Conservation Lands

Pond Parish Town Forest

Here is a land in transition. Change is occurring in a progression of natural processes. Abrupt changes have occurred from human intervention. During your visit you can enjoy the smells, sounds and sights of the woods and marsh. You can see signs of the uses by residents 100 years ago and developers within the last decade. The pond and marsh are relatively recent changes made by one of nature's forces - the beaver.

Recent History

Five parcels of land that now are the Town Forest belonged to several owners until they were assembled by a developer in the 1960's. Old stone fences mark some of the bounds and tell us that most, if not all, of the present area was once cleared land. The Converse family which owned some of the land operated a small saw mill across Pond Parish Road from the east entrance. The old dam and mill foundation still stand. The mill pond has become a bog supporting spruce and carnivorous plant populations. The Converses also donated land for District School No. 6. The stone wall which apparently kept the students in and the cows out is on one of the building lots south of the east entrance.

In 1991 the property was heavily logged for saw logs and cordwood. In one area so many trees were removed that the remaining pine lacked community support and many were blown over like jack straws in a nor'easter. Now several years after the cutting, the slash is decaying and settling, although much is still visible. Young trees, especially white pine and hemlock, have sprouted and are creating a green carpet in some areas. Given time, nature is a strong healer. After the wood was removed from the area, the developer proposed a subdivision of 25 lots.

In 1993 the Conservation Commission was able to purchase 174 acres of the 194 acres available using funds derived from the current use recovery fees collected by the town. Twenty acres had to be subdivided into eight lots along Pond Parish Road to generate additional cash to meet the seller's price.

Four Eagle Scout projects have provided the two entrance areas, the observation deck and information boards.

Property Description

The land was shaped by the ice age glacier 10,000 years ago. This left the soil at the south end sandy and easy digging. At the north end, the soil is laden with boulders as witnessed by the new stone wall around the east entrance lot and along the trail. A few large glacial erratics dot the forest floor midway along the trail.

The central area of the Town Forest is a 100 acre wetland stretching from Baboosic Lake Road to Spring Road. The wetland is divided roughly in thirds with each part having significantly different characteristics. At the south end, a beaver dam creates an open water pond of approximately 30 acres. Under the beaver pond, there is less than a foot of muck indicating the pond builders are relatively newcomers, flooding what was once meadow.

Upstream to the north, a slight elevation change in the vicinity of the observation deck changes the pond into a marsh area. Here grasses and shrubs encroach on the stream but leave the wetland generally open. The highest third of the wetland lies north of the logging trail. Here taller red maples are growing and tall ferns cover the ground. Some pines and hemlocks maintain a tenuous foothold on raised areas. However, they show signs of the stress produced by having too wet feet (roots).

On the pond geese and ducks are frequent visitors, swimming around the beaver lodge. The transition buffer between the pond and upland is an active zone for small birds, residents and migrants. The observation deck is placed in this buffer.

The upland portion of the property is primarily forested with oak, pine and hemlock woods. From tracks and scat it is seen that deer, moose, coyote, fox and mink move through the area even if they are not residents. As the understory recovers, the woods will be more hospitable to the larger species.

We said this land is in transition. The description of the wetland could change almost overnight depending on the whims or callings of the beavers. If they leave and fail to maintain the dam the pond area could recede and the marsh expand. If the beaver build another upstream dam to be closer to food, the maple swamp could become a pond marked with drowned tree trunks. The beaver is a very effective change agent.

The south end of the Town Forest along Spring Road also was logged in 1991. In addition to the white pine seedlings which are springing up, volunteers planted several hundred spruce and red pine to introduce variety in the forest stand.

Trails

A footpath connects the east and south entrances via a long footbridge which crosses the brook. The south section gives views of the beaver activity and other users of the pond. The trail from the east entrance follows the former logging road one-half mile to a point where the trail branches to the observation deck. Straight ahead leads under the pines to the bridge. Check the map for more details.

The Future

Without intervention, the forest would mature and the wetland would continue to be managed by the beaver. Beneath the surface, the groundwater will be protected and be a source of recharge to the aquifer.

The Conservation Commission plans to let nature manage the wet areas. The upland on the west side will become a managed woodlot many years from now when recovery has progressed to allow selective harvesting once again.

The Commission hopes to add selected adjoining properties to the Pond Parish Town forest when resources or gifts are available. When this is done there will be a continuous land strip, or greenway, from Merrimack to Bedford for walking and skiing as well as for wildlife movement, an important factor in maintaining biodiversity.