MARLBOROUGH – Sudbury Valley Trustees recently expanded the Grist Mill Pond Conservation Area thanks to land donations from two members of a neighboring family.
The conservation area, which runs along Route 20 near the Marlborough-Sudbury line, is home to native plants such as winterberry and highbush blueberry with impressively large and statuesque oak trees.
The nonprofit land trust has been protecting this wetland habitat since 1975, when it purchased 18 acres of land around Grist Mill Pond. The conservation area expanded in June 2022 when a member of the Hutch family donated an adjacent 4.4-acre parcel that further buffers the habitat. The area expanded again on Feb. 24, when another member of the Hutch family donated an additional 2.7 acres for permanent protection.
“We were delighted to accept these two donations from the Hutch family,” said Laura Mattei, director of stewardship. “It’s important to add to and create buffers around wetlands so our native wildlife can thrive. Every time we increase the size of a conservation area, we provide additional protections for wildlife.”
