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43-576: The majority of the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary is a polder , land reclaimed from water by the installation of a dike near the mouth of the Green Harbor River in 1872. The construction of the dike led to the town's “Dike Feud” in the late 19th century, a war between local fishermen, who opposed its construction, and farmers, who agreed with it, as the draining of the land provided more arable land. The dike

86-498: A red maple swamp before crossing a field and connecting to the Fox Hill Trail. Piggery Loop – This small trail cuts through a small apple orchard on land that once was used as a piggery, connecting on both ends with the Fox Hill Trail. River Walk – The River Walk crosses the Green Harbor River by use of a wooden footbridge, passes through a red maple swamp , and then crosses another footbridge across another section of

129-472: A dairy farm in its early years, Dwyer's land also supported about 25 horses and more than 600 pigs. At the farm's height, Dwyer and his farmhands turned out 4,000 quarts of milk a day and 30,000 bales of hay per year. With three sons uninterested in carrying on the family tradition on the farm, Dwyer was looking for a buyer. “I’ve sat down with the Conservation Commission’s appraiser,” Dwyer told

172-485: A long time there was not a sufficient portion of open land in the southern part of town. Now we have some saved.” About one month after the sale, Edward Dwyer died at 81 years old. Although setbacks and delays postponed the official sale for a few months, in that year of 1984 the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary came into existence, named for an earlier owner of the land, and an important figure in American history. In

215-561: A meaning somewhat opposite to that in coastal context. Massachusetts Audubon Society The Massachusetts Audubon Society , commonly known as Mass Audubon , founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts , is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "protecting the nature of Massachusetts". Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society (NAS), and

258-421: A new approach to the design of dikes and other water-retaining structures, based on an acceptable probability of overflowing. Risk is defined as the product of probability and consequences. The potential damage in lives, property, and rebuilding costs is compared with the potential cost of water defences. From these calculations follows an acceptable flood risk from the sea at one in 4,000–10,000 years, while it

301-711: A partnership with many from Boston's scientific community to form their organization. They named the organization the Massachusetts Audubon Society in honor of the bird painter John James Audubon . In 1905, a national committee of Audubon societies was developed. This committee was vital in passing the Migratory Bird Conservation Act in 1913 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 with Great Britain. The passage of these measures effectively eliminated

344-407: A piece of land elevated above its surroundings, with the augmentative suffix -er and epenthetical -d- . The word has been adopted in thirty-six languages. The Netherlands is frequently associated with polders, as its engineers became noted for developing techniques to drain wetlands and make them usable for agriculture and other development. This is illustrated by the saying "God created

387-576: A remarkable diversity of birdlife, but also supports a few species generally uncommon or rare throughout southeastern Massachusetts.” He listed it as hunting grounds for various birds of prey, and nesting grounds for several species of ducks; as “critical feeding grounds” for the six species of heron, ibis and egret that then nested on Clark's Island in nearby Duxbury Bay ; and as home to several species of mammals, from rodents to foxes. “This combination of features all points to an area worthy of whatever means may be required to preserve it.” On July 25, 1981,

430-541: A study of Dwyer Farm's wildlife and plant populations. On January 25, 1984, the committee announced that a deal had been struck, and that Mass Audubon had purchased the land. Dorothea Reeves, the driving force behind the purchase for a decade, couldn't have been happier. “This is paying off some of our debt to nature,” she told the Marshfield Mariner . “Nature doesn’t last for us if we take it for granted. We don’t look ahead enough. I have felt strongly for

473-564: A variety of birds. Similarly, Webster Pond was created by man. The pond was not dug. It was formed by constructing a dike across a stream. The pond is actually an abandoned cranberry bog. It was constructed by Walton Hall, who owned the Webster estate in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main fields of the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as the hidden Four-Acre Field, were used for dairy cattle grazing and for growing feed for those cattle. There are 2.2 miles (3.5 km) of trails at

