The Deblog

View from the Riverbend Bench

2010-07-06T09:51:00.001-04:00

To create and steward trails--and the lands through which they pass--is a lot like raising a child. A new trail requires a concerted effort to bring it to life, dedication and nurturing to build and develop it, and eventually the will to send it off into the world for others to enjoy. The lopping, clearing, routing, marking, mapping and marketing have already occurred. Now its time for visitors.

When I take in the ebb and flow of the Indian River as it winds past me here in the heart of the Riverbend Conservation Land in West Newbury, my senses are overwhelmed with the perfection of the place--intense colors, moving water, birdsong, diverse plant life.

Here is a spot of land that was lost and undiscovered until last year, when a meandering deer trail was widened and groomed to allow access through it. The well laid stone wall that runs through the property and old cellar holes and wells along the way remind us of the settlers who cleared and farmed here two centuries ago. The level site just above the water's edge tells of long-ago campfires by early explorers and native people. The river's banks show evidence of generations who launched and landed canoes here. Old infrastructure, dams, mill ponds and skid roads remind us that Pipestave Hill was named for the trees harvested there, then floated down to ships waiting on the Merrimac to take that wood around the world in barrels, pipes and boxes. Photos from 1900 show the area to be cleared of trees and laid out in open fields. Aside from the stone walls, it is now hard to see this place as other than virgin forest.

When a new trail is opened to the public there's a certain trust that goes with that introduction. The sponsors hope that the public find and enjoy the experience, respect the terrain and the creatures that live there, and share their discovery with other nature-loving trail walkers. Equestrians and bicyclists, dog walkers and cross-country skiiers, all become the stewards for that trail whenever they use it. Please, come walk the Riverbend Trails and see what they have to offer.

Fun Stuff Coming up in West Newbury!

2010-05-21T09:04:00.002-04:00

West Newbury townspeople gather for only a few great community events each year, among them the Mill Pond Winter Carnival, summer concerts at the Bandstand, and, of course, Town Meeting. But one day we all celebrate together is Memorial Day, with youngsters and old folks, antique cars and marching bands, Boy and Girl Scouts, Little League teams, and of course, our Veterans, whose sacrifice and service we honor on that day. This year’s parade will be Monday, May 31, starting by the Post Office and concluding at the Training Field. The event is chaired by Steve Alvino, and this year’s Grand Marshall will be Dick Cushing. If you wish to participate, contact Steve at 978 363-1557, or if you wish to ride or drive your horse or pony, please call Felicity Beech at 978 363-2021. The parade will step off at 10:30 and will conclude with the kids riding back to the Public Safety building on the town’s firetrucks, always a hit with the young folks.

The following Saturday, June 5 is “National Trails Day”, which we will celebrate by walking the newly marked Indian River Trail, starting from Mill Pond at 11:00. Led by members of the West Newbury Open Space Committee, Barry LaCroix and Don Bourquard, participants will see natural and historical sites, and complete a “passport” entitling them to a hot dog luncheon at the Mill Pond Building after the hike.

Land owners and trail users are encouraged to join us on June 5, as we explore the wonderful trail network that is available to us. Many hours of volunteer work have gone into clearing trails this spring, especially around Mill Pond and down to the River Road trail, and now is the time to enjoy them. Wear long pants and good shoes. Leashed dogs are welcome as well.

And don’t forget the Garden Club Plant Sale this Saturday, May 22 at the Training Field! Hardy local flowers, shrubs and trees, herbs and vegetables will be available with knowledgeable experts there to discuss their planting requirements. I suggest you arrive at 9 a.m. as some of the choicest plants are in limited qualities and sell fast.

