Hello AVIS! I’m Ella the new ESIC blogger.

My name is Ella Dougherty and I’m a senior at Andover High school. I’m part of the Environmental Sustainability Internship Class (ESIC) and will be contributing to the AVIS blog during the current school year. I jumped right into this project by joining the Eco Team at the Shawsheen River Reservation for a work party. We worked diligently using our weed wrenches to dig up invasive plants, such as buckthorn and bittersweet. 

Here’s a little more about me. I’ved lived in Andover since the age of four. I’m currently a goalie for the Andover High School Varsity soccer team and am involved in several clubs and volunteer activities. Throughout the year, I participate in Unified Basketball and Track, where I work with high school athletes with disabilities, and I also help fundraise for Cheering on Children’s, allowing us to purchase wish list items for patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Outside of school, I babysit regularly, hang out with friends, and chill with my black lab (Cosmo), who you may see out on the AVIS trails. And a fun fact, my grandmother is a landscape designer and is particularly interested in learning more about the plants growing in and around the AVIS land. 

I’m looking forward to exploring the AVIS Reservations and shining a light on trail accessibility. I am hoping to emphasize the important work being done by volunteers to encourage others to explore the beauty right in the town of Andover. 

Is there something you’d like to learn more about related to AVIS? Please let me know- maybe it would be a great blog topic! Feel free to add any ideas in the comments!

Using the Extractigator to pull buckthorn!