Visiting Duxbury’s Whiton Woods

Ask anyone familiar with the South Shore what our most common tree is and they will answer “pine,” . . . or if they know a little bit about botany, perhaps “white pine.” And it’s true. White pine is, by far, the predominant tree in our upland forests. 

What’s interesting to me is that when the European colonists first arrived here in the 1600s, white pine was considerably less common. Instead, on the uplands, there were oak trees in three varieties – black, red and white. There was an abundance of cherry, chestnut and hickory, plus some hemlock. And yes, there was white pine, but it was scattered here and there -- a very different landscape from what we have today.

A great number of trees were felled in the development of the colonies. Lots more went down to supply the shipbuilding industry. But eventually the woods grew back. While pre-colonial forests were comprised of a variety of species in different stages of life, secondary growth was often dominated by fast-growing, sun-loving types. The result is that now we have lots of white pine. And because the trees that repopulated any given cleared field all sprouted at the same time, they are all the same age. The diversity that was present in old growth forests is gone.

I recently took a walk at Whiton Woods, a 32-acre conservation property located on Temple Street in Duxbury, where there is an abundance of white pine. While there is oak too, and even some holly, pine is the dominant feature. Because of a brutal storm last March, many of these pines are now either snapped in half or lying flat on the forest floor. That alone made the walk worthwhile. It’s fascinating to see the impact a storm can have on a woodland.

 Lately I’ve become fascinated with the history of the landscape. What did it look like 100, 200, 400 years ago? Colonists in Duxbury settled first along the shoreline, beginning in 1627 when the original land grants were established. This began at the mouth of the Jones River, proceeding north around Kingston Bay and Standish Shores, but also inland up Island Creek. A freeman typically was given 20 acres, but if he was married, he received 20 more, plus an additional 20 for each family member. Within a short amount of time, much of Duxbury’s southern shoreline, extending inland approximately to today’s Route 3A, was parceled out. The next set of grants were distributed in a similar fashion, but farther inland.

Each family was expected to sustain itself. Nearly all the food – whether for humans or for livestock -- was grown at home. Clothing, furniture and farm equipment were home-made too, although it was common for neighbors to share their skills. Everyone had a right of way to the shore; everyone had a right to hunt or fish. Duxbury’s Common Lands, located inland of today’s Route 3A and including much of Pembroke (which became its own town in 1712), were open to all, as wood lots.

 Whiton Woods is located in North Duxbury, a village sometimes known as the Crooked Lane neighborhood, because of the winding road that once connected each of the homes there. Settlers – often the sons and grandsons of Duxbury’s original grantees – began to arrive in 1685. Samuel Delano received an early land grant at Temple Hill, between Enterprise and Temple Streets. Isaac Simmons built a home farther north on Temple, just before Laurel Street, and Joseph Peterson’s farm was even farther north.

Additional settlers arrived in North Duxbury around 1700, with a number of 30-acre grants at the intersections of Lincoln, Franklin and Temple Streets. But even though well-established paths led to other parts of Duxbury, settlers in this area tended to be more connected to Marshfield. They attended church there, and also did their milling, and patronized Marshfield’s stores. North Duxbury once petitioned the General Court to be annexed to Marshfield, but the petition failed. 

 North Duxbury was largely a farming community. While in other parts of town, dams were constructed on brooks to power mills and factories, the village’s primary waterway, Harlow Brook, remained a quiet stream flowing west through lowlands and eventually into the South River. Some of those swamps and shallow ponds produced bog iron ore, which could be raked up and forged into functional metal.

 There is no official trail map for Whiton Woods, so visiting this property requires a bit of guesswork. However the trails are well-established, and they are blazed either with paint or with plastic markers. 

The question is, how do you know when you’ve crossed onto private property? 

Probably a boundary line!

 During my visit, I tracked my progress on a fitness app. Even though I stayed on marked trails, I discovered, upon consulting the resulting map, that I’d inadvertently gone off course several times. Some private lands are marked, and one should respect those boundaries; otherwise, a simple guideline might be just to avoid anything that looks like a cranberry bog or a golf course. 

Along the way, there is plenty to see -- old stone walls, bubbling streams, at least one wooden footbridge, large outcroppings of rocks, swampy lowlands, even a vernal pool or two. 

A short loop walk around the blue trail might take 20 minutes. One could easily spend an hour investigating various spur trails. Parking is available on Temple Street, and the trailhead is marked with a wooden Duxbury Conservation sign.

Sources:

• Settlement and Growth of Duxbury 1628-1870 by Dorothy Wentworth.

• Changes in the Land by William Cronon

by Kezia Bacon

January 2019

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Three Short Walks in Duxbury

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A view of the freshwater marsh at South River Bogs in Duxbury.

As winter turns to spring, the days are often bright but also blustery. The sunshine tempts us outdoors, but the wind makes us reconsider, or at least move faster. These are prime opportunities for short walks.

The South Shore is home to a tremendous amount of open space and conservation land. Many of these properties are quite large. But probably just as many, if not more, are on the smaller side, and thus ideal when a short nature walk is what you have in mind. I recently visited three such properties in Duxbury.