RIVERBEND TRAILS ARE NOW MARKED

2010-03-22T16:42:00.001-04:00

Looking for a beautiful nature walk that is close to home? West Newbury's Riverbend Conservation Area extends from the water tower next to Page School down along the Indian River, across the slope and down to the Merrimack River. Spared much of the damage and destruction that toppled trees at Maudslay and Old Town Hill, the trails are easy and inviting, tho' there are wet spots. Thanks to West Newbury Life Scout Jeremy Baker and Troop 26, red trail markers lead down from Page School to the Main Trail, where blue markers lead right down toward the Merrimack or left to the Indian River. Orange markers follow the Indian River down to an overlook that is my favorite spot in town. The blue trail also continues up the old Myopia Hunt trail back to the parking lot at Mill Pond.

This beautiful town-owned parcel is a haven for beaver, otters, raptors, ducks and wading birds, and is blessed with a diversity of mature trees, ferns and wildflowers. The Indian River has been protected since for hundreds of years, and once was dammed and used to float out the basswood and oak cut from Pipestave Hill to be made into barrels. Old stone walls, dams and pools remain where a thriving mill once operated, at the point where the Indian River meets the incoming tide coming up the Merrimac.

Contact me if you need a trail map, or consult the Essex County Trails Association web site for a definitive view of the area. Then go take a hike!

Post Storm/Pre-Spring -- an early invitation

2010-03-17T09:45:00.001-04:00

What a difference a storm makes! Ten inches of rain and days of unrelenting wind have finally retreated to reveal a greening world and swelling buds. Everything pops so quickly now, first the bulbs, then the woodland wild flowers, and then, the last week in April, come the magnolias.

I forget, from one year to the next, how marvelous each March feels. How seeing metal maple syrup buckets hanging from the sugar maples renews the faith in the great swinging arc of the seasons, and how the first crocus brings a smile. Anticipation of each day's new growth is ample reward for a winter of grey and dreary dark.

At our house, the big reward and payday comes the last week in April when the huge tree magnolias in our backyard are covered with creamy white blooms. Since the exact dates for peak blooms varies year to year, I'll write you again when they're blooming and hope you can join me for a woodland tour. With waterfalls and vernal pools, tiny wildflowers and awakening wildlife, our yard is one I love to share with everyone who shares our appreciation for the surprises and delights of early spring. Stay tuned........................

2010-03-03T11:18:00.010-05:00

Ready for the next big one?

Three days and three nights of powerless living makes you reassess how we take it for granted, doesn't it? And it points out all the foibles of depending on "the grid" for all our electrical needs. Next time, we'll pay better attention when the National Weather Service predicts wind and rain warnings. Here are some preparedness suggestions...care to add to my list?

Fill the bathtubs so there's water available to flush the toilets with a coffee can.

Have the flashlights next to the beds instead of in the cupboard in the kitchen.

Fill the extra animals' water buckets and keep them full in the basement as back up water sources. And remember that the local police departments have collapsible water containers they can loan or give you in emergencies in case you need to haul water.

Add to the database in your cell phone and on paper the names and numbers of motels within half an hour south and west, just in case.

Know where the car charger is for each cell phone. I have an "I-Go" with interchangeable tips that fit a couple different phones. And carry the land-line charger to recharge your phone at the library, restaurant and office, whenever you can.

Finally invest in a generator and hire John Collins to get it set up. Although I find them noisy and smelly the whole experience of being able to have heat, a working refrigerator, light, etc., would make the experience of powerlessness far more bearable. And if you're planning to sell your house, a generator is a necessity.

Both our West Newbury and Plum Island properties were without power for several days after Thursday night's big blow, and yours probably was as well.

"Another World" lost a window when a piece of shingle flew off Mad Martha's restaurant and went right through it, but nobody was in the room. Platoons of power trucks finally got things working again on Saturday on Plum Island and on Sunday afternoon for our West Newbury home. The West Newbury house was down to 45 degrees when we arrived Sunday morning. We had fled to Alex's brother's house in Newton the afternoon before, desperate for showers and shampoo and warmth.

Let's not lose momentum on the idea of getting ready for the next big one, because we now know it very well could happen again.

