When I made plans to spend time at Spring Into West Concord this year, I did not expect to encounter an impassioned plea to save Warner’s Pond. Previously, I had just known it as “that body of water adjacent to the big rotary,” which seems to intimidate anyone who crosses its path, myself included.
I enjoy walking along the various trails in my community in and around Sudbury and this includes Concord and Acton. I remember one eventful walk along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail; I was fascinated by the tranquility and peace I felt as I was mostly alone with my thoughts surrounded by the sounds of nature interrupted only by the occasional ding of a bicycle bell. In hindsight, I thought about how privileged I was to have access to a place like this in my own backyard.
Indeed, there is a great intangible, yet highly significant, value to preserving the natural spaces that exist in communities so that they may be a benefit to the public good and also for the sake of preserving our natural habitats.
Although I was vaguely familiar with the pond adjacent to the exercise park I frequent with my friends, I did not know it had a name until Mary, one of the volunteers I encountered at Spring Into West Concord, told me all about the recent history of Warner’s Pond and the endeavor to preserve the pond’s vitality for future generations.
I’m so glad I had the opportunity to learn just a little bit more about the town I am already so familiar with and how I can begin to get involved in the endeavor to not only preserve its natural spaces, but also to make accessing these spaces easier for West Concord residents.
Cameron A. Andrade
Maynard Road, Sudbury