South River Bogs: This 100-acre property was once cranberry bogs, but its agricultural days have passed. Dormant since the early 1900s, it has slowly converted to forest and marsh. The South River runs through it, plus several of the bog’s old irrigation channels are still in place. According to the Duxbury Conservation map (a resource rich in historical data, available via the town website, see links below) the parcel was once called Feinberg Bogs, and in addition to cranberry farming, charcoal was made in the forested uplands. The property includes a network of trails, blazed in red, blue and green. Looking out over the river and its marshes, you may wonder what you’re seeing: the not-so-distant traffic of Route 3 surprisingly close-by. Limited parking is available on North Street. Look for a small wooden sign, up the road and diagonally across from Hillside Lane. There is also walking access via various side streets in the Laurel/Temple area.

The John Rubin Path at Camp Wing: The Camp Wing Conservation Area is a 450-acre property with access points on Temple Street, River Street and Franklin Street. Way back in the 1600s, it was designated as “common land,” open to the community for hunting, fishing and lumber. Because Phillips Brook and the South River run through much of the parcel, the trails are concentrated in the area near the Franklin Street entrance. However there is also a single 1-mile trail – the John Rubin Path -- in a non-contiguous section of the property, off Temple Street. If you park near the old mill dam and ice house (Simon’s Tomb), just downstream of the pond at the intersection of Keene, Temple and River Streets, you’ll find the trailhead just across the road. It will lead you through the woods and around a loop that offers views of the South River and its surrounding wetlands. This particular section of Camp Wing is just around the corner – and actually backs up to -- the South River Bogs property, with Route 3 in the middle. Both offer rare upstream views of the river.

Cow Tent Hill: Managed by the Wildlands Trust, this 32-acre property overlooks the Duck Hill River and Duxbury Marsh. A single loop trail leads through a pine forest, downhill to an overlook, and then returns to the parking area via similar terrain. In days past, the river supplied power for a grist mill (circa 1640) and was known as Stoney Brook. During the War of 1812, it was known as Millbrook, and it powered a factory that produced sailcloth. The property’s current name derives from its more recent history as grazing land -- canvas was sometimes tented over portions of a pasture to provide shade for livestock. Look for a small parking area on Tremont Street, not far from the traffic lights.

Duxbury Conservation Map (two files):

http://www.town.duxbury.ma.us/Public_Documents/DuxburyMA_Conservation/ConAreas/pointsofinterest%20DuxOSMap14May.pdf

http://www.town.duxbury.ma.us/Public_Documents/DuxburyMA_Conservation/ConAreas/points%20of%20interest%20Dux%20Txt%2010June%202009.pdf

by Kezia Bacon

March 2017

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

7+ Walking Places for 2017

A view of Long Tom Pond at the Hoyt Hall Preserve in Marshfield.

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Every January, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association sponsors a New Year’s Day Walk. Typically this annual event -- which is free and open to the public -- showcases a recently acquired conservation area on the South Shore. But occasionally the event offers access to a privately owned property within the watershed. The 2017 walk is one of those occasions.

This year’s event, which begins at 1pm on Sunday January 1^st, takes place at the Cardinal Cushing Centers in Hanover (405 Washington Street). Participants will follow trails through 100 acres of privately owned woodland to the Third Herring Brook, a rare opportunity to view the dam removal project that is currently in progress. For more information, visit www.nsrwa.org.

Whether or not NSRWA’s New Year’s Day Walk fits into your schedule, you may be looking for other places to take a stroll in 2017. We are fortunate, here on the South Shore, to have access to an abundance of nature preserves. Chances are, if walking in the woods is the type of thing you enjoy, you’re already familiar with World’s End in Hingham and the Norris Reservation in Norwell, local favorites that are both managed by The Trustees. You probably know the Mass Audubon properties too – Daniel Webster and North River Wildlife Sanctuaries, both in Marshfield.

What follows is a list of a few other lesser-known properties worthy of your attention. All are open to the public, generally from dawn until dusk. Before you go, visit the manager’s website to download a trail map.

• Hoyt-Hall Preserve - Careswell Street/Route 139, Marshfield. This recently-opened preserve features several walking trails around Long Tom Pond and through 123 acres of woods, freshwater marsh and red cedar swamp, with links to the Old Colony Railroad and the Historic Winslow House. Managed by The Wildlands Trust.

• Rockland Town Forest – North Avenue, Rockland. A small (39.5 acres) but truly special place to stretch one’s legs, the Rockland Town Forest’s narrow paths, boardwalks and bridges lead visitors through the wetlands that surround French Stream. This place is especially enchanting in the spring and summer when the trees and shrubs are leafy and green.

• North Hill Marsh - Mayflower Street, Duxbury. A network of walking trails through pine and oak woodlands takes you all the way around the freshwater marsh and reservoir, with plenty of interesting vantage points. These 943 acres, managed by Mass Audubon and Duxbury Conservation, are prime territory for birding and other wildlife observation.

