The original 250-acre (1.0 km2) Concord, Massachusetts parcel that was the beginning nucleus of the sanctuary, has been known as the "Great Meadows" since the 17th century.[2]
The parcel was donated to the U.S. Government by Concord resident D. Samuel Hoar in 1944.[3][4]
Hoar purchased a part of the Meadows in 1928, and built earthen dams (dikes) to hold the water within the marshlands, enhancing their value as waterfowl habitat for hunting. To provide greater protection for the area’s wetlands and wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began buying additional land during the 1960s.[5]
The Concord unit is primarily two small lakes (referred to as "pools" or "impoundments") that are drained into the Concord River every summer. The resulting mudflats provide ideal feeding grounds for many species of shore birds and waterfowl that migrate in mid to late summer. In late July and in August, there will be wide range of birds at these feeding grounds, including various species of sandpipers, killdeer, lesser and greater yellowlegs, and great egrets. Large numbers of great blue herons, ducks and Canada geese are also attracted to these muddy and nutrient-rich feeding grounds.[6]
Access and facilities
The Sudbury unit of the refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk. It has two trails[7] as well as the refuge headquarters and a visitor center, which is open on weekdays.
The Concord unit is open daily from dawn to dusk;[1] it includes 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of trails.[6]
^Robbins, Paula. "Hoar Family". Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography. Archived from the original on June 5, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2021.