Now through November 28, Millyard Museum in Manchester will host Manchester’s Urban Ponds: Past, Present, and Future. The exhibit, said Director of Operations Jeff Barraclough, investigates “the surprisingly unique history of many ponds in Manchester.”
“There are images and memorabilia from Pine Island Park, ice harvesting tools recovered from Maxwell Pond and photos of the Hermit of Mosquito Pond,” he said. “We also have recently discovered film footage of ice skating at Dorrs Pond.”
The exhibit also highlights the work of the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program, which has organized 116 clean-up events since 2000. “1,066 volunteers have spent approximately 3,618 hours collecting 2,394 bags of trash,” said Jen Drociak, acting coordinator of the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program.
Over the past 20 years, she said the program has also worked on numerous on-the-ground restoration projects. “These include Maxwell Pond dam removal, Black Brook restoration and water quality improvements and stormwater mitigation efforts at Dorrs Pond, Crystal Lake and Nutts Pond,” she added.
According to Barraclough, the exhibit underscores not only the mission of the museum, which is to tell the story of Manchester, but the intent behind many member institutions on The Trail. “Many museums on The Trail help to tell the stories of where they are located,” explained Barraclough, who is also president of The Trail. “For us, we explore Manchester, but Trail museums help tell the story of so many cities and regions.”
Formed in 2014 as a way to share resources and better promote their respective collections, programs and events, The Trail is divided into the Seacoast, Merrimack Valley and Lakes Regions. Member institutions are located in Canterbury, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Laconia, Manchester, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tamworth and Wolfeboro.
For more information about Millyard Museum, visit manchesterhistoric.org