• Wildcat Conservation Area – Circuit Street, Norwell. Over 100 quiet acres, with trails through the woods, and the occasional bench on which to pause and reflect. The narrow trails lead you past old stone walls and along historic Wildcat Hill. Managed by Norwell Conservation.

• Weir River Farm and Turkey Hill – Turkey Hill Lane, Hingham.  Catch a glimpse of the agricultural landscape of days past on these 75 hilltop acres. The view of Boston Harbor is stunning. Plus there are pastures, woodland trails, and a working barnyard, with additional trails that link to Whitney & Thayer Woods. Managed by The Trustees.

• Bates Lane Conservation Area – Clapp Road, Scituate. This property and its surroundings comprise over 400 acres of contiguous conservation land in the West End of Scituate, most of it former farmland. A network of well-marked and well-tended trails leads through the woods, past glacial erratics and across small streams. Managed by Scituate Conservation.

• Lansing Bennett Forest – Union Bridge Road, Duxbury. This historic property was once home to a sawmill and later a trout farm. Today it is 344 acres of mostly wooded upland, with glacial erratics and kettle holes, plus boardwalks that traverse the red cedar swamp that borders Phillips Brook. Managed by Duxbury Conservation.

by Kezia Bacon

December 2016

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

100 Years of Audubon Sanctuaries

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A bridge crosses the Green Harbor River at the Daniel Webster Sanctuary in Marshfield. Photo by Sandy Bacon.

One hundred years ago, the Massachusetts Audubon Society established its very first wildlife preserve, the Moose Hill Bird Sanctuary in Sharon. The organization got started in 1896, when its founders, Harriet Lawrence Hemenway and Minna B. Hall, began a well-publicized effort “to restrict the killing of birds and sale of their plumage.” Hemenway and Hall setting out to convince the masses that birds need not be sacrificed simply so their feathers could serve as adornments on fashionable ladies’ hats.

Twenty years later, in 1916, Dr. George W. Field of Sharon donated his estate to Mass Audubon, in order “to attract birds and people interested in birds.” And since then, Audubon has been diligently acquiring, preserving, and maintaining wildlife habitat across Massachusetts. There are now a total of 56 Audubon sanctuaries statewide. And three of those are right here on the South Shore!

These three preserves – Daniel Webster, North River, and North Hill Marsh -- are some of my favorite local places to enjoy the natural world. Chances are, if you’ve resided on the South Shore for any length of time, you’ve observed the simple white-and-blue signs encouraging visitors to stop in. And if you’ve gone farther than those signs – up long driveways or down unassuming residential streets to parking areas and trailheads – you’ve experienced some of our areas most lovely open spaces. But if not, here’s a quick overview of what’s right in your backyard. Why not treat yourself and check one out sometime soon!

Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary

Winslow Cemetery Road, Marshfield (off Webster Street)

578 acres, 3.5 miles of trails

“Panoramic” is the word that comes to mind when I consider the Daniel Webster Sanctuary. The parking area is situated on a small rise, and even from there, you can see quite far in almost every direction. The sanctuary’s agricultural history is still evident in the landscape. Visitors can follow well-marked trails through the woods and across wide meadows. There are ponds and wetlands, with two observation blinds. Boardwalks and bridges extend the reach of the trail system across the Green Harbor River and through the red cedar swamp along its banks. Depending on the time of year, you may see turtles sunning themselves, green herons fishing, muskrat and mink hunting, or even (especially at dusk) coyote and white-tailed deer. And of course a diverse array of avian life – bobolinks, purple martins, northern harriers and Savannah sparrows. No pets, running or bike riding. See below for additional visitor guidelines.

North River Wildlife Sanctuary

2000 Main Street, Marshfield (Route 3A)

225 acres, 2.5 miles of trails

Among its many charms, the North River Wildlife Sanctuary offers visitors a spectacular view of the North River and the vast estuary at its mouth. To experience it, you’ll have to walk across Summer Street, through grasslands, and finally through woods, where a boardwalk leads to a platform that overlooks the river. If you do nothing else on your visit to North River Sanctuary, you will have seen one of the South Shore’s most beautiful landscapes. But that’s not all North River Sanctuary has to offer. There are also trails through oak forest, a Sensory Trail for the blind and people with mobility issues, and up-close views of Hannah Eames Brook. You’ll see birds at this preserve, of course, and probably dragonflies too. When conditions are just right in the winter, be sure to look for the harbor seals. No pets, running or bike riding. See below for additional visitor guidelines.

North Hill Marsh

Mayflower Street, Duxbury (in the Duxbury Town Forest)

146 acres, 5 miles of trails

No one wants to get lost in the woods, but if you’d like to “lose yourself” there for an hour of two the North Hill Marsh is an ideal destination. Audubon describes it as “as sanctuary within a refuge.” One of many contiguous open space parcels in Duxbury’s Eastern Greenbelt, this relatively small preserve feels infinitely larger, due to its surroundings. Most of the property– 90 acres -- is a pond. The rest is oak and pine woodlands, made accessible via several well-marked trails. I recommend bringing a map, though! (You can download one from Audubon’s website.) It is a home to a wide array of migratory waterfowl – herons, egrets, kingfishers, and a variety of ducks, as well as three types of turtle. Look carefully at the pond’s edge, and you may see mink, otters or muskrats. Dogs are welcome at North Hill, but only on-leash, and please keep them out of the pond. Boating is prohibited.

