In the Fall of 2003, after an 18-year lull, residents of this community
breathed new life
into the Foster’s Pond Corporation. The phoenix
arose from the ashes when more than 60 people got together, energized
by the powerful sense that we
are part of a fragile ecosystem which will not survive unless we unite
to protect it.
Since then, hundreds of hours
of volunteer efforts - on clean-ups, dam maintenance, environmental
studies, education and re-making the organization - have yielded a
vibrant new FPC committed to enlisting broad public support to preserve
one of Andover's most precious resources: Foster's Pond.
The FPC is a non-proft, community-based organization with a long
history of bringing
people together to
preserve and enhance the Pond and the ecologically sensitive area
surrounding it. An active FPC testifies to the fact that we are
participants in our community, sharing with
each other (and a lot of furry and feathered co-inhabitants) a common
interest in safeguarding these beautiful resources.
While the FPC has its roots firmly planted in
the geographic area surrounding the Pond, we are reaching outwards,
inviting the many visitors to this area - those who hike the Pond's
shores, or fish its waters, or cross-country ski its wintry expanses -
to join our efforts to preserve this public resource. Indeed, our
membership is open to anyone who cares about preserving this
beautiful and historic area.
We formed committees to deal with the most
pressing issues:
The Weed Committee, co-chaired by David Adilman and Mark Florio (both
of Foster’s Pond Road), put together an integrated management plan for
controlling nuisance vegetation in the Pond - including the hugely
successful treatment of the entire Pond with Sonar in 2005.
The Dam Committee, chaired by Paul Ross (Rattlesnake Hill Road), has 10
members improving the condition of the Foster’s Pond Dam
and long-term options for maintaining it. The stop log mechanism
for lowering the Pond was restored in 2005, enabling the first winter
drawdown in more than thirty years.
A Safety Committee (chaired by Kemper
Mazzarelli of Foster's Pond Road) has
been dealing with the sensitive issue of preserving the safety of
people (both residents and visitors) and property in the area.
And a Fundraising Committee (chaired by Marty
Rabinowitz of Willard Circle) has taken on the task of organizing a
fundraising to pay for such major projects as the 2005 herbicide
treatment combat fanwort in the Pond. That effort raised more
than $43,000 in just a few months.
These committees report on their efforts at Corporation meetings and
receive feedback from the Corporation's membership.
Residents from all parts of the Pond have joined the
Corporation, but we need even wider participation. And you don't even
have to be a resident! If
you haven’t joined the Corporation yet,
please take a moment to do so now. Annual dues
are $25 for an individual membership, $40 for a family - or $100 if you
wish to be a Sustaining Member. The Foster's Pond Corporation is
tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and
your dues, and any larger contribution, are tax deductible. Visit
our donation page
now. You may contribute by check or online. And don't
forget to include your
e-mail address, so we can keep you up to date on what's happening on
the Pond.
I invite you to use, and to contribute, to this web site.
There’s a lot of information here - about the dam, the weed problem,
the Pond, and even laws and regulations affecting life on the
Pond. If you’d like to see something on this site (or better yet,
if you’d like to share some material on the site), please e-mail me.
Become a member. Join a committee. Contribute
to the web site. Come to our next meeting. Volunteer to
help
any way you can. Whether you live in this area, visit it, or
would like to, you are a member of the Foster's Pond community.
So become a member of the FPC. The FPC is us.
President, FPC
P.S.
There are things each of us can do in our daily lives to help the
Pond. Please, look for phosphate-free electric dishwasher
detergent, and don’t dump phosphates on your lawn! For more info, click
here.
|
