Eastern Greenway-North, Harvard

Photo by Louis Calisi.

Update, March 1, 2022: Thanks to tremendous support from grants and the surrounding community, SVT reached our fundraising goal and will soon finalize the purchase of a conservation restriction (CR) on Eastern Greenway-North. Through the CR, we will ensure that this land is forever protected as open space and wildlife habitat. Thank you to everyone who donated to this project. Because of you, wildlife will have room to roam--forever!

Creating Connectivity in the High Ridge

At a Glance

SVT and the Harvard Conservation Trust (HCT) are working together to protect 45 acres of important wildlife habitat in Harvard.
This land, which we call Eastern Greenway-North, is part of a larger HCT effort to conserve 200 acres of contiguous open space.
By protecting Eastern Greenway-North, we will knit together a network of conserved lands to create an expansive wildlife corridor in the High Ridge area of Harvard, Littleton, and Boxborough.

Eastern Greenway-North Project Maps

In the upper-left corner of the map, click >> to see the Map Legend
Click + or - to zoom in or out.
Click here to open a PDF of the map

Property Description

Eastern Greenway-North is a beautiful, quiet stretch of wooded land on the eastern edge of Harvard, near the Boxborough town line. These 45 acres are the northernmost piece of an expansive 200-acre property that Harvard Conservation Trust (HCT) plans to purchase and protect in early 2022.

Spanning both hilly woodlands and forested wetlands, Eastern Greenway-North features picturesque rocky outcrops and a view of Horse Meadows Pond. With a rich landscape dominated by native plants, it is no wonder that nearly all 45 acres are considered to be priority habitat for rare and endangered species of wildlife.

Bobcats and moose roam the forest in search of food and shelter. Green heron wade in the pond. Great horned owls and red-tailed hawks build nests in the oak- and pine-dominated tree line. Potential vernal pools promise opportunities for frogs, newts, and salamanders to hatch, mature, and reproduce.

Why Conserve This Land?

SVT has identified Eastern Greenway-North as a priority for protection because of its ecological significance, habitat quality, and proximity to other conserved lands.

The land sits within the ecologically rich High Ridge--a 1,900-acre area in Harvard, Littleton, and Boxborough that includes essential wildlife habitat, healthy forests, headwater streams, and productive farms and orchards. SVT and our partners in the three towns have launched the High Ridge Initiative to protect as many of these lands as possible.

The long and narrow Eastern Greenway-North is surrounded by conserved properties, including Horse Meadows Knoll and Elizabeth Brook Knoll, both of which were protected through the High Ridge Initiative.

By permanently protecting Eastern Greenway-North from development, we will knit these lands together into an expanded conservation corridor that ensures wildlife will always have room to roam.

How Will We Conserve This Land?

HCT is raising funds to purchase and protect 200 acres of open space and wildlife habitat on the eastern edge of Harvard.

SVT will help HCT raise funds for the entire project by purchasing a conservation restriction (CR) on the 45.24 acres that sit within the High Ridge region—the Eastern Greenway-North property. The CR will ensure that the land remains undeveloped and continues to provide benefits to wildlife and people for generations to come.