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516-559: A young man, Edward Dwyer, a resident of Weymouth, Massachusetts , had excelled at early farming attempts, purchasing a pig for $ 3 at 12 years old in 1914. He soon graduated to cows, and as a sophomore in high school ran his own milk deliveries before and after school, outputting 13 quarts a day. By the time he earned his high school diploma he boasted a small herd, five of his own milking cows. He began purchasing land in Marshfield in 1931, adding parcels in 1938 and 1970. Although solely

559-524: Is a home for more than 150 endangered and threatened native species. Some of the sanctuaries, as noted below, have staffed nature centers or museums. For information about properties without a Misplaced Pages page, visit the Mass Audubon website's list of wildlife sanctuaries and select the property. Camp Wildwood , established in 1950, is the Society's only overnight summer camp, and it is accredited by

602-608: Is one in 100–2,500 years for a river flood. The particular established policy guides the Dutch government to improve flood defences as new data on threat levels become available. Major Dutch polders and the years they were laid dry include Beemster (1609–1612), Schermer (1633–1635), and Haarlemmermeerpolder (1852). Polders created as part of the Zuiderzee Works include Wieringermeerpolder (1930), Noordoostpolder (1942) and Flevopolder (1956–1968) Several cities on

645-577: The American Camp Association . The 159 acre camp is located in Rindge, New Hampshire , on Hubbard Pond, bordering 1,494-acre Annett State Forest . The property includes a central shower house, arts and crafts center, 135-seat dining hall, health center, office, camp store, seven cabin sites, an archery range, high and low ropes challenge course, playing field, and several trails and areas of forest and wetland for exploration. During

688-786: The Paraíba Valley region (in the state of São Paulo ) have polders on land claimed from the floodplains around the Paraíba do Sul river. Bangladesh has 139 polders, of which 49 are sea-facing, while the rest are along the numerous distributaries of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River delta. These were constructed in the 1960s to protect the coast from tidal flooding and reduce salinity incursion. They reduce long-term flooding and waterlogging following storm surges from tropical cyclones . They are also cultivated for agriculture. The Jiangnan region, at

731-486: The Yangtze River Delta , has a long history of constructing polders. Most of these projects were performed between the 10th and 13th centuries. The Chinese government also assisted local communities in constructing dikes for swampland water drainage. The Lijia (里甲) self-monitoring system of 110 households under a lizhang (里长) headman was used for the purposes of service administration and tax collection in

774-542: The 11th century. The oldest extant polder is the Achtermeer polder, from 1533. As a result of flooding disasters, water boards called waterschap (when situated more inland) or hoogheemraadschap (near the sea, mainly used in the Holland region) were set up to maintain the integrity of the water defences around polders, maintain the waterways inside a polder, and control the various water levels inside and outside

817-404: The Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary. Fox Hill Trail – This long, straight trail leads from the entry building to the observation platform on Fox Hill, overlooking the grasslands of the sanctuary's back meadows. Pond Loop – The Pond Loop passes the sanctuary's purple martin colony and Webster Pond on the right, with access to the second observation blind on the left. It then passes through

860-604: The Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary. Spring peepers can be heard in chorus in season. Snapping turtles can be found in the Green Harbor River, and eastern painted turtles often bask in the wet panne. Several common species of snakes inhabit the sanctuary as well. Polder A polder ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɔldər] ) is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes . The three types of polder are: The ground level in drained marshes subsides over time. All polders will eventually be below

903-626: The Daniel Webster Wildlife sanctuary attracts a great variety of species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Mammals White-tailed deer live on the sanctuary and in the surrounding open space parcels throughout the year. They can often be seen grazing in the back fields at sunrise. Coyotes , red fox and gray fox prey on mice and voles on the sanctuary, and are visible during daylight hours from time to time. fishers , short-tailed weasels , gray squirrels , red squirrels , field mice, and meadow voles have been seen on

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946-428: The air. Polders are at risk of flooding at all times, and care must be taken to protect the surrounding dikes. Dikes are typically built with locally available materials, and each material has its own risks: sand is prone to collapse owing to saturation by water; dry peat is lighter than water and potentially unable to retain water in very dry seasons. Some animals dig tunnels in the barrier, allowing water to infiltrate

