And the results of the survey taken by the students

Middlesex students constantly use and benefit from The Estabrook Woods. Whether having class there, running along the cross-country trail, or merely going for a walk, students use the woods, as they are a vital part of our community. The freshman English curriculum has been redesigned to include readings by some prolific nature writers, including Thoreau, who actually wrote many of his works while in The Estabrook Woods. The cross-country trail is better than that of many other ISL schools, and we have even held the ISL championships here on more than one occasion. The woods are also used for a variety of recreational purposes. Students walk through the woods, study wildlife, and simply reflect on their actions while there. They provide a natural and unrestricted refuge from the stressful structure of Middlesex life. We realize that not every student takes advantage of this incredible resource, but as you can see from the results of the enclosed survey, even those who do not constantly use the woods still appreciate them, and their strong opinions should be duly noted.

We have shown how The Estabrook Woods are important to the school and the students, and now we must examine the larger picture. While we have to take into account the effects on Middlesex of developing or not developing the woods, we also must consider the widespread environmental effects of doing so. Fifteen years ago, there were many fewer houses along Lowell Road than there are today, and it is hard now to imagine Lowell Road without the abundance of homes that exists. Fifteen years from now there will be even more development and less green space in New England than there is presently. If we have the opportunity to protect or preserve even a few acres of undeveloped land, we should take it. A large piece of preserved land like The Estabrook Woods will be extremely rare in the future, and will be extremely attractive to people looking at the school. The key is to keep a large part of it undeveloped for as long as possible.

We understand that your responsibility as trustees is to protect the future viability of the institution, and that the expansion of our campus may be part of that obligation. As avid environmentalists, though, it is our responsibility to make sure that no wilderness is destroyed. Concerning an expansion of Middlesex's campus for better facilities, we feel that the desired improvements can be made without expansion.

As much as we believe that our campus can be improved without being enlarged, we are aware of your desires to change our campus, and we realize that the two most feasible areas for development are The Estabrook Woods, and the plot of land owned by the school across Lowell Road. We would rather not cut down any trees at all, whether they are from an apple orchard or a dense forest, but, of the two, the orchard across the street makes much more sense to develop than The Estabrook Woods. The land we own in the woods is only a small portion of a greater whole, and because we own that land, we have a responsibility to preserve the rare green spaces that remain in their entireties. We understand the concern for maintaining the integrity of the central campus, and developing in the woods may seem to get around this issue, but both the distance to the East Fields site and the distance to the land across the street are significant. The sense of a central campus will be lost by developing in either direction, therefore it benefits the school to only add facilities where there will be no loss of an existing resource.

The leadership of the past saw the woods as an integral part of the Middlesex experience and campus. We believe that same vision should apply to Middlesex's future. One day, when the idea of thousands of acres of wilderness seems historic, a preserved Estabrook Woods will be much more rare and appealing than new facilities will be. We have the ability to preserve this land now, an ability that will be much harder to obtain retrospectively after we develop. Part of what makes Middlesex so special is the fact that it has unique and uncommon characteristics, characteristics that raise it above other schools of its class. To ensure that this quality remains after we are gone, we must imagine what will be considered unique in the future. Judging by the rapid disappearance of green spaces that has characterized our consumer-driven era, what will be unusual in the future are plots of land like The Estabrook Woods, and we should work to keep them as large and protected as possible. With regard to facilities other than the woods, we should work on fully utilizing our current facilities before we make plans to build new ones. Renovation is better than creation.

The school must realize how much of a treasure it has in the woods. Middlesex School will someday be more attractive because it preserved a unique resource, resisted temptation, and kept the spirit of the school and the environment alive.

Responses to survey conducted by students at Middlesex School, Jan. 2000

Community Survey

This packet includes the responses to a survey of a number of students and faculty. The rest of the school community received this survey and chose not to respond. Some people chose not to answer all of the questions on the survey, making the total number of responses for each question different. The comments are direct quotes, and while they may seem biased, it is only because those who felt more strongly volunteered their thoughts. We have copied a number of them here to give you a complete understanding of the community's opinions.

1. Do you feel that the facilities at Middlesex either athletic or dormitory are insufficient?

Yes: 83 (31.4%)

No: 178 (67.5%)

Indifferent: 3 (1.1%)

Comments:

- NEVER

- Dorm conditions yet not necessarily new dorms needed.

- Athletic facilities.

- Need more squash courts but not at the expense of the woods.

- Yes many are, we need to continue to renovate the dorms, for equality and space. Athletically we are doing very well, although a few more squash courts would be nice, and the tennis facilities are dangerous! ! I would also like to see the school invest real time, money and energy in purchasing and building a quality Boathouse on the Concord River somewhere!

- Tennis courts.

- Renovation not Creation.

- Eliot Hall will not be sufficient in a couple years.

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2. Do you think the atmosphere of the school would be improved by more facilities?

Yes: 73 (28.0%)

No: 174 (66.6%)

Comments:

Indifferent\depends: 14 (5.4%)

- ABSOLUTELY NOT.

- Depends on the quality of the facilities.

- No, because great facilities (of which we have plenty) do not create an atmosphere. The way people use them does, and already some students don't use the facilities that we have. We should work on using the facilities, not adding more.

- In some places, but not the woods.

- Possibly it would make it seem more crowded. I like all the green and trees at Middlesex. I don't want anything changed, especially not the woods.

- Atmosphere is not only made of facilities but of people as well.

- Adding more is a bad idea.

- In the science department, but the woods do not need to be changed for that.

- The atmosphere of the school depends not on the number of facilities but their quality and design.

- It would feel strange to add another dorm.

- NEVER

- No. If we stay a small school as others grow, students will become more challenged as the level of competition is raised, making the school better overall.

- I think it would become widespread and impersonal.

- The smallness of the school improves the atmosphere. Facilities would do the opposite.

- NO! We are a small, connected community. More buildings would just open us up.

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3. Do you value Estabrook Woods as one of Middlesex's resources?

Yes: 235 (88.6%)

No: 25 (9.4%)

Indifferent: 5 (2.0%)

Comments:

- It is a great place to go.

- We have something that is unique to only a few schools. A lot of people don't take advantage of it, because they are too busy and preoccupied. But if they weren't I bet a lot of people would really come to appreciate it. The school has gone a bit off track in directing the students in this way, or letting us go offtrack ourselves.

- Yes. They are a part of the Freedom's Way Heritage Corridor that encompasses several towns in NH and a large portion of this region of Mass. They are of both historic value and environmental value. I think Middlesex is very lucky to be surrounded by such natural beauty, I wish we as a school used the area more educationally both with the sciences and history. It is a large piece of land and in fact is protected BECAUSE of Middlesex. Access to these woods is well protected and in fact the only way to access them for development is through Middlesex's land. Should Middlesex choose to sell certain tracks it is my understanding that areas owned by others, like Harvard, could increase in value and be potentially developable.

- Indeed.

- Definitely! I love going for walks in them, they are so pretty and I'm sure they're great to cross-country ski in too! Plus I'm sure you could use them in Biology and other courses.

- Definitely, it makes the school relaxed and green.

- YES--Since my first day at Middlesex, the woods have served as a refuge for me and my main mutt, Milo. The woods are perhaps the best part of the school for me. But I don't think many Middlesex students have an appreciation of the outdoors, beyond an amorphous sense of some environmental interest. Prove you care about the woods by walking around in them. Prove you care about the woods by picking up your own trash on the circle. Prove you care about the woods by recycling properly. I hope that the school finds a way to market the woods as a "facility," using this resource in its current form to help "sell" the school. Middlesex needs to be dramatically more environmentally conscientious if we expect to keep Estabrook in its current form. This is a much bigger issue than just "save the woods."

- It is fun to run on them in cross-country.

- Yes and so do all the animals that rely on the woods to survive.

- The woods isolate the school and provide a feeling of community.

- It is a beautiful site and a nice part of the scenery.

