FARMINGTON — A chorus of birds sing out their tunes at Couber Brook Pond Wednesday serenading the view from a new wildlife observation platform.
There is more to see for those who quietly sit and wait. And now there is a place there to do just that.
The Wilton Conservation Commission has completed and opened the Couber’s Brook platform with a 500-yard trail and benches. An official opening and celebration was held Sunday, Michael Hoehne, chairman of the Commission, said.
The property didn’t seem to be used for anything – too small for boating or fishing – but the space is abundant with wildlife, particularly birds, he said. Some local photographers and bird watchers have seen a variety there.
And that was the goal – to provide space and a trail for the public to observe and photograph wildlife in this wetland located close to town. The public includes two local schools that are within walking distance, he said.
“We hope that people will use the area as a place to step off Main St. or Sunset Ave. into a peaceful place and experience nature’s beauty,” Nancy Prince, Commission member, said at Sunday’s opening.
Two short paths reach the platform. One path starts in the Lion’s Club building parking lot. It is a little steeper, he said. The other starts on Sunset Avenue, just off Main Street, and across from a utility building. There is minimal parking but the path is longer and relatively flat, he said. A second bench is located near Sunset for those who don’t feel like walking the trail.
The platform is actually located behind the police department in Wilton’s Public Safety building, he said. The platform and trail are open all year long.
“You cannot hear the road traffic from the platform and can barely see Sunset Avenue,” he said. “You feel isolated.”
And that is perfect for viewing and taking photos. Many have enjoyed the photography of nearby neighbor Tony Nazar, he said.
Nazar and his wife, Justy, have lived at the top of Sunset Avenue for 40 years and often stop by to observe the wildlife, Justy Nazar said. Some birds even make it up the hill to pillage their bird feeders.
The list of wildlife was long when asked what they have seen there. They have seen otter, beaver, green and blue herons, Canadian geese, wood ducks, mallards, sandpipers, red wing blackbirds, pileated woodpeckers, hairy and downy woodpeckers, osprey, bittern, king fishers, hooded mergansers, orioles, hawks and turtles. Many have been photographed, she said.
There is a tremendous amount of wildlife, Nazar said. A red fox came out of the bog the other day. Moose and beavers used to be spotted but not for a long time, she said.
If not for the beavers who built a dam, there would just be a little stream in the middle, she said of what it looked like when the dam went out once. The stream goes back in the woods to a pond. Nazar hopes the dam will remain to keep the pond available. She believes the beavers were trapped a few years ago.
The Commission, whose work is to advise the town on use of town-owned properties and look at plans for forgotten properties, felt this was something they could do for the town, Hoehne said. They started working on the trail and created a comfortable place, nestled in the woods, for people to sit and observe.
Commission board members did all the work. Along with Hoehne and Prince, members include Jeff Chaisson, Scott Lindsay, Sharon Rainey, Russell Black, Martha Martin and Jordan Kimball.
Materials were donated by Wilton Hardware and Hammond Lumber, he said. There was no cost to the town.
Along with evaluating town property from a conservation perspective and advising the town on possibles uses, the Commission also periodically holds some events for the public such as talks on invasive species and a February full-moon snowshoe hike in Kineowatha Park, he said.
They are also working with Recreation Director Frank Donald and the Recreation Committee on upgrades to the trails at Kineowatha.
The Wilton Commission is also part of the statewide, Maine Association of Conservation Commissions where they trade information such as ideas to work on and available resources and government grants with other towns, he said.
abryant@sunmediagroup.net
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