The glaciers that covered
Andover 10,000-12,000 years ago
shaped the topography of Wilkinson Reservation. There
are numerous small kettlehole ponds here. These
were created as the glaciers receded,
when blocks of ice were left behind in the outwash plains.
These ice blocks melted, forming
depressions. If these depressions were
below the water table, they filled with water, becoming kettlehole
ponds.
Narrow
trails through white oaks and tall white and red
pines wind along eskers, up and down from one kettlehole pond to
another. Eskers are ridges of rocks and
coarse gravel
that were deposited by meltwater streams flowing through crevices and
tunnels
in the glacier. They can be as high as
100 feet and several miles long. Wilkinson
Reservation contains several lower but
steeply banked eskers.
A
ridge overlooking the marshy end of Foster's Pond offers
birdwatching opportunities. A sturdy
bench built by an Eagle Scout provides a comfortable resting spot. A mating pair of blue herons has been
observed here, and an osprey has been sighted in an impressive grove of
graceful hemlocks.
In
spring, Wilkinson woodlands are filled with lady
slippers, trilliums, white swamp azaleas, pinks, mountain laurel and
many more
wildflowers and flowering shrubs. The
kettlehole ponds are home to several species of frogs and other
amphibians.
Though
not large, this reservation is rich in geological
interests, wildflowers, and lovely trees.
--
from The Bay Circuit and AVIS Guide to Walks in
Andover (1992)
Goldsmith
Woodlands