All of the above sanctuaries are open daily, dawn til dusk. The following guidelines, posted by Mass Audubon for your safety, as well as to avoid conficts with wildlife, apply to all three properties.

• Leave everything as you find it, and do not pick or collect items.

• Remain on the trails at all times to protect plants, animals, and yourself.

• Refrain from driving motorized vehicles.

• Refrain from fishing, hunting, or trapping.

• Refrain from launching, operating, or retrieving drones or other remote-controlled aerial vehicles.

• Enjoy snacks or picnics in designated areas, and carry out all trash.

• Do not smoke.

For more information, visit www.massaudubon.org or call 781-837-9400.

by Kezia Bacon

April 2016 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Exploring Duxbury’s Round Pond

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Even after more than 18 years writing this column, I find there are still places fr me to discover on the South Shore. My latest ‘find is Round Pond in Duxbury. Sure, I was aware of it. In fact, I even walked there once, many years ago, when the North & South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) led an expedition to find the source of the South River (which is very likely a spring in the Round Pond area). But it wasn’t until last month that I finally took some time to explore this conservation area’s network of trails.

Round Pond is much more than just a pond. The property’s namesake – a 10,000-year old kettle hole -- lies at its center. Pine and oak woods surround the pond, and contain a number of intersecting, well-marked trails, some of which traverse wetlands via boardwalk. There are other surface waters nearby too – active cranberry bogs and reservoirs, other ponds, and even a small lake. The property comprises 170 acres in total.

According to Duxbury’s handy property guide (available on the town website), in the 1880s Round Pond was known as Cole’s Pond, and was the site of the Merry Family’s ice house. During the winter, ice from the pond was cut into blocks and stored nearby, with sawdust for insulation. Amazingly, this kept the ice intact into the spring and summer, when it was delivered to private homes. The ice operation continued into the 1940s, after which refrigerators rendered it obsolete.

The property’s “icy” history goes much farther back, though. Kettle hole ponds are formed by melting glaciers, and this one dates back to about 10,000 BCE. According to Samantha Woods, NSRWA’s Executive Director, natural ponds such as this are unusual in our area. Most of the South Shore’s ponds were formed “as a result of the industrial damming of our rivers, first to run saw and grist mills . . . and then (later) for factories.”

As far back as the 1890s, the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society began protecting and preserving the area around the pond, purchasing a total of almost 50 acres. The current trails were opened decades later, in 1986, the result of a joint effort by the Rural and Historical Society and Mass Audubon, which maintains the adjacent wildlife sanctuary at North Hill Marsh.

The trails at Round Pond are ideal for walking. Many of them are wide enough to accommodate two or more people. I encountered several dog-walkers the morning I was there, as well as a few runners. From the appearance of some of the secondary trails, it looks like mountain bikers enjoy the property as well (I’ve heard that the trails across the street are more appealing for cyclists, however). There is also a nicely-placed wooden bench overlooking the pond.

You can access Round Pond via Mayflower Street, where there is a good-sized parking area. There is also foot access from East Street and near the intersection of Elm and School Street and Tobey Garden Road. Dogs are welcome, provided that they are under control at all times, and cleaned-up-after. Motorized vehicles are prohibited, as are hunting and trapping.

by Kezia Bacon

November 2014 
 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Combatting Litter: One Street at a Time

All of a sudden, the litter was gone. For a couple years at least, I’d been riding my bike along a certain route in Duxbury, crossing a stream on Temple Street near the Camp Wing Conservation area. For all that time, there had been a beer can, a red and white bobber trailing fishing line, and some miscellaneous plastic junk, caught in the stream. It was far enough from the road that it couldn’t be reached easily by hand, but close enough that I could see it from my bike.

And then one day it was gone.

I wondered if perhaps some good citizen had waded into the stream and removed it. But I figured it was more likely Mother Nature – perhaps a heavy rain and increased the water flow and loosened the clot of trash, washing it farther downstream.

But then a few days later I believe my question was answered. I was riding down that same street when I noticed, coming from the other direction, two people and a tricked-out cart, not much larger than a child’s red wagon. It was a man and a woman, and they were poking around at the roadside. They were picking up litter! In fact, after I passed them, I turned back for a better look, and it was plain to see that their cart had been customized for the task. There were several compartments, probably to separate recyclable and redeemable matter from just-plain-trash. he cart also bore a little placard. It read, “DuxburyLitterPatrol.com”

When I got home from my ride, I looked it up. According to the website, Duxbury Litter Patrol is a group of “concerned citizens who have united in their desire to rid the streets of litter.” The membership currently consists of about 35 volunteers. That doesn’t sound like much, but that’s 35 people who are out there on a regular basis, cleaning up the streets of Duxbury!

