Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
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19th century sewing machine magnate William Emerson Baker. You can walk along a levee or catch a bass from the dock. The sanctuary, one of 10 overseen by the nonprofit Wellesley Conservation Council, features wood trails, wildflowers, ferns, and swampland (wear your boots). Kids can hop off the tree trunk pieces that line both sides of the path to a vernal pool. Park at a lot off of 163 Winding River Road at the Needham border. The Guernsey path is a short distance northeast. five Discover Fauna (and Maybe) Hobbits "Explore the flora and fauna, and imagine the fairies and hobbits that inhabit the moss-covered cottage," says Michael Tobin, a director of the Wellesley Conservation Council. The council maintains Cronk's Rocky Woodland, a sanctuary which includes a marked nature trail. It is next to 24 Crown Ridge Road in the Wellesley neighborhood south of Route 9 between Weston Road and Oak Street. six Catch a Fish Enjoy a cool breeze while fishing at the tip of Pickle Point on Morses Pond in Wellesley or just watch the swans or the more than two dozen other types of birds that flit among the trees. The three-acre penin- sula, another Conservation Council preserve, is at the northwest side of the pond. Park on Kendall Road, a short dirt street near where the Cochituate Aqueduct and the Crosstown Trail cross Russell Road. seven Enjoy the Sunset Looking west from Sunset Corner in Weston, you can see Wachusett Mountain from a concrete bench at the edge of Highland Forest. From Route 20, take Highland Street for a mile south to a dirt turnout on the right. Warning: there's no sign saying "Sunset Corner." Cross the street and climb up the stone steps. Bear right where the trial splits, and you'll shortly see the bench. The spot is a favorite of Meg Kelly, president of the nonprofit Weston Forest & Trail Association, which owns the site and maintains its many trails. eight Cross a Bridge Several hundred yards and a world away from busy Route 20 in Weston is Lee's Bridge, a small stone bridge built in 2013 over gurgling Three Mile Brook. The bridge is named for Lee Cohen, a longtime trustee of the trail association, and was paid for by his family. In the 19th century, water wheels along the brook powered factories. Nature has since reclaimed the area, known as Sears Woods. Access is via Crescent Street, which befitting its name, curves off, and then back onto Route 20. Turn off at No. 27, marked by a sign for Land's Sake, and follow the narrow road as it twists behind backyards and leads to the historic Melone homestead that is now home to the Land's Sake main office and greenhouses. Park there and then walk west along a rutted dirt path. Just before it heads uphill, a trail marker will direct you to a narrower path on your left. After a steep and stony descent, you'll wind up at the bridge — recognizable by its rustic elegance. nine Observe the Birds College Conservation area in Weston is a preserve that includes numerous trails, including a loop around College Pond, and is a favorite of the town's conservation director, Michele Grzenda. "During the spring and summer months, the observant birder will be rewarded with any number of treasures: flushing a sleeping owl from a large white pine tree, spying an indigo bunting from the apple orchard, or hearing the 'peent' of an American Woodcock at dusk along a wetland edge," Grzenda wrote in Bird Observer (April 2014). Access is via Burchard Park, which you can enter opposite 268 Concord Road. Park in front of the tennis courts. ten Marvel at the View Thank the ice ages for Weston's Doublet Hill, a rocky outcropping with views of the Boston skyline. Park at the end of Doublet Hill Road and take a quarter-mile hike up the hill. Signs mark the path. To learn more: n Visit WWW.WELLESLEYCONSERVATIONCOUNCIL.ORG The Wellesley Conservation Council website is packed with photos and details about its sanctuaries. The nonprofit also publishes guides, including Walks in Wellesley: Exploring Wellesley's Open Space, by Margaret Klein Wilson, available at Wellesley Books and the town hall office of the Natural Resources Commission. n Visit WWW.WESTONFORESTTRAIL.ORG The Forest & Trail Association website includes photos, guides, a calendar of monthly walks and narrated videos made in collaboration with Weston Media. The association's folding map of local trails is on sale at Weston Town Hall. It also published the guidebook Walks on Wellesley Conservation Land, by Elmer E. Jones. Pickle Point on Morses Pond C O U R T E S Y O F M I C H A E L T O B I N A N D T H E W E L L E S L E Y C O N S E R V A T I O N C O U N C I L 26 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 10 tips