Dear Friends,

Although the Bedford Road bridge has moved upstream slightly since Thoreau's time, it is still supported on wooden piers and is still a favorite spot of fishermen. Interestingly enough, the bridge has played a central role in two of CCF's land protection efforts this year. Pagey's Preserve, once completed, will permanently protect the gorgeous view of woods, water, and sky from the bridge as one enters Carlisle, and Prema Bose's donation of the old bridge route to CCF will ensure that fishermen (and others) always have access to the river.

Above left, view of the Route 225 bridge from the recently acquired Bose property. RIght, invitation to the Annual Meeting at the historic Cranberry Bog House. Attendees were treated to a tour of the Bog House, including the restored lower floor and the antuque equipment for processing cranberries.

Education and Outreach

To engage our youngest conservationists, we continue to fund popular Carlisle school programs for nature study on the Conant Land and for raising the endangered Blanding's turtle. For all ages, we've started monthly nature walks, focusing so far on birds, dragonflies, and mushrooms, with more topics planned for next year. If you have a special interest in nature you'd like to share, let us know!

NATURE WALKS Above left, happy birders on an October walk that began at Foss Farm; center, Kay Fairweather instructs participants on what to look for before a mushroom walk on the Twin Peaks Trail; right, dragonfly hunters at the Cranberry Bog in August.

Land Management

In land management, we have started a program to control invasive plants in Ben's Woods, and purchased a pole chain saw to help in property maintenance of the 220 acres we steward in 22 parcels in Carlisle.

INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT ?During late summer and early fall 2012, CCF, Mass Audubon, the New England Wildflower Society (NEWFS), Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Town of Carlisle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Walden Woods Project partnered to reduce invasive plants threatening early successional habitat (critical for many native birds) at several sites. The work was funded by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. One of the sites was CCF's Ben's Woods property, a mix of wetland, wet meadow, upland field, and mixed hardwood forest. Invasive plants targeted for control include porcelain berry, bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, burning bush, garlic mustard, and oriental bittersweet. We will be monitoring the property over the next several years to ensure there is no re-growth of invasives that could again threaten the field and forest ecosystems.

Support CCF

If you like what CCF has done and is doing, please give generously to this annual appeal, our only source of funding for the year. CCF is an all-volunteer organization. All of your contributions are used to support our efforts to protect the natural world in Carlisle and enhance people's connection to and enjoyment of nature. Donors contributing at the $250 level and above will receive an autographed copy of Kay Fairweather’s new book based on her "Biodiversity Corner" essays in the Mosquito.

Warmest regards,

Steve Tobin, President

We appreciate your support.

Carlisle Conservation Foundation and Land Trust
P.O. Box 300, Carlisle, MA 01741

Board members: Alan Ankers, Barney Arnold, Liz Carpenter, Wayne Davis, Marjie Findlay, David Freedman, Peg Gladstone, Heidi Harring, Steve Hinton, Jamie Klickstein, Lynn Knight, Jay Luby, Greg Peterson, Scott Simpson, Steve Spang, Sally Swift, Steve Tobin

We invite you to join CCF with your tax-deductible donation. You may now make your donation to CCF on the HOME page