An easy woodland walk, suitable for all ages, on property in East Andover recently acquired by the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust (ASLPT), will be led by Andy Deegan, ASLPT’s land protection specialist and stewardship manager, from 1 to 3 PM on Saturday, May 21. The walk is free and open to the public.
Beginning at a trailhead near the junction of Route 11 and Agony Hill Road in East Andover, participants in the “spring awakening” walk in Old College Road Preserve “will be looking to identify the blossoming of plant life that occurs during springtime in New Hampshire,” according to Deegan. “Because the property has vernal pools in it, we’ll also be looking for amphibian activity.” The walk will also introduce attendees to newly established hiking trails on the 54-acre property, he added.
The walk is co-sponsored by ASLPT and the Andover Conservation Commission.
About the Preserve
From the ASLPT Web site: “In 2002, a group of concerned neighbors in East Andover co-purchased a 54-acre parcel of land to protect it from future development. The group, including Alex Bernhard and Myra Mayman, Fritz and Barbara Hunting, Joyce Jones, Jon and Vicky Mishcon, and Lori Cox, named the property Old College Road Preserve.
“After more than 10 years of ownership, the property owners approached ASLPT Land Protection Specialist Andy Deegan to discuss their desire to gift full ownership of Old College Road Preserve to the land trust…. As the owner, ASLPT will assume the Current Use taxes for the property and will have the flexibility to manage the property independently.
“Not only does Old College Road Preserve have good forestry soils, but a portion of the property is listed as supporting landscapes under the 2010 Wildlife Action Plan. There are vernal pools on the property that support native amphibians.
“The most important factor in ensuring the preservation of Old College Road Preserve, however, is its connectivity to other land. This 54-acre parcel, with frontage on both Old College Road and Agony Hill Road, is adjacent to over 2,400 acres of previously conserved land.”