Celebrity Cold Brook otters star on cover of Harwich Magazine

The otter paparazzi have caught up with the furry celebrities at the newly-restored Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve in Harwich Port. A stellar snapshot of the fish-eating favorites will grace the cover of this year’s Harwich Magazine, a popular publication from the Harwich Chamber of Commerce that is set to debut in April.

These cute critters were drawn to the Cold Brook Preserve after the recent completion of the Harwich Conservation Trust’s ambitious eco-restoration. The project restored the free flow of Cold Brook through the Preserve for the first time in over a century, as it heads toward Saquatucket Harbor on Nantucket Sound.

Otters at the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve in Harwich Port grace the cover of this year’s Harwich Magazine, a publication of the Harwich Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of Harwich Chamber of Commerce

The site has been transformed into a wildlife oasis, with rewilded wetland and stream habitats and an enhanced visitor experience, including a half-mile wheelchair accessible trail loop.

The cover story will focus on the eco-restoration and the Harwich Conservation Trust’s partnership with the Harwich Fire Association on historic preservation work at the Old Bank Street Firehouse, adjacent to the Cold Brook Preserve. This amazing initiative at the town’s first firehouse is ongoing, and will include space for affordable housing on the second floor.

With spring bringing new beginnings for plants and wildlife at the Cold Brook Preserve, it’s well worth a visit to see the results of the innovative eco-restoration endeavor. And if you’re lucky, you might see the superstar otters, but please view them from a distance. Otters aren’t interested in posing for selfies or signing autographs!

While some celebrities ride in limousines and rock the red carpet, our renowned and playful otters nosh on the occasional frog and can hold their breath for up to eight minutes. These semi-aquatic mammals, once a rare sight in the state, have made a heartwarming comeback, thanks in part to habitat protection and eco-restoration.

Eco-restoration efforts, like the one at the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve and HCT’s newest at the Hinckleys Pond – Herring River Headwaters Preserve increase biodiversity, improve water quality and enhance the visitor experience. And, very importantly, they are also otter-approved!