Loring Nature Foundation's duck blinds and nature trails receive ConCom approval
CONSERVATION
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
By early summer, Nantucketers will get to walk around the North Head of Hummock Pond and in three different places, stop and view ducks and other birds from blinds along the shore.

At its May 21 meeting, the Conservation Commission voted 5-0 to issue an order of conditions to the Linda Loring Nature Foundation at 110 Eel Point Road to cut walking trails around that pond, which sits on its 270-acre property now protected by a conservation easement secured by the Nantucket Land Council for $14 million in April 2007

The low-impact work on the property also includes several non-hunting duck blinds along the edge of the pond for visitors and staff to get close to birds and animals on and around the pond, and a five-foot wide boardwalk necessary for traversing fragile wetlands along the route. Foundation Naturalist and Property Manager E. Vernon Laux said that given no appeals of their order of conditions during the 30-day appeal period, he hopes to get going on the trails, boardwalk and blinds near the end of June and have the nature walk open to the public for the summer.

"I'm delighted that the Conservation Commission worked with us," said Laux. "We discussed a couple of plans, but I thought they were very reasonable and helpful to deal with. We're not building any big stuff or putting in any septic systems. We're going to have a nice little boardwalk and that opens up the rest of the property."

When the trail work is completed and the blinds in place, the trails will be open to the public during daylight hours, but not to dogs. Not strictly just another place to walk, Loring's property will eventually become an island wilderness educational center with a barn built for events, classes and possibly summer programs for island children.

The Foundation hired its executive director, Kathryn "Kitty" Pochman in the third week of July last year and two weeks later she hired Laux as resident naturalist and property manager. Pochman said that the Foundation will begin offering a light schedule of programs to the island starting in June.

"Getting the approval for the trails and then installing them is going to be key to getting programs up and running," said Pochman. "This summer, our goal is to offer a family program twice a month. We're also going to have a community open house once a month starting in June to introduce people to the programs and the foundation."

The Foundation's trail system project narrative filed with its notice of intent with at the Conservation Commission reads: "The 'mission' of the Linda Loring Nature Foundation is to improve the understanding and appreciation of Nantucket's fragile flora, fauna and wildlife by providing education, information and support to children, educators, researchers, organizations and individuals." Loring's vision, which always centered on providing an island natural world learning experience for Nantucket children through a system of walking paths, viewing blinds and an educational building, does not include any deer, rabbit, duck or any other type of hunting on the property.

In addition to the nature trails and blinds, the Foundation wants to begin conceptual and design phase of building a barn on the property for educational purposes. the Foundation will assemble a building committee later this year. All of this work, begun in 1999 when Linda Loring formed her six-member foundation, is for the island environmental education of children.

"Of course, our educational goal is geared toward children, but we'd like to see more people learn about birds, butterflies, leading to greater conservation

principles," said Pochman. I