Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, formerly referred to as the U.S. Army's Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex
, is a 2230 acres (9 km²) parcel of land located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) west of Boston
, and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters. It is located in portions of the Towns of Hudson
, Maynard
, Stow
and Sudbury
and covers approximately 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²). The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge consists of two separate pieces of land. The larger northern section is just north of Hudson Road. The southern section is located to the south of Hudson Road. The refuge contains a diverse mixture of pine
/hardwood
forest, old field, and wetland habitats.
On March 26, 2005, the refuge officially opened for wildlife dependent recreation. As of November 13, 2005, there are 10 miles (16.1 km) of trails open to the public for wildlife observation. A map of existing trails is available at the kiosk
on Hudson Road in Sudbury and at the refuge website. The refuge is also open for hunting
and fishing
.
Dogs are not allowed on the refuge.
The Friends of the Assabet River NWR formed in 2000, nearly a full year prior to the transfer of the U.S. Army's former Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since that time, the Friends Group has provided the refuge invaluable assistance in preparing to open the refuge for wildlife-dependent recreational activities by removing physical safety hazards; conducting biological surveys of vernal pools, raptor
s, bats, invasive plant species
; and conducting numerous public outreach and education programs.
The primary purpose for which the refuge was created is its "...particular value in carrying out the national migratory bird management program". The refuge's interspersion of wetland, forested upland and old field habitats is ideally suited for this purpose. The refuge supports a diverse mix of migratory birds including waterfowl, wading birds, raptors, shorebirds, passerines, as well as resident mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Assabet River NWR is included in the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Inland River priority for protection Focus Area under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). The refuge area is also included within the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 and is included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Priority Wetlands of New England listing (1987). The refuge is identified as being High Biodiversity Focus Areas in the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Watershed Biodiversity Protection and Stewardship Plan (Clark, 2000).
Blanding's Turtle Repatriation Project
Blanding's turtle Credit: Stephanie Koch/USFWS
The Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a medium-sized, semi-aquatic freshwater turtle that inhabits wetlands in parts of the upper Midwest and New England. The New England population is disjunct from the main portion of the range. Blanding’s turtles are regarded as a species of conservation concern in every New England state in which they occur. This species is listed as threatened in Massachusetts and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is determining if federal listing under the Endangered Species Act is warranted.
Blanding’s turtles require large landscapes, relative to many other turtle species. They require a variety of wetland habitats, make frequent seasonal overland movements between them, and therefore suffer mortality not only from direct wetland habitat loss, but from upland landscape fragmentation as well. Protection of individual wetland sites has been difficult enough, but large-scale landscape conservation is even more daunting, especially in the heavily-developed northeastern U.S.
Two of the largest populations of Blanding’s turtles in the northeast exist at Oxbow NWR and Great Meadows NWR, and biologists are partnering with researchers to establish another population at Assabet River NWR, which is roughly equidistant between the other two populations. The project involves collecting Blanding’s turtle hatchlings from Oxbow NWR, individually marking them, and then either releasing them directly in wetlands at the donor site and new site, or raising them in captivity for their first year. The year old “head-started” turtles are larger and more likely to survive into their second year when they are released into the wild. To supplement the repatriation effort, biologists are also trapping and moving juvenile turtles from the source population at Oxbow NWR, marking and radio-tagging these juveniles, and tracking their movements and habitat choices at Assabet River NWR once they are released.
Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex
The Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex was a former annex of Fort Devens that was operational from 1942 to the 1990s. It originally opened as an ammunition dump for the base, and old railroad lines and bunkers can still be seen in the area. It then functioned as a dumping ground for the Natick...
, is a 2230 acres (9 km²) parcel of land located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) west of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters. It is located in portions of the Towns of Hudson
Hudson, Massachusetts
Hudson is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,063 at the 2010 census. The town is located in central Massachusetts, about a 40-minute drive, or about , west of Boston, and about a 20-minute drive, or about , northeast of Worcester.Before its...
