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Wildlife Habitat Management Site Walks
It is the mission of DFW's Forestry program to provide a range of forest conditions that conserves the biological diversity of wildlife, communities, and ecosystems on state wildlife lands. MassWildlife foresters work with the DFW's Upland Habitat Program to reclaim abandoned field habitats, the Ecological Restoration Program to restore degraded habitats important to rare species, and the agency's Land Acquisition Program to provide technical assistance on using sustainable harvesting practices to enhance wildlife habitat. DFW foresters have also provided technical assistance to other public and private woodland owners on forest harvesting and habitat management practices.
Click on a month for scheduled 2011 site walks
June | August | September | October | December
Site walks are designed to provide an opportunity for interested conservation-minded citizens and landowners to observe habitat management operations that benefit different kinds of wildlife in special need of conservation. Conducted by DFW biologists and foresters, these professionals will discuss both planned and completed habitat management activities. Attendees will have a chance to encounter some of the wildlife benefiting from these activities, and to learn about the enhanced recreational opportunities that result from this work. DFW encourages landowners interested in managing their own properties for wildlife to take advantage of this opportunity to find out more about wildlife habitat management. Dress for the weather; plan on all events occurring rain or shine. Consider bringing insect repellant, binoculars, camera, sunscreen and wearing sturdy boots. For cold weather, dress warmly!
December 2011
December 13 -- Phillipston WMA Habitat Site Walk, Phillipston -- The public is invited to a DFW Habitat Site Walk on December 13 at 2PM at the Phillipston Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Meet at the parking pullout on Queen Lake Road (Rte 101) .1 mile west of the intersection with Narrow Lane in Phillipston. John Scanlon, DFW Forestry Project Leader, will discuss planned habitat management activities for this property. The planned management will establish small patches of young forest habitat that results in a forest with greater structural and wildlife diversity. It will also assist the Town of Phillipston in resolving a public safety issue associated with winter icing on Queen Lake Road (Route 101). Dress warmly for the weather and wear sturdy boots; the walk take place with rain, light snow, or sunshine. If there is a severe inclement weather forecast, site walk cancellation information will be recorded at (508)389-6324.
October 2011
October 6 - Southwick, Southwick WMA, Meet at 6:00 PM at the DFW parking area on the south side of South Longyard Road. Walk through portions of a 50 acre site with some remnant sandplain grassland and meadow habitat adjacent to overgrown pasture lands that will be reclaimed into managed shrubland habitat to support native shrubland birds in need of conservation.
Directions: From Rt. 202/10 to Depot Street in Southwick. Turn east on Depot Street for half a mile and bear right onto South Longyard Rd (also shown as Mountain Road on some maps). After 1.2 miles, the Southwick WMA parking area will be on the right.
September 2011
September 1- Newbury, Martin
Burns WMA 
-- The public site walk will be from
6:30 - 7:30 pm. Meet at the DFW parking area on the north side of Orchard
Street. Walk through portions of a 90- acre complex of abandoned pasture
lands that support rare species including insects and herps (reptiles/amphibians).
This parcel includes about 20 acres of tree clearing that was completed
in 2008 to re-connect separate portions of old pasture areas. Learn
about and discuss the benefits of re-establishing large open habitat
patches to benefit native shrubland birds in special need of conservation,
and the impact this work has on existing rare species living on the
property. Biologists will also discuss on-going invasive plant control
efforts at the site.
Directions to Martin Burns WMA: From I-95 take Exit 55 for Central Street. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Central Street. Continue on Central Street to the intersection with Orchard Street. Take the sharp left turn onto Orchard Street and follow Orchard Street until you reach the DFW parking area on your left.
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September 8 - Windsor, Eugene
Moran WMA
, The public site walk will be from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Meet at the
DFW parking area on the east side of Route 8A in Windsor. Walk through
portions of a 90 acre complex of abandoned pasture lands that support
native shrubland birds in need of conservation, and enjoy fine views
of the Mt. Greylock range, and if the sky is clear, the Catskill Mountains
in New York state. Biologists will also discuss on-going invasive plant
control efforts at the site.