Winter Carnival, with a twist!

2010-02-12T12:12:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday was notable not only if you were fans of New Orleans football, but for a singularly different Winter Carnival at West Newbury's Mill Pond as well. With absolutely no snow on the west-facing slope overlooking Mill Pond, the whole focus of the day was at the foot of the hill. Between the morning's under-the-ice rescue demonstration by the West Newbury Emergency Crew and the sailing ice boat at sunset, skating and sliding families filled the glassy-smooth ice from east to west.

Pick-up hockey games, puck shooting and ball-tossing at a snowman were popular, as were saucer and tube riding behind willing dads. Around 150 neighbors enjoyed hot food provided by Glenn and Mary Kemper, hot cocoa and treats. The Girl Scouts sold cookies and several Boy Scouts assisted with parking. The Mill Pond building, was open and warm, but bright sun, a bonfire, burned marshmallows and a cloudless sky kept things plenty comfortable outside.

Couldn't make it? The Mill Pond and adjoining public land is available for skating, hiking, cross country skiing, dog walking, canoeing and passive riding year round, dawn to dusk. Mill Pond is a natural gem right in the center of town, a respite from the world just minutes away. Maps of the area's open spaces can be purchased from the GAR Library, or viewed online at WestNewburyOpenSpace.org or on the ECTA website.

Confessions of An Outdoorswoman 3. Little River Nature Trail

2008-10-28T12:40:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that a former highway off-ramp could be a worthy destination, but this one is an easy bike ride with lovely natural amenities, and close to home.

Access points are either from Storey Ave., just west of Atria Merrimack Place, or off Hale Street just east of the I-95 overpass. Look closely for the modest sign that marks the Hale Street end of the trail, and be prepared to walk your bike along the switch-back start of the trail. It may be a tad muddy, but is generally passable.

The paved trail has been conscientiously cleared by volunteers, with encroaching vegetation cut back and debris moved to the sides of the trail. It still bears paint marks from when it was a public road. Potholes are minimal, ahnd the ride is easy withlittle change in grade riding in either direction.

The trail soon crosses the Little River where and Eagle Scout built observation platform overlooks a beaver pond and bird-filled marsh. Leave the paved path and follow the trail opposite to see an active beaver lodge, and maybe get a glimpse of the resident rodents. Further, another grassy trail forks off and climbs a wooded ridge toward the highway. The only downside is the constant highway noise, even when the road is not visible.

Although the trail passes between lovely oak-covered knolls as it approaches Storey Ave., several non-native plants have certainly taken over along the roadway. Asiatic bittersweet, multiflora rose , and particularly autumn olive are the predominent species. The latter was commonly planted along highways when I-95 was built, before it was recognized as a rampant invasive. Tiny olives hang heavy on the shrubs, making me wish they were edible.

Walkers and dog-walkers will find this an appealing destination as well, but it is particularly rewarding for bike riders who will find that the roads leading to the southern end of the trail are comparatively lightly traveled, with a sidewalk besides, and not too steep. The roads around the Artichoke Reservoir (Turkey Hill, Rogers Street, Garden Street and Middle/Plummer Spring Road) make for a longer ride with maximum enjoyment.

Confessions of an Outdoorswoman

2008-10-17T13:43:00.004-04:00

The nature of what I do for work dovetails nicely with what I enjoy doing most, and that is spending time outside. Whether riding a horse, pedaling a bike, walking a dog, cross country skiing or hiking a new piece of land, some of us are at our best without a roof over our heads. I’m doubly fortunate to play a role in the conservation and maintenance of both private and public land, and have many opportunities to explore hidden corners of the natural world. This column will attempt to share some of those special places with you. Some may be as close as my own backyard, as accessible as town, private, state and federal lands, but all will be within a tank of gas away, and spectacular destinations for an hour or a day. Need directions? Have a favorite hidden destination you’re willing to share? Please let me know—email deb@deborahhamilton.com.

