A previous walk along the Shawsheen River during last year’s Trails and Sails. (Photograph courtesy of Essex National Heritage Area).
A 50-acre river trail in Andover will be dedicated next month.
The Shawsheen River Greenway dedication takes place, with activities beginning at 11 a.m., Saturday April 23, with a rain date of April 24.
Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS), and the Town of Andover Conservation Commission recently acquired two properties at the end of South Street, along the Shawsheen River. The AVIS parcel was owned by the Tisbert family and the Town of Andover parcel was a portion of the solar farm. The properties were added to the original AVIS land, donated by the Sanborn family in 1959, to create a singular reservation along the banks of the Shawsheen River, officials said.
The dedication includes an 11 a.m. hike along the new trail system led by Sanborn Res. Wardens Burt Batcheller and Bob Rauseo and bring your own canoe or kayak to launch; bring your own picnic lunch at noon, with desserts and drinks sponsored by My Marketing Solutions; 1 p.m. formal dedication of the Greenway and Dedication of “Meg’s” trail, named in memory of Margaret Batcheller, a longtime AVIS volunteer; and 2 p.m. hike along Meg’s Trail.
For more information, contact AVIS Land Manager David Dargie at (978) 996-4475.