Save the Date: Annual Meeting Is Scheduled for April 11

The 2024 Annual Meeting of the Foster's Pond Corporation will be held Thursday, April 11, at Memorial Hall Library from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. The public is invited.

The featured presentation will be "Hop, Crawl, Slither: Discover the Hidden Lives of Andover’s Amphibians and Reptiles." Take a deep dive into the fascinating world of some of our most underappreciated and ancient neighbors. Our guide is someone who, with humor and enthusiasm, can tell you everything you ever wanted to know (but were too squeamish to ask) about snapping turtles and their cousins. State Herpetologist Mike Jones was born and raised in Andover and spent 20 years here studying turtles. He explored Foster’s Pond and just about every other turtle habitat in Town. Mike completed a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Wildlife Conservation at UMass Amherst in 2009 and has studied freshwater turtles at many locations throughout the United States and Mexico. Now Mike serves as MassWildlife’s top expert on finding and conserving endangered reptiles and amphibians.

With Ice Gone, Refill Gets Off to Early Start

As a mild winter - featuring little snow and almost no ice on the Pond - came to an end, refilling the Pond got a jump-start in early March. Depending on precipitation, the Dam's iconic waterfall should be restored by the end of the month. For more details and a picture, click here.

FPC Adds Four Tree-Covered Acres to the Foster's Pond Reservation

Thanks to the generosity of a long-time Foster's Pond resident, the FPC in December acquired four acres of undeveloped land on Willard Circle, ensuring that a forested area in the heart of the Foster's Pond Reservation will in perpetuity be spared from bulldozing.

Judy Goonyep, who lived on Willard Circle for decades until a few years ago, sold the property to the FPC at a fraction of its value. The land straddles the border between Andover and Wilmington.

Judy's commitment to the Pond community runs deep. Her grandparents became summer residents in the 1930s. Willard Circle, by virtue of a community vote, was named for her grandfather, Willard Davis. Her family loved the Pond, and she has long been committed to preserving the land she inherited.

Consultant Recommends Treating 40 Acres for Fanwort

The Corporation's lake management consultant has recommended treating about 40 of the Pond's 120 acres to combat fanwort, the pernicious and persistent invasive weed that dominated Foster's Pond until we began our comprehensive lake management program in 2005. The recommended treatment would be the first in the Main Pond - the largest basin - since 2019, and the most widespread fanwort treatment since 2015. For more details and pictures, click here.

FPC Annual Picnic Draws a Crowd

About 65 people turned out for the 18th Annual Foster's Pond Corporation picnic on August 5. The Pond-side potluck is always a festive occasion, drawing not only nearby residents but also Pond-lovers from elsewhere in Andover and Wilmington. Under sunny skies, kids splashed in the Pond while adults feasted on grilled burgers and hotdogs and an array of salads and sweets. More details and a couple of pictures, click here.

The Wandering Bear Who Visited Foster's Pond: An Obituary

A young black bear ambled through a half dozen nearby communities over the course of two months in the summer of 2022, eventually turning up in Andover. The first bear in living memory to be seen here, he spent four days around Foster's Pond. He then headed to Middleton, where he was shot and killed. For more, including pictures and a short video, click here.

Donate Now, and Make Sure Your Name Is on Our 2024 Honor Roll

We can't protect Foster's Pond and our historic dam without your help. We rely on your donation. Check out our 2023 Honor Roll of Foster's Pond supporters. Give today, so that we can place your name on our 2024 Honor Roll, which we'll be posting soon! Earn the coveted fpc_icon, identifying you as an especially generous donor! Go to our donation page right now and give on-line or by mail. Your contribution is tax-deductible. Thank you!

Receive Foster's Pond Updates

Get the latest news about Foster's Pond. Want to be alerted when the Pond will be closed for a weed treatment? Or that an algae bloom has been detected? Or if there's an upcoming event? Then sign up to get Foster's Pond e-mail Updates. Updates are sent out about once a month. They will keep you informed without cluttering your in-box. And we don't share your e-mail address with anyone. Click here to subscribe.

In an Emergency . . .

It's hard to imagine that the 165-year-old Foster's Pond Dam could ever fail, but that's not a matter to be left to the imagination. The Foster's Pond Corporation has developed an Emergency Action Plan, just in case. The plan, approved by State regulators in 2019 and distributed to Andover's emergency response officials, identifies the worst-case scenario for downstream flooding and specifies who needs to be notified and what steps need to be taken. While no homes would be inundated, some roads could be under a couple of feet of water, temporarily cutting access to two cul-de-sacs off Woburn Street and four off River Street until the water subsides. For more details and a map showing what areas would be inundated and what roads might be flooded, click here.

Wilmington Community TV Program on Foster's Pond

WCTV, Wilmington's non-profit community television station, has produced a 22-minute program devoted to Foster's Pond and the FPC. The "Where's Wilmington" show, hosted by Lisa Kapala, includes a tour of the Goldsmith Woodlands by long-time Pond resident Joan Ellis, interviews with FPC President Steve Cotton and Board Member David Adilman, and footage of the Pond, the Dam, and Goldsmith. To view the program, click here.

Watershed Study Looks to Control Algae By Curbing Nutrients Flowing Into the Pond

We routinely treat Foster's Pond for toxic algae. Can anything be done to prevent algae blooms? To find out, we commissioned a state-of-the-art study of the Foster's Pond watershed, using the latest computer modeling, on-line databases, and newly-assembled information. Our consultants delivered a Watershed-Based Plan for reducing the primary "limiting nutrient" that triggers algae growth. The first step is to give citizens of the watershed the information you need on how to protect the Pond. Start here.


 

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