1. RIVERBEND CONSERVATION AREA, West NewburyIs there a more rewarding spot from which to watch the season change than the Indian River Bridge? This easily accessible bit of heaven is not far from the Coffin Street end of River Road, where there is parking at the end of the paved road. A short, level walk leads to the beautifully rebuilt bridge. On an incoming high tide, the swirling tidal waters of the Merrimack push back the Indian River, filling the estuary upstream. On an outgoing tide, rocks and mudflats are revealed, and herons, ducks and kingfishers watch for lunch swimming by. Just east of the bridge, step up onto a mossy knoll surrounded by massive beech trees that have been inscribed with the names and initials of several generations of local youngsters. The newly cleared “Tupelo Trail” hugs the edge of the Indian River beneath a row of those big southern trees, and winds past fading ferns under a golden canopy of yellow birches. The trail is lined with logs and you’ll find it is comparatively free of poison ivy, thorny roses and bittersweet, so it is a very pleasant walk. The quarter-mile trail will give you a taste of the rest of the Riverbend trails that wind up the hill toward Page School, but is ideal if you only have an hour for a bit of exercise and communing with nature. Clearing and mapping are ongoing projects and are part of the Riverbend Management Plan due to be approved at Town Meeting.

2. INDIAN HILL RESERVOIR, West NewburyBike, hike or ride around the far side of the Moulton Street reservoir for phenomenal birding, colorful leaf-peeping and easy going on the reprocessed asphalt way. The entry at the far west end has a chain across it to discourage cars, but there’s ample room to pass between the boulders there. The roadway passes a farm pond and old strawberry fields, and crosses a causeway that separates the reservoir from the wooded wetland. After crossing the dam with its newly rebuilt spillway, you can choose to hug the shore and complete the loop around the reservoir, or climb to the top of Indian Hill on the trail that slabs uphill beside the impressive stone wall that used to delineate the Long Garden behind Indian Hill Farm. Carriage trails wind around the drumlin, culminating at a covered cistern at the top of the hill. The descent to Indian Hill Street is steeper, but following the angled trails down is easier than the straight descent to the new parking lot on the street. We have the townspeople of West Newbury and Essex County Greenbelt to thank for preserving this precious gem, protecting it from development forever.

“Dwelling in the House of the Lord”

2008-05-23T05:03:00.001-04:00

Dwelling in the House of the Lord”

Maudslay State Park offers natural beauty, both immutable and ephemeral, this time of year. The walk I took yesterday led me first down the formal drive, under the double row of English oaks, then up past the newly sanded and rebuilt well to the Italian Garden. Not many years ago, the boxwood hedges there were ratty looking, the wisterias rampant and the rose garden one in name only. Now all are restored to Moseley-era splendor, although the upright yews are such popular deer food that they’re virtually bald. Continuing on through the pollarded beech trees and past the greenhouses and cold frames, the espaliered apple is perfectly pruned and blooming away. Poeticus narcissus, my favorite variety of daffodil, dance on their narrow stems and colonize the hillside under apple and hawthorn trees.

Returning to the main driveway, however, I was drawn down a path I’d never explored before, and maybe you haven’t either. Across the wide spring lawn, beyond the wide arms of the magnificent beech tree where my kids have always enjoyed climbing and hiding out, a narrow path passes the empty concrete shell that once was a swimming pool, then enters a cathedral of tall pines. I was stunned to find myself dwarfed by such symmetry and scale, in this formerly unexplored corner of the park.

The pine-needle path led me to a shuttered, shingled cottage, overlooking the Merrimack from a high elevation. What a welcome retreat it must have been when the Moseleys lived here, capturing every breeze off the river, and with a river vista stretching for many miles. Clearly a favorite spot, it was also the final resting place of “Whiskey, my pretty boy” whose stone on the ground made me want to know more: whose dog was he? When did he play here? Why is he buried here rather than with Akela, Sampoo, Gypsy and the other Moseley family canines in the dog graveyard beside the well?

