Amesbury Open Space Committee

06/02/2023

Tomorrow is National Trails Day. Here's a 'heat map' from the popular Strava fitness app showing where folks bike, walk, and run in Amesbury. Link below to website. Enjoy an Amesbury trail this weekend!

12/26/2022

Since the City bought the former Quinn Farm property in 2015, the land has grown up, with a number of invasive plant taking root and flourishing. Through a generous donation from the Lake Gardner Improvement Association, a farmer was recently hired to clear the field. If cut on a regular basis in the future (at least every other year), this should keep the field as open grassland, amenable to grassland bird breeding and the enjoyment of the public as an open viewshed to Lake Gardner, as well as trail access from Whitehall Road to Woodsom Farm.

12/05/2022

Reminder: hunting is not allowed on any city-owned property, per city ordinance.

§ 303-1 Restrictions on public property.
No hunting shall be allowed on any public parks, school grounds, City forest, public beaches, cemeteries, Lake Gardner, or any other property governed by the rules and regulations of the Town of Amesbury.

09/08/2022

The City received a state grant to revisit our wonderful spaces in downtown, and Heritage Park is one of them. Based on feedback from the community, 3 concepts have been created.

For those who were unable to attend last weeks open forum hosted at Brewery Silvaticus, the Office of Community & Economic Development invites you come on down to the City Hall Auditorium to vote on the future use of Heritage Park. Concept boards will be on display until Tuesday, September 13th.

08/22/2022

Come give your input!

Join us September 1, 2022, at Brewery Silvaticus, to help re-design Heritage Park! We have taken all the great ideas from a July workshop with stakeholders, along with recent studies and plans, and developed them into some concepts for Heritage Park. Come and have some refreshments and talk with your neighbors and fellow business owners about how we should re-design this unique space in Amesbury. For questions, please contact the Office of Community and Economic Development at [email protected].

Date: Thursday, September 1st
Anytime between: 1-3pm
Location: Brewery Silvaticus, 9 Water Street, Amesbury, MA

06/10/2022

Tragic events at Amesbury’s Deer Island. Thank you first responders for your work through the night.

05/26/2022

Pictures and bird list from today’s Birds In Your Backyard educational walk at Woodsom Farm, led by Mass Audubon and paid for with a grant from the Amesbury Cultural Council. As our guide put it, the fields were positively dripping with birds, threatened Bobolinks in particular. Saw lots of behaviors, from courtship to territorial displays, and plenty of birds getting their morning breakfast. Woodsom Farm, with its mowing plan developed with guidance from Mass Audubon, is one of the premier habitats in New England for grassland birds, such as the Bobolink and the Eastern Meadowlark.

The list:

Canada Goose 6
Mallard 4
Mourning Dove 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Vocal ID by river
Willow Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo 1 Vocal ID by river
American Crow 1
Barn Swallow 8
European Starling 8
Gray Catbird 4
Northern Mockingbird 2
Wood Thrush 1 Vocal ID along woodland edge
American Robin 6
Cedar Waxwing 2
American Goldfinch 3
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 1 Vocal ID by river
Bobolink 26
Eastern Meadowlark 3
Orchard Oriole 2
Baltimore Oriole 4
Red-winged Blackbird 14
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Common Grackle 4
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Yellow Warbler 6
Northern Cardinal 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1

05/20/2022

Mass Audubon is hosting a 'bird walk' next Thursday morning (5/26) at Woodsom Farm. Capacity limited; registration required. We're heading into grassland bird nesting season at Woodsom. Should be a good walk! Paid for with a grant from the Amesbury Cultural Council.

05/03/2022

Get to Know an Amesbury Open Space: Town Forest

Found on Kimball Road, the Amesbury Town Forest is a treasure trove of woodland environments, with miles of trails that connect via the Great Swamp Boardwalk on Essex Greenbelt land to the Quimby Lane Conservation and even Woodsom Farm. Officially conserved last year with City Council Order 2021-102, the Town Forest is a 123+ acre collection of parcels.

With ridges of glacial till, the Forest abuts the Great Swamp, which provides drainage into the Powow River, as well as important flood storage when the Powow is running high in the Spring and after heavy rainfall events.

Popular with mountain bikers and walkers, the trails are color-coded and blazed by volunteers. (While most are on City property, please note that the Pinebrook trail does cut through private property at the discrection of the owner.)

There is a mix of hardwood and coniferous trees, particularly the eastern hemlock and a mix of plant communities, especially in the lower areas along the edge of the Swamp. Skunk cabbage is abundant there (as are mosquitos!).

Issues: As with many open spaces, invasive plants such as oriental bittersweet and japanese knotweed can wreck havoc, particularly along disturbed borders. The eastern hemlock is threatened in our region from the wooly adelgid, which dines on its sap. There are some trail sections that cut through wetlands and would benefit from elevated treadways. The map at the kiosk could be updated to show trail connections to other areas, with added trail signage directing to Quimby and Woodsom.

Check out the map of the preserved parcels, as well as more information available at: www.amesburytrails.net.

03/22/2022

This project of the Amesbury Improvement Association is offering free native tree saplings. See original post for details. Tree coverage is a good way to mitigate heat sinks in urban and residential areas.

The buds on the trees we planted last year are getting bigger! This year we are offering Red Maples, Allegheny Serviceberries, Black Tupelos, American Hornbeams, Red Oaks, and Eastern Red Cedars. If you would like to reserve one of these to be planted later in the spring (for free!), email us at [email protected].

03/21/2022

Battis Farm Community Garden plot applications now open.

This year's plot applications for the Amesbury Community Garden are now available! Learn more on our website: https://www.amesburyma.gov/570/Amesbury-Community-Garden

03/21/2022

Get to Know an Open Space: Deer Island.

Tucked on the Merrimack River in between the Shay and Chain bridges, this 4.7 acre parcel affords beautiful views up and down the Merrimack River. In season, you can find bald eagles dining along the River.

The trail that circumnavigates the eastern half of the island (the other half is a private home) is about a quarter
mile long and offers viewing access to the river at several points, including a tidal marsh that rings the eastern edge.

The City, in collaboration with this Committee and the Amesbury Improvement Association and through a grant from an Essex County Heritage Area Partnership grant, is planning some improvements this year, including replacement of the informational sign, replacement of decayed parking lot rails, some fresh gravel and stone dust on the lot, and the removal of a number of fallen trees.

There is no water craft access to the river at the park. The river current is exceptionally strong through the narrows on either side of the island; visitors should use caution if approaching the river along the trails.