The website explains that the organization was founded by Mary Gazzola, a longtime Duxbury resident and walking enthusiast who became disgusted by the increasing amounts of litter she noticed at the roadsides during her walks. Mary began carrying a bag with her, picking up whatever trash she came across. Recognizing that the litter problem too large for one person to handle, in 2011 she organized the first Duxbury Litter Sweep, a townwide clean-up event where Mary was able to connect with like-minded fellow residents. Duxbury Litter Patrol evolved from there.

The organization operates on a “Three E’s” platform. They hope to “Educate” people about the litter problem in town, “Enforce” litter laws, and “Eradicate” litter from the community. To give the effort some teeth, Mary worked with town manager Richard MacDonald to bring a new litter bylaw to the 2012 Town Meeting. In May of that year, Duxbury residents voted in favor of making littering a fineable offense. And thus now, “No person shall dispose of rubbish, filth, hazardous materials, or litter of any kind on any street, sidewalk, or other publicly-owned area in the Town, with the exception of the Town Disposal area.”

The bylaw is enforced by the town police as well as the Health Agent, and fines start at $100 per offense. With Thanksgiving approaching, I can’t help but think of the song and the film it was made into, with Arlo Guthrie and his Alice’s Restaurant cohorts going to court on a littering charge after their illegally-disposed waste was traced back to them via an address on a discarded envelope!

But these days, people know better than to toss trash on the roadsides, right? Right? Sadly, no. Thus, education is one of Duxbury Litter Patrol’s primary purposes. They hope to teach people how litter negatively impacts the community – destroying natural beauty, harming or killing wildlife, and diminishing water quality. Even cigarette butts can cause trouble. The streets look so much better than they aren’t cluttered with empty cans and bottles, fast food wrappers, and lottery tickets. Keeping the roadsides clean seems to work as a deterrent, as litterers are much more likely to strike in areas where there is already detritus.

Eradication of litter is a never-ending task. Duxbury Litter Patrol has made it easier for kind-hearted citizens to join the effort by offering a Adopt-A-Spot program, where families and individuals can take responsibility for a certain street, corner, or park, and keep it clear of litter, committing to a clean-up every four to six weeks. The semi-annual Duxbury Litter Sweep continues as well. This past May, volunteers collected a half-ton of trash!

You don’t have to live in Duxbury to take up the Litter Patrol crusade. It’s a pretty safe bet that in any town on the South Shore, the eradication of litter by private citizens would be welcome. Even small efforts can make a difference. The Department of Public Works in each town takes some responsibility for roadside clean-up, but they can only do so much.

There is a man in Marshfield who, in his retirement, has made it his hobby to pick up litter. He has his routes – certain spots he hits on a weekly basis. He brings truckfuls of trash and recyclables to the landfill and typically finds close to $1,000 worth of redeemable cans & bottles. No, it’s not his responsibility to clean up the roads, but the litter bothers him, so he removes it. I admire that.

If you’d like to join the Duxbury Littler Patrol effort, visit the website DuxburyLitterPatrol.com for more info, or email DuxburyLitterPatrol@gmail.com. Telephone numbers are listed online as well.

Also consider the North and South Rivers Watershed Association’s annual River Clean Up Day, which focuses on the waterways of several towns each spring. For details, visit www.nsrwa.org.

If you’d like to do a little roadside clean-up of your own, please consider the following safety guidelines posted on the Duxbury Litter Patrol website. And thank you, in advance, for your efforts!

• Wear bright-colored clothing so that you are easily visible to passing motorists.

• Wear gloves and use a "REACHER" or "PICK STICK" tool for hard to reach items.

• Wear sunscreen and use a DEET bug spray to ward off mosquitoes and TICKS.

• Scrub exposed skin upon returning home if you may have been in contact with poison ivy.

• Needles should be brought to the Tremont Street Fire Station for proper disposal.

• Do not attempt to pick up any hazardous material or any large, heavy items yourself. Instead, email the details to us or contact the Highway Department to have the items removed.

• It is strongly suggested to walk on one side of the street, towards traffic, then crossing the street for the return trip. There are always exceptions. Please be very alert and careful.

by Kezia Bacon, Correspondent

October 2014 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Go See the Snowy Owls!

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Snowy Owl. Photo by Doug Lowry

 Have you seen the snowy owls on Duxbury Beach? So many people have been talking about them, I’m starting to feel like I’m the only person who hasn’t gone to see them! This winter we have had an unusually high population of snowy owls in our area, so your chances of spotting one are pretty good.

As you may have guessed from their name, snowy owls are primarily white in color, although they do have some brown spots or markings. The males tend to be whiter than the females. They have small golden eyes, and short sharp bills. One of the larger owl species in North America, they measure up to 27 inches in height, and weigh up to four pounds. That’s heavy for an owl – they need lots of layers of feathers to keep warm in the Artic! Their wingspan ranges an impressive 4.5 to 5.5 feet across. In the wild, snowy owls may survive up to nine years – and considerably longer in captivity.

