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The exchange of letters in 1999 between Harvard's Ernst Mayr and Middlesex School's Richard Burnes
In this exchange of letters, Mr. Burnes acknowledged that "Since then, an alternative has arisen in the form of two parcels on the west side of Lowell Road, which could be used for athletic fields. One parcel has already been purchased by the Concord Land Conservation Trust, and a second may be available when the owner dies. In my opinion, the land west of Lowell Road is a better alternative for the School than expanding to the east, and it may work out. However, land in Concord is expensive and the funds to purchase the land may not be available."
Dr. Mayr, one of the world's outstanding biologists, had also suggested he could assist Middlesex with an environmental curriculum in the Woods, but this offer was not acknowledged.
The exchange of correspondence follows:
Ernst Mayr's letter follows:
from: Ernst Mayr
Museum of Comparative Zoology
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge MA 02138[c. Jan. 1999]
to: Mr. Nathanael V. Davis
P.O. Box 309
50 Fox Island Road
Osterville MA 02655Dear Mr. Davis
I recollect with pleasure our association in the nineteen sixties when you, as chair of our Visiting Committee, and I, as Museum director, worked with Concord's Thomas Flint and Headmaster Lawrence Terry (who was also vice-chair of the Visiting Committee) to create the Concord Field Station for the Museum of Comparative Zoology. It was an accomplishment that promised long-term educational benefits for both the Museum and its soon-to-be neighbor, the Middlesex School, who had long held their land as a nature preserve. The creation of the Field Station was enthusiastically supported by Mr. Terry, the Middlesex trustees (who facilitated the acquisition of options), and by yourself personally, through the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and in your capacity as chair of the School's trustees. I still appreciate your generosity and interest.
I write you now to inquire whether you are aware of Middlesex School's current plans to build a bridge with a sewer to athletic fields on land east of Bateman's Pond. These fields would be as much as two thousand feet into Estabrook Woods and would abut the Field Station. An additional tract deeper in the Woods would be made accessible for further development, even to the School's eastern boundary. Certainly, the School has the rights of ownership over its land. I had hoped, however, and I still hope, that the leadership of the School will continue to agree that what will be of enduring educational value to both institutions is to preserve the core of the Woods as a teaching and research preserve, and to act consistently with those purposes on buffering land. I acknowledge that Middlesex School has recently offered to place other (though somewhat peripheral) land under restriction by way of mitigation, but I fear that the phased development into the core will not only itself do harm but also will encourage others to increase the intensity of development.As you may know, in recognition of the community's assemblage of four hundred acres of buffering conservation land, the Museum recently agreed to hold its seven hundred acres in perpetuity for research. I think its educational value will be increasingly recognized as the decades pass. If you agree with me about the long-term potential of our joint efforts, I hope you will share your views with appropriate people in the school community. I am sure a way can be found to satisfy both the School's perceived needs for facilities and the protection of Estabrook Woods. Perhaps the School's current capital drive can offer solutions to this problem. If this effort is successful, I would be happy to lend my support to the creation of a joint biological curriculum project that might engage the interest of both our institutions.
I will be leaving on January 6th until March for Rollins College . . . .
With high regard,
/s/ Ernst Mayr
Middlesex School responds to Ernst Mayr
From: CHARLES RIVER VENTURES
1000 Winter Street, Suite 3300
Waltham MA 02451
781-487-7060March 11, 1999
Dr. Ernst Mayr
Museum of Comparative Zoology
26 Oxford St.
Cambridge MA 02138Dear Dr. Mayr,
Nat Davis forwarded me a copy of your letter regarding the Museum of Comparative Zoology's Field Station in Concord. I am Trustee Emeritus and Past President of the Board of Middlesex School, and the person who has been primarily responsible for evolving the school's position regarding the use of its property on the east side of Bateman's Pond. Your letter was very useful in that there are few people alive today who were involved in the original purchase of the Harvard Field Station, and we appreciate your taking the time to write.
The Middlesex Board has been in a difficult position, because we have been forced to decide between two compelling issues: the preservation of open land and furthering the educational mission of the School. The subject has been given considerable thought, time and study over the past four years, and I believe that we have reached an agreement which, while not satisfying everyone, does attempt to meet the needs of the primary competing interests.
The seeds for the current problem go back to the mid 1970's, when it was recognized as the School became co-educational that we would need additional space for athletic fields. In the succeeding years, as Middlesex has grown, we have squeezed the School into the relatively thin strip of land between Bateman's Pond and Lowell Road. In early 1990's it was apparent that it was full. Also, in the early 1990's, the School embarked upon a program to improve the residential life of the students by putting more faculty in dormitories, reducing the student density. This meant building additional dormitories, and the cascading effect of land use led the Board to decide that the best solution was to utilize school owned land on the east side of Bateman's Pond. As you may know, the Middlesex campus was laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead's firm in the early 1900's, and the Board feels a strong heritage to maintain the tone and beauty of the camps. We believe the current plan follows that heritage.
In the process of developing our current plans, we entered into a lengthy mediation process with the Town of Concord, and the conservation groups in town. The settlement reached nearly two years ago calls for the School to put conservation restrictions on over 40% of its land east of Bateman's Pond, including an ample buffer between the Museum's land and the School's The School also agreed to time phased access to the remainder of the land and to agree to consider alternatives, if they arose. In return, the Town agreed not to oppose our crossing of the brook and use of the land.
Since then, an alternative has arisen in the form of two parcels on the west side of Lowell Road, which could be used for athletic fields. One parcel has already been purchased by the Concord Land Conservation Trust, and a second may be available when the owner dies. In my opinion, the land west of Lowell Road is a better alternative for the School than expanding to the east, and it may work out. [Emphasis added.] However, land in Concord is expensive and the funds to purchase the land may not be available.
Following the terms of the mediation settlement, the Board has decided to proceed to build the bridge across the brook, which will make it possible for expansion in the future, even if the land west of Lowell Road is utilized over the next few years. The Board feels that it is important that the School have access and rights to use some of its land east of the pond while preserving the remainder in its natural state. Throughout this process the School has been sensitive to the needs of the Harvard Field Station to preserve its land for academic purposes. Before he died, we were in close contact with Dick Taylor, Director of the Field Station and he was very much apart [sic] of our thinking. [[???!! ed.]]
If you have any questions about the School's position, please write or call me.
Sincerely,
/s/ Rick Burnes
Richard M. Burnes, Jr.
Cc: Nathanial Davis| Return to Middlesex Project Page |