Have you seen this book, Deer-Resistance Native Plants – FOR THE – Northeast by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D. Tepper? I found this book in the “Leisure” section at the Memorial Hall Library here in Andover. At first, I was confused by the title because I didn’t think of using our native plants as deer resistance. I know it […]

On Thursday, April 14th, I went on a walk through the Bonier Reservation, on Monahan Lane off of Cross street, to learn a little about its history and talk about the plants found on the reservation. Two of the wardens, Erich O’Neil and Barbara Wrightson came along with my mentors and me to teach us about Bonier’s history.  Erich O’Neil’s […]

Physalacriacaeae fungi family Polyporaceae fungi family or shelf fungus Gomphaceae fungi family or Coral fungi Mycenaceae fungi family or Bonnet mushroom On October 5th my mentors and I went on a walk through the Purdon Reservation after a rainy day. On the walk, we were able to find many different types of mushrooms. It is most common to find fungi […]

As winter comes to an end, low wooded areas become flooded creating temporary isolated pools. These pools fill with melting snow, spring rain, runoff, and even rising ground water. They are called vernal pools. Many amphibians and insects, like salamanders, frogs, fairy shrimp, and ​​caddisflies breed in these vernal pools. You can find vernal pools on many AVIS reservations. Some […]

I have been having trouble knowing what to look out for in the winter when everything seems to be dormant, so I asked Walter Kittredge for some help. He gave me great pointers on where to start.  He mentioned – Looking at plant architecture. You could look at trees and shrubs seeing how they look when they are bare and […]

During the winter it is less common for people to be going out walking the AVIS Reservations. Is it because of the snow or the chill of winter? Maybe you didn’t have someone to go out with. There are plenty of activities that are still enjoyable on these trails in the wintertime, especially with friends and family.  Some activities that […]

Oak trees are vital to our native food web, especially for the animals who rely on acorns as a food source. Have you ever paid attention to the number of acorns falling this year or in past years? If so, have you noticed any change from one year to the next? There are certain years where there is a boom […]

This year’s 375th challenge is a perfect way to get out and explore the parts of Andover you may not have seen before. This challenge has been going on since July 1st 2021 and will continue until May 6th 2022. The goal is to hike 10 AVIS Reservations and 10 Town Conservation Lands here in Andover. If you need a […]