Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary Open House Attracts a Crowd

PLYMOUTH, MA—Bird walks, bug discoveries, and botanical explorations drew plenty of nature-loving visitors to the Open House held Saturday, June 2, for Mass Audubon’s newest property, Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary.

But the biggest buzz focused on the wildlife sanctuary itself, a 481-acre oasis in Plymouth that has been restored from a century-old cranberry bog to its natural habitat of lush meadow, meandering stream, and woodlands. The ongoing ecological evolution taking place at the sanctuary was a theme of the all-day event, which began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mass Audubon President Gary Clayton.

Scores of attendees assembled for the ceremony at a new observation platform overlooking a verdant valley through which Beaver Dam Brook again flows unimpeded.

They were joined by state and local officials including state Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy; state Division of Ecological Restoration Director Beth Lambert; former property owners Glorianna Davenport and Evan Schulman; Plymouth/Barnstable Senator Vinny DeMacedo; Town of Plymouth Marine and Environmental Affairs Director David Gould; and Charter Contracting Co. Project Executive Paul Bertolino.

“What people can experience at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary is a perfect example of the restorative advantages of spending time in the outdoors,” Commissioner Roy told the crowd. “Impressive properties such as this, and what they mean to people, is one of the reasons we appreciate our partnership with Mass Audubon.”

Clayton echoed the state environmental official’s remarks, noting that the new sanctuary’s land and wildlife—as well as the generations of visitors who discover its treasures—will all benefit from nature’s power of restoration.

“Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary represents the renewal of nature at its most inspiring,” the Mass Audubon President said. “And we invite everyone in Plymouth, across southeast Massachusetts, and beyond to find out for themselves.”