Water Tower Traditional Cache
doesntcare: I have stopped doing Geocaching and have switched over to playing INGRESS. It's free and much more active. Join the (Enlightened side). You'll enjoy this so much more! Search for Ingress on the web!
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(micro)
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Found a new and pretty well hidden park in Bedford, decided to place a few caches, continuing our theme of unique containers.
NOTE: Please make sure to replace this cache as you found it.
This 16.48-acre site just north of the center of town can be accessed from Fletcher and Doris Roads, and an entrance at the water towers on Pine Hill Road. The land was purchased by the Town of Bedford in January 1998 with a condition of the deed that its use for the first 15 years be limited to conservation and passive recreation. The Conservation Commission has developed a long-term land management and education plan to preserve and promote the site's scenic and open space values, historic features, and wildlife habitat, and to prevent the site from further languishing as a result of successional vegetative growth and vandalism.
Town Commitment. The 1997 Spring Annual Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to support the purchase of this site, the strongest basis of which was so that the site would be preserved as open space. The site is ideally situated to be a prime conservation area. Acquisition of this site has been a priority in all editions of Bedford's Open Space and Recreation Plan since 1978.
Historical. The land and its inhabitants have been an important part of Bedford's heritage since its incorporation in 1729. The site has a long history as a working farm, remnants of which are apparent in the open fields, ancient specimen trees, well-preserved stone walls, and rows of towering pines, which collectively attest to the land use boundaries of at least 100 years ago immortalized in an 1897 "Plan of Farm in Bedford Mass. owned by Elizabeth B. Rodman". It is unusual that so much of the farming history and landscape remains. Preservation of the landscape establishes an historical link to the town's agricultural heritage and a visible reminder of the land use patterns of the 19th century.
Open Space/Passive Recreation. The site provides an important neighborhood linkage to the center of town. The site already supports a variety of compatible uses for education, open space, and passive recreation. There are no other conservation areas near Pine Hill. The site is unusually accessible compared to Bedford's other conservation areas: the center of town can be reached by an easy ten-minute walk, and a small parking area could be provided off Pine Hill Road. Currently, the nearest parking is at the end of Fletcher Road or on Doris Road.
Wildlife Habitat. The site provides an unusually mixed habitat of mature woods, successional growth and open fields; uplands and wetlands (including a certified vernal pool); wooded wetlands and wet meadow; extensive edge; and a continuous wide band of mature wooded cover. The many distinct wetland and upland plant communities each have special habitat value. In combination, and as a reflection of the overall size of the site, these areas constitute exceptionally important wildlife habitat for Bedford, especially so close to the town center. Wildlife and plant surveys have demonstrated the rich diversity of the site and its value for birdwatching and other nature activities.
Long-Term Management. In order to preserve and enhance the wildlife habitat, scenic and open space values, and historic features, the Conservation Commission is implementing a long-term management plan and educational program. The land management program incorporates the following objectives: keep the fields from growing over; maintain tree and shrub edges along the fields; maintain a continuous mature wooded corridor that runs north/south from west of the water towers to the vernal pool; enhance avian breeding and foraging habitat; preserve and provide access to upland amphibian habitat; establish an interpretive program and promote use of the site as open space; and improve access into and through the site for passive recreational purposes. Species inventories are likely to continue. Although not formally a town-owned conservation area, the site has been incorporated into the Land Stewards program. Two recent Eagle Scout projects included brush clearing, trail improvements, bird houses, and resting areas. There are ticks here so check yourself afterwards.
Additional Hints
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