An Easthampton homeowner has acted to protect 10 acres of state-significant habitat along the Manhan River. 

On October 2nd, the land was donated to Pascommuck Conservation Trust to be set aside as an undisturbed natural area for fish, wildlife, and plants.  The parcel is a complex of floodplain forest and wetlands, extending along nearly a half mile of riverfront.

Acquiring the property with his late wife in late 1999, the owner spent the last two decades observing the progression of seasons as spring floods reshaped the course of the River, late summer droughts revealed its shoreline, and animals from birds to bears traveled through the floodplain forest as the Manhan meanders from the Oxbow towards the Hilltowns.

Dianne McLane, Trust President, stated, “This gift adds protected acreage to an important wildlife corridor — it is definitely a property where “Wild Things Roam”. Expanding conservation land along the Manhan is an important undertaking and we can only thank the homeowner for their generosity and foresight in protecting such an interesting and natural part of Easthampton.”

To sustain its fragile resources, the newly donated land will not be accessible to the public.  Setting the riverfront aside as a preserve provides a refuge and safe passage for wildlife in a heavily developed area, while keeping the floodplain intact reduces flooding downstream.  Saving waterfront on the Manhan and along other streams in town is a goal Pascommuck has pursued since its founding in 1982.