Preserve Goose Pond Forest

Editor: May 9 is the upcoming annual town meeting in Chatham. As is usual there are items which determine the direction of our town. Decisions made will have both immediate and many generational impacts. One item is the future of the Goose Pond forest.

Backyard bird feeders are beneficial in seed feeding mature birds. However, young birds are unable to eat seed and require insects and caterpillars to survive and grow. This is another reason the woodlands around Goose Pond are crucial. A single tree is important but it does not provide all that is required. It is tracts of undisturbed native woodlands that do. The Goose Pond forest supports a whole ecosystem: native plants, native shrub understory, and native trees which support the native insects needed by birds, amphibians, and small mammals, to name just a few. When migratory birds reach landfall, they require nourishment and a resting place. The Goose Pond forest provides this much needed and important sanctuary.

Preservation of all that Chatham has to offer takes many forms. Once gone, and all the charm associated with Chatham is gone, it’s gone for good. Vote to preserve Goose Pond forest.

Dann Jung

Chatham