More than 145 species of birds, including herons, migrating ducks, and nesting Canadian geese, have been observed in Baker’s Meadow. The wetlands also provide vital habitats for muskrats, mink, and beavers.

Baker’s Meadow, really a pond, was named for Dr. Symonds Baker, who owned most of the area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During the 1920s when muskrat fur was in fashion, Alexander Henderson dammed his land here to form a pond for his muskrats. He was wiped by the 1929 crash, but he maintained the area for small birds and animals. In 1958, Harold Rafton, a tireless conservationist, persuaded the Hendersons to sell their land to Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS).

The AllTrails website has descriptions and maps of hikes at Baker’s Meadow Reservation.