Richard Fay planted the forest with his own hands...

Richard Sullivan Fay

History of Essex County Massachusetts: 

with Biographical Sketches, Volume 1 - Google Books

He commenced at once... "covering the hills with innumerable trees, many of which he planted with his own hands.  He imported larches, maples, firs, pines in large quantities, planted acorns constantly in his walks about the estate, and succeeded in converting a rough and somewhat unattractive landscape into a variegated forest, through which winds an avenue of great beauty, bordered by deciduous and evergreen trees distributed with great taste, and constituting a charming combination of variety and luxuriance of foliage"

little blooms

Romantic Blue Snowdrops expand the forest floor once again this year, reminiscing the old garden by Spring Pond which Richard Sullivan Fay once grew.  Snowdrops originate from Europe, and may have been planted here first in the 'new world'.

A Pussy Willow tree blossoms over the water of a little pond.  

(undetermined origin of species)

The tiniest little evergreen... is really a little fern...

Skunk Cabbage, near a wetland. 

Snow Drop Flowers, Venus and Jupiter

White Snow Drop flora, in the formal international garden of Richard Sullivan Fay, Fay Estate.

Flora, in the formal international garden of Richard Sullivan Fay, Fay Estate.

White Snow Drop flora, in the formal international garden of Richard Sullivan Fay, Fay Estate.

Night view of Venus and Jupiter, through the branches of the woods.

Map of Open Trails

Map of Trails.  Image from 'GPS Kit HD' for iPad.  

Walking and cycling trails in Spring Pond Woods are shown in the map as dashed (brown, pink and blue) lines.  The trail network can be found by using a GIS mapping device application, or by entry through the points indicated on the map above, also listed below...

Peabody  

Spring Pond Road, Lynn Street, Sunset Drive, Longview Ave, Linden Road, Veterans Memorial Drive, Coolidge Ave, Glen Road and Cedar Grove Cemetery

Lynn

Fays Ave, Verona Street, John H. Cann Way

Salem

Cain Road, Tanglewood Lane, Barcelona Ave, Osborne Hill Drive

The data layers in 'GPS Kit HD' indicate the trails are 'Open Cycling' and 'Open Street'...

Enjoy walking, cycling, relaxation or history/ nature observing.

Vernal Pool Certification!!

Two (2!) vernal pool reports which were submitted last year for Spring Pond Woods, have recently become certified!  These two little ponds with connecting wetlands and buffer areas are now recognized by law as important wildlife habitats.   

Thank you to Leslie Courtemanche, who together visited the ponds over several nights/ days into months.  This is now Leslie's 3rd vp certification in Spring Pond Woods!  Another deserving thank you goes to Calvin Anderson who trekked along a couple times and helped discover the right kind of bugs.  Thank you to volunteers from a vernal pond group (Rick with Annette, Randall, and Rosemary) for visiting the pools during one of the days, and a professor from a state college who visited the pools before Spring to offer insight of vegetation, and to a sweet woman who came once out in the dark after surgery but could not continue the climb through the woods to reach the 2nd pool.  Thank you to a group of Salemites who offered encouraging support.  And thanks to a special expert for simply caring…you know who are.  Did I miss anyone?  A big thank You to family and friends for putting up with us (well me anyhow :), over the long course of the challenging couple years to protect these areas.  Much love and peace on...

Photos of the Woods

Here are a few photos, shared by Leslie C. and BJoyceArt.