Snowy owls survive primarily on a diet of lemmings, a small Arctic-dwelling mammal. They are nomadic, and generally follow the lemming population. They also eat fish, insects, birds (ranging in size from a songbird to a medium-sized goose!) and other small mammals such as hares and mice. Last year the lemming population was large, and as a result, a greater-than-usual number of young snowy owls were produced.

Snowy owls make their home in the Arctic, in the northern portions of Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia. They breed in May, scraping out a hole in the bare ground in which to nest, and often returning to same spot year after year. If food supplies are good, a female may lay 7-11 eggs, while on a not-so-good sustenance year, maybe 3-5. The female protects the nest while the male gathers food. The babies begin to leave the nest after 25-26 days, however they cannot hunt for themselves until they reach about five weeks of age, and their flying skills don’t really mature for another 2-3 weeks beyond that.

In the fall, snowy owls begin their journey south, searching for a place to spend the winter --  a place that is similar to the dunes and grasslands of the Artic tundra. They prefer wide-open, mostly-treeless coastal areas, so our larger, less-developed beaches are prime spots for viewing them. Duxbury Beach is the best spot locally. If you don’t mind traveling farther, Plum Island, Salisbury Beach and Newburyport to the north are also safe bets, as are the beaches of the Cape and Islands. They are also attracted to airports.

You probably won’t see snowy owls at Logan or any of our other local airports, though. Owls pose an airstrike danger, and so they are routinely removed from the premises. Norman Smith, director of the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Blue Hills Trailside Museum is a hero in this department. For 32 years he has been rescuing and banding snowy owls from Logan Airport, and relocating them to Duxbury Beach and Plum Island. In a normal year, this may involve 6-10 birds, but occasionally there are boom years and the 2013-2014 winter is definitely a boom (the technical term is “irruption”). By the end of December, Smith had relocated 32 snowy owls to Duxbury alone.

Snowy owls typically arrive in Massachusetts toward the end of November, and stick around for a couple of months, before heading north again. The Bay State isn’t their only winter home: they have been spotted as far south as Bermuda, North Carolina and Florida.

While they are here, snowy owls spend their days hunting. They have remarkably keen vision and hearing. Most owls hunt at night, but snowys do most of their work during the day. They look for a spot with a good view: the rolling terrain of a sand dune is ideal, or they may tuck in behind a bush if it’s windy. On calm days, they might choose a less-protected perch, such as a telephone pole or a nesting platform. Generally they are quiet, unless they’re trying to scare away a predator, in which case they may cackle. They sit a lot – often for hours in the same spot, swiveling their heads or leaning forward to get a good look at something. Often, once they’ve captured one, they will swallow a rodent whole! Now that’s something I’d like to see . . .

There’s still time to try to see the snowy owls at Duxbury Beach. While you may want a spotting scope or binoculars for a close-up view, you won’t need any special device simply to catch a glimpse. Please be respectful. MassAudubon suggests that people not disturb the owls by getting too close.

Sources:

http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/blue-hills/snowy-owl-project

http://www.eyesonowls.com/aboutowls.htm#Snowy

http://www.defenders.org/snowy-owl/basic-facts

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snowy_owl/lifehistory

http://www.patriotledger.com/x919119789/Snowy-ownl-population-spikes-in-Massachusetts#sthash.EL6HKjgY.dpuf

by Kezia Bacon, Correspondent

January 2014

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Preserving Agricultural Landscapes

Cows graze on a hilltop pasture at Weir River Farm.

It was in the middle of our third hayride at Mass Audubon's Daniel Webster Farm Day that it occurred to me that my son and I have been spending an awful lot of time on the farm this month. In addition to attending Farm Day, one of our annual fall rituals, we picked tomatoes, potatoes and a pumpkin at Weir River Farm's Market Garden in Hingham, sat on tractors and took a different hayride at the South Shore Natural Science Center's Corn Festival in Norwell, picked apples at Mounce Farm in Marshfield, and visited the cows at O'Neil Farm in Duxbury. Plus, every week we've stopped by Rise and Shine Farm in Marshfield to pick up our farm share (and if Abel's lucky, dig some carrots). We are fortunate to have so many farms, so close by.

Despite its agricultural history, the South Shore can no longer be described as a farming community. There may be farmlands hidden away here and there, but to get a real feel for the wide-open fields that large agricultural enterprises require, you have to go to Plympton or Middleboro or parts of Bridgewater. This wasn't the case 100 years ago, when farming was still a way of life around here.

Things have changed. Lands where once we raised cattle, or grain, or vegetables are now neighborhoods, strip malls, big box stores. It won't change back. That's why I am grateful for organizations like Mass Audubon, The Trustees of Reservations, and The Wildlands Trust for having the foresight to preserve agricultural landscapes.