Directions to E. Moran WMA: From Route 9, turn north onto Route 8A in the center of Windsor adjacent to the General Store/Post Office. Follow Route 8A north a short way to the large DFW parking area on your right.
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September 15 - Falmouth, Francis
Crane WMA
--The public site walk will be from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Meet at the DFW
parking area on the north side of Rt. 151. Visit two portions of this
Wildlife Management Area managed for rare species habitat using a combination
of prescribed fire and mechanical mowing. We'll begin in the northern
portion of the WMA and walk portions of an abandoned airstrip that has
been reclaimed into grassland habitat that supports rare species including
the Grasshopper
Sparrow. We'll end in the southern portion of the WMA looking at
reclaimed pitch pine/oak savannah and discuss the positive impacts this
work has had on both rare species habitat and reducing wildfire danger.
Directions to F. Crane WMA: Cross the Bourne Bridge on Route 28 onto Cape Cod, and follow Route 28 south for about four miles to the intersection with Route 151. Take route 151 east towards Mashpee. Turn left into the DFW parking area just beyond the Nickelodeon Theatre.
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September 22 - Athol, Millers
River WMA
-- The public site walk will be from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. through the
Cass Meadow portion of the Miller's River WMA. Meet at the DFW gate
on the south side of Pequoic Street. This a unique combination of state,
town, and private conservation land at the confluence of the Miller's
River and the Tully River in the middle of downtown Athol. View abandoned
agricultural lands that are mowed periodically to provide shrubland
bird habitat.
Directions to Cass Meadow portion of Miller's River WMA: Take Rte 2 east or west bound to the Rte 32 north exit towards Athol. Go west on Rte 2A towards downtown Athol. From Route 2A in downtown Athol, turn north onto Exchange Street, then turn left onto Pequoic Street. Gate will be on your left.
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September 29 - Chesterfield, Hiram
Fox WMA
, Meet at 6:00 PM at the intersection
of Ireland Street and Ireland Street Extension. Walk through
portions of an active hayfield and adjacent areas of reclaimed abandoned
fields to learn about and discuss active habitat management for native
shrubland birds in need of conservation. Biologists will also discuss
on-going invasive plant control efforts at the site.
Directions to Hiram Fox WMA: Meet at the intersection of Ireland
Street and Ireland Street Extension. From Route 112 in South Worthington
turn east on South Ireland Street. Follow South Ireland Street uphill
past Seven R's concerts site at the old Worthington Academy, continue
to the top of the hill, and turn right onto Ireland Street Extension.
August 2011
August 11 -- Tornado Damage and Wildlife Site Visit, Southbridge -- The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife is postponing the public site visit to the tornado impact area at McKinstry Brook WMA in Southbridge that was originally scheduled at 6:30 pm due to recent cleanup efforts of neighbors impacted by the tornado nearby. DFW tentatively plans to re-schedule the public site visit sometime in the fall of 2011.
August 18 -- Tyngsborough, Dunstable
Brook WMA
The public site walk will be from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Meet at the DFW parking
area on the west side of Dunstable Road. This tour will take participants
through portions of a 50 acre complex of abandoned fields that that
supports rare species including the wood
turtle . These abandoned fields were reclaimed in 2009, and the
work included establishment of three wood turtle nesting areas as well
as 15 acres of tree clearing re-connected two separate fields. Biologists
will discuss the benefits of directly enhancing rare species habitat
and the benefits of re-establishing large open habitat patches to benefit
native shrubland birds in special need of conservation. Biologists will
also discuss invasive plant control work that is occurring at the site.
Directions to Dunstable Brook WMA: From Route 3. Take Exit 34 onto Westford Road toward Westford. Proceed to the traffic light at the intersection of Westford Road and Dunstable Road (locally known as 'Flint's Corner'). Turn right onto Dunstable Road. Pass Red Gate Lane on your left, and the parking area will soon be on your left.