989-460: The commercial plume trade. Mass Audubon's first wildlife sanctuary, Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon, Massachusetts , dates back to 1916 when the board accepts an offer of Sharon resident George Field to use his property as a bird sanctuary. Mass Audubon purchased the parcel in 1922. Mass Audubon's statewide network of more than 100 wildlife sanctuaries welcomes visitors of all ages and

1032-594: The committee, printed in the Marshfield Mariner on October 1, 1980, Wayne Petersen, then a school teacher in Hanover, but who would be on his way to a position as a field ornithologist for the Mass Audubon , outlined some of the important reasons why, for nature's sake, the farm should be saved as open space. “The farm includes Red Maple swamps, dry hay fields, moist meadows, and protected backwaters and muddy river edges. This combination of habitats produces not only

1075-419: The event expanded to include more fun and games for kids and demonstrations by the Marshfield cheerleading squads. Funds continued to trickle in, as Dywer, now 80 years old, held off developers, with the hope of seeing his farm remain forever as open space. On October 29, 1982, the committee released the stunning news that an anonymous donor had pledged $ 100,000 in support, and that Mass Audubon would undertake

1118-424: The original deal with Mr. Dwyer the property was to be maintained as a working farm. It included not only the real estate but also the farm equipment. The farmhouse, barns and silo have all been torn down by the sanctuary and the only farm operation is the annual mowing of fields to produce construction hay. Much of the farm equipment has been sold off. All of the animals are gone. Due to its wide variety of habitats,

1161-480: The people of Marshfield turned out in large numbers for the first incarnation of “Save Dwyer Farm Day.” Because the farm had not yet been purchased, the event took place in the Winslow Cemetery, at the end of Winslow Cemetery Road, with jitney rides in historical cars, hot air balloons and tours of the farm. Tied in with other fundraisers in 1981, Save Dwyer Farm Day raised $ 8000 toward the goal. In 1982,

1204-551: The polder, with a liangzhang (粮长, grain chief) responsible for maintaining the water system and a tangzhang (塘长, dike chief) for polder maintenance. In Germany, land reclaimed by diking is called a koog . The German Deichgraf system was similar to the Dutch and is widely known from Theodor Storm 's novella The Rider on the White Horse . In southern Germany, the term polder is used for retention basins recreated by opening dikes during river floodplain restoration ,

1247-485: The polder. Water boards hold separate elections, levy taxes, and function independently from other government bodies. Their function is basically unchanged even today. As such, they are the oldest democratic institutions in the country. The necessary cooperation among all ranks to maintain polder integrity gave its name to the Dutch version of third-way politics —the Polder Model . The 1953 flood disaster prompted

1290-859: The polders into an inaccessible swamp, which allowed the Allied armies to stop the German army . The Netherlands has a large area of polders: as much as 20% of the land area has at some point in the past been reclaimed from the sea, thus contributing to the development of the country. IJsselmeer is the most famous polder project of the Netherlands. Some other countries which have polders are Bangladesh , Belgium , Canada and China . Some examples of Dutch polder projects are Beemster , Schermer , Flevopolder and Noordoostpolder . The Dutch word polder derives successively from Middle Dutch polre , from Old Dutch polra , and ultimately from pol- ,

1333-645: The pond. Ducks, geese, herons, egrets and a wide variety of shorebirds visit the wet panne, while several species of birds of prey, most notably red-tailed hawks and northern harriers , feed on the small rodents that breed in the grasslands. Several species of owls have historically roosted in the red maple swamps during the winter, including great horned, barred, long-eared, short-eared, eastern screech and saw-whet owls . The sanctuary's plants provide ample food for warblers , sparrows and many other species during migration. Reptiles and amphibians Several species of salamanders, frogs and toads can be seen on

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1376-532: The river. A short loop formerly known as the Sparrow Loop meets the main trail again on a southward walk toward the Fox Hill Trail along a long wooden boardwalk across a saltmarsh. Secret Trail – The Secret Trail leads off the Fox Hill Trail and into a birch grove and eventually a red maple swamp. The farthest loop of the Secret Trail runs through an oak hammock that is essentially the only upland on

