Date Acquired: 2010

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Location: Northern Meduxnekeag River, by the rail bed

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Trails: ATV Trail (Adjacent)

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          The Valley Equipment Preserve is a reclaimed gravel pit and former tree farm located along the rail bed trail on the north side of the Meduxnekeag River. An old access road leads into the heart of the 6ha property, where the effects of natural succession are evident throughout the regenerating forest. Although historically disturbed by aggregate extraction, the site now supports a diverse mixed-wood forest gradually developing the characteristics of an Appalachian hardwood ecosystem. Along the trail, white and black ash are common, while pioneer species such as balsam fir and trembling aspen are being succeeded by more shade-tolerant trees including sugar maple, red maple, eastern hemlock, and eastern white cedar. The increasingly closed canopy has created a cool, shaded understory rich in ferns, mosses, dogwood, and other native vegetation. Together with the neighbouring Charles McBride, Blair Culberson, Wilson Patterson, and Keenan Ridge preserves, the Valley Equipment property contributes to a large contiguous forest that protects wildlife habitat and strengthens ecological connectivity along the lower Meduxnekeag River.

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          Written by Devon Bustard