The Nashoba Conservation Trust, Pepperell, Conservation

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Vernal Pool Presentation

Did you know there is a huge migration taking place every spring, a migration that many people are unaware of? It could be in your backyard! On the first, rainy, warmish (around 40 degree) night in March, the salamanders begin their migration from their upland habitats and head to vernal pools.

This annual event is often referred to as "The Big Night". To learn more about the migration of salamanders and the activities of other amphibians in Spring, we invite you to join us at the Lawrence Library on Thursday, March 18 from 6 -7 :30 pm for a presentation on vernal pools. Mid March is a very busy time for these amphibians and we will share with you locations where you will be able to witness this annual event.

"A Bluebird Monitor's Tale"

by Jeanne Nevard

Henry David Thoreau once said that the bluebird "carries the sky on its back". These gentle, stunning creatures, often tagged as "the bluebird of happiness", were anything but happy back in early to mid 1900's.

Invasive English house sparrows were unfortunately imported in the early 1900's. They aggressively competed with the native bluebird for nesting sites. A gentleman named Thomas E. Musselman, of Quincy, Illinois began to spread the word about bluebird protection. In 1934, he authored an article for the National Audubon Magazine Bird-Lore and urged fellow conservators to establish bluebird box trails throughout the country. He continued with a monthly column aptly entitled "The Bluebird Trail", to increase the awareness of their plight. As interest was building for nest box establishment, the baton was passed to Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, who continued writing the column. He also wrote a book, "The Bluebird- How You Can Help Its Fight for Survival", which fired up interest on a larger scale. More...

The NCT Spring

Newsletter

The Pepperell Conservation Commission

has established a volunteer-based trails monitoring and maintenance program to help keep our town-wide trail system clear and accessible. For details go to:

Trail Monitoring and Maintenance Program

Mass Land Trust

Current

Newsletter

Bird note cards.

Thanks to the hard work of Ken Hartlage NCT is now selling beautiful bird note cards.

The trail head is located off of Shirley Street about 1/2 mile South from rte 119 on the left.

Part of this property was donated to NCT by the Hopkins family. NCT worked with the Town of Pepperell Highway department to close a dangerous washout on the trail. After fixing this problem a beaver dam deterrent device was place on the culvert to prevent future washouts.

NCT purchased an adjacent property to extent this trail. We are hoping to extend the trail further. Please hike this area and enjoy the many bird species in the area.