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August 25 -- Leyden, Leyden
WMA
This public site walk will be from 6:30
- 7:30 pm. Meet at the DFW parking area on the south side of Glen Road
in Leyden. Tour extensive areas of reclaimed abandoned field habitat
and reclaimed lowbush blueberry fields (bring a small container to take
some blueberries home with you!!), and enjoy fine views of the Deerfield
valley. Learn about and discuss the plight of native shrubland birds
with DFW Biologists, and also discuss the on-going treatment of invasive
plants at the sight.
Directions to Leyden WMA: From I-91 take Exit 28 onto Route 10 west into Bernardston. Turn south onto Route 5 & 10 towards Greenfield. Turn right on West Mountain Road (if you go over a set of railroad tracks, you've gone too far), then bear left onto Eden Trail. Follow Eden Trail to the intersection with Eden Road. Turn right on Eden Road and follow uphill to the intersection with Glen Road. Turn left onto Glen Road and the parking area will be on your left.
June 2011
June 3-Cheshire, Stafford Hill WMA -- Public Pre-harvest
Forestry Site Visit, Cheshire -- The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
(DFW) will be reclaiming about 60 acres of abandoned field habitat during
February-March of 2011 on the DFW
Stafford Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
in Cheshire. Reclamation activities will
include brush mowing, tree clearing and controlling invasive plants.
Interested citizens are invited to this public site visit to see the
property and learn about the planned reclamation activities, the wildlife
that will benefit from the activity, and the recreational opportunities
resulting from the effort (bird watching, upland game bird hunting,
etc.). Meet DFW Upland Program Coordinator Ben Mazzei and DFW Western
District Supervisor Andrew Madden at 4:00 pm on at the Stafford Hill
WMA on Stafford Hill Road in Cheshire. Directions: From Route 116, turn
south onto Stafford Hill Road (the turn is south of Hoosac Valley High
School and north of Henry Wood Road and Sand Mill Road). Go south on
Stafford Hill Road for about 0.7 miles. Park on the right-hand side
of the road near the old barn.
June 10-Hardwick, Muddy
Brook WMA
-- Meet DFW staff at 9:00 AM at the
public parking area off Jackson Road in Hardwick.
June 17-Dartmouth, Noquochoke
WMA
-- Meet DFW staff at 9:00 AM at the public
parking area off Hixville Road in Dartmouth.
2010 State Wildlife and Forest Land Tours
During the month of July, the public is invited to join professional foresters and wildlife biologists from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Department of Fish and Game's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) on three informative evening tours on state lands located in central Massachusetts to explain and discuss state forestry and wildlife habitat management practices. These public lands have been managed for the purposes of watershed management, forest or wildlife habitat diversity. All tours will meet (rain or shine) at 6:30 PM and last until 8:00 PM. Please wear sturdy footwear and bring insect repellant. Directions to meeting places and descriptions of sites are listed below. A fourth tour offered at a sawmill and forest products company on July 28 at 6:00 PM in Orange will offered by the company and focus on the use of locally harvested trees for lumber and the manufacture of other forest products. Dates and locations of the tours are as follows:July 7- DCR Federated Women's Club State Forest, Petersham - This tour will take participants to two sites, a shelterwood system designed to regenerate a variety of tree and shrub species and a forest type conversion/clearcut intended to create and maintain an early successional (young) forest habitat. Meet in the center of Petersham at the Memorial Library, 23 Common Street just off Route 32 to carpool to the sites.
July 14 - DCR Quabbin Reservoir, Hardwick - Two site visits on this tour will demonstrate harvest results from forest thinning operations, enlarging forest openings, and show how forest regeneration achieves watershed management goals for species diversity and forest age structure. Meet in the center of Hardwick in front of the Hardwick Post Office at the intersection of Barre Road and Petersham Road (Route 32A) to carpool to the sites.
July 21 - DFW Phillipston Wildlife Management Area, Phillipston - This site features a 30-acre old-field white pine harvest using a seed-tree cut to regenerate a more diverse stand of mixed species, including red oak, white pine, black cherry, and hemlock. The young forest habitat created benefits several declining bird species such as Brown thrasher, Blue-winged warbler, and White-throated sparrow, all of which depend on this type of habitat. Meet at the Templeton General Store located at the intersection of Routes 101, 2A, and Baldwinville Road. Carpooling to the tour location is encouraged.
