A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods

Westgate_blackbird-2-opt5.24.15: What a difference a month makes! This morning we loaded the dog in the truck and headed out to the Westgate Preserve. I was last there for a photo tour on April 18th and spring was just beginning to show herself. The informal goal of that morning was to find signs of the season that we were all so desperate for after the horrendous weather. The snow had only recently melted in the woods, leaving the river walk trail too mucky and bogged down to even bother attempting. Ferns were barely beginning to pop up and curl open. The only true, deep green to be found was the moss along the bases of tree trunks. There was one dragonfly sighting at the bog, and the familiar “clunk” of a frog. Fast forward to today: I lost count of the wildlife we saw but the highlights were orioles, red-winged blackbirds, baby Canada geese and a spotted turtle. The upside to a now continued period of drought is easily accessible trails. The ferns have all unfurled. Westgate_geese_opt

I realized as we walked that as much as I enjoyed having the woods to ourselves, I wanted to continue to sing the praises of Wareham’s trail system and hope more members will find some time to go exploring. Winter always reminds us just how precious these lovely months of spring and summer are and we should take advantage of such spectacular outdoor amenities. On our way out of the woods, we did meet another couple. We assumed they were local but discovered they were from Fairhaven. They were coming to town to meet friends and noticed the conservation sign and then our truck which led them to stop in and see what was there. They were excited to hear about the wildlife sightings and made plans to return to the preserve later in the day with more comfortable shoes and time to explore. If people from as far away from Fairhaven are discovering us, then surely our own residents should enjoy it as well! Be sure to check out the trail guide available on our Resources page and make a date to take a walk in the woods. You won’t regret it.Westgate-Bilou-opt

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