Stewards needed for The Oak and Wall Farm Preserve

By Theresa Knapp

The Town of Mendon has received the final funding needed to preserve a 201-acre property on Thayer Road to be known as “The Oak and Wall Farm Preserve.” 

The project was selected by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to receive $500,000 in assistance from the Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) Grant Program. The property will be preserved for wildlife habitat, public trails, and aquifer protection. 

The LAND Grant Program assists municipal conservation commissions in acquiring land for the protection of natural resources and passive outdoor recreation purposes. 

The Oak and Wall Farm Preserve in Mendon was one of 59 grantees to receive a grant from the state to develop parks and protect conservation areas. This 201-acre parcel on Thayer Road will be preserved for wildlife habitat, public trails, and aquifer protection. Courtesy photo

Anne Mazar is Chair of the Mendon Land/Energy Use Committee, and Chair of the Mendon Community Preservation Committee. She said this award is important because, without it, the project would have fallen through. 

“This was a collaborative effort. Mass Audubon has committed $200,000, The Nature Conservancy has committed $600,000, and the Town of Mendon voted [May 2024] to spend $500,000 of CPA funds if we received the rest of the funding,” Mazar said. “The $1.8 million will be used to purchase the conservation restriction and all the due diligence that goes along with a project like this.”

Mazar credits the Metacomet Land Trust for providing technical assistance throughout the grant process. 

In September, the state awarded more than $27 million to 59 grantees to develop parks and protect conservation areas. Read the full list of awardees at bit.ly/EEAgrantsSept2024. 

In its press release, the EEA said, “This [Mendon] property is surrounded by approximately 1,000 acres of undeveloped, mostly- forested land. This property contains two vernal pools and abuts the Mill River. The property is NHESP [MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program] designated BioMap Core Habitat, and Rare Species Core with good habitat for the Eastern Box Turtle and a variety of freshwater species, as well. Conservation of this land will also contribute to protecting the largest drinking water aquifer in Mendon.”

Various parties own the 1,000 acres surrounding The Oak and Wall Farm Preserve, and a large portion of that land is under Chapter 61A which gives the land temporary protection and the town the right of first refusal if landowners decide to sell. 

“There will be public access to the 201 acres through trails, but wildlife has access to all the acreage,” said Mazar, adding future trails “can be enjoyed with passive recreation activities that will not infringe on sensitive wildlife habitat, especially where animals nest or breed.”

Motorized vehicles will be prohibited. 

Mazar credits Mendon voters for having the foresight to protect The Oak and Wall Farm. “These special properties help to make Mendon a very desirable place to live. With so many properties in our area being clearcut, paved and developed, it is important to protect these unique landscapes which enhance the beauty, history, rural character and quality of life in Mendon.”

The Town of Mendon and Metacomet Land Trust will oversee the property. Mendon also has Volunteer Land Stewards who help maintain open space properties in Mendon. They build trails, add signage, remove invasive plants, provide maintenance, and enjoy the property. Volunteers are needed to steward The Oak and Wall Farm Preserve. 

Mazar said, “We do not have any volunteers assigned to this property yet, so if anyone is interested in being a Volunteer Land Steward, they can send an email to the

Mendon Land Use Committee at [email protected].”

What is a permanent conservation restriction? 

A permanent conservation restriction (CR) does not allow any development and requires the land be kept in its natural state in perpetuity. The Town of Mendon is purchasing the conservation restriction or "buying" the building rights. The property is monitored by a third party (usually a land trust or non-profit land protection organization) to make sure the conservation restriction is forever followed by the landowner. Metacomet Land Trust and the Town of Mendon will jointly hold this CR. CRs usually allow passive recreation (hiking, cross-country skiing, non-motorized bikes, etc.). 

What does a CR mean for The Oak and

Wall Farm Preserve?

This property will allow hunting with permission of the landowner and agriculture on a portion of the property. There will be public access to enjoy the beautiful property once the trails are created, which will be a volunteer effort. It will protect a very important medium yield aquifer that provides clean water to many of the wells in Mendon. 

Clearcutting to build a subdivision, lawn fertilizers, pesticides and the impervious surfaces of driveways and roads, could have contaminated this aquifer, whereas trees and plants filter the water before it gets to the aquifer. Keeping the forests and fields intact will help provide climate change resiliency through ecosystem services such as erosion control, flood protection, natural cooling, absorption of carbon dioxide and release of oxygen into the air. 

Anne Mazar, Chair

Mendon Land/Energy Use Committee

Mendon Community Preservation Committee