow-wort—and this is why it’s a problem.” Monarch butterflies confuse it for milkweed because it’s in the same family, but the caterpillars can’t survive on it.

It’s also a really persistent invasive plant—hard to eradicate and happy to take over fence lines, hedges, and dark corners. I spent years learning how to manage it on my own properties, and eventually I started helping neighbors and volunteering in the Fells, sharing what I’d learned more broadly.

For people who think invasive plants are just an aesthetic issue, what’s important to understand?

They’re a major threat to biodiversity. Invasive plants create sterile monocultures as they displace native plant communities. The exotic plants evolved half a world away. They Here in Massachusetts, they don’t support the native insects that birds depend onto feed their young. It’s a domino effect. If we want birds, we need insects. If we want insects, we need native plants—especially keystone species like oaks that host hundreds of insect species.

This doesn’t get talked about as much as climate change, but it’s as serious. The good news is that supporting biodiversity is something we can actually do something about—locally.

That philosophy led you to start Wilderscaping. What’s the approach behind it?

Invasive plant management is really about habitat restoration. Invasives thrive in disturbed areas—edges, borders, disrupted spaces. When you create a healthy, intact ecosystem, they have a much harder time getting established.

So the work is twofold: removing what doesn’t belong and planting native species that support pollinators, birds, and biodiversity. It’s about building resilience into the landscape.

Your work has also become deeply community-facing. How did sharing this knowledge through talks and walks come about?

As I started doing more volunteer work during the pandemic, I noticed how curious people were about what they were seeing in their yards, along trails, and in public spaces. That led me to start offering informal invasive plant “walk and talk” sessions—often in the Fells or tied to local events—where I could help people identify invasive plants and understand why they matter.

Showing up to community events like Mystic River celebrations and the Harvest Your Energy Festival helped those conversations travel further. That’s how I connected with Arts Collaborative Medford. They were looking for a local gardener to create a pollinator garden and had heard me speak at one of these events. After talking through the vision, we installed the garden over the fall.

That collaboration opened the door to even more community-facing work. Through Trees Medford, I’ve been involved in assessing invasive plant life in parks across the city and sharing that information with the Department of Public Works. The goal is to give DPW the data and context they need to manage invasive plants proactively—before they spread further into neighborhoods and natural areas.

It’s not about one-off fixes. It’s about creating a system that helps the city care for its green spaces in the long term.

I’ve also started to work with Trees Medford on a Mini-Forest project that will be installed in Tufts Park this Fall. The project is based on the Miyawaki method; we will plant about 300 young trees and shrubs in a 100-square-meter plot. By selecting plants from a natural community well suited to the site and planting them densely, we can expect accelerated growth and a self-sustaining forest plot within a few years. This will not only help provide a refuge for pollinators and birds, it will also help provide much-needed shade for the South Medford community. TreesMedford has much more information about the project for anyone interested in learning more or getting involved!

Your story also spans land and sea. How does that fit into your work today?

I stepped away from tech and spent a few years working in the scuba industry. My goal was to help solve environmental problems through reef restoration, ecotourism, and education about marine environments. It was meaningful work, but required a huge amount of travel overhead. It was also emotionally heavy—climate impacts on reefs can feel overwhelming.

What I realized through my local volunteer work is that I could work in conservation, while having a tangible impact close to home. The Fells made that possible. It’s a different ecosystem, but it’s one we can still protect and restore.

I keep that connection to the ocean by volunteering at the New England Aquarium. As a Giant Ocean Tank volunteer, I have the opportunity to dive every week to clean the exhibit, as well as prep food and feeding the residents, including Myrtle the Turtle. I get a chance to live out my childhood dreams of being that guy in the tank!

Photos clockwise from upper left: a thriving Monarch butterfly caterpillar feeding on milkweed, a local landscape designed by Wilderscaping (both photos courtesy of Dan Bender), Medford's Clippership Connector bike and walking path - connecting the Square and Medford's Riverbend Park, batards from Colette Bakery in South Medford. Portrait of Dan Bender above courtesy of the subject.

Medford makes it possible to live locally and stay connected to the city. How do you get into Boston?

I bike when I can, and the Clippership Connector has been a game-changer. Before, there were stretches that felt really treacherous—rotaries, on-ramps, heavy traffic. The Connector bridges a huge gap and makes biking on the Medford side feel much safer.

Riding along the Mystic and seeing all the wildlife along the river—that’s part of what makes the ride worth it.

What are some of your favorite Medford spots when you’re not in the woods or on a bike?

One of the things I love about Medford is how easy it is to be connected—to nature and to community. You can spend the morning in the Fells and then walk to a great local spot for food.

You’ll often find me at Mrs. Murphy’s Pub, El Tacuba, Tom Yum Koong, La Cascia’s, Colette, or Snappy Patty’s—because Medford does local really well.

If your best friend were thinking about moving to Medford, what would you tell them?

I’d tell them there’s a neighborhood for every kind of life here. West Medford has charm and easy access to commuter rail. South Medford has great walkability and a variety of food options. Being near the Mystic is special. Wherever you land, you’re connected—to green space, to the city, and to community.

People don’t always realize how much nature is woven into Medford. That’s the surprise—and the gift.

What keeps you inspired right now?

There’s so much negativity in the world. Every day, I can counter that in a way that isn’t political. It’s just: save what we can. Fix what we can.

And some days, honestly, I just want to climb a tree.

Want to learn more about invasive plants and how to address them at home? Visit Wilderscaping to learn more about Dan Bender’s work and his approach to restoring healthy, native landscapes in Medford and beyond.

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