It was 25 years ago that Mass Audubon purchased the 350-acre Dwyer Farm from Edward Dwyer, the last in a short line of owners that also included statesman Daniel Webster. Dwyer was ready to retire from farming, but did not want to see his land absorbed in suburban sprawl. Negotiations with the Conservation Commission had stalled, due in part to the property's $500,000 price tag. But thanks to the tireless efforts of Dorothea Reeves and other volunteers on the Committee to Preserve Dwyer Farm, numerous fundraisers, and an anonymous $100,000 donation, Dwyer Farm was saved from development and preserved as open space for future generations. "Nature doesn't last for us if we take it for granted," Reeves told the Marshfield Mariner. "This is paying off some of our debt to nature."

Since then, the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary (Winslow Cemetery Road, Marshfield) has grown to over 500 acres. With rolling green meadows, an apple orchard, and vestiges of old agricultural structures, it still has the feel of a traditional New England Farm. It is also one of the most strikingly beautiful places on the South Shore. Audubon has added two miles of walking trails, wildlife observation blinds and platforms, boardwalks through red maple swamplands, and foot bridges over the Green Harbor River to facilitate exploration. It is open year-round, dawn to dusk.

Another agricultural landscape now preserved for posterity is Weir River Farm in Hingham (Turkey Hill Lane). Managed by the Trustees of Reservations since 1999, this beautiful 75-acre property was originally a country estate, founded in the early twentieth century. Most recently, it was the home of Polly Thayer Starr, an acclaimed painter. Ten acres of fields have been left open for pasture, evoking an aura of days long past. The Weir River flows through the northwest edge of the property. There are also 60 acres of oak and red cedar woodland, and a good old-fashioned barnyard, with horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, and a llama.

The Trustees of Reservations have made a point to preserve the farm's historic character while providing diverse wildlife habitat. This spring, on a hilltop field that once grew corn and winter rye, grower Cindy Prentice (with the help of hundreds of volunteers) put in a 2.5-acre Market Garden, with 90 varieties of flowers and vegetables, including 20 different kinds of sunflowers. The garden is open to the public twice a week for Pick Your Own; they also have a small farm stand. All summer long, Weir River hosts Open Barnyard on Saturdays, where visitors can meet the animals that reside there. The season culminates with the Fall Festival, with livestock viewings, live music, pony rides, pumpkins and more. Walking trails are open year-round.

Why should you visit Weir River Farm? Meghan Connolly, the property's Education and Interpretation Coordinator, has this to say. "When people first discover the farm, they often have the same reaction: 'a place like this exists on the South Shore?' There is something about this place that appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether it is a five-year-old collecting eggs for the first time, an eighty year old neighbor out for his daily hike, or a volunteer with their hands in the soil of our market garden, there is a community here that everyone can be a part of."

A third agricultural landscape now preserved for the enjoyment of future generations is the Historic O'Neil Farm in Duxbury (Autumn Ave.). By far the most recent of such acquisitions on the South Shore, the property was opened in part to the public in 2005, thanks largely to the efforts of The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts. It is now run by its own non-profit corporation, Historic O'Neil Farm, Inc. Conservation restrictions and an agricultural preservation restriction are in place to ensure that the farmhouse, barn and outbuildings will remain, and that the 145-acre farm will never be developed as house lots.

The farm was founded in or before 1736, and has been in the O'Neil family since 1829. Current owner Carl O'Neil, along with his brother Edward, took over day-to-day operations in the 1950s; Carl himself has been running the dairy farm for the past 30 years, selling milk to Agri-Mark, a cooperative best known for Cabot Cheese. It is possibly the last working dairy farm on the South Shore.

While O'Neil asks visitors not to disturb activities in the barnyard, there is a new walking trail on the property, and another one in progress, both of which give you a sense of the land and how it is worked. While there, you might catch a glimpse of O'Neil plowing a field or letting the cows out to pasture. Once a year, on Farm Day, the entire farm is open to the public, with hayrides, animal demonstrations, and children's games and crafts. Private tours also may be arranged.

Besides being a fun place to bring the kids, farms like these - some working, some not - are a wonderful destination for anyone seeking a pleasant walk or the opportunity to spot some wildlife. They speak to our region's not-so-distant history, and remind us of the importance of keeping land undeveloped and open to the public.

"Agricultural landscapes are a window to our past, the classrooms of today's new farmers and an important piece of our food independence in the future," says Meghan Connolly. "Even non-working farms are an important feature in defining the unique feel of Massachusetts and provide critical habitats for grassland bird species and other wildlife."

by Kezia Bacon-Bernstein
September 2009

Kezia Bacon-Bernstein's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 13 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com.

Saquish and the Gurnet

A view from Saquish Head. Photo by Sandy Bacon.

The South Shore is dotted with all sorts of hidden gems, special places, and best-kept secrets. Those in the know are often reluctant to share these places with others – because if too many people find out, they might not be special or beautiful anymore. But some of these gems are in plain sight, and accessible if you know where to go. A perfect example is the collection of hills and sand spits that run south and west from Duxbury Beach -- The Gurnet and Saquish.