July 28 - Heyes Forest Products Sawmill, Orange - This unique sawmill and forest products manufacturing tour is being offered by Heyes Forest Products (HFP), a company that has harvested trees and manufactured lumber products from the forests of the North Quabbin region for the past 40 years. Meet at 6:00 PM at Heyes Forest Products, 34 Daniel Shays Highway (Route 202) in Orange.
2008 Habitat Management Site Walks
During the month of July, the public is invited to join professional
foresters and wildlife biologists from the Department of Conservation
and Recreation (DCR) and the Department of Fish and Game's Division
of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) on three informative evening tours on
state lands located in central Massachusetts to explain and discuss
state forestry and wildlife habitat management practices. These public
lands have been managed for the purposes of watershed management, forest
or wildlife habitat diversity. All tours will meet (rain or shine)
at 6:30 PM and last until 8:00 PM. Please wear sturdy footwear and
bring insect repellant. Directions to meeting places and descriptions
of sites are listed below. A fourth tour offered at a sawmill and forest
products company on July 28 at 6:00 PM in Orange offered by the company
will focus on the use of locally harvested trees for lumber and the
manufacture of other forest products. Dates and locations of the tours
are as follows:
July 7- DCR Federated Women's Club State Forest, Petersham -
This tour will take participants to two sites, a shelterwood system
designed to regenerate a variety of tree and shrub species and a forest
type conversion/clearcut intended to create and maintain an early successional
(young) forest habitat. Meet in the center of Petersham at the Memorial
Library, 23 Common Street just off Route 32 to carpool to the sites.
July 14 - DCR Quabbin Reservoir, Hardwick - Two site visits on this tour will demonstrate harvest results from forest thinning operations, enlarging forest openings, and show how forest regeneration achieves watershed management goals for species diversity and forest age structure. Meet in the center of Hardwick in front of the Hardwick Post Office at the intersection of Barre Road and Petersham Road (Route 32A) to carpool to the sites.
July 21 - DFW Phillipston Wildlife Management Area, Phillipston - This site features a 30-acre old-field white pine harvest using a seed-tree cut to regenerate a more diverse stand of mixed species, including red oak, white pine, black cherry, and hemlock. The young forest habitat created benefits several declining bird species such as Brown thrasher, Blue-winged warbler, and White-throated sparrow, all of which depend on this type of habitat. Meet at the Templeton General Store located at the intersection of Routes 101, 2A, and Baldwinville Road. Carpooling to the tour location is encouraged.
July 28 - Heyes Forest Products Sawmill, Orange - This unique
sawmill and forest products manufacturing tour is being offered by Heyes
Forest Products (HFP), a company that has harvested trees and manufactured
lumber products from the forests of the North Quabbin region for the
past 40 years. Meet at 6:00 PM at Heyes Forest Products, 34 Daniel Shays
Highway (Route 202) in Orange.
2008 Habitat Management Site Walks
Following up on a public site walk at the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area in May 2008, MassWildlife's Forestry Program hosted a series of public site visits on state wildlife lands throughout the summer and fall of 2008. Each visit focused on wildlife habitat enhancement goals for the property, and the forest harvesting and other habitat management activities employed to achieve those goals. Foresters and biologists from MassWildlife led the site walks, provided information and answered attendees questions.
A schedule of public site visits follows.
- June 18-- Herm
Covey Wildlife Management Area ,
Belchertown at 6:00 pm. On this property habitat management activities
include white pine shelterwood harvests to establish structurally
diverse young forest habitat of mixed white pine and native hardwoods.
Meet outside the McLaughlin
State Fish Hatchery on East St., in Belchertown, just south of
Route 9.
- July 18 at 2PM and 3PM-Eugene
Moran
and Chalet
WMAs
in Cheshire and Windsor-Shrubland management and forest reserve.
