Monomonac Conservation Area in Winchendon is open to the public - a one minute read

The newly created Monomonac Conservation Area in Winchendon is now open to the public

On Wednesday morning, North County Land Trust and Mount Grace Land Conservation marked the grand opening of the conservation area with a first hike and ribbon cutting ceremony.

Over a dozen people attended the ceremony to celebrate the new 184 acres of conserved forestland surrounding Lake Monomonac in Winchendon. A year-long partnership between the two conservation non-profit organizations raised the $675,000 that bought the nearly 249 acres of forestland. In January, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife bought 65 acres of the forestland for $84,000.

The conservation area has a small four-spot gravel parking lot, an information kiosk with a bench, a one-mile marked trail, and another bench at the trail's viewpoint, from which Lake Monomonac and powerlines can be seen.

Anna Wilkins, NCLT executive director, said working on the Monomonac Conservation project had been a long year, but it was all worth it because she saw that folks in the community understood the value of this area.

"It feels great to work on projects where ecological and community values align," she said. I'm proud of what our hard work has accomplished for the community."

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Monomonac Conservation Area in Winchendon is open to the public - a one minute read