If you head south from the seaward side of the Powder Point Bridge, on the dirt road that runs between Duxbury Beach and Duxbury Bay, you will pass three different beach access roads, a wooded area known as High Pines, and shortly thereafter, a sign that reads “Entering Plymouth.” The road continues, now on private property. Gurnet Lighthouse rises in the distance. After checking in at a guard station, you can continue uphill into the village known as The Gurnet. From there, making a sharp turn westward, you traverse a relatively long and narrow stretch of sand, which is Saquish Neck. Continuing up onto another highland, you arrive at Saquish Head.

The Gurnet and Saquish are different from the rest of the South Shore. Most visitors agree, when you go there, it’s like traveling to an earlier, simpler world.

The drive alone is worth taking. The changing views of the bay as you head south over the often rough and rutted road are just spectacular. At times you will pass close enough to large shrubs of beach rose to smell their sweet scent. You will also see grassy sand dunes, the pebbly bay shore, yellow spikes of mullein, and stands of sumac and cedar. This year, in mid-July, after a rainy spring, the bright greens in the landscape sparkled like emeralds.

The Gurnet is a drumlin hill, as is Saquish Head and nearby Clark’s Island. All were formed 20,000 years ago – like much of our landscape --with the retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier. Saquish Head was originally an island, but over time, sand accumulated between it and the Gurnet, creating a lovely stretch of barrier beach. Although connected to the mainland in Duxbury, these villages are all part of the town of Plymouth.

The 27-acre Gurnet was named either for a fish common to Devonshire, England, or one of several headlands in the English Channel. Humans have been active on this promontory for centuries. There is ample archaeological evidence of Native American use, and records indicate a possible visit by a Viking ship around 1004. In 1605, the renowned cartographer Samuel de Champlain mapped Clark’s Island and the Gurnet. When the Plymouth Colonists arrived in 1620, they found The Gurnet to be a reliable source for pine and clams. As European settlement in the Duxbury area expanded, the Gurnet and its environs were visited frequently for lumber, fishing, salt haying, and shellfishing. The first people to purchase land there were John Doty, John Nelson and Samuel Lucas, all in 1694.

A primitive lighthouse was constructed on The Gurnet as early as 1710, and replaced with a more modern one in 1768. This twin-beacon lighthouse was the first of its kind in America, and was for a time in the late 18th century the charge of Hannah Thomas, our country’s first female lighthouse keeper. Cannonballs, fire, and erosion each plagued the lighthouse over the years, and thus it was rebuilt several times and moved back from the edge of the cliff. It was converted to solar power in 1986, and still helps to guide boats into the harbor today.

The Gurnet also played a role in our region’s martial history. In 1776, a six-cannon battery known as Fort Andrew was constructed at Gurnet Point, overlooking Plymouth Harbor. Militia from Plymouth, Duxbury and Kingston manned it throughout the Revolutionary War. A life saving station was built there in 1878. Destroyed by the Portland Gale and rebuilt, it was eventually operated by the Coast Guard and functioned until 1956. Other, now departed, features of note on The Gurnet included farms, a dance pavilion, and an inn.

Saquish has a quieter history. Its name is a variation on a Native American word for clams (which were abundant for harvest there at low tide). Champlain’s map shows Saquish Head as an island, but by 1774, it was connected to The Gurnet by a sandy barrier beach, created as a natural consequence of tides, storms and shoreline erosion farther north. Plymouth Colony sold Saquish to Ephraim and George Morton in 1690. It was probably settled first in the late 1600s or early 1700s, with farmers, fishermen and later, the occasional rum-runner. Fort Standish was constructed there during the Civil War, a small structure with a gun mounted on each of its four corners, with locals taking patrol shifts.

The prevalence of mosquitoes and the relative inaccessibility by land (prior to 1898’s Portland Gale) kept Saquish relatively unpopulated until the ditching of the salt marshes in the early 20th century and the arrival of the Jeep after World War II. Then things changed rapidly. Fifty cottages were built on Saquish during the 1950s. Today there are 52 homes on Saquish Head, 120 on Saquish Neck, and another 55 on The Gurnet. These are generally passed down within families, not sold.

All of the land on Saquish and The Gurnet is privately owned. There are no paved roads, and no public utilities (although you do see plenty of generators, propane tanks, solar collectors and rain barrels these days). The roads are alternately thick with sand traps or deeply rutted—that is, if you’re not driving directly on the beach, which is also considered a “road” of sorts. It’s a 6-mile trip from the end of the Powder Point Bridge to Saquish Head, requiring 40-60 minutes of your time.

As these are private lands, I don’t recommend visiting Saquish or The Gurnet without permission. But if you can find someone to invite you there, be sure to take advantage of the offer!

Source: The Duxbury Beach Book, compiled and edited by Margaret M. Kearney and Kay Foster, published by The Duxbury Beach Reservation Inc., Duxbury MA; 2007.

By Kezia Bacon-Bernstein, Correspondent
July 2009

Kezia Bacon-Bernstein's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 13 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com.