Reluctantly, I left Whiskey and wound my way down the hill to what must have been the family boathouses, locked and shuttered, but still tight to the weather and apparently in good condition. The trail then became a two-track road, and eventually rejoined Curzon Mill Road below the caretaker’s cottage.

As I walked, I kept hearing verses from Psalm 23 in my head: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul.” Feeling well shepherded and free from want, I was filled with gratitude for the opportunity to share a landscaped park so beautifully conceived and so well tended by the State employees and the volunteers whose work was everywhere evident. We are all truly blessed to have access to Maudslay, particularly in the spring when its glory changes by the day.

Magnolia Madness!

2008-04-21T06:40:00.001-04:00

Magnolia Madness!

The first heady sight and scent of 2008's floral parade arrived this week, with the early "Star" stellata and "Japanese tree" kobus magnolias now in full bloom. Notable specimens of the former stand in front of Newburyport City Hall and of the latter in the backyard at 227 Middle Street, West Newbury.

If you'd like to see our trees up close and personal, and also take a tour of early spring flora and fauna in a unique microcosm, please join me on Thursday, April 24 at 12 noon or Friday, April 25, at 8 a.m.

Our three parent trees have seeded hundreds of offspring, and the ground between them is carpeted with trout lilies, wood violets and anemones, with marsh marigolds,skunk cabbage, false hellebore and early fiddleheads along the stream and through the woods. Perhaps you'll see ideas you can incorporate into your own natural spaces.

And speaking of beautiful, natural places: please bring family and friends to help in Earth Day clean-ups next weekend! On Saturday, April 26 your help would be appreciated along the trails at River Bend Conservation Area in West Newbury. Wear rubber boots, bring gloves, trash bags and loppers to either the southern end of River Road or the Way-to-the-River end of the trail. Dumpsters will be waiting for all the flotsam and jetsam we can remove, having floated down the river and ending up in West Newbury!

Conserving Water for an Un-rainy Day

2008-04-11T14:44:00.003-04:00

Hard to imagine how a protacted drought would affect life here in the lower Merrimack Valley. We read about conditions elsewhere, where deserts are growing, reservoirs and aquifiers are shrinking. Locally we count on the annual average of 46 inches of moisture that falls as snow and rain to keep things green and growing, conscious of our water usage only when municipalities restrict outdoor water usage during the dry times in July and August.

But only a tiny shift of fortune could greatly alter our profligate water use. Since 40% of the water the average homeowner uses goes to outdoor use, it makes sense to leave well and public water for use as drinking water, using saved rainwater for outdoor purposes.

One way to save a bit of what water will be coming this month in quantity, is to save the rainwater that falls onto the roof and using it to water our gardens, young trees, shrubs and flowers. That free water can easily be directed down the downspout, through a connecting hose and stored in a rain barrel with a spigot for later use in the garden. The barrels are safe, fitted with a screened louver to keep out bugs, and recycled. Retailing for $89, the rain barrels will be less expensive if ordered in quantity, and the Town may also be able to tap into a grant as well. See them online at www.nerainbarrel.com.

Interested? Please leave your name with Jay Smith, West Newbury Conservation agent, (978-363-1100 x 126) if you would like to be included in this worthwhile program.

"BIG NIGHT

2008-04-04T13:01:00.002-04:00

Anticipation...waiting for "Big Night"

The promise of spring seems so slow to reach fulfillment, but looking closely in the warmest, wettest places gives the greatest hope of what is soon to come. Crayfish wave their claws from crevasses along the bottom of the stream and bright funnels of skunk cabbage spiral up out of the bare, black earth along its banks. Pale tips of daffodil and crocus foliage wait hidden under the matted leaves in the garden, waiting for the rake to unveil them. In our yard, the fat furry buds of the naturalized Magnolia Kobus trees have swollen far larger than pussy willows and promise a spectacular floral display around April 30.

