For many years, I enjoyed spying on the great blue herons nesting on snags in the beaver pond at Fenvale. Then a few springs ago, they didn’t return, probably because there was not enough food left there to support them as they raised their young.
The good news is that they are back! On a recent walk I was pleased to see two nests in one snag, both with herons sitting on them.
For another hour or so I circumambulated the pond on a trail made years ago by Paul Fenton. From various points along that path I could see turtles sunning themselves on logs, a large tree with a low 10-inch waist sculpted by gnawing beavers, a belted kingfisher working the edges of the pond, and a group of active yellow-rumped warblers. The trail crosses a rushing brook and winds through a beautiful mixed forest with dramatic rock outcroppings. The beaver dam at the east end is remarkable for its length and complexity.
How fortunate we are to have such an unspoiled property in Andover and to know that it will remain as it is for years to come! Back in the late ’80s, when the Fentons were subdividing their property, they entered into a conservation easement agreement with the Town to protect the pond, its outflow stream, and the shores and wetlands of the Blackwater River in perpetuity. Paul tells me that he loved exploring that area in his youth and wanted to be sure it would stay just the same.
Fenvale is one of many local properties with a conservation easement. Using a mapping service from UNH called GRANITView, I count 33 blocks of conserved properties in our town. Some are held with Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust (ASLPT), others with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF), and some by the Town itself, with the Andover Conservation Commission (ACC) as monitor.
The goals of these easements include maintaining scenic and open spaces, encouraging use of lands for agriculture and forestry, protecting significant natural areas, wildlife habitat, and historic places, and preserving resources and features. It’s no coincidence that these goals are the exact same as five of the ten principles that guided Andover’s Master Plan.
Quabbin to Cardigan
Many of us heard a presentation on May 12 by Chris Wells of SPNHF about the Quabbin to Cardigan (Q2C) partnership that is working to identify and protect prime conservation areas in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The region is bounded by Cardigan Mountain, the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts, and the Connecticut and Merrimack Rivers – a roughly rectangular region of nearly two million acres that includes Andover.
The talk, part of ACC’s “Taking Action for Wildlife” initiative, was a good reminder of Andover’s special location, bordering population centers and yet near one of the largest remaining areas of undisturbed, connected, ecologically-important forest in New England. If you have property that you want to preserve, don’t hesitate to contact ASLPT, SPNHF, or ACC to learn more.
Paul built that trail around the pond at Fenvale and Wally Currier helped maintain it for years, but it needs attention now. Let me know if you’d like to join me for some trail work: AndoverNaturally@nullgmail.com.