Tag Archives: nature

Turtle on a rock at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary

5 Hidden Gems in the Metro West

You never know what you’ll find when exploring Boston’s Metro West. Mass Audubon Metro West Wildlife Sanctuaries—Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, Habitat in Belmont, Broadmoor in Natick, and Waseeka in Hopkinton—host miles of trails meandering through wetlands, fields, animal exhibits, and a few surprises. Don’t miss these hidden gems on your next visit.

1. For When You Want to Go on an Adventure

This hidden gem isn’t off the main parking lot at Habitat Education Center & Wildlife Sanctuary in Belmont. You’ll need to follow Lees Way trailhead off of Somerset Street in Belmont to the Weeks Trail area. Along Lees Way, look for what’s known to staff as “The Tree of Resilience”—a tree whose main trunk is dead and hollowed out, but still has two branches very much alive growing outside of it.

Continuing down the trail, you’ll come across Weeks Pond, where you may find a mother duckling leading her young, bullfrogs peeking through the tiny floating leaves, or damselflies skimming the surface. In the meadow, you may even catch our small herd of goats grazing.

2. For When You Need to Relax

With more than 600 acres, Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick is filled with spots that, when you find them, make the rest of the world melt away.

The red circled binoculars indicate where this hidden gem is. See full the full trail map here.

Relax on the log bench perched on top of a rock outcropping overlooking the Indian Brook Marsh. When entering through the parking lot, cross the boardwalks, and turn right at signpost #3, instead of hopping onto one of the main loop trails.

This spur trail, made specifically for this scenic outlook, offers a wonderful view of Indian Brook Marsh. Look and listen for Belted Kingfishers, Wood Ducks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and more. The longer you linger, the more you’re likely to see.

3. For When You’re Feeling Mysterious

While not on Drumlin Farm’s property, and definitely not natural, if you travel to the outskirts of the crops fields where we grow our food, you can find yourself next to one of Lincoln’s most mysterious and unexplainable pieces of local lore. Ponyhenge—as it’s known to the locals—is a collection of broken-down rocking horses, plastic ponies, and other horse figurines that have spontaneously started holding court along Old Sudbury Road, since sometime in 2010.

How did all these ponies get here?

The collection has grown steadily since then, and stranger still, their configurations are known to change periodically, as if by magic. You may visit and see them in a circle, lined up like racehorses, or strewn about haphazardly. To see for yourself, take the Boyce Field Loop trail down to Old Sudbury Road. Along the way, you’ll see where Drumlin Farm’s CSA and farmstand vegetables are grown.

*Please note Ponyhenge is on private property but can be viewed from the fence on Drumlin Farm’s edge. Please stay on the trails and do not walk through growing fields during your adventure.

X marks the spot! Follow the Boyce Field Loop through our crop fields to Ponyhenge. See the full trail map here.

4. For When You Need a Turtle Fix

There is a place in the Metro West where turtles can go to just get away from it all. Understandably, sometimes you just want soak up the sun, and our turtle rafts at Habitat do just that. Take the Pond Loop Trail around the aptly named Turtle Pond for a glimpse at these sunbathing reptiles.

Painted Turtles sunbathing on a log at Turtle Pond ©Justin Miel

In reality, they’re doing more than just lounging about—sun-basking serves many purposes, including helping to promote muscle activity and digestion, encouraging leeches and other parasites to drop off, and triggering the production of vitamin D, which is essential for strong shells. A pair of snapping turtles were recently at the pond, a new sighting among all the more usual painted turtles that enjoy their favorite basking spot.

5. For When You Want to Take the Trail Less Traveled By

Have you been to Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton before? This little-known sanctuary offers all the benefits that come with being off the beaten path: limited trail traffic, spectacular views, and the ability to take your time and make your own adventure. The sanctuary features a hidden pond with standing dead trees and snags that provide nesting sites for Eastern Bluebirds, Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, and the occasional Great Horned Owl.

View of the Pond at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary, Hopkinton

Unlike the other Metro West wildlife sanctuaries, this site can be easy to miss. Look for the small parking lot along Clinton Street in Hopkinton, on the right about 2 miles up from turning onto it via Route 135.

What’s your favorite hidden gem at one of our Metro West wildlife sanctuaries? Share in the comments.

Standing by the edge of a forest

125 Ways to Celebrate Nature

Essex, MA © Davey Walters

In honor of 125 years of Mass Audubon, we’ve compiled 125 nature ideas for you to enjoy and celebrate the amazing world around you! Share how you celebrate nature with us by tagging @massaudubon in your adventures online.