1419-535: The sanctuary trails. Northern river otters occasionally appear in the Green Harbor River. Birds The Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary has historically been home to a large colony of purple martins . And, because the sanctuary is one of the last remaining managed cultural grasslands in Massachusetts, species that rely on such habitats breed there in the spring and summer, most notably bobolinks . Mute swans and several species of ducks and geese feed on

1462-503: The sanctuary. Before linking again with the pond loop, the Secret Trail passes through a field hidden by the tree line and known as the Four-Acre Field. The trails of the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary are open from sunrise to sunset throughout the year. A small fee is charged for access. Mass Audubon members can access the trails for free. The Mass Audubon South Shore Sanctuaries staff runs regular nature programming at

1505-525: The site year-round. In 1974, the Town of Marshfield began to consider the purchase of the Dwyer Farm. That year, the town's advisory board referred the possible acquisition to a study committee, as the conservation commission, cemeteries and greens, and future school sites committees all had their eyes on the more than 350-acre (1.4 km) parcel. There was no doubt that Mr. Dwyer was ready to sell. As

1548-569: The structure; the muskrat is known for this activity and hunted in certain European countries because of it. Polders are most commonly, though not exclusively, found in river deltas, former fenlands , and coastal areas. Flooding of polders has also been used as a military tactic in the past. One example is the flooding of the polders along the Yser River during World War I . Opening the sluices at high tide and closing them at low tide turned

1591-597: The summers, Camp Wildwood hosts campers ranging from ages 7 to 17. The programs at the camp include a day camp, a three-day session for campers 7 to 8 years old, one- and two-week sessions for campers ages 9 to 16, one- and two-week off-site Treks for campers ages 14–17, and a several-week long Leadership program (called LIT/LIA, meaning Leaders in Training and Leaders in Action) for campers ages 16 and 17. The camp also hosts several three-day long "Family Camp" sessions throughout

1634-543: The surrounding water level some or all of the time. Water enters the low-lying polder through infiltration and water pressure of groundwater , or rainfall, or transport of water by rivers and canals. This usually means that the polder has an excess of water, which is pumped out or drained by opening sluices at low tide . Care must be taken not to set the internal water level too low. Polder land made up of peat (former marshland) will sink in relation to its previous level, because of peat decomposing when exposed to oxygen from

1677-529: The town of Marshfield through the March 22, 1979 edition of the Marshfield Mariner, “and we each thought the other was crazy. As long as I get expenses out of it, I’ll keep operating it. It’s on the market, but I’m not pushing it.” One woman in town, Dorothea Reeves, had already begun a one-woman campaign to raise the money – Dwyer was asking for $ 500,000, or $ 1250 per acre - to purchase the farm for

1720-618: The town, hoping one end result would be shared farmland for Marshfielders to grow their own crops. By September 1980 a growing army of conservation-minded citizens calling themselves the Committee to Preserve the Dwyer Farm for the People of Marshfield, joined her. About 70 people showed up to the committee's first public rally on September 28 at the parish house of the First Congregational Church. In an open letter to

1763-594: The world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands". The Dutch have a long history of reclamation of marshes and fenland, resulting in some 3,000 polders nationwide. By 1961, about half of the country's land, 18,000 square kilometres (6,800 sq mi), was reclaimed from the sea. About half the total surface area of polders in northwest Europe is in the Netherlands. The first embankments in Europe were constructed in Roman times. The first polders were constructed in

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1806-472: Was dynamited by the fishermen and rebuilt by the farmers. Fox Hill, currently the site of an observation platform, has a former foundation for a home that was filled in by Sanctuary staff. The island routinely sat above water level prior to the dike's construction, and was known on old maps as Fox Island. It was accessed by a road from the end of Winslow Cemetery Rd. The wet panne is a man-made wetland designed to hold five tiers of water levels in order to attract

1849-507: Was founded earlier than the NAS. Mass Audubon protects more than 40,000 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all with its wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers. The Massachusetts Audubon Society was born out of Harriet Hemenway 's desire to stop the commercial slaughter of birds for women's ornamental hats. Hemenway and her cousin, Minna Hall, soon enlisted 900 women and formed

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