The MRWC Bird Sanctuary Project was developed to thicken the biodiversity in a protected piece of land. The bird sanctuary was proposed to be developed on an MRWC-owned 17-acre plot of land in Andover, MA which borders the Shawsheen River and 80 acres of conservation land. This property contains early-successional forest, small open-meadow areas and seasonally wet areas. The bird sanctuary will enhance the natural assets for the protection and encouragement of indigenous wild birds through preservation, propagation and maintenance of natural vegetation and trail design. Ultimately, this land will offer bird-watchers a place to go within the urban communities, as well as a safe-haven for several bird species requiring conservation opportunities in the area.

Currently, MRWC is recruiting volunteers to the property on the Shawsheen River to remove invasive plants and develop trails. Eventually, we hope to replace them with noninvasive plants of a similar species, but the first step is to remove those that can hurt the ecosystem. An example of an invasive plant on the property is Purple Loosestrife. Once the invasives are removed, the next step is to develop trails throughout the forest. These trails will be carefully carved as to not disturb burrowing animals or growing plants. Volunteers are also needed to construct the trails. Call us if you or your group will like to get involved!