Between now and then, the warm rains of spring will come, and beginning on the second night of torrential downpour, many species of frogs, toads and salamanders begin their quest for mates and suitable habitat for mating and laying eggs for the next generation. Inevitably, many are compelled to cross streets.

Salamanders are smaller than we think, only 2 1/2" to 7" long, and include red newts, dusky and mole salamanders. Many can be found under rocks and logs in broadleaf woods. Of the many species of frogs you might see--but most assuredly will hear--, are inch-long pinkish spring peepers, and slightly larger wood frogs, leopard and pickerel frogs.

Remember that driving on those most productive nights might hasten the demise of amphibians that are fast declining in number worldwide, due to habitat destruction and perhaps acid rain, pesticides and increasing ultraviolet light. Stay home, if you can, or at lease try to avoid driving through low places with wetlands on either side of the road on those warm rainy nights.

"BIG NIGHT

2008-04-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

2008-03-15T15:21:00.006-04:00

Can You Overcome Your Fear? Here's the Current Buzz on Local Real Estate.

Funny how trouble that started out in 2006 as a mortgage default problem, grew to become a home purchase problem, then a banking and investment problem, and now appears to have broadened to a slowdown affecting the entire economy. News about the tumbling dollar, $4.00 gasoline, a mercurial stock market, fears of inflation and job losses seem to escalate every day. Even mortgage backed securities and money markets aren't paying enough to make saving worthwhile.

Just what are you, the canny capitalist, looking for good investment opportunities, going to do? My bet is, buy real estate!

Mortgages are still available at historically low interest rates, so long as you have enough down payment and impeccable credit. Some local home values have slipped a bit, but prices have not softened like they have in the Rust Belt, Las Vegas, Florida or communities where acres of half-built and unsold homes are competing with resales, and not much is selling. Around here they're not likely to fall much further: unlike paper money, they're not printing any more beautiful New England real estate, at least on this planet.

The basic reasons for owning and purchasing real estate remain unchanged: as a physical, tangible, desirable asset, providing shelter, sanctuary and security, it can't be beat. And as a long-term investment, it is demonstrably a sure winner. For generations of our ancestors, clear back to the Pilgrim fathers, the land owners have always come out ahead.

Where would you rather invest your wealth? Under your mattress or into real property?

Please remember where you read this good news first! I'm looking forward to your thoughts. Please remember that my real estate practice is all about assisting you, if you're looking to buy or sell real estate, or if you know someone who is!

What makes a Swamp a Swamp?

2008-03-10T13:52:00.000-04:00

What makes a Swamp a Swamp?

When evaluating real estate, I often hear people say, "oh, no, there's never any standing water, so it can't be a wetland". However, many types of inland wetlands are never actually flooded with surface water. Our last article dealt with streams and floodplains, but in other protected areas the wetlands are, for the most part, underground.

Most common in our neck of the woods are the wooded swamps that act as sponges holding moisture, releasing it gradually into the abutting streams and rivers. These areas, protected in Massachusetts as "BVW's" or "Bordering Vegetated Wetlands" are dominated by trees, such as red maples, yellow birch, elm and ash. The shrub layer may include blueberry, spicebush or silky dogwood, and the ground is likely to be covered with cinnamon, sensitive and royal ferns, skunk cabbage, jewelweed, and spagnum moss. Wildlife make use of the trees, even the dead and dying ones, for nesting, feeding, roosting or perching. At their feet, the hummocky ground creates depressions that seasonally fill with water, referred to as vernal pools, where salamanders and frogs congregate and lay their eggs.

