Friends of the Wapack schedule celebration

The Friends of the Wapack and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wapack National Wildlife Refuge at the Friends of the Wapack annual meeting Saturday, Oct. 15, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Sharon Meeting House on Route 123 in Sharon.

Gathering and check-in begins at 12:30 p.m. The Wapack National Wildlife Refuge protects 1,625 acres of forest and wildlife habitat on North Pack, a section of the Wapack Trail and the Cliff Trail and sections of Ted’s Trail and Caroline’s Trail.

Special guests will be Elizabeth Thomas and her son Ramsay Thomas. Elizabeth’s parents, Laurence and Lorna Marshall, donated the land on North Pack to create the refuge in 1972. Elizabeth is a longtime resident of Peterborough and is an author of books on wildlife, pets, anthropology and fiction. She served on the Peterborough Select Board for 15 years, and donated land for Peterborough’s first town beach on Cunningham Pond.

Her son Ramsay has lived on his family land under North Pack his entire life. He first climbed North Pack with his grandfather at 4 or 5 years of age. 

The gathering will include remarks by Elizabeth and Ramsay Thomas with questions and answers, followed by a presentation by Matt Hillman and Graham Taylor from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A brief Friends of the Wapack annual meeting will follow. The event will conclude with the unveiling of a bronze plaque to be installed at the refuge and sharing the anniversary cake.

Advance registration is required for event planning and to stay within the capacity of the venue. Visit wapack.org for event details, including venue, optional morning hike and to register. Register by noon on Oct. 13.