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A large glacial erratic can be found on the Brown Land. (Courtesy photos)
This spring, the Harvard Conservation Trust is celebrating the completion of a major land protection project. Last fall, with an eye toward permanent protection, the Trust purchased 42 acres of former farmland at the dead end of Murray Lane. Most recently owned by the Brown family, this land is host to a wonderful variety of ecological treasures. Equally significant is the fact that the property provides a critical link in helping to complete a “necklace” of conservation land in that part of town.
Harvard residents will have a second chance to view the property next week by joining a guided tour hosted by the Trust and the Parks and Recreation Commission. The walk, titled “Walk Off Your Post Tax-Paying Blues,” is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19, and will start at the end of Murray Lane, where walkers are asked to assemble. The Brown Land was the chosen location for the commission’s annual New Year’s Day walk earlier this year.
A varied landscape
As you arrive at the property, you are met with a glorious view across an open field to a forest-covered ridge in the distance. An old apple orchard still stands in the field that served as pastureland for cows. To the north is a small farmhouse and beyond is a thriving wetland system at the base of a rock cliff. Hidden deep in this area is an old gravestone marked “Hannah Burges” dated 1762. The Trust is looking into her history; rumor has it that she died of smallpox but that rumor has yet to be verified.
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A meadow on the Brown land.
The forest-covered ridge is home to an enormous glacial erratic, a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it lies. Glacial ice carried these boulders, often over distances of hundreds of miles, before they came to rest. No doubt this rock, in its most recent history, has been a playground to many a child romping through the woods. It looms large, even from a distance, and hosts many nooks and crannies and places to climb.
To the south lie more woodland, a certified vernal pool, and larger wetland system at the southernmost tip of the property. The commonwealth’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has designated this area as having rare species, namely the blue-spotted, four-toed, and marbled salamanders. The blue-spotted and marbled varieties live in an upland environment for most of the year, but move to vernal pools or fish-free areas of swamps and marshes to breed in the spring. The four-toed salamanders live in the forest surrounding swamps; they breed on the sphagnum moss in wetter areas, making this part of the Brown property perfectly suited for these creatures.
A growing network of trails
In whole, the Brown property is now part of a greater conserved area comprising more than 280 acres, including the town’s Williams Conservation land and Great Elms, the Trust’s Brehm property, and numerous protected parcels. Easy connections from this property can be made to Great Elms and the Brehm conservation land, thus creating a larger trail network. Of even greater advantage is the availability of parking at the Brown land to gain access to all three properties.
The Trust plans to work on the property during the spring and summer to get it ready for the public’s enjoyment, by cleaning it up as needed and creating a trail system. The barn is in complete disrepair and will be dismantled, as will a few small outbuildings. Initially the Trust was hoping to sell the house to a caring owner, but after months of investigation and the completion of engineering studies, septic and other issues drove the decision to try to move the house off-site. Anyone interested in moving the house to a good home can contact the Trust at (978) 456-9292.
Marylynn Gentry is Executive Director of the Harvard Conservation Trust. The Trust is a non-profit land trust that has protected land in Harvard for 40 years. It is a member-supported organization whose mission is “To protect the unique character and natural resources of Harvard.” Visit the website at www.HarvardConservationTrust.org for events, volunteer opportunities, and membership information.
