Mainstone Farm Anniversary Walking Route, Stop #3

Wildlife Corridors

It’s easy to see two of the benefits that resulted from the protection of Mainstone Farm: An iconic landscape in the center of town has been saved, and a farm that provides local farm products for area residents.

What might be less obvious is how the protection of this land aided our native wildlife.

Wild animals are more likely to thrive when they have expansive areas of land in which to hunt and breed. Bobcats and foxes need room to roam as they search for food. Frogs and salamanders need safe passage to the vernal pools where they breed. Birds and insects seek out a variety of plants in their quest for berries and nectar. Open farmland provides good hunting ground for raptors like hawks and owls.

By protecting the forests and fields of Mainstone Farm, the Town of Wayland and SVT added 218 acres to the nearly 270 nearby acres that had already been protected. Had the land been divided into housing lots, important wildlife habitat would have been lost, and many animals would have faced threats from cars and domestic pets as they traveled through the area.

Instead, we have an extensive corridor of undeveloped lands that will support numerous species of native wildlife far into the future.