  1. Sign up for a CSA
  2. Walk, bike, or take public transport
  3. Buy local syrup or honey
  4. Sign up for Shave the Peak
  5. Compost your food scraps
  6. Choose meat-free Mondays
  7. Go for a walk outdoors
  8. Look for shapes in the clouds
  9. Walk barefoot in the grass
  10. Visit a farmer’s market
  11. Close your eyes and listen to the birds
  12. Source your energy renewably
  13. Play nature bingo
  14. Smell the flowers
  15. Follow tracks
  16. Play in the mud
  17. Wear your Mass Audubon swag
  18. Look for wildflowers
  19. Paddle a canoe
  20. Sketch your favorite nature scene
  21. Check out the full moon
  22. Meditate on a boardwalk
  23. Walk on the beach
  24. Watch birds at feeders
  25. Go for a night hike
  26. Play in the rain
  27. Stargaze
  28. Blow a dandelion
  29. Make a sandcastle
  30. Listen to a rainstorm
  31. Go hiking
  32. Talk to friends or family about climate change
  33. Eat a plant-based meal
  34. Listen to the howling wind
  35. Go for a bike ride
  36. Read a book outside
  37. Learn about local land history
  38. Support pesticide-free growers
  39. Participate in a community science project
  40. Make a donation to Mass Audubon
  41. Recycle cans and bottles
  42. Reduce your household water use
  43. Feel the sand in between your toes
  44. Search for fiddleheads
  45. Learn how to forage
  46. Make pine needle tea
  47. Plant milkweed to support monarch butterflies
  48. Learn how to identify frog calls
  49. Take a Mass Audubon program
  50. Look for fireflies
  51. Go on a lunchtime walk
  52. Protect a local vernal pool
  53. Skip chemical fertilizers in your garden
  54. Plant native plants
  55. Remove invasive plant species
  56. Climb a tree
  57. Play outside
  58. Pick up litter
  59. Watch the sunrise
  60. Watch the sunset
  61. Swim in the ocean
  62. Identify mushrooms and fungi
  63. Start an herb garden
  64. Visit a wildlife sanctuary
  65. Practice mindfulness outdoors
  66. Post a picture of your favorite spot outdoors
  67. Ditch single-use plastic bottles
  68. Volunteer with Mass Audubon
  69. Make a biodegradable bird feeder
  70. Visit Mass Audubon’s Advocacy Action Center
  71. Drink sustainably-farmed coffee
  72. Learn about the sheep-to-sweater process
  73. Join a community garden
  74. Take a deep breath of fresh air
  75. Hike to the top of a hill, drumlin, or mountain
  76. Learn how to mimic bird calls
  77. Use low flow settings on your home water use
  78. Go birdwatching
  79. Utilize natural light instead of electricity
  80. Go camping and leave no trace
  81. Hold off on fallen leaf removal, and learn about critters that make their homes there
  82. Try going zero-waste for a day
  83. Collect rainwater for reuse
  84. Re-sell, donate, or recycle old clothing
  85. Go on an outdoor scavenger hunt
  86. Paint outdoors
  87. Make a magical home in the woods
  88. Try geocaching
  89. Take your yoga flow outdoors
  90. Splash in puddles
  91. Catch raindrops on your tongue
  92. Open or roll down your windows for fresh air
  93. Learn why bees are so important
  94. Repurpose old fabrics into dish towels
  95. Dry your clothes outside
  96. Learn to identify trees by their buds
  97. Press a wildflower in the pages of a book
  98. Listen to nature sounds while falling asleep
  99. Watch some ants going about their business
  100. Draw a picture in the dirt with a stick
  101. Turn off the engine instead of idling your car
  102. Dip your toes in a local brook, stream, or river
  103. Rollover logs to look for salamanders (and put back the log where you found it)
  104. Learn about Indigenous land management
  105. Shop for clothes secondhand
  106. Have a picnic outdoors (and leave no trace)
  107. Opt-out of junk mail to reduce paper waste
  108. Use the iNaturalist app to identify wildlife
  109. Gift a native plant to someone you love
  110. Plant a tree
  111. Visit an aquarium
  112. Fly a kite
  113. Climb rocks
  114. Hug a tree
  115. Watch a nature documentary
  116. Dance outdoors
  117. Build a shelter (and leave no trace)
  118. Practice nature photography
  119. Explore a new trail
  120. Visit a sanctuary nature play area
  121. Put out a hummingbird feeder
  122. Howl at the moon
  123. Look for sunbathing turtles
  124. Make a water wall
  125. Build a compost creature