, Maynard
Maynard, Massachusetts
Maynard is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 10,106.- History :Maynard, located on the Assabet River, was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1871. Prior to that it was known as 'Assabet Village' but was legally...
, Stow
Stow, Massachusetts
Stow is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,590 at the 2010 census.- History :Stow was first settled c. 1660 by Matthew Boon and John Kettell...
and Sudbury
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Sudbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, population 17,659. The town was incorporated in 1639, with the original boundaries including what is now Wayland. Wayland split from Sudbury in 1780. When first incorporated, it included and parts of Framingham, Marlborough, Stow...
and covers approximately 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²). The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge consists of two separate pieces of land. The larger northern section is just north of Hudson Road. The southern section is located to the south of Hudson Road. The refuge contains a diverse mixture of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
/hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
forest, old field, and wetland habitats.
On March 26, 2005, the refuge officially opened for wildlife dependent recreation. As of November 13, 2005, there are 10 miles (16.1 km) of trails open to the public for wildlife observation. A map of existing trails is available at the kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
on Hudson Road in Sudbury and at the refuge website. The refuge is also open for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.
Dogs are not allowed on the refuge.
The Friends of the Assabet River NWR formed in 2000, nearly a full year prior to the transfer of the U.S. Army's former Fort Devens Sudbury Training Annex to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since that time, the Friends Group has provided the refuge invaluable assistance in preparing to open the refuge for wildlife-dependent recreational activities by removing physical safety hazards; conducting biological surveys of vernal pools, raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s, bats, invasive plant species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
; and conducting numerous public outreach and education programs.
Wildlife and Habitat
Approximately 70 percent of the refuge land is forested with white pine and mixed hardwoods dominating. Approximately 22 percent is considered wetland habitat, including remnant Atlantic white cedar swamp, 6 dwarf-shrub bogs, 2 minerotrophic peatland bogs, a collection of vernal pools and historical cranberry bogs, and grass and shrubland habitats in the remaining areas.The primary purpose for which the refuge was created is its "...particular value in carrying out the national migratory bird management program". The refuge's interspersion of wetland, forested upland and old field habitats is ideally suited for this purpose. The refuge supports a diverse mix of migratory birds including waterfowl, wading birds, raptors, shorebirds, passerines, as well as resident mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Assabet River NWR is included in the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Inland River priority for protection Focus Area under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). The refuge area is also included within the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 and is included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Priority Wetlands of New England listing (1987). The refuge is identified as being High Biodiversity Focus Areas in the Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Watershed Biodiversity Protection and Stewardship Plan (Clark, 2000).
Blanding's Turtle Repatriation Project
Blanding's turtle Credit: Stephanie Koch/USFWS
The Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a medium-sized, semi-aquatic freshwater turtle that inhabits wetlands in parts of the upper Midwest and New England. The New England population is disjunct from the main portion of the range. Blanding’s turtles are regarded as a species of conservation concern in every New England state in which they occur. This species is listed as threatened in Massachusetts and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is determining if federal listing under the Endangered Species Act is warranted.
Blanding’s turtles require large landscapes, relative to many other turtle species. They require a variety of wetland habitats, make frequent seasonal overland movements between them, and therefore suffer mortality not only from direct wetland habitat loss, but from upland landscape fragmentation as well. Protection of individual wetland sites has been difficult enough, but large-scale landscape conservation is even more daunting, especially in the heavily-developed northeastern U.S.
Two of the largest populations of Blanding’s turtles in the northeast exist at Oxbow NWR and Great Meadows NWR, and biologists are partnering with researchers to establish another population at Assabet River NWR, which is roughly equidistant between the other two populations. The project involves collecting Blanding’s turtle hatchlings from Oxbow NWR, individually marking them, and then either releasing them directly in wetlands at the donor site and new site, or raising them in captivity for their first year. The year old “head-started” turtles are larger and more likely to survive into their second year when they are released into the wild. To supplement the repatriation effort, biologists are also trapping and moving juvenile turtles from the source population at Oxbow NWR, marking and radio-tagging these juveniles, and tracking their movements and habitat choices at Assabet River NWR once they are released.