Conservation Portraits

Barnes Wildlife Sanctuary - Cohasset, MA

In the spring of 2002, the Barnes family was in the process of signing a purchase and sales agreement with a developer to build houses on their 32-acre property which abuts Wheelwright Park. The Private Barnes property is laced with interesting Native American walking paths that are a natural extension of those in Wheelwright Park. The narrow, salamander shape of Wheelwright Park would benefit greatly from the official addition of these trails to fill out its profile and add a new and exciting dimension to it. Through the efforts of the Selectmen, the Conservation Commission, the Cohasset Conservation Trust, the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, the Audubon Society, the Trustees of Reservations, a Self-Help Program grant, and many private citizens, the site has been protected.

Today the park is cherished by thousands who find its serene beauty a refreshing escape. Whether hiking in the holly groves, jogging by the squirrelly oaks, climbing glacial rocks, walking your dog under the cathedral of old pines, horseback riding, birding, or just plain relaxing, it is truly food for the soul. A public treasure, it is a special and relatively untouched piece of ancient "Quonahassit." Enjoying the area, as the Native Americans did 1,000 years ago, has been made possible by the investment of the town and the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs' Self-Help Program.