In 1990, two large commercial development projects threatened the historical and ecological integrity of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Woods, an area of 2,680 acres surrounding Walden Pond. Under the leadership of recording artist Don Henley, the nonprofit Walden Woods Project was founded. The organization launched a successful national advocacy and fundraising campaign to preserve the endangered sites.
Artists, transcendentalists, abolitionists, civil rights advocates, and revolutionaries have been drawn to Concord from its very earliest days. There’s something in the air here…or perhaps it’s the ancient waters of places like Walden Pond…that moves a person to take action to protect this place. We sat down with musician and passionate conservationist Don Henley, a founding member of the legendary band The Eagles, to learn more about what moved a native Texan to save a place that was precious to one of his own role models – Concord’s Henry David Thoreau.
Concord’s October Farm Riverfront is a special place. Its 80 acres include more than a mile of river frontage, where the Concord River makes its great bend and turns to the north around Ball’s Hill. More than 100 years ago, noted ornithologist William Brewster purchased this land to save it from the developer’s axe, but it was not finally protected in perpetuity until 2016, when the Concord Land Conservation Trust and the Town of Concord teamed up to acquire the property with the generous support of many private donors and town and state funds.
To join the Walden scene, enjoy the ring-around-the-pond trail. Ever changing close-up views of the pond, its engineered pondside, and the hillside include periodic large stone steps welcoming walkers to lapping water.
But to discover nature’s ecology, explore the diverse woodland trails and special places. Here I highlight the intriguing land beyond the pond.