For the first walk, which will take about an hour, meet at 2 PM at
the large parking area at the Moran WMA in Windsor on the east side
of Rte 8A. The second walk will begin at 3 PM, meeting at the Holiday
Farm which can be reached from the Moran WMA by following Rte 8A south
for 0.2 miles to Route 9. Turn right (west) on Route 9 and travel
for about 4 miles, and turn right into Holiday Farm. Park near the
office and prepare to hike up into the Chalet Forest Reserve. This
walk will have two components; first, a half hour hike of moderate
difficulty on a logging road into the forest reserve to an area with
discussion on how the area came to be a reserve and how reserve status
impacts wildlife habitat. At this point in the walk, attendees have
the option of returning to the parking area or embarking on a further
exploration of the Reserve with MassWildlife staff. This portion of
the walk will be a strenuous hike through rugged terrain over a couple
of hours. Participants should be in good physical condition, wear
quality hiking boots, and carry water, snacks, and insect repellent.
- August 15-- Forest Management Site Walk, Middlefield-As part
of a series of Forest Management Site Walks offered by MassWildlife
to the public, agency foresters will lead a site walk on state wildlife
land on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 6:00 PM. This walk will focus on
the results of forest cutting practices for aspen regeneration and
reclamation of abandoned orchard habitat at the Fox
Den Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
in Middlefield and Worthington. MassWildlife Foresters and Biologists
will be on hand to provide information on the wildlife species benefiting
from active forest management as well as answering questions from
attendees. The walk will take place rain or shine--wear appropriate
clothing and sturdy footgear for walking in the woods and fields.
Bring insect repellant, binoculars and a camera! Meet at the Middlefield
General Store in the center of Middlefield at the intersection of
Skyline Trail and Bell Road (immediately west of the Middlefield Fair
Grounds and the Middlefield Highway Garage, and across the road from
the Methodist Chruch). Because of the rough terrain, car pooling from
the meeting location in 4 wheel drive vehicles will be necessary.
Foresters!--This public site visit will be approved for 1 Continuing
Forestry Education credit in Category 1. Complete
listing of Forest Management Site Walks.
- September 9 at 5PM-Peru
WMA ,
Peru-Explore the Tracy Pond section of the Peru Wildlife Management
Area, on Middlefield Road (a.k.a. Skyline Trail) and see a 13 acre
regeneration harvest conducted by MassWildlife to regenerate a Norway
spruce plantation to a mixed, two-aged stand of northern hardwood,
Norway spruce, and white pine forest. Visit open portions of the site,
retention areas of Norway spruce within the site, and an extensive
un-cut stream filter of Norway spruce at one edge of the harvest area.
Discuss habitat goals for the site, as well as recreational and aesthetic
impacts of the harvest. Take a short 0.5 mile drive down Middlefield
Road at the conclusion of the site visit to walk into Tracy Pond if
your schedule allows. Meet at the entrance road into the WMA on the
south side of Middlefield Road opposite the intersection with South
Road in Peru, MA. (From Route 143 in the center of Peru [near the
town hall and church], turn south onto South Road. Follow South Road
for a distance of about 2.5 miles to the intersection with Middlefield
Road (about 2.0 miles from Peru center, South Road takes a hard right
turn, then a hard left turn before you come to Middlefield Road).
The WMA entrance road is nearly opposite the intersection of South
Road and Middlefield Road, so turn left on Middlefield Road, then
immediately turn right into the WMA entrance road. There is a gate
a short distance up the entrance road, but the gate will be open for
additional parking).
- October 21 at 4PM-Phillipston
WMA ,
Phillipston- The goal of the forest management at Phillipston
is to regenerate old field white pine forest to a structurally diverse
stand of mixed hardwood, hemlock, and white pine that provides adequate
habitat for area-sensitive wildlife species that prefer larger patches
of young forest habitat. Learn more about the forest management efforts,
rare species concerns and about moose in Central Massachusetts at
this walk. Meet at the WMA entrance on west side of Williamsville
Road in Phillipston, MA (about 1.2 miles south of the intersection
of Williamsville Road and Route 101 - Follow Route 101 southwest from
the center of Templeton, MA for about 2.25 miles to Williamsville
Road, turn left on Williamsville Road for about 1.2 miles).