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The Lady's Slipper is both beautiful and fragile, like the woods themselves. The Deep Cut Woods cannot speak for themselves, and so we hope that the Lady's Slipper will speak for the Woods and for their protection and conservation. In late spring and early summer Deep Cut Woods and other parts of Walden Woods are bursting with Lady's Slippers, just as when Thoreau walked there and recorded his keen observations. The delicate pink flower is a perfect symbol on many levels. The Lady's Slipper thrives in the quiet light-dappled forest, taking its nourishment from the mulch of the oaks and pines. The flower's very existence depends upon the woods, and in return the Lady's Slipper lends its quiet beauty to the forest. We urge you to protect Deep Cut Woods and the Lady's Slippers that bloom within. About Friends of Thoreau Country : In August of 2006, Concord residents were notified of "possible new athletic fields at the high school campus." Most of us were away on vacation, and so did not learn until September, 2006 of the plans by ad hoc committees to site three new playing fields in the high school woods, part of historic Walden Woods. Residents worked together and attended many meetings to try to convince the ad hoc committees, the town manager and the school committee that this was a bad plan. Our efforts were ignored. An outreach campaign was begun to find people in Concord and outside of Concord who would want to preserve the Woods. Many phone calls and meetings recruited an ever-expanding group of folks, some from as far away as Maine, willing to work together on the project to Save Deep Cut Woods. As we researched the issues and concerns of the citizens of Concord, it became apparent that any new athletic fields should be part of the Master Plan for the new high school. The School Committee has submitted a Statement of Interest to the State for the funding of a new high school and will be notified THIS FALL as to whether they can proceed and receive State reimbursement funds. According to the School Committee, school enrollment is declining and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We believe that waiting a few short months to hear back from the State is prudent, fiscally responsible, and environmentally sound. Once the sprawling old Fifties-style school comes down, new playing fields - if needed at all - could be put in that space. In the meantime, improving the current fields will alleviate any shortage of playing fields. Another concern is the ad hoc committees' proposed use of public money to build athletic fields on public lands - with a near-total lack of public involvement. The site selection process has not allowed the opportunity for public scrutiny or public attendance at meetings. There has been no opportunity for opposing views to be expressed at public hearings or other public venues. The ad hoc committees - the Field Development Group and the Concord Playing Fields Steering Committee - have circumvented the democratic process as established by law and long-standing town custom. We believe that there are several other sites in Concord that would meet the town's playing-field needs through expansion or improvement. But the public was not allowed to have a voice. Friends of Thoreau Country believe that a sound Master Plan should be developed and that capital expenditures like this should be held to a public, town-wide process. We also share a desire to protect and preserve the legacy of American author, philosopher, conservationist and naturalist, Henry David Thoreau. The Woods, called Deep Cut Woods by Thoreau, are a little-known corner of the larger historic Walden Woods. Deep Cut Woods is the only publicly-held, undeveloped, unprotected portion of Walden Woods north of Route 2. The Board of Directors of Friends of Thoreau Country is made up of two Concord residents, Connie Levine and Patty Hecht, and eminent Thoreau scholars Dr. Edmund A. Schofield, J. Walter Brain and Richard R. O'Connor. Saving Deep Cut Woods is the first conservation campaign to be undertaken by Friends of Thoreau Country. Henry David Thoreau wrote about many places, in Concord and beyond, but it was in Concord that he "travelled a good deal" and where he found the inspiration for his greatest works. Friends of Thoreau Country seeks to honor and preserve in their natural state the woodlands and landscapes that Thoreau loved, learned from, and wrote about so eloquently in his books and journals. |