On September 9th, a small group of volunteers gathered to plant native trees and shrubs at PLC’s new Charles and Calvin Proctor Preserve in Lyndeborough. The focus of the plantings was a half-mile section of Cold Brook that flows through the preserve on its way to the South Branch Piscataquog River, and eventually the Merrimack. PLC had been approached earlier this year the by Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC), who were looking for suitable places for riparian plantings that could improve water quality. The Proctor Preserve immediately came to mind. The plantings will help stabilize soil, increase wildlife food sources, and eventually restore shade and lower water temperatures in Cold Brook. We’re hopeful that the few hours spend planting saplings will repay us with a healthy land and water ecosystem for many years to come!