The Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS) is a land preservation society in Andover, Massachusetts. Founded in 1894, AVIS is the second oldest land preservation society in the USA. Its goal is to acquire land within Andover and preserve it in its natural state.
The organization controls 22 reservations totaling about 1,100 acres (4 km²), with 30 miles (50 km) of trails for hiking, skiing, or other passive recreational use. The largest AVIS reservations are Deer Jump at 131 acres (0.5 km²), Goldsmith at 170 acres (0.69 km2), and Rafton at 226 acres (0.9 km²). Motor vehicles, hunting, fires, or camping in these conservation lands are prohibited. Volunteer wardens are responsible for the care and oversight of each reservation.
With the rapid suburbanization and development occurring in Andover since the 1970s, AVIS has played a vital role in preserving Andover's land.
As of August 2007, AVIS owns 22 sites with approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 km2).
| Name | Size (acres) | Date Acquired | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker’s Meadow[1] | 59 | 1958 | |
| Burns Reservation[2] | 5 | Clark Road in Ballardvale section | |
| Collins Reservation | Pine St. in northeast section | ||
| Deer Jump Reservation[3] | 131 | 1960-1973 | Merrimack River west of I-93 |
| Goldsmith Woodlands[4] | 170 | 1977 | East of Foster's Pond |
| Greene Reservation[5] | 26 | 1969 | Bordered by Dascomb and Bannister roads and Andover Street |
| Hammond Reservation[6] | 38 | ||
| Indian Ridge Reservation[7] | 40 | 1897 | near High School |
| Keck Reservation[8] | 49 | 1963-1968, 2008 | |
| Lupine Reservation[9] | 2 | ||
| Purdon Reservation[10] | 9 | 1964,2001 | |
| Rafton Reservation[11] | 226 | NE of High Plain Road, NW of I-495, and SW of I-93. | |
| Sanborn Reservation[12] | S of Shawsheen river adjacent to I-93. | ||
| Shawsheen River Reservation[13] | 27 | 1963 | |
| Skug Reservation[14] | 37 | ||
| Smith Reservation[15] | 54 | 1963 | |
| Spalding Reservation[16] | 16 | 1973 | |
| Stanley Reservation[17] | 8 | 1988 | |
| Sunset Rock Reservation | 9 | ||
| Taft Reservation[18] | 64 | ||
| Vale Reservation[19] | 47 | ||
| West Parish Meadow[20] | 28 | 1992 | |
| Wilkinson Reservation[21] | 23 | 1981 |