Welcome to the Foster's Pond Corporation Home Page

We are a non-profit community-based organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Foster's Pond in Andover, Massachusetts. The Pond, with its magnificent natural environment, is one of Andover's most treasured resources, beloved by area residents and by visitors, from far and wide, who canoe its tranquil coves or hike the trails of two large reservations on its shores.  We encourage you to use the information on this site and to share your own ideas and information on issues affecting the Pond.

Safety Inspection Rates Dam "Satisfactory". A State-mandated safety inspection has found that the Foster's Pond Dam is in "satisfactory" condition, just one notch below the top rating for Massachusetts dams. The routine inspection affirms the success of the FPC's major renovation work over the last few years. For more, click here.

Post-Treatment Survey Finds No Trace of Fanwort. The results are in on this year's weed treatment. In a comprehensive vegetation survey of the Pond, based on samples taken at 50 data collection points, the Corporation's lake management consultant found no fanwort and no Brazilian elodea, the two invasives that had been targeted. For pictures and details, and a link to the full report, click here.

Is Your Name on Our Honor Roll? Check out our list of 2011 contributors to the Foster's Pond Corporation. Donations are tax-deductible! Go to our donation page to either mail in a contribution or give on-line. Earn the coveted after your name, identifying you as an especially generous donor! Give now, make the list, and save the Pond. Thank you! (To read this year's annual newsletter, click here.)

Begone, Goose! The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is surely an elegant bird.  But an adult deposits between one and two pounds of waste a day into the Pond - an infusion of bacteria, phosphorous and nitrogen that pollutes the water and feeds the algae.  The Boston Globe says there's a "goose glut" in Massachusetts.  What can you do to keep geese off your shoreline - and discourage a population explosion?  It's easier than you think.  Click here.

Foster's Pond Corporation Acquires 8 Acres in Andover and Wilmington to Preserve as Publicly-Accessible Open Space. The land was donated by the Foster's Pond Improvement Association, most of whose members live on Willard Circle. The parcel provides a gateway to 225 acres of forested conservation land on the shores of the Pond, with a trail network extending from Route 28 to Willard Circle. For more details, including a map, click here.

FPC's 2010 Annual Meeting Draws Neighborhood Residents. Did you miss the meeting? To see the entire slide presentation, click here. To read the minutes, click here.

Beavers at Work. The Pond now has several pairs of resident beavers. They are busiest at night, but can sometimes be seen early in the morning or late in the afternoon. And evidence of their activity is all around the shore of the Pond. For more, click here.

Just Say "No" to Aquatic Hitchhikers.  How did fanwort get into Foster's Pond in the first place? It hitchhiked. Maybe on a boat propeller, or on someone's fishing gear. Or perhaps someone dumped their pet goldfish in the Pond, along with a sprig of the popular aquarium plant. You know the rest. Now we need to keep all such nonnative "aquatic hitchhikers" out of Foster's Pond. We've joined a nationwide public awareness campaign to alert visitors and residents about the danger. This is something you need to know. For more information, click here.

Donate Online.  Make your tax-deductible contribution to the Foster's Pond Corporation online.  Pay your annual dues, contribute to our ongoing program to combat invasive weeds, and help us maintain our 150-year-old dam.  And get a receipt for your tax records instantly. All it takes is a few clicks.  Visit our donation page. 

Don't fertilize that lawn! Chemical fertilizers wash into the Pond, feeding algae and turning the water a soupy green.  That's bad for the Pond - and not so great for your lawn, either.  But there are alternatives for keeping your yard green and the Pond clean.  For a listing of Pond-friendly fertilizers, click here.  And follow the tips in the State's brochure, Lawns and Landscapes in Your Watershed.

Haven't switched to a zero-phosphate dishwasher detergent?  Now you have no excuses! A leading consumer magazine reports that three pond-friendly dishwashing powders outshine many of the heavily advertised phosphate-laden brands that contribute to algae in our Pond.  And one of the "green" products was the #2 performer!   Click here for more info.

A note from the President of the Foster's Pond Corporation

History of Foster's Pond A brief overview by local historian Juliet Mofford

Wildlife & Vegetation A list of common species

About the Foster's Pond Corporation History, By-Laws, Officers & more

AVIS Reservations Maps of Goldsmith and Wilkinson

Weeds What you can do, what’s in the Pond, what we’ve done so far

Legal Overview A basic introduction to relevant laws and regulations