AVIS - Homepage

About

Founded in 1894 as The Andover Village Improvement Society, AVIS is one of the oldest land conservation organizations in the country. AVIS manages more than 30 reservations comprising more than 1,200 acres in the Town of Andover. It relies on a corps of volunteers to lead the organization and to provide maintenance of its recreational trails and stewardship for the land and its wildlife habitat. Donations from community members and grant sources provide the funds to acquire, protect and manage its reservations.

Confronting Racism

Like many of you, we are appalled by the injustices and acts of violence against racially marginalized groups. The events that have unfolded in the past weeks and months shake us all. The murders of unarmed black people over decades, and the recent protests (that have followed), illustrate the historic, systemic racism and environmental injustice that exists in our country towards people of color, especially Black and Brown people.

COVID-19 Advisory

Advice from the Andover Board of Health. “The Governor’s advisory to stay home allows for taking walks outdoors; residents are encouraged to get some fresh air daily, while keeping a safe distance from each other. Popular public trail systems have been overwhelmed, making it difficult to maintain the 6’ separation; residents are encouraged to seek out lesser used trails, and bypass those having a lot of cars in the lot.”

Our Mission

AVIS is a non-profit land trust dedicated to acquiring open space in Andover, Massachusetts and conserving it into perpetuity. AVIS manages its reservations to protect native habitat and provide opportunities for the public to experience, enjoy and learn about nature through passive recreation.

Founded in 1894, AVIS (article) is one of the oldest conservation organizations in the country

AVIS Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that AVIS reservations are located on the ancestral land of the Pennacook, Pawtucket and other Indigenous people, which was their home for more than 10,000 years. We honor the land we manage and all the Indigenous people who were here before, are here now, and will be here in the future. We recognize that we are all guests on this land and are mindful of our impact. With this acknowledgement, we commit to continuously care for this land, using sustainable practices to protect the environment and provide stewardship for the ecology and habitat of AVIS reservations.

Upcoming Events

Sep 16 to 25: Trails & Sails

Sep 17: West Parish and Bakers Meadow Hike

Sep 22: Shawsheen River Master Plan Community Stakeholder Workshop

Sep 24: Andover Day

Oct 15: Ballardvale Day

Nov 5: Shawsheen River Master Plan Community Design and Planning Charrette

Recent Articles

Winter Activities

White Squirrels of Ballardvale

Mysterious Oak

Colorful Fall colors along the Shawsheen River Reservation and Fosters Pond near Goldsmith Woodlands

2022 Annual Meeting - Video Recording

Celebrating Andover's Open Spaces, Big & Small

AVIS is pleased to be part of an amazing video about Open Space in Andover. You can watch it at the following link. Thank you to Al French for the idea; to Sean Murphy for producing this wonderful show about Andover; and to those who agreed to be videotaped by Andover TV.

History of AVIS

Enjoy a video about AVIS, its history, and a couple of the most popular reservations.

e-Awakening.com

Our friends at e-Awakening.com have created two new videos featuring Andover people talking about the reservations and volunteers who make them possible.:

Volunteers Build a Boardwalk on Andover Land (Video)

Andover Conservation and AVIS Reservations Preserve Open Space (Video)

About Our Reservations

About 1100 acres of AVIS reservations are open to all for hiking, birding, and cross country skiing.

Explore Reservations

Volunteer wardens are responsible for the care and oversight of each reservation and they are often neighbors.

Contact a Warden

Hiking trips and other community events are scheduled by various groups throughout the year.

View Events

Donating

AVIS relies on the generosity of our members and the public to acquire new land for preservation and maintain the AVIS reservations for the public enjoyment.

Join or Donate

Volunteering

There are volunteer opportunities for people to get involved in reservation maintenance, event planning, technology improvement, and more.

Explore Opportunities