Flagg Pond LbNA #40360
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 31, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Boylston |
| County: | Worcester |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | Tahanto Envirothon  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Monkadoo Marauders |
| Last found: | Apr 25, 2014 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | May 31, 2008 |
From Rt. 290 take exit 23B towards Boylston/West Boylston and go on 140 North. Proceed 1.2 miles until you get to the intersection of Rt 140 and Rt. 70 At the intersection of Rt. 140 and 70, turn left and go 0.1 mile to the entrance to Y.O.U., Inc. on your right. Enter the long driveway with a field on your right. This was the former entrance to Elmwood. Continue to the Visitor's Parking Lot and park there.
Exiting the parking lot, turn left and continue
walking up the road, leaving the white farmhouse to your right. As you pass the house, you will see a sign for an American Chestnut Nursery, put in under the direction of the 2001 Tahanto Envirothon Team and their coach, Sue Moore with the assistance of residents of YOU, Inc. and Boylston Cub Scouts obtaining their Forestry Badge. You will also notice signs for bluebird boxes and a Pine
Stand.
At the entrance to the Flagg Pond Trail, you will
notice 2 signs. One sign is for a "Tree Farm" and the other sign is a map of Hillside which also includes Elmwood and Flagg Pond. You can see how the Flagg Pond Trail links into the Gough House Trail and the Hillside Nature Trail Network and Demonstration Forest, created in 2000 by Hugh Putnam, Forester and Susan T. Moore, Environmental Educator.
Enter the trail which has a stone wall along the
right side. Bear right at the fork in the trail. The path to the left, which leads to Hillside, also has a Letterbox.
As you walk, you will see a cord of wood on your
left. A cord of wood is 4'x4'x8' long. Take a right at the next fork. You will see a sign for a "Tree Cookie" on the right next to a trunk showing growth rings.
The path now goes slightly downhill. At the bottom
of the hill take the right fork.
As you continue, you will pass a sign about this
"Aquatic Ecosystem" which describes ponds. You may see Flagg Pond through the trees at this point. Notice how the water and aquatic plants gradually give way to cattails, then to shrubs, to small trees, and eventually to the forest. This is an example of pond succession.
As you circle to your left, you will pass over a
wooden bridge. Sit on the bench and enjoy watching the water striders "walking on water" and hear the red-winged blackbirds sing from their perches on the reeds. You will have another view of pond succession. Behind you is a riparian or riverside area, explained on a nearby sign.
Continue to make your way around the pond and before
the next bridge, take the path to the right and follow the path around the pond until you reach a fallen tree.
The fallen tree is an example of pit and mound or
pillow and cradle topography. As you face the sign that explains this, you will notice the tree trunk lying on the ground. The Letterbox is hidden under the trunk to the left of the root system. Please replace and hide the letterbox carefully.
As you continue on the path around the pond, you
will notice a sign on the other side of the fallen tree about a "Tracking Pit". Do you see tracks of animals in the mud?
Continue uphill on the path and you will pass a sign
on the right called "Selection Thinning" which describes different forest harvesting methods. The selection thinning that was done here has opened up the area to more wildlife, especially deer and grouse.
Look for the next sign on the right which describes
a "Rotten Log" and all of the interesting organisms that can be found there. What can you find?
As you continue on the path, you will meet the
crossroads of the Flagg Pond Loop. Take a right at the fork and retrace your steps to the Visitor's Parking Lot or take a detour onto the Gough House Trail and look for the another Letterbox!
Exiting the parking lot, turn left and continue
walking up the road, leaving the white farmhouse to your right. As you pass the house, you will see a sign for an American Chestnut Nursery, put in under the direction of the 2001 Tahanto Envirothon Team and their coach, Sue Moore with the assistance of residents of YOU, Inc. and Boylston Cub Scouts obtaining their Forestry Badge. You will also notice signs for bluebird boxes and a Pine
Stand.
At the entrance to the Flagg Pond Trail, you will
notice 2 signs. One sign is for a "Tree Farm" and the other sign is a map of Hillside which also includes Elmwood and Flagg Pond. You can see how the Flagg Pond Trail links into the Gough House Trail and the Hillside Nature Trail Network and Demonstration Forest, created in 2000 by Hugh Putnam, Forester and Susan T. Moore, Environmental Educator.
Enter the trail which has a stone wall along the
right side. Bear right at the fork in the trail. The path to the left, which leads to Hillside, also has a Letterbox.
As you walk, you will see a cord of wood on your
left. A cord of wood is 4'x4'x8' long. Take a right at the next fork. You will see a sign for a "Tree Cookie" on the right next to a trunk showing growth rings.
The path now goes slightly downhill. At the bottom
of the hill take the right fork.
As you continue, you will pass a sign about this
"Aquatic Ecosystem" which describes ponds. You may see Flagg Pond through the trees at this point. Notice how the water and aquatic plants gradually give way to cattails, then to shrubs, to small trees, and eventually to the forest. This is an example of pond succession.
As you circle to your left, you will pass over a
wooden bridge. Sit on the bench and enjoy watching the water striders "walking on water" and hear the red-winged blackbirds sing from their perches on the reeds. You will have another view of pond succession. Behind you is a riparian or riverside area, explained on a nearby sign.
Continue to make your way around the pond and before
the next bridge, take the path to the right and follow the path around the pond until you reach a fallen tree.
The fallen tree is an example of pit and mound or
pillow and cradle topography. As you face the sign that explains this, you will notice the tree trunk lying on the ground. The Letterbox is hidden under the trunk to the left of the root system. Please replace and hide the letterbox carefully.
As you continue on the path around the pond, you
will notice a sign on the other side of the fallen tree about a "Tracking Pit". Do you see tracks of animals in the mud?
Continue uphill on the path and you will pass a sign
on the right called "Selection Thinning" which describes different forest harvesting methods. The selection thinning that was done here has opened up the area to more wildlife, especially deer and grouse.
Look for the next sign on the right which describes
a "Rotten Log" and all of the interesting organisms that can be found there. What can you find?
As you continue on the path, you will meet the
crossroads of the Flagg Pond Loop. Take a right at the fork and retrace your steps to the Visitor's Parking Lot or take a detour onto the Gough House Trail and look for the another Letterbox!