The Nan & Allen King Bird Sanctuary at Hayes Farm Park
The Hanover Conservation Council is pleased to announce our newest project, honoring the memory of two prominent Hanover conservationists and Council members, Nan and Allen King. Located on the beautiful Upper Meadow of the town’s newly acquired Hayes Farm Park, the King Sanctuary includes an extensive demonstration planting of native trees and shrubs.
A trail from the Etna Library leads to the Upper Meadow and will eventually allow visitors to explore the entire property and the town’s adjacent Trescott Ridge Wetlands. The Council and the town’s Conservation Commission have partnered to create this sanctuary to benefit Etna Village.
Preparing the Upper Meadow for planting required removal of a major infestation of invasive plants, including barberry, honeysuckle, and glossy buckthorn. Council volunteers worked with the crew of E. C. Brown’s Nursery to remove the brush before the plantings were installed.
Dominating the crest of the knoll is a stone bench, created from a glacial boulder by sculptor Chance Anderson of Canterbury, NH. Two smaller seats nearby, formed of a single stone cut in half, carry inset illustrations of a kingbird and a chickadee.
Over 60 people joined the Council at the Etna Library for a celebration of the Kings’ life and the opening of the sanctuary on June 30. The Council thanks the many volunteers who have helped with this project, especially neighbors Ken and Norma Pelton and Jay and Susan Pierson.
The Council will soon publish a guide to the plantings to help visitors learn more about the wildlife benefits and year-round ornamental values of these native plants.