- Estabrook is one of my favorite parts, if not my most favorite part, of this school. Learning to appreciate the environment is something that can't really be taught in a classroom (even though it is one of life's most important lessons), and Middlesex is a better place because Estabrook is there to teach us about it.

- One of Middlesex's greatest resources yet least appreciated.

- YES! As one of the most important resources.

- Definitely, the school would not be nearly as beautiful without the woods, I think the woods are much more appealing than any MX building could ever be.

- They are beautiful, and a vital part of the school and its history.

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4. Would you support or oppose cutting down part of the woods for athletic fields (even though there are currently no plans to do so)? [Ed. note April 2000: There certainly are such plans! Just look at the plans the school has submitted to the state's Department of Environmental Protection!]

Oppose: 202 (76.2%)

Support: 47 (17.7%)

Support If absolutely necessary: 16 (6.1%)

Comments:

- I absolutely oppose any cutting.

- No, the woods are very valuable to Middlesex.

- Oppose of course. We love the woods.

- Oppose. I don't think that we should have to cut down a beautiful part of our campus for things like athletic facilities that are not an absolute necessity.

- I cannot think of something I would rather not have happen than the cutting down of the woods. I am a senior this year, and I cannot imagine spending my time here without the beautiful wilderness behind the library. I gave my chapel on how much I oppose cutting down the woods, because I love them so much. And even if this survey doesn't help the cause too much, I would do anything if I thought it would help make Middlesex more appreciative of possibly its most valuable resource.

- Oppose adamantly.

- The fields are in top condition already and I don't feel that we need any more.

- Oppose. Why are we expanding?

- I definitely oppose to cut down the woods, because it's so nice to have some kind of nature around you. Cutting down the woods and being surrounded by only brick buildings definitely will take away from the beauty of this campus. This campus is fine just the way it is.

- Oppose, even though I was often on a JV teams and occasionally shared a field with another team, I still do not think we need more fields, nor do fields even approach the value of Estabrook woods.

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5. Is your answer for #4 based on concern for the environment, or an assessment of Middlesex's needs?

Environment: 81 (32.4%)

MX Needs: 55 (22.0%)

Both: 107 (42.8%)

Indifferent: 7 (2.8%)

Comments:

- The environment, of course, the woods are important.

- Both. MX is a small school. I like that. It is one of its characteristics, everyone knows everyone else. We shouldn't expand. If we cut down part of, or all of the woods, we are losing part of MX.

- Both. The woods are beautiful. I couldn't imagine running a cross-country race or rowing crew on the pond not looking at the woods anymore, but at a development. It would be a little odd.

- A combination of the two - I think the woods are one of the school's most valuable assets, but I would answer the same for environmental reasons if it were not.

- I don't think that all of the developmental plans for Middlesex are necessary.

- Definitely both. Preserving nature is reason enough to oppose cutting down part of the woods, but Middlesex also doesn't need to touch Estabrook (when doing so would take away from a resource used by both the Middlesex and Concord communities) when there is plenty of land across the street to accomplish the expansions that the school deems necessary.

- More the environment, but I also don't think the need exists... there are more than enough playing fields.

- My answer takes into account Middlesex's needs as well as a concern for the environment, because I think that Middlesex needs the woods the way it is and students would be at a loss without this resource.

- I recognize Middlesex's anxiety about ensuring the possibility of growth in the future and the wish to perfect our campus but concern and respect for this environment is an issue which far exceeds this school's desires on a level of importance and authority.

- Both. I love the woods and I also think new fields are unnecessary.

- Both. I see the schools need to expand and understand their desire to use the land they own. But I also see the significance of woodlands to our earth's survival. I am very cautious of the schools use of the land for housing, dorms and other buildings that may also lead to the increase in school size, we have already lost our sense of community in the last 6 years by committing ourselves to be 320, rather than 290!

-There's a need to consider the environmental concern but my attraction to MX was the beautiful campus, it just would not be the same without the woods.

- Mostly I think it is a concern for the environment. I feel that we shouldn't destroy any part of nature for something that we could do without.

[the end. thanks for getting this far.]