Sherburne Trail

In October we went for a quick walk in the woods near our home to get outside and to take some "spooky" Halloween photos of our baby.  

Sherburne Nature Center is on Coburn Road in Tyngsborough, MA. the Sherburne Estate and habitat is an 80-acre parcel consists of a combination of woodlands, marshes, a beaver pond, and a meadow maintained to support birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. It was donated to the town in 1999. 

Sherburne Nature Center activities are open to all who are interested. Unless otherwise noted, all activities take place at Sherburne Estate and will go rain or shine. In extreme weather conditions, activities will be canceled. No reservations or fees required. You simply show up.
    

We've hiked here many times.  We've also done some geocaching on the property as well.  It's one of our favorites for a quick time in nature.  The parking lot has a welcome sign with postings of animal or bird sightings.  The fall colors were starting to fade and we could see that storm clouds were going to be heading our way so we put the Little Dude in the Ergo and set out on the paths.  

 

We immediately came across this little guy hiding in the middle of the trail.  He had many friends nearby as well.  

This bench is one of many Gold Award and Eagle Award projects that have been completed by Girl and Boy Scouts on the property.

  

   

Ansel had fun sniffing about in the leaves near one of the vernal pools.  

We found a great spot at a fork in the trail to take photos of the Little Dude.  Then the skies grew very dark and we started to get dripped on by the oncoming storm.  We walked back quickly towards the parking lot but I couldn't resist getting some pictures of the wetlands in the gloom.  

 

The rain slowed and we wandered down towards the wetlands to investigate some new construction.  There was a gentleman installing a boardwalk and new benches to over look the beaver dam and wetlands.  We chatted with him for a bit and then after he told us it was safe we went out on to the new construction.  It was a lovely addition to the trails.  We were able to walk out a bit and be surrounded by cattails.  We liked it so much we went back there in November to take our Christmas photos.    

We wandered back towards our car as those dark clouds grew darker. Next to the parking lot is the house.  It serves as the hub for all nature exhibits in town and is a learning center to the public. We've never been in it but the gentleman constructing the boardwalk was staying there while he was working. 

     

As I mentioned this is one of our favorite spots to walk.  If you are in the area, I definitely recommend checking it out.  I always find something new to see and explore.  Maps are occasionally at the kiosk in the parking lot.  The Town of Tyngsborough usually has them on their website but the link I found appears to be broken at the moment.