Meetinghouse Pond is located on the western slope of Mt. Monadnock, about 4.4 miles from the summit. Much of the forested, undeveloped shoreline of this 45 acre pond has been protected for over 200 years as town land. Because of the generosity of conservation-minded Marlborough residents, the remainder of the pond’s shoreline is protected as part of the 579 acre Kensan Devan Meetinghouse Pond Wildlife Sanctuary.
Containing a mosaic of wetland and upland habitat types, the Sanctuary is wooded with deciduous and mixed forest.
Forestry work completed in recent years at Kensan-Devan Wildlife Sanctuary is a direct result of our careful planning.
It started by working with The Ecosystem Management Company, a subsidiary of Meadowsend Timberlands Ltd., to create a forest management plan for the 590 acre wildlife sanctuary back in 2015. In general, the bird habitat goals for Kensan Devan were and still are, to protect and maintain interior forest habitat, protect interior wetlands, create early successional habitat, and increase forest structure and vertical diversity.
Specifically, our goals were to create habitat for and increase the presence of key breeding birds: Black Throated Blue Warbler, Black Throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler, Chestnut Sided Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Wood Pewee, and Wood Thrush.
Forest Management for the Birds: Part III (Afield, Summer 2022)
Forest Management for the Birds: Part II (Afield, Winter 2017-18)
Forest Management for the Birds: Part I (Afield, Winter 2015-16)
Lamonde, S, and J. Littleton. (2021). Five Years Post-Harvest: Breeding Bird Population Survey and Habitat Assessment for the Kensan-Devan Wildlife Sanctuary. Moosewood Ecological LLC, Chesterfield, New Hampshire.
The Ecosystem Management Company (TEMC). (2015). Forest Management Plan for the New Hampshire Audubon Kensan-Devan Wildlife Sanctuary.
Witko, Chad. (2019). The Impact of “Forestry for the Birds” Management on the Avian Community at Kensan-Devan Wildlife Sanctuary in Marlborough, NH after the First Year. Master’s Thesis. Antioch New England.
Download the Sanctuary Map (above) for trail map and full details.
Parking lot for sanctuary trails is at the end of the gravel road.