Many birds and mammals also inhabit wooded swamps: warblers and wood thrushes depend on large tracts of unbroken woodland for habitat, and snags serve as dens for raccoons, skunks, possums and fishers. Wood ducks, and owls nest in the larger cavities as well. Small mammals can tunnel and burrow in the soft, moist hydric soils of forested wetlands, and include voles, shrews, mice and moles.

Vernal pools are extremely important breeding habitats. Wood frogs, and mole salamanders breed exclusively in vernal pools, where there are no fish to devour their egg masses, and a vernal pool's loss can eliminate an entire breeding population. Turtles, herons and snakes rely on the abundant prey in vernal pools, including fairy shrimp and other mollusks, insects and crustaceans. Such pools form from snow melt, and disappear by early summer.

Forest fragmentation lessens the overall habitat value of an area by breaking up large contiguous tracts of woodland into smaller and smaller pieces, thereby cutting off access for animals with larger home ranges. It also creates easier access to nests and young for predators, and has caused the decline of many forest interior birds that nest exclusively in large, undisturbed tracts of woodland.

If you're lucky enough to own or abut a wooded wetland, you've enjoyed the quacking woodfrogs, the chirping spring peepers, and the magical trill of the woodthrush. Protecting their habitat is one more important interest under Massachusetts environmental regulations.

River and Stream Protection

2008-03-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

River Corridors in Our Backyards

Few people doubt that the extremes of weather we've experienced of late will abate any time soon. Rivers and streams last spring rose to heights not seen since the flood of September, 1938, and similar events will likely transpire ever more frequently. Damage caused by stream and river flooding is resulting in ever increasing costs and risks.

As we build and develop in upland areas, increases in impervious areas increase the likelihood of damage downstream. The standard "engineering response" to controlling rivers has been to channelize, dredge and berm the flood prone river, but that is actually counter productive. Attention needs to be paid to the entire watershed area.

A stable stream is neither growing nor shrinking: it can move sediment through the system without depositing it or without creating any additional erosion. Stable streams have a profile that changes very little over time. They generally meander and twist, creating wide eddies that slow the water, and have adjacent flood plain areas covered with natural vegetation, which the river or stream can inundate periodically, thus dissipating large quantities of water. Once they are confined to deeper channels, streams become less stable. The overbank floods that once left the channel to flow across the floodplain become confined, exerting powerful forces on the channel boundaries. Culverts and bridge footings can be undermined, creating costly repair bills. Consider that several of the Rowley bridges washed out last spring have still not been repaired.

Maintaining the quality of our local streams and the rivers they flow into is in everyone's interest. We need to be pro-active beyond their banks, and recognize that upland activity determines in large measure how those streams will function.

"Floods are 'Acts of God' but flood losses are largely acts of man."
Gilbert White, 1942

Conservation Corner for March 5‏

2008-03-04T14:13:00.001-05:00

Conservation Corner, March 3, 2008
an occasional column written for the West Newbury News
by Deb Hamilton, West Newbury Conservation Commissioner

What are wetlands, and why should we protect them?

Holy Cross College is always the site for the Annual Environmental Conference of Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, which took place last Saturday. Representatives from every town, city and agency attend, as do botanists, soil scientists, engineers, wildlife protection advocates, trappers, forestry people and Federal folk. Some of the wide range of topics covered in 30 different workshops and training programs included plant identification, wildlife habitats, stormwater regulations, rivers protection, control of invasives and maintaining drinking water quality.

We, as Conservation Commissioners, are charged with protecting and preserving the edges of the natural world by means of adhering to State Regulations spelled out in the Wetlands Protection Act. In a nutshell, any development which alters an existing wetland falls under the Act, as does activity within a 100' buffer zone around it. Streams and rivers have additional layers of protection, limiting activity along their banks, and vernal pools receive yet more additional attention.

In the weeks ahead, I'll attempt to share with you the various types of wetlands around us, and the rationale for their conscientious stewardship. If you have any questions or comments, I hope you'll contact me at deb@deborahhamilton.com, and I'll include your thoughts in future columns.