Norton Kayak About Keeping Nature Safe

Dave Lennon started Norton Kayak five years ago, and he said it was the best business he could have started.

“What’s better than lugging out kayaks on a beautiful spring day?” he said. “I mean the light bulb just pops off in your head sometimes. The reservoir is a viable spot to take people out.”

Lennon said he takes people out for tours of the reservoir. He said though it’s really not so much about the exercise but the scenery.

“We’ve had bald eagles here, osprey, American Betterens, otters and other endangered species,” he said. “You get a history of the reservoir too, and there’s a lot of bird watching.”

Lennon is also the chair of the Norton Water Bodies Committee, and takes protecting the wildlife seriously. Currently, Norton has a big issue with invasive plant species in many of its waterbodies.

“From the environmental standpoint you just don’t want to see it overgrown,” he said. “You need to maintain a healthy body of water. This was a polluted body years ago and now it’s a viable place for recreation and a valuable asset to the town.”

Lennon said his current launch point was a vacant property, complete with a house, owned by the town. He helped to develop the area for public use.

“The selectmen were pretty receptive to that,” he said. “It’s producing income for the town now as well, and it was abandoned just five years ago.”

Lennon said he gets people of all ages coming out. He said for kids they do an entire adventure week in the summer.

“It’s very popular,” he said. “We incorporate an American canoe and kayak association class. You know, like first aid, CPR, etc. We focus on kayak skills and safety. We practice falling out and getting the water out of the kayak and getting back in. We try to instill some good water safety skills and awareness. It’s really fulfilling, especially since when I was a kid in North Walpole and they didn’t teach us the right way.”

Lennon added he’s had many tourists come to see the scenic beauty of Norton every year and he said it was great for him to see so many people appreciating the town.

“Thousands of people come from fifty different countries here,” he said. “No cameras lost yet.”

Norton Kayak is located on 237 Mansfield Ave. and works by appointment. Their season is May 1 to Oct. 31.