Recently, during a conversation with my mom about what I’ve learned while writing my blogs, it occurred to me that despite being an avid enjoyer of the trails she knew very little about the tremendous amount of effort that goes into maintaining local reservations. While this makes sense considering everything I know about AVIS trail upkeep I’ve learned over the […]

As the temperature stretches into the negatives and the commute from inside my house to my car becomes a chilly affair, I’ve recently been reminiscing on the comfortable warmth of early summer. Still, there are two major aspects of winter I’m currently appreciative of; ski season and not having to worry about mosquitoes. That being said, with spraying season right […]

As the December holidays quickly sneak up on us, and my motivation to make it through school and work starts to sink faster than the New England sun at 4 pm, the anticipation of my favorite family holiday traditions has been helping me push through the past few weeks. Alongside the classics of baking cookies, gift exchanges, and holiday romcoms, […]

While hiking on the picturesque Purdon Reservation last week with my mentors among the earthy tones of November, a few vibrant green-leaved trees managed to catch our attention. Late to receive the autumn color change message, these beautiful trees seemed to encompass the most vivid color in the surrounding area and illuminated a jarring contrast between the lively green versus […]

As life unrolls through autumn, I’ve been enjoying warm apple cider and pumpkin spice coffee as some of my absolute favorite flavors become seasonally appropriate again. This year, however, my absolute favorite part of the season has been my weekly hikes through the AVIS trails.  I find that the increased immersion in nature clears my head; a much needed stress […]

My name is Krista Calhoun and I am a current senior at Andover High School. As a student in Environmental Sustainability, I’m incredibly excited to be joining AVIS for the year as an intern posting for this blog! I can’t wait to follow in the footsteps of blog founder Amber Ferris and embark on a tremendous journey in discovering the […]

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 […]