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March 30, 2007 Dear Friend and Neighbor, Walden Woods is at risk and we need your help! As we are sure you know, the village of Concord, Massachusetts, in the mid 19 th century was the center of an astonishing burst of intellectual energy. The wisdom and creativity that emanated from this little town formed, in large measure, the ethical and philosophical foundations of the young nation of America, and profoundly influenced the world. A few short decades after the violent, history-making events at the Old North Bridge, the words of Thoreau and Emerson, the Alcotts and others would also shake and shape the world. And what was it about Concord that shaped those great thinkers and writers? Concord was blessed with natural beauty, a congruence of pleasant hills, fertile soil, abundant water, gentle streams and temperate climate that the greatest landscape architect would envy. The fields, forests, rivers, hills and dales of Concord formed the perfect environment for contemplation of Man and Nature. Much of that perfection has been sacrificed to the demands of commerce and growth. But some remains, and what remains must be protected, preserved, and cherished. What remains holds the legacy of Concord, and is still the heart and the soul of a remarkable and important American town. Walden Pond and Walden Woods are the heart of that legacy, and it is this legacy that is being threatened today. Until Walden Woods was bisected by Route 2, it was a contiguous forest. Geologically, ecologically, and in all other ways, it still is. To say that the woods north of Route 2 are no longer part of Walden Woods is like cutting a cake in half and saying one half is no longer cake. All town maps drawn prior to the construction of the highway show that what Thoreau called Deep Cut Woods belongs to Walden Woods. Aerial photographs taken in the 1920s confirm what the maps show. The 15-acre portion of Walden Woods now owned by the Concord-Carlisle High School has been woodland for at least 500 years and comprises a wildlife corridor sheltering many species of birds and animals. The woods cover Brister's Hill, which was named by Thoreau for Brister Freeman, a former slave who lived on the hill for thirty years, after having served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution . In these woods, Thoreau developed theories that became cornerstones of modern ecological science - Forest Succession and the Dispersion of Seeds. Reason enough to preserve the woods. A walk in these woods can still offer an education in the natural world and a spiritual awakening for those who saunter, as Thoreau advocated, and observe. And many do: birders, botanizers, nature students, joggers and walkers, cross-country skiers, meditators, seekers of solitude. The woods also serve athletes from Concord-Carlisle High as part of their cross-country running course. There is too much history in these woods, too much beauty, too much of Concord's nature and soul for us to allow them to be bulldozed for the construction of athletic fields. Athletic fields, while important to our town, can be built in other places. Walden Woods can't be moved or transplanted, and once obliterated will be gone forever, and the world will be a poorer place. We need to protect Deep Cut Woods! We are living in an era of rapid environmental destruction and degradation. We must do whatever we can to halt those processes. Let's stop the destruction of our natural habitat. Let's fight for the survival of species, and not contribute to their extinction. Let's act locally, and do what we can in our small corner of the world to be good stewards of the earth. Let's not allow Deep Cut Woods to fall under the bulldozer's blade and vanish forever. Help us save Deep Cut Woods. What you can do to help: • Write and send letters to Concord and Boston newspapers Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Edmund A. Schofield, Ph.D. Patricia J. Hecht *Application for Tax Exempt Status is in process.
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