I would like to acknowledge Mark Berry and his Parks and Recreation maintenance crew of the Town of Groton.

I, and others, have noted an osprey nesting platform on the Mystic River that has been in a state of disrepair, tilting more and more with every passing year. Apparently neither the DEEP nor the State Audubon Society has the resources to repair platforms on private land. I was advised that all one could do was get permission from the land owner and do the repairs myself. As I would discover, the marshy area where the platform stands is owned by the town.

An initial, emailed attempt to secure permission to do the repair myself led to Berry. He immediately responded to say that if the nesting platform was on town land he would assume the responsibility to affect repair. Within a few days he emailed me again to tell me that they had a repair plan in place. He later informed me that the repairs had been completed!

So to Mark Berry and his Parks and Recreation crew, I commend you and the newly arrived ospreys commend you. Well done.